Issues and Traditions of Western Religions Essay

Having the privilege to serve in the military has allowed this writer the opportunity to be exposed to the pluralistic society in a way which has exposed him to the beauty of the diversity enjoyed in American culture. One aspect of said diversity is the interaction which has taken place amongst the Christian and various world religions who also wear the same uniform in defense of America. It was the pleasure of the writer to attend a local synagogue in which his Jewish brothers and sisters welcomed him with open arms. The local congregation of Jewish believers went out of their way in order to ensure their newest visitor understood the flow of service and the significance of the ritual which took place on the first Shabbat or Sabbath of the month. The following essay will serve to detail the worship experience as well as how it and other beliefs of Judaism compare/contrast with the Christian faith.

Jesus: Unlike other monotheistic faiths, Christianity focuses a lot on the life of Jesus in the New Testament of the Bible. Christians also believe that they must go through something called Baptism which is a sacrament that is believed to “wash away” your Original Sin, or the sin all people are born with.

More than three quarters of the world are following a religion, we as human beings use religions as a way of answering the unexplainable questions in life like what happens after we die. What’s similar between these religions even though they’re so spread out? Some believe in gods, some believe in giving up your worldly desires, and some provide a social hierarchy to live your life on.

There are many similarities and differences between Judaism, Christianity and Islam. There are also many differences that separate the three major religions of the world. This paper will delve into all three of them.

The religion of Christianity is one of the prevalent forms of religion, and it is most widely spread. There are over three billion followers and has many sects around the world. While each sect has different customs, all Christians believe that there is only one God and creator of the universe. Within this God, there is God the father (creator of the universe), God the Son (Jesus or Christ, the Messiah), and God the Holy Spirit (The actual presence of God that is in us or around us but is not visually apparent). The people of this religion believe Jesus, born of a virgin mother, and died on the cross for our sins, and resurrected three days later. Followers of Christ believe that Christ was God’s son and the true Messiah, sent to earth to free us from our sins through salvation. Achievement of Salvation by believing in Christ’s life, death, and resurrection. When a person reaches salvation, they are safe from the grasp Hell and will spend their afterlife in heaven with God. The Holy Bible, a book created by Jesus’s followers, explains Jesus’s life and teachings. All Christians believe the Holy

Arabia to Islam. All practicing Muslims accept belief in the ‘Six Articles of Faith’ and are

Though each religion is unique, some religions have several traits in common. For example, many religions are polytheistic, meaning that there are many gods. But, some religions only believe in one god, meaning that the religion is monotheistic. The religions also have many things that differ with each other, like the sacred text, symbol, and traditions. These qualities are what make each religion different and special.

Judaism is different from Islam and Christianity in surprisingly different ways considering that this was the starting religion and all other religions branched off from here. Jews believe that the Torah is the most important part of the holy book, which is called Tenakh and is written in Hebrew. The holy book has three distinct parts called Neviim, Ketuvim, and torah. They believe that about 3,000 years ago, God gave the torah to Moses, Judaism’s most important prophet. Judaism’s rituals involve breaking of Shabbat bread, and sharing wine. They worship on Friday evening and Saturday morning. They come together at a Holy building called a synagogue to pray. Jews are orthodox, conservative and reformed.

Christianity is a monotheistic (believing in one God) religion, which is based on the “teachings of Jesus.” Deemed the son of God, Jesus walked around town helping those in need and preaching the words of his father, served as a role model, exemplifying to others how to live life selflessly. His life was short lived, “at the age 33, he was crucified on the cross.” Christians believe that God sacrificed his only son for the forgiveness of their own sins, which they give thanks for throughout the year at Christmas, Lent, and Easter. One of the most prominent figures in the Christian church is the cross. The most important book in Christianity is the Bible, which they consider sacred and holy. It is a doctrine that holds all Jesus’s teachings, which have been broken up into 2 parts: “old testament and new testament.” In the Bible, individuals will find a set of guidelines (10

The history of the Jewish faith begins with the Hebrew bible or the Tanankh which has been referred to as the old testament by Christians (Fisher, 2005). The history begins with Moses who led the people according to gods commandments. This includes new teachings and a book called the Talmund. The Jewish people believe that if they obey God’s commands in turn God will deliver on promises he had made to them. The Torah is a set of rules that was given to the Jewish people by Moses. It contains rules for living a moral

The idea of the soul varies widely in religious tradition. While these variations exist, its basic definition is unvarying. The soul can be described as the ultimate internal principle by which we think, feel, and will, and by which our bodies are animated. The soul is seen as the core principle of life or as the essence of a being 1. Views on the permanence of the soul vary throughout religious tradition as well. While some view it as a mortal entity in flux others believe the soul is an immortal and permanent unit. These interpretations vary from time period to time period and between religions. These characteristics of the soul are interpreted differently through an Eastern or

Learning different religion and seeing what the eastern and western are like and comparing them.

The word Torah can be a difficult word to understand because in various contexts it can refer to different things. As discussed in Revealing World Religions, the basic concept of the “Torah” is referring to the Five Books of Moses: Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers and Deuteronomy. This is where things are complex because the word Torah can also be used to refer to the entire Jewish bible, or Tanakh which is another name for the Hebrew Bible. In Jewish tradition, the Talmud is a collection writings containing civil and religious Jewish laws and traditions.

Christianity is the religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus Christ. Most followers of Christianity, called Christians, are members of one of three major groups--Roman Catholic, Protestant, or Eastern Orthodox. These groups have different beliefs about Jesus and His teachings. But all consider Jesus central to their religion. Most Christians believe God sent Jesus into the world as the Savior. Christianity teaches that humanity can achieve salvation through Jesus.

The law of circumcision is thought to have been set up in order to distinguish between Gentiles and Jews. God made a covenant with Abraham; he said that the descendants of Abraham shall inherit a promised land (foundation for the belief that they are the “chosen” people) because of his faith in and fear of God. God promised Abraham that the Jews (his descendants) would inherit the land of Canaan. The teachings of Judaism are based upon the Hebrew Scriptures (Old Testament), which consists of three sections: Torah, Prophets and Writings. The collection as a whole is referred to as the Tanak. The Torah consists of the first five books of the Hebrew bible written by Moses. Traditionally it is believed to be the revelation of God to Moses. While, conventional Judaism teaches that God revealed the Torah to Moses, eccentric forms of Judaism recognize the insights and approaches of modern biblical scholarship (Rosenberg pg.32). The Torah tells the story of the foundation of Judaism. More importantly, Torah consists of the defining cornerstone on which Judaism is built and will rest. (Robinson pg. 264) The books contained in Torah are the basis of belief (Robinson pg. 279). The second section of the Hebrew bible, Nevi’im (the Prophets) is considered to have been written by people blessed with the spirit of prophecy. It contains a record of most of the important history in the years after Moses. The