...Essay on Monotheism With all of the religions in the world, the most conflict seems to arise out of turmoil between three; Islam, Christianity, and Judaism. These are often referred as the Abrahamic religions and are the ones we are most familiar with. Many see them as three separate religions entirely, and forget that they all originate from one source. The religions also share very similar belief systems as well with occasions beliefs differing in sections. To truly understand how all three are connected, you must first travel back in time to the Middle-East. Judaism is the eldest of the three Abrahamic religions and, according to Pg. 251 in the book, was created by the principle prophet of Judaism, Abraham, between 1900-1700 B.C.E. the religion was originally in Egypt but then escaped to modern day Jerusalem, which means, “City of Peace. The religion then grew further under the rule of...
Words: 885 - Pages: 4
...Although all Abrahamic religions are comparable in their structure, there are distinct contrasts between the rituals of Islam, Judaism, and Christianity. The obligations of the Muslim faith, referred to as the Five Pillars, include dietary restrictions, confession of faith, periodic recitation of prayers, monetary contributions, and a pilgrimage to the holy city of Mecca, the birthplace of the Prophet Muhammad (Fiero 111). The five pillars of Islam set forth the basic tenants of the religion. These practices and beliefs unite the believers into a community with shared expressions of faith. While the Muslim confession of faith is a daily requirement, Christians are required to accept Christ as their Savior only once in their life. There are certain denominations of Christianity that require a confession of faith during their services, but these are not mandated, as they are for the followers of Islam. Similarly, the Hebrew liturgy is a ritual that involves public worship and congregational responses, but it is not a requirement or one of the major tenants of Judaism (Fiero 95). Muslims pray five times daily; at dawn, midday, mid-afternoon, sundown, and evening (Fiero 111). Christian Monks and Nuns have structure in regards to daily prayers, but again, there is no definitive rule as is described in the Five Pillars of Islam. Jewish Law requires...
Words: 532 - Pages: 3
...Abrahamic Religions is an important and insightful book, which examines the creation of “Abrahamic religions” and how this category was spread. His main point throughout the book is that the term is an invented term. Hughes problem that we see throughout his book is that this term often crosses over into academy and this causes the term to be too broadly used as a canopy that encompasses these three religions as the same. In the beginning of chapter one, Hushes makes the statement, “if we simply import interfaith vocabulary and assume it then performs analytical work, our attempts to understand religion as a social and cultural practice becomes highly problematic”. Hughes discusses the ways in which Abrahamic religions has become an intellectual...
Words: 902 - Pages: 4
...In 500 words 1) Describe the ways in which the Four Revolutions and the two major Abrahamic Traditions tried to correct societies experiencing social injustice. The four revolutions and two Abrahamic Traditions tried to correct societies experiencing social injustice in several ways. When people experience injustices they tend to look for solutions for the unfairness around them. First way, and what I believe is the most important, is spreading the idea that there is life after death, and how we act in this life affects our afterlife. This idea is found in most all the religions, was meant to break the cycle of bad behavior. Then you have people like Confucius who attempted to reform the government though contemplation and critical thinking. He set a good example and expected people to live under the golden rule. Then the birth of Philosophy has people asking questions about what is going on around them and changing laws to make more sense. Judaism started regulating moral behavior, influencing society to do the right thing. 2) What messages were common throughout these ‘revolutions’ and awakenings? A common message throughout these revolutions and awakenings were people were oppressed by the government and during the birth of these people were looking for answers to the universe, life, and death. 3) What problems were they trying to solve? These revolutions and awakenings were ultimately started to solve problems of the...
Words: 357 - Pages: 2
...Abstract and Keywords The Introduction shows the ambiguity surrounding the term “Abrahamic religions.” Although the category is usually believed to be based on inclusivity, the introduction suggests that it can just as easily function as one of division and exclusivity. For example, each “Abrahamic religion”—Judaism, Christianity, and Islam—has used the mythic figure of Abraham to legitimate itself and, in the process, establish its authenticity by invoking the claim that its members are Abraham’s true, spiritual descendants. So rather than claim that the category “Abrahamic religions” names some historical phenomenon, this chapter argues that it functions as a form of wish fulfillment and ecumenicism. On the cold morning of February 25, 1994, which just happened to coincide that year with the Jewish holiday of Purim and the Muslim month of Ramadan, an American-born physician dressed as an Israeli soldier made his way, as tens of thousands of Jewish and Muslim worshippers had before him, to the cave of Machpelah in Hebron. There, at the tomb of Abraham, Jews and Muslims prayed awkwardly with one another as they had for centuries. On common ground, each invoked the God of Abraham in the traditional manner prescribed by their respective traditions. On this particular morning, however, Dr. Baruch Goldstein raised and pointed his machine gun at the crowd and began to shoot indiscriminately at the Muslim worshippers. Screams of horror pierced what had just a few seconds...
