The Beatitudes can be very difficult to live by and follow today.
The Beatitude, 'Blessed are the pure in heart: they shall see God.' (Matthew 5:8) is a very challenging Beatitude to live by today because of many temptations that we are constantly faced with in todays world (2013). These temptations can distract us from keeping our lives focused on God's will for us and its completion. As a person is distracted by temptations, they may also find it harder to live according to what Jesus taught us. People may become to self absorbed in their sins and then become self absorbed in the guilt of their sins. To be pure in heart means to not have selfish thoughts. The influence of temptations make people more selfish wanting only what is best for them, not thinking about what God's will for them is. They then need to repent in order to start again so that they can experience God and true happiness. The media can also present us with false ideas about what is right and wrong and we can get distracted from God focusing on others and comparing ourselves with others instead of doing Gods will for you. The media can make people selfish which is the opposite of pure in heart and so find it hard to follow Jesus 'teachings and His will. Today, making God's will the key point of your life may seem to be quite boring or not hip in the modern era. People may want to do other things that seem to be more fun. this means that they are being self-centred and become more unable to follow Jesus' teachings. However, when a person is "pure in heart" they are able to fully experience God.
There are also many complex moral issues in today's society that make it hard to relate to Christs teachings (the Beatitudes and other teachings). Here are just some of todays complex moral issues: - war - gay marriage - adultery and fornication - abortion - divorce - euthanasia
The Death Penalty/Capital Punishment
Definition: Being punished by death for a crime.
'...every human person has an essential and inalienable dignity deriving from the fact that we are all created in God's image and that God intends our personal salvation and eternal happiness.' (Confronting the Death Penalty People, Politics and Principle). This Beatitude relates too thee complex moral issue: 'Blessed are the merciful: they shall have mercy shown them.' (Matthew 5:7). By doing this we can see that Jesus asks us to forgive everyone, even those who hurt us the most. Jesus asks to continue to love others no-matter what they do. The concept of the death penalty is similar to an eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth instead of what Jesus said about turning our other cheek.
Euthanasia
Definition: Giving a person an unpainful death if they are undergoing and experiencing an agonising incurable disease.
Today, many people believe that people who are suffering immense pain have the right to take their lives. Jesus says in one of the Beatitudes: 'How blessed are the poor in spirit: the kingdom of heaven is theirs.' (Matthew 5:3). This tells us that we need to be humble to be able to trust and rely on God for help during the pain that they are experiencing. Then they will be able to see God's will for them and carry it out. By trusting in God's will, they can continue to love until the last moment that they are on earth. This helps us to see that we could never do anything without God and would not
even be alive if were not for God. By staying alive, we can trust in God and His
will because God put us all here for a reason.
War
Definition: War is the conflict or fighting with weapons between two or more groups. Many people die.
War kills many, many people. War is both expensive and poisons the land. Many people are abused in wars. This complex moral issue relates to the Beatitude: 'Blessed are the peacemakers: they shall be recognised as children of God.' (Matthew 5:9). Today it is believed sometimes that war can bring people closer, sharing in the sacrifice for their country. However, this Beatitude tells us that instead of fighting and killing others to solve an issue, we can try to bring peace to others instead. This way, no one would die and we could still resolve issues.
Abortion
Definition: The ejection/expulsion of a foetus before it can survive on its own, from the womb.
This complex moral issue of today relates to this Beatitude: 'Blessed are the pure in heart: they shall see God.' (Matthew 5:8). This Beatitude is about making God's will and its completion the key point in your and trying to live as Jesus did. If a person makes God's will their key point they will grow closer to God and be able to trust in God about having a baby. Today, it is often thought that women have the right to choose whether or not they want an abortion. This Beatitude may help some mothers to find out that maybe having this baby is the key point in their life. Males are also often hurt in abortion. One father who lost his child says: "I wasn't even in the clinic that day. But in my mind, I've been there a million times since. I've been watching, breaking, wanting to rescue you. In my mind I need to be a hero, not a killer, the man who didn't flee. But I am not. I am the man I fear I see." (adapted from an article by Vincent M. Rue, PhD & Cynthia Tellefsen). By choosing Gods, will in your life, the male or female will not suffer.
