Theology chapter one
2. We are told in the handbook that both of the sons in the Parable of the Prodigal Son misunderstand their father's love. A) What did each son believe regarding his father's love? B) What is wrong with each son's belief in the father's love?
A) Both of the son's did not understand the father's love for them. The youngest son believed his father would never love him again since he had betrayed him and ran away with his money. The oldest son had worked for his father and had always stayed loyal to him. Yet at the end of the day "the father" who represents God in this parable. Still loves them both and would never love them less for any sin they commit. B)The youngest son believed he was not able to be loved again by his father and that he was a "traitor". The eldest son believed he was always faithful to his father and that he had earned his father's love. However, the father never stopped loving either of his sons. His love is truly unconditional and he loves them the same.
According to the Essential Moral Handbook, an authentic image of God is crucial for two principle reasons. What are they? (p. 21)
An authentic image of God is crucial because it helps us to understand him better, ourselves and our purpose in life. And it helps us know who we are responding to and of what nature that response should be given.
Explain why each of the following images of God are incomplete: God as Lawgiver; God as Judge. (p. 18)
God as Lawgiver because the rules we are given such as the 10 Commandments we find that if we break those rules we are unfit to ever have a chance to go to heaven. And that we judge ourselves as bad people for not following the rules. But God knows we aren't perfect and this is why we have Confession to ask for forgiveness for any wrong doing. The second false image of God is God as a judge this is because we feel he is judging us for everything little thing we do on Earth will determine if he loves us or if we will receive eternal life with him in Heaven. But God always loves us no matter what and we must ask for forgiveness and do our best to do good to go to Heaven.
1. According to the Catholic Church, does God love Mother Teresa (Saint Teresa of Calcutta) more than God loves Hitler?
No, God loves all of us equally. In the Prodical Son, the youngest believed he was a disappointment to his father since he betrayed him. And the oldest son did everything he was told to do by his father. However, at the end of the father loved them all the same and his love was infinite.
A sixteenth-century writer, Dorotheos of Gaza, used an image to explain the relationship between love of God and love of neighbor. What is the main point he is trying to make? (p. 14)
The main point he is trying to make is that the closer in relationship we are to God , the closer we are in relationship with each other. And the more distant we are with God the more distant we tend to be from each other.