okay im doing a world religions project about Catholicism:

outline:

5. Membership requirements ƒÞ belief ƒÞ role of Christ ƒÞ Key differences from other groups ƒÞ Dietary Restrictions ƒÞ Position on Birth Control ƒÞ Membership #s

it has to be about 3 min long... any ideas?

-- Non-Christian person (white_shining_angel@hotmail.com), December 10, 2003

Answers

Membership requirements: 1. Subscribe to the Profession of Faith (see below). Also a person is brought into full communion with the Catholic Church through reception of the three sacraments of Christian initiation--baptism, confirmation, and the holy Eucharist.

2. & 3. Belief & role of Christ: We have a profession of faith that summarizes our belief:

We believe in one God, the Father, the Almighty,maker of heaven and earth, of all that is seen and unseen.

We believe in one Lord, Jesus Christ, the only Son of God, eternally begotten of the Father,God from God, Light from Light, true God from true God,begotten, not made, one in Being with the Father.Through him all things were made.

For us men and for our salvation he came down from heaven: by the power of the Holy Spirit he was born of the Virgin Mary, and became man.

For our sake he was crucified under Pontius Pilate; he suffered, died, and was buried.

On the third day he rose again in fulfillment of the Scriptures; he ascended into heaven and is seated at the right hand of the Father.

He will come again in glory to judge the living and the dead, and his kingdom will have no end.

We believe in the Holy Spirit, the Lord, the giver of life, who proceeds from the Father and the Son.

With the Father and the Son he is worshiped and glorified. He has spoken through the Prophets.

We believe in one holy catholic and apostolic Church. We acknowledge one baptism for the forgiveness of sins. We look for the resurrection of the dead, and the life of the world to come.

For an explination of what this means, see the Catholic Catechism which is here:

http://www.usccb.org/cate chism/text/

4. Differences from other groups. ... not exactly sure what you are after here... take a look here: http:// www.catholic.com/library/noncatholic_groups.asp

5. Dietary restrictions: For the faithful as a whole: we have minor to almost no mandatory restrictions execpt to say gluttony is considered at least a vice and possibly a sin in some cases.

6. Position on Birth Control: It is always intrinsically wrong to use artificial birth control—contraception—to prevent new human beings from coming into existence. Artificial birth control is "any action which, either in anticipation of the conjugal act [sexual intercourse], or in its accomplishment, or in the development of its natural consequences, proposes, whether as an end or as a means, to render procreation impossible" (Humanae Vitae 14). This includes sterilization, condoms and other barrier methods, spermicides, coitus interruptus (withdrawal method), the Pill, and all other methods of artificial contraception. For more information, see: http://www.c atholic.com/library/Birth_Control.asp

Membership numbers: The Catholic Church is the largest organized religious church on earth. The estimate in mid-2001 was: 1,076,951,000 members.

I am sure you will get other answers. I hope this helps.

In Christ, Bill Nelson

-- Bill Nelson (bnelson45@hotmail.com), December 10, 2003.