...studied to understand its persistence in the modern world, which in many ways is not hospitable to religious belief and practice. * Pluralism – recognition of religious differences and the effort to deal with them constructively, goes beyond toleration. Different religious exist because religions are different. This makes dialogue between them both possible and necessary. * How Judaism is defined * Historic religion of the Jewish people. * This name comes from the ancient tribe of Judah, one of the original 12th tribes of Israel. * Importance of “covenant” in Judaism * Agreement god made with Abraham in which god promised to be with Abraham and be the god of his many descendants and Abraham promised to follow god. * What is the Sabbath * Seventh day of the week to be kept holy. Begins at sunset on Friday and concludes on sunset on Saturday. Begins with a festive meal, lighting the Sabbath candles. * Central beliefs in Judaism * With the many historical forms of Judaism, they all share similar characteristics. The most essential characteristic is the belief in one God who created the...
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...Contemporary Issues within Judaism and other Religions Contemporary Issues within Judaism and other Religions Introduction for paper - We will take a look Historical connections and theological similarities There has been fighting within Israel since the beginning. The battle can be referred to as a Holy War. "Holy war," sanctioned or even commanded by God, is a common and recurring theme in the Hebrew Bible” ("Judaism101", 2011). Jews in Israel want to have their country as God intended them to have, their “Holy Land.” The Jewish Holy War continues because inhabitants of Israel fight amongst themselves about who is truly entitled to the Holy Land. Holy War for another religion that originated in the same area, Islam, is completely different. Holy War for Islam is more about completing a mission. Islam is a religion similar to Judaism; however Judaism began before Christianity and Islam. Judaism is one of the first modern religions that are monotheistic. Judaism, Islam and Christianity each have that characteristic in common. Jewish people believe the Torah is the chief book that should be followed for their religion. The Torah is similar to the Old Testament in the Christian bible. The Torah does not promote Jesus as the messiah as the New Testament does for Christians. On the other hand, some Jewish people actually do believe in Jesus. Many Jewish Jesus believers belong to the organization Jews for Jesus. The group Jews for Jesus believes and promotes...
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...Being one of the main world’s religions, Judaism takes a highly significant place along with Christianity and Islam. In fact, all three monotheistic religions demonstrate similar principles of faith and the origins, which lead to Abraham. However, despite similar origin, written experience, and spiritual background, there are sharp differences between Judaism and Islam. The differences between Judaism and Christianity are less distinct, since Christianity is based purely on the Judaic tradition. Despite these similarities, Judaism appears to be a unique religion with numerous interesting and puzzling features, which are necessary to investigate thoroughly. Such valuable aspects of Judaism as the variety of directions, the essence of Judaic...
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...Shema declares, “Hear O Israel, the Lord is our God, the Lord is one.” (Deuteronomy 6:4). Judaism understands the God created everything, he is “the Lord, and there is non else. I form the light and create darkness, I make peace and create evil.” (Isaiah 45: 6-7) God is continually engaged in his creation, thus creation is ceaseless. God is perceived to have divine power, empowering the children of Israel, thus he is omnipotent yielding his power with humility, allowing the children of Israel (Jewish believers) to choose between good and evil. God is omnipresent and ubiquitous existing everywhere, present in every...
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...Intro The characteristics of Judaism such as the beliefs, ethics, rituals and ceremonies and sacred texts do have a major impact in many ways on the adherents and it provides a source of purpose and identity for individuals. It gives meaning and guidance in contemporary situations and therefore it is considered a dynamic, living religion. Beliefs Judaism is a monotheistic faith, meaning that Jews believe there is only One God. Often this God is beyond our ability to comprehend, but God is nevertheless present in our everyday lives. The covenant is an agreement the Jewish people have with their God. Jews believe that there is only one God, no other being participated in the work of creation and God is the only being to whom they offer praise. The terms of the covenant are summed up in the Ten Commandments that reveal adherents must have a respectful, obedient relationship with God and live harmoniously and respectfully with others. In return God will never abandon his Chosen people and God will provide salvation. Ethnics Jewish adherents ethical beliefs are derived from the 613 mitzvoth that Orthodox Jews believe were given to Moses on Mt. Sinai and taught to the Israelites as they travelled the desert to the Promised Land. Other variants believe they may have also been delivered to other divinely inspired people over time. The 248 positive and 365 negative commandments have been discussed and interpreted throughout the centuries by divinely inspired philosophers and...
