wide brought forth recommendations to give women in Christianity more important, leadership roles. This trend has also continued in many other non-religious aspects of American society. The status of women is continually being furthered in America, especially with the backing of our dominant religions (Wolfe, 1991).If there were one particular religion in America that has had the most influence on the basic thoughts and ideals of our society, it would be Catholicism. To be more specific, the attitude of being a good person and performing good works in order to please God in the hopes of an afterlife in Heaven, is a prevailing thought throughout America. These ideas can be seen in many Americans who have no claim to any religious group or background. For example, if you ask most non-religious Americans how to get to Heaven, they would say that you have to be a good person, go to church, and obey the Ten Commandments. In addition to this, why do so many Americans contribute to the Goodwill, the American Red Cross, and many other charities in our society? Whether it is realized or not, the answer lies in the teachings of Catholicism.The Roman Catholic Church teaches that grace and faith in Christ alone cannot obtain salvation, but that one must complete their salvation by additional good works during ones lifetime. This can be seen by the Roman Catholic Churches many missions that were set up in America. Catholicism also teaches that Christs suffering was not enough in itself to save sinners, but that the Sacraments are needed to apply this shedding of blood to each individual sinner. In addition to this, since they believe that Christs death did not fully pay the penalty for our sins, Catholics have developed the notion of purgatory to finish their cleansing. Finally, Catholicism also teaches that our prayers and works that are performed on this earth not only aid in purifying the soul, they can also benefit others who are stil...
