LOVE OF GOD

The Meaning of Religion The word religion comes from the Latin word re-ligore or to bind back. Religion implies a bond, a relationship of fellowship between man and God. Ethics regards religion as the duty of man to bind himself in worships of god. Religion can also be taken subjectively as the act or habit inclining a person to render worship of god. Taken objectively, religion is the beliefs, rituals, moral practices and laws regulating the fulfillment of the natural duty of worship. WORSHIP OF GOD Worship of god is the proclamation of the glory of god. It is the acceptance of the intellect and will of mind and heart- of Gods dominion over the created universe. Worship of god is internal when it consists of acts of the intellect and will, such as in making an act of faith or in mental prayer in praise of God. It is external when it consists of commandment acts of honomy of paying homage to God, such as fasting, kneeling down in prayer, or in giving alms to the poor. Worship of God, both internal and external is either private or public. It is private when it is done by the individual by his own private initiative. It is public when it is done in participation with other men in communal adoration or homage of God, such as in processions of images, or offering of sacrifices in religious services. Worship of God as the duty involves the duty of knowing, loving, and serving God. 1. The Duty to know God. Man has a natural tendency to worship God. This implies that he has a natural capacity of know God. We say natural because man, by his own intellectual powers, discovers the presence of God as Creator and Supreme Lawgiver. It is said that we accept Gods existence as a matter of faith.

Our knowledge of God is natural if it is the conclusion of human reason operating on its own powers. It is supernatural when it is based on divine revelation, that is, on truths made known to man by God Himself. 2. The Duty to Love God We cannot love what we do not know. But knowing God does not necessarily lead to love of God. One may know someone and still be detached from him. A philosopher who can prove that there is God may not necessarily be in love with God. Loving God in a religious sense, means being attached to Him. Thus, love of God is a personal response to His presence. It is not a mere emotional reaction, a sort of physical infatuation or pious sentiment. It is the submission of our mind and heart to what God is and to what He is saying to us. 3. The Duty to serve God If to love God is to obey Gods will, then our moral acts sum up our services to God. We cannot offer God anything else, but our life- made clean and worthy of Gods Infinite Goodness. It is in this sense, that religion is concerned with the sanctification of souls, with self-perfection. All moral acts are tendencies or movements towards God. All immoral acts are tendencies away from God. In this sense, all good acts are religious.
1. Devotion which is the readiness of the will to perform acts of

divine worship, such as prayer and fasting among others. 2. Prayer which is the elevation of the mind to God in praise of Him, in gratitude of Him, or in communion of Him. 3. Adoration which is the submission of the mind and will to the glory of God. 4. Sacrifice which is the offering of body and soul to God in recognition of His dominion over the created universe. * Institutional Religion A group of believers, subscribing to the same fait, practices, rituals and discipline constitutes a sect or church. In this sense, there are many religions, distinguished from one another by their respective creed. The creed of an organized church is the basis for its communal practices.

Institutional churches, however, provides support and direction to its members towards personal sanctification. Without the churches, an individual will find it difficult to fulfill his religious vocation. It is through the values taught and administered by the churches that a person derives his spiritual strength and moral character. Freedom of Religious Worship Our Constitution provides for the freedom of religious worship. This does not mean that we are free to choose to have or not to have, to practice or not practice, our faith. It means simply that the State may not regulate, promote, prohibit, or discriminate against people on account of their religious beliefs. This particular constitutional provision concedes to the individual citizen the right to make a choice insofar as religion is concerned. Instead of denying the need for religion, it presupposes it. The duty to bind oneself to God comes from Natural Law which the state cannot challenge nor ignore. The experience in Russia and other communist countries illustrates this point. *Religion: The Search for Ultimate Meaning The duty to worship God is the same as the yearning to find the ultimate meaning of life. It is the yearning of the human spirit to discover its origin, its being, and its purpose. The different religious systems are expressions of mans search for meaning, and they are relevant to the extent that they unravel the mystery of life. This is not to say that all religions are the same, that all speak of truth, and that all are but different pathways to mans ultimate destiny. In the evolution of human thought, some religions come out as rudimentary and non-rational in their form and objectives. Religions are equal only in the sense that all are attempts to explain the meaning of life. Ethics does not concern itself with investigating the claims of religions. But obviously, some are outright fabrications ensnaring gullible people, with profit as motive. Such as aggrupations are plainly business enterprise disguised as religion.

Religious Tolerance There is always an occasion when people wage a holy war either in defense of their faith or for the promotion of their beliefs. In a lesser magnitude, but no less deplorable, is the tendency to mock another persons faith. We refer to him as heathen, idolatrous, or superstitious, implying that we are the only truly blessed. It is religious tolerance when we recognize when we recognize the faith of another as his cherished possession, truly belonging to him, as an act of his spirit which is essentially free. It is religious tolerance when, instead of forcing our faith upon another, we allow him to be enlightened so that his desire to participate in our faith becomes a voluntary desire. It is religious tolerance when instead of underscoring our differences of opinion, we join hands instead both in prayer and in action so that the common good of mankind is served. The Ecumenical Movement The Ecumenical movement evolving in the Christian churches today is not mere religious tolerance. It is a positive step towards unity and harmony among the churches having common roots in the teachings of Christ. The Second Vatican Council gives us the meaning and direction of ecumenism: The term ecumenical movement indicates the initiatives and activities planned and undertaken, according to the various needs of the Church and as opportunities offer, to promote Christian unity. These are: First, every effort to avoid expressions, judgments and actions which do not represent the condition of our separated brethren with truth and fairness and so make mutual relations with them more difficult; then, dialogue between competent experts from different Churches and Communities. At these meetings, which are organized in a religious spirit each explains the teaching of his Communion in greater depth and brings out clearly its distinctive features. In such dialogue, everyone gains a truer knowledge and more just appreciation of the teaching and religious life of both Communions. In addition, the way is prepared for cooperation between them in the duties for the .common good of humanity which are demanded by every Christian, conscience; and wherever this is allowed, there is prayer in common. Finally, all are led to examine their own faithfulness to Christs

will for the Church and accordingly to undertake with vigor the task and reform (Decree on Ecumenism, Nov.21, 1964, The 16 Documents of Vatican II, Mla: St. Paul Publication, p. 213) We see in ecumenism an honest attempt to bridge the gap existing among the Christian Churches. It implies the humble admission that the dissension among these churches is a source of scandal for men in general. The promise of unity may be impossible at the nearest possible time but the continuing exchange of ideas between Churches as we observe them today augurs well for mankind.