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Christians
believe in one God, who created the universe and created human beings to
have a special relationship with him. Through human willfulness,
exemplified in the story of Adam and Eve, this relationship was broken.
God showed his love for all humanity by sending his son Jesus to bring
humanity back to a personal relationship with God. Christians take their
name from the title given to Jesus: the Christ meaning the “anointed one
of God”. After three years of teaching, Jesus was executed by
crucifixion but brought to life again, showing God’s power over death
and suffering and that death is not the end. Christians believe that they
are called to be like Christ in the world. Jesus died on the cross, the normal method of execution in the Roman Empire at that time. It was a shameful and painful death, but Christians believe that through it God showed his power over shame, pain and death. Worldwide Numbers: Christians number nearly 2 billion worldwide. The largest branch (denomination) of Christianity is Catholicism, with 900 million followers. Other major branches are Orthodox and Protestant. Holy Places: There are hundreds of Christian pilgrimage sites around the world. Israel is important because its links with Jesus. Rome is the seat of the pope, spiritual leader of the Catholics. Holy Writings: The Bible consists of the Old Testament, written in Hebrew, and the New Testament, written in Greek. It contains accounts of the life and teachings of Jesus and letters from early Christians. The Bible has been translated into many languages. |