The Beatitude, 'Blessed are the pure in heart: they shall see God.' (Matthew 5:8) is a very challenging Beatitude to live by today because of many temptations that we are constantly faced with in todays world (2013). These temptations can distract us from keeping our lives focused on God's will for us and its completion. As a person is distracted by temptations, they may also find it harder to live according to what Jesus taught us. People may become to self absorbed in their sins and then become self absorbed in the guilt of their sins. To be pure in heart means to not have selfish thoughts. The influence of temptations make people more selfish wanting only what is best for them, not thinking about what God's will for them is. They then need to repent in order to start again so that they can experience God and true happiness. The media can also present us with false ideas about what is right and wrong and we can get distracted from God focusing on others and comparing ourselves with others instead of doing Gods will for you. The media can make people selfish which is the opposite of pure in heart and so find it hard to follow Jesus 'teachings and His will. Today, making God's will the key point of your life may seem to be quite boring or not hip in the modern era. People may want to do other things that seem to be more fun. this means that they are being self-centred and become more unable to follow Jesus' teachings. However, when a person is "pure in heart" they are able to fully experience God.
There are also many complex moral issues in today's society that make it hard to relate to Christs teachings (the Beatitudes and other teachings). Here are just some of todays complex moral issues: - war - gay marriage - adultery and fornication - abortion - divorce - euthanasia
The Death Penalty/Capital Punishment
Definition: Being punished by death for a crime.
'...every human person has an essential and inalienable dignity deriving from the fact that we are all created in God's image and that God intends our personal salvation and eternal happiness.' (Confronting the Death Penalty People, Politics and Principle). This Beatitude relates too thee complex moral issue: 'Blessed are the merciful: they shall have mercy shown them.' (Matthew 5:7). By doing this we can see that Jesus asks us to forgive everyone, even those who hurt us the most. Jesus asks to continue to love others no-matter what they do. The concept of the death penalty is similar to an eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth instead of what Jesus said about turning our other cheek.
Euthanasia
Definition: Giving a person an unpainful death if they are undergoing and experiencing an agonising incurable disease.
Today, many people believe that people who are suffering immense pain have the right to take their lives. Jesus says in one of the Beatitudes: 'How blessed are the poor in spirit: the kingdom of heaven is theirs.' (Matthew 5:3). This tells us that we need to be humble to be able to trust and rely on God for help during the pain that they are experiencing. Then they will be able to see God's will for them and carry it out. By trusting in God's will, they can continue to love until the last moment that they are on earth. This helps us to see that we could never do anything without God and would not
even be alive if were not for God. By staying alive, we can trust in God and His
will because God put us all here for a reason.
War
Definition: War is the conflict or fighting with weapons between two or more groups. Many people die.
War kills many, many people. War is both expensive and poisons the land. Many people are abused in wars. This complex moral issue relates to the Beatitude: 'Blessed are the peacemakers: they shall be recognised as children of God.' (Matthew 5:9). Today it is believed sometimes that war can bring people closer, sharing in the sacrifice for their country. However, this Beatitude tells us that instead of fighting and killing others to solve an issue, we can try to bring peace to others instead. This way, no one would die and we could still resolve issues.
Abortion
Definition: The ejection/expulsion of a foetus before it can survive on its own, from the womb.
This complex moral issue of today relates to this Beatitude: 'Blessed are the pure in heart: they shall see God.' (Matthew 5:8). This Beatitude is about making God's will and its completion the key point in your and trying to live as Jesus did. If a person makes God's will their key point they will grow closer to God and be able to trust in God about having a baby. Today, it is often thought that women have the right to choose whether or not they want an abortion. This Beatitude may help some mothers to find out that maybe having this baby is the key point in their life. Males are also often hurt in abortion. One father who lost his child says: "I wasn't even in the clinic that day. But in my mind, I've been there a million times since. I've been watching, breaking, wanting to rescue you. In my mind I need to be a hero, not a killer, the man who didn't flee. But I am not. I am the man I fear I see." (adapted from an article by Vincent M. Rue, PhD & Cynthia Tellefsen). By choosing Gods, will in your life, the male or female will not suffer.