Читать книгу Catholicism For Dummies - Rev. Kenneth Brighenti - Страница 48

Existence and being have different levels. Following is a gradation, or hierarchy, from the lowest level of existence to the highest level of being:

 Inanimate matter: Look at inanimate matter, such as rocks. They represent a basic level of existence. They’re just there.

 Plant life: The next level is plant or vegetative life — simple but able to reproduce.

 Animal life: Farther up is animal life. Not only can it reproduce and grow like plant life, but it also has sense knowledge. Animals can detect information from their eyes, ears, nose, mouth, and so on.

 Human life: Next is human life, which can do all the stuff animal life can, as well as reason. Plus, human life has free will.

 Angelic life or pure beings: Angelic life consists of pure spirits without bodies. Angels are superior to men and women in that their minds have all the knowledge they will ever have all at one time. Their minds are much more powerful than the minds of mere mortals, too, because they’re not distracted by having a body. Without bodies, they never get sick, feel pain, or need food or sleep or shelter. They’re immortal and, as pure spirits, have power over the material world.

 The Supreme Pure Being: The final and ultimate level of existence is a Supreme Pure Being who has no beginning and no end. St. Thomas said that this Supreme Being is God. Like angels, God has no mortal body but is pure spirit. Unlike angels, He has no beginning, whereas He created the angels. Unlike angels, who have limited knowledge and power, God has infinite power, which means that He’s omnipotent; He has infinite knowledge, which means that He’s omniscient; and He’s everywhere — He’s omnipresent.