Words: 377 - Pages: 2
...not always mean killing yourself in the name of god but rather it is a peaceful journey the individual takes by himself. Judaism, Christianity and Islam all have their own versions of martyrs and martyrdom. These three religions often share many similar characteristics and they do have similar ideas of martyrdom but they also do have stout differences. This paper will ponder what martyrdom means to each religion and the differences between martyrs among the Abrahamic religions. Out of the three Abrahamic religions, martyrs are least prominent amongst the Jews. In the Jewish religion a martyr is associated with “Kiddush Hashem”. As said by Huseyin Cicek “Everyone who lives according to Kiddush Hashem is witnessing, and is a witness of, the one and true God. Every religious Jew has to live according to Kiddush Hashem, if he or she seeks salvation, because life is a gift from God. The only way of honoring God is Kiddush Hashem”. Cicek states that every religious Jew has to live according to the Kiddush Hashem, if this is so then every Jew that practices their religion is a Martyr. According to Rabbinic Judaism voluntary death is not permitted but fighting the enemies of Judaism is permitted. Rabbinic Judaism allows Jews to fight for their religion in a war but it does not allow suicide in the name of god. A martyr according to Rabbinic Judaism is a person who dies following the rules of the Torah....
Words: 1700 - Pages: 7
...that Muslims also worship that very same God. The Quran discusses Adam, Noah, Abraham, Moses, David, Solomon, Jesus, and other biblical figures; the Islamic scripture itself makes it abundantly clear that the God of Muhammad, and the God of Jesus, and the God of Israel are of the same God. Since the Muslim God is also the Judeo-Christian God, Allah is in fact identical with and not different from the Hebrew God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. Indeed, Judaism, Christianity, and Islam are together regarded as “Abrahamic” religions, insofar as all three of them share common roots, which are traditionally traced back to the ancient Hebrew patriarch Abraham. (As founded by Muhammad in the 7th century AD, Islam was born in Arabia, and both Jews and Arabs are likewise classed as “Semitic” peoples; each group is traditionally regarded as descended from Shem, a son of Noah.) Jews and Muslims both reject specifically Christian beliefs about Jesus. Christianity is likewise an Abrahamic monotheism, believing in the same single supreme God as its two Semitic cousins. However, the Christian faith also maintains certain uniquely characteristic religious claims about Jesus Christ, and this gives rise...
Words: 1214 - Pages: 5
...The Sabbath Day The Sabbath day is the day of rest and worship for individuals who follow the Christianity, Judaism or Islam faith. Half of the world’s population follows the three Abrahamic religions so the Sabbath day is a day that is highly recognized. Jesus said we are to both obey and teach the law and one cannot sacrifice truth at any cost. The enemy has gone to extreme lengths to make sure the Sabbath truth is not taught or believed and continues to go to extreme lengths and deceptions to keep us ignorant of this truth. But what is the truth behind the Sabbath Day? The actual Sabbath day is highly debated; but Appiah believes what people decide as their Sabbath day depends on what they were grown to know. Appiah pointed out that “a good deal of what we intuitively take to be right, we take to be right just because it is what we are used to” (21). Here Appiah is saying that the activities that we as human beings consider to be orthodox are the activities that we have been accustomed to doing. An example of this that Appiah mentioned is the female genital cutting that takes place in countries such as Africa. To them the removal of the female genital organ is normal while to an outsider it is a very cruel act. It is a very similar scenario with what one believes to be one’s Sabbath Day. If you were born as a Jew then you will be accustomed to knowing Saturday as your Sabbath Day but if you were born a Catholic then you will think of Sunday being the correct...
