Praying for and
helping those who
suffer is a key part of
many faiths
Roman Catholics and Orthodox
Christians often pray for a saint to
intercede with God on behalf of someone
who's suffering. These are called
'intercessory prayers'. In other Christian
traditions, prayers of intercession for
others are addressed directly to God
Christians also pray for God's
help in accepting suffering as a
part of his plan for the world-
whether it's their own suffering or
that of others
Many Christians believe that
it is when we struggle and
suffer that we are closest to
Jesus, who suffered and died
for us
One argument that Christians make for
accepting suffering is that life- including
all its pain- must be worthwhile if God, in
the form of Jesus, chose to come down
and share it with us.
Many Christian organisations,
eg. Christian Aid, work to
alleviate suffering by offering
practical help
Sources of Moral Guidance
Sacred texts
Believers most commonly look to sacred texts (eg.
The Bible) for moral guidance. Some claim that the
religious texts were written for a society with
different values, and should be interpreted to suit
the times
Other's argue that they're the word of God and so must be obeyed to the letter
The examples of teachers/prophets
Religious people may also look at the lives and actions
of teachers like Jesus to guide them along the right path
Conscience
Your conscience is that little voice in your
head telling you what's right or wrong. Some
believers argue that this is the voice of God,
so we should listen to it very carefully and
always trust hat it's telling us.
Others say your conscience is just the
result of your upbringing- eg. your parents
opinions, things you've read or heard,
religious teachings. If this Is true then your
conscience is only as trustworthy as the
things it's based on
Some people
believe that your
conscience has to
be schooled in the
teaching of your
faith, otherwise it
might lead you
astray
"My conscience is clear, but that does not
make me innocent. It is the Lord who judges
me"
Jesus challenged Laws and traditions in the name of love
Jesus' Jewish opponents often accused him
of breaking religious laws- for example, he
healed people on the Sabbath when Jews
were not supposed to do any work
He taught that your motivation was
even more important than your
actions- being angry with someone
could be as bad as killing them
Jesus wanted his followers to love
Jesus set an example of self sacrifice
Christians believe that in his willingness to
suffer and die on their behalf, Jesus set an
example which they themselves should be
prepared to follow. "if anyone would come
after me, he must deny himself and take up his
cross and follow me"
In dying on the cross, Christians believe Jesus paid for all
the sin of mankind. The Bible teaches that God is merciful,
but he is also just, so our sins have to be paid for.
Christians believe that everyone who has died will
be judged. Most Christians believe that only those
that have followed Jesus' teachings, and have
behaved morally (or have repented and sought
forgiveness for any immorality) will enter heaven
as a result of this sacrifice)