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Christianity
is the most popular religion in the world. Christians believe that
Jesus Christ was the Son of God. He
came to earth as a man to restore the relationship between humans
and God which had gone wrong.
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| Jesus
Christ |
Christians
believe that during Jesus' life he had shown people how to be reconciled
to God and to each other.
Jesus'
death and resurrection was a form of atonement for the actions of
humans and restored them to their correct relationship with God.
They
believe life should be lived according to the example of Jesus Christ
by:
Loving God
Loving fellow human beings as one loves oneself
Sharing the Christian message
Christians
also believe they have only one life. This life is judged after
death by the way it was lived. Heaven is where the soul resides
if one has lived a good life. While eternal punishment awaits in
Hell for those who lead a bad life. Whether 'heaven' and 'hell'
literally exists is hotly debated in some theological circles. Read
more about the different Christian denominations.
Christian
worship involves praising God in music, speech, readings from scripture,
prayers of various sorts, a sermon and various holy ceremonies.
While
worship is often thought of only as "services" in which
Christians come together in a group, individual Christians can worship
God on their own, and in any place.
Place
of Worship
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| Stain
glass church windows |
The
Christian place of worship is called a Church. They are often built
in the shape of a cross with the altar facing east towards the rising
sun.
The
word "church" can also refer to the total group of Christians
and individual religious denominations such as "The Anglican
Church" or "The Methodist Church".
Styles
of worhsip
Different churches, even within the same denomination, will use
very different styles of worship. Some will be elaborate with a
choir singing to music played by a band or organist, in others the
congregation will sing simpler hymns or worship songs.
Some
churches leave much of the action to the minister, while others
encourage great congregational participation.
All
churches encourage the full participation of the congregation in
praising God with heart, mind and soul.
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| The
bible |
The
Bible is the Holy Book. This is divided into the Old Testament,
which incorporates the Hebrew Bible, and the New Testament.
It
details the life of Jesus and a selection of beliefs and writings
of the early church.
Prayer
is the means by which Christians communicate with their God.
The
New Testament records that Jesus taught his disciples how to pray
and that he encouraged them to address God as "Father".
Whilst
prayer is often directed to God as Father, as taught by Jesus, some
traditions encourage prayer to God through intermediaries such as
saints and martyrs.
Prayers
through Mary, as the mother of God are central to some churches
and form a traditional part of their worship.
Visit
the BBC Religion website to read
more about the Christian faith.
There
are several denominations of the Christian faith, however all
Christians share common beliefs.
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Church of England -
Anglicanism |
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Anglicans
uphold the Catholic and Apostolic faith. Following the teachings
of Jesus Christ, the Churches are committed to the proclamation
of the good news of the Gospel to the whole creation. Read
more about the Anglican Church.
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| Baptist
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For
Baptists, the church is not just a particular place or building,
but rather a family of believers, committed to Christ, to one
another and to the service of God in the world. Read
more about Baptist churches.
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Orthodox
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The
Orthodox Church shares much with the other Christian churches
in the belief that God revealed himself in Jesus Christ, and
a belief in the incarnation of Christ, his crucifixion and resurrection.
Read
more about the Orthodox church.
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What are your personal experiences of living with your
faith? 