Words: 1221 - Pages: 5
...Matthew 6:33 Seek Ye First the Kingdom of God and His Righteousness and All these things shall be added unto you, All these things: " Needs of Life and Not wants What was spoke in previous verses What is First: Priority: Jesus wants the first moments of everyday. Jesus wants the first day of every week. Jesus wants the first part of every paycheck. He wants to be first. God sought us first. The very act of creation is one of pursuit – He created us so that we could know Him. And through Jesus He has sought to restore us to Himself. He has given us an invitation to come to know Him. Jesus told His disciples to ask, seek, and knock; in doing so they would receive God's good provision (Matthew 7:7). Jesus even prayed for future believers that they would be with Him (John 17:20-26). He promised to continue to make Himself known to us. It is clear that God desires relationship with us. He has given us a taste of who He (Psalm 34:8); and we are invited to continue to seek Him to more deeply understand His goodness. Now everything rises and falls right here. If your priorities are not in order, your life will not be in order. If your priorities are not right, you won't be right. You don't have to pray about what your number one priority in life ought to be. You don't have to think about it. You don't have to discuss it. You don't have to look for it. You just have to do it. Because Jesus has already told us what our first priority ought to be, "seek ye first the kingdom of God...
Words: 961 - Pages: 4
...variety of ways, “A set of moral principles…a theory or system of moral values…a guiding philosophy…a consciousness of moral importance.” The Washington Ethical Society has an ambivalent stance as well: Ethics defines the elements essential to human well-being and proposes principles to be used as guidelines for generating an ethical culture. Ethics also refers to the specific values, standards, rules, and agreements people adopt for conducting their lives. Among the many facets that comprise the total human experience, ethical frameworks mold and shape the character and the conduct of each individual within both their personal and professional lives. There are many sets of rules that attempt to define and regulate ethical behavior. Religions based in Judeo-Christian tradition have the Ten Commandments (Exodus 20), which are: 1. I am the Lord, your God. 2. Thou shall bring no false idols before me. 3. Do not take the name of the Lord in vain. 4. Remember the Sabbath and keep it holy. 5. Honor thy father and thy mother. 6. Thou shall not kill. 7. Thou shall not commit adultery. 8. Thou shall not steal. 9. Thou shall not bear false witness against your neighbor. 10. Thou shall not covet your neighbor's wife (or anything that belongs to your neighbor). Other faiths have codes similar to the Ten Commandments. Many include the worship of a specific deity, but they often can be summed up by the simple but powerful “Golden Rule” which essentially is: “Do unto others as...
Words: 290 - Pages: 2
...STUDY 6 SIMPLICITY A Bible Study Outline on The Discipline of Simplicity March 2014 INTRODUCTION The central point in the Discipline of simplicity is to seek the kingdom of God and the righteousness of His kingdom first. The person who does not seek the kingdom first does not seek it at all. Freedom from anxiety is one of the inward evidences of seeking first the kingdom of God. It involves a life of joyful unconcern for possessions. It is an inward spirit of trust. What we have we receive as a gift, and if what we have is to be cared for by God, and if what we have is available to others, then we will possess freedom from anxiety. To receive what we have as a gift from God is the first inner attitude of simplicity. We work but we know that it is not our work that gives us what we have. To know that it is God’s business, and not ours, to care for what we have is the second inner attitude of simplicity. Simplicity means the freedom to trust God for these (and all) things. To share what we have with others marks the third inner attitude of simplicity. When we are seeking first the kingdom of God, these three attitudes will characterize our lives. Taken together they define what Jesus means by “do not be anxious.” They comprise the inner reality of Christian simplicity. Scripture reference: Matt 6:25-33. Part 1: 1. What is the perception of Christians towards the discipline of Simplicity in general? 2. As Bible-believing Christians, what makes us anxious about what we shall eat...
Words: 446 - Pages: 2
...Comparative Religion Matrix Trisha Soliai Argosy University PHI 301 | M3A2 LASA 1 October 21, 2015 LASA 1 Christianity, Judaism, Islam, Hinduism, and Buddhism are five of the major religions in the world. As there are several types of religions that exist in the world today, these are the five religions that have a huge impact to the understanding about life on earth and after death. Christianity, Judaism, and Islam fall under the Abrahamic religion, the religion that firmly believes that human spiritual growth was born through Abraham and his descendents. Hinduism and Buddhism descend under the Dharmic religion, a religion that believes in an ultimate spiritual reality beyond the physical world. After compiling the matrix of information on all of the different religions, each differs in certain beliefs but is similar in several ways. One of the most major factors that unites or connects each of these religions is that all believe and worship in one higher Supreme Being or authority. Christianity, Judaism, Islam, Hinduism, and Buddhism whether monotheist or polytheist each pledges to the conviction of a superior domination. Each believes that there is a mystical world, beyond the human world, that is our eternal home after life on Earth determined by our actions in the current life. Also there is a common core of practices that all of these religions do to open themselves to spiritual dimensions through prayer, meditation, fasting, etc. Moreover, each religion delivers the...
Words: 1010 - Pages: 5
...The world we live in is surrounded by many faces of different colors, separate beliefs and values that makes the essence of one’s life. Throughout our day to day life it is impossible to not come in contact with someone that does not believe and share the same practice and religion base as you do. There are several different religion but the main three are Islam, Christianity, and Judaism. In the beginning Christianity, Judaism, and Islam was somehow connected, unfortunately due to disobedience what was first one end up becoming three, in which caused different beliefs followed by different gods. Along with these beliefs came may struggles to obtain and carry out the very thing that they were proven to be right, pure and true. The Islamic religion believes that Allah “was the creator and sustainer of life” (Molly, M., 1999, Page 425.) Christianity believes that God is the creator and sustainer of life. Judaism also believes that God is the creator and sustainer of life. All three religion believes there is a higher power. Islam describes Jesus as a prophet as described here, “He encountered angels and the great prophets of the past, including Abraham and Jesus,” (Molly, M., 1999, Page 428) Judaism also describes Jesus as a prophet as well because Jesus, in their opinion, did not save the Jews. They believed that the real Messiah was going to become their military leader on earth and create an Eden in Jerusalem. They had expected the real Messiah to expel the Romans and rule...
Words: 2300 - Pages: 10
...Running head: The Comparison of Buddhism and Christianity 1 The Comparison of Buddhism and Christianity World Religion 212 November 3, 2013 Running head: The Comparison of Buddhism and Christianity 2 Buddhism is a polytheistic religion, however, it does not believe in Supreme Creator Being. Christianity is a monotheistic and believes that Christ is the son of God. Christianity is an offshoot Judaism whereas Buddhism is an offshoot of Hinduism. Christianity is a Abrahamic religion and Buddhism is a Dharmic religion. There is no god in Buddhism anything like Jesus Christ. Buddha is seen more as a really great person that once lived that reached a higher level of consciousness. Buddha wanted to teach how people goo free themselves and reach Nirvana. Jesus had a set of rules to live in order to get to Heaven. If is really not known or expelled were what Nirvana is, besides a freedom from the pain and suffering from life and the recantation we all must go through. Heaven on the hand is supposed to be a paradise where you in the after life you meet all your loved ones in a paradise, made by god himself. Buddhism was started about 5 B.C.E in India , Christianity started around 33 C.E. in Palestine. Granted they started many years apart but they do have the same basic ethics and commitment to community and family . They have the same basic concept of threat...
Words: 594 - Pages: 3
...Religious Journey I've battled with religion and faith my whole life. My studies started early and proceed with today. It began before I can recall as my Parents dropped me off at Church. Some of my fondest memories are those in a little Baptist Church as a kid. Sunday school, church plays, and obviously the plenty of Southern meals emphasizing a percentage of the finest dishes Grandmothers from around the district could summon. Religion and the congregation group provided for me what everybody wants in life. An outright truth, the warmth of affection and friendship, family, the generosity of a more interesting grinning at you from a couple of seats away, and obviously having a place. In a saying: Comfort. Be that as it may from the time I can recall "accepting" was constantly troublesome. I would continually battle with the annoying feeling religion is make accept. I understood of spot and considered how other people appeared to accept so entire healthily thus effortlessly while I battled with my faith always. I didn't surrender. As in life, the things that didn't come characteristic to me (faith), I worked twice as hard as the following individual to attain. So I begged day by day for God to help me "accept". Look for Faith When I initially landed in school I chose to quit fooling around about religion. I began viewing features that I trusted would reinforce my faith. I met an "evangelist" who taught youngsters. Thus extreme impact toward oneself started – appeared...
Words: 822 - Pages: 4