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...Diversity Role Written Assignment Being a Jew Texas State University COMM 1310: Fundamentals of Human Characteristics Andrew Biggs Being a Jew My name is Adam Baruch; I am 21 year old college student, and I am Jewish. Being a Jew means that I believe in Judaism, which is a monotheistic religion. According to Satlow, M. L. (2006) Judaism is an ancient religion that involves a broad spectrum of theological positions and practices, with the Torah as its foundational text. The Torah is part of the Hebrew Bible, a larger text, also known as the Tanakh. Judaism is not only a religious belief, but it also incorporates the culture of the Jewish community. There are also a few different approaches to Judaism that include: Orthodox, Conservative, or Reform Judaism of which I partake in, (Question 1) A typical day for me might sound a little surprising to most people who know little about Reform Judaism because they assume differences. My day consists of nearly the same activities of most other college students my age, except our religious beliefs may differ. (Question 2) I wake up and get ready for the day. I go to school and socialize with other students. After classes I come back home and do homework. I play video games, hangout with friends, work out at the gym, and get on social media. Every week I attend Shabbat services, which is similar to attending a church service, except there is no mention of Jesus, and sometimes the prayers are said in Hebrew. Other than that my...
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...significance of the similarities that you find. Jews and Muslims both worship the same God. Both Judaism and Islam faithfully believe in the existence of one and only one God. Many Americans understand that Jews and Christians worship the same God; however, they may be unaware 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...
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...Though these religions have distinct histories which set them apart culturally, it is also important to conclude the ways in which they are similar. I found that Christian, Buddhist, and Islamic traditions were established by unified essential beliefs and ideological outlines while Judaism was rooted in a certain place which are interconnected to specific populations and social systems. Also to be noted is the difference in participant numbers of Judaism compared to the other major religions listed above. These similarities and differences are important characteristics when reviewing religious traditions within political and social aspects. None the less, the sacred texts of these religions all portray forms of violence. In the Christianity section, the author argues that this religion is rather too complex as a whole for a uniform perspective on the issue of violence. Christians have engaged in violence and opposed it in the name of their faith. Violence is also manifested in internal conflicts with in the religion. Religious symbols were another major theme in part I. Though I believe the symbols to...
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...Judaism It is interesting to note that the three major religions of the World, even in contemporary times, are all religions that have Abrahamic traditions, and that they remain at the forefront of social, political, and cultural events worldwide: Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. All are called Abrahamic religions because each utilizes the teaches of Abraham in its central historical view of the world. Each of the three Abrahamic faiths are monotheistic, and actually account for over 50% of the world’s population, or almost 4 billion people (Christian Science Monitor, 8/4/98). Note, too, that besides the three major traditions, other religions cite their traditions from Abraham: Mandaenism, Rastafairnism, Bahai, Samaritan, and the Druze (“Why Abrahamic?”) It is also interesting to note that within these three religious teachings, there are considerable areas of commonality, yet the three are often at odds with one another over political and social issues, even in the contemporary world. The name Judaism comes from the Hebrew word Yehuda, meaning celebrated or praised. This set of beliefs originated from the ancient tribes of the Middle Eastern deserts, the Israelites, and told within the Talmud, or the ancient Hebrew Bible. In essence, Judaism is the special relationship that the Children of Israel have with God, and that special relationship derived from promises and covenants of law, tradition, and civil rights. Many scholars, in fact, see Judaism...
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...Name Institution Subject Date Judaism and Hellenism Introduction Jews are people of Semitic origin tracing their habitats in Israel. They are said to have descended from the Israelite society of Judah and Israel. The historical and Biblical beings such as Abraham, Joseph, Sarah, Mary, Jacob, Rebecca, Rachael and Leah among others are said to form the Jewish ancestry. Religion and culture are among the aspects that have been used in the definition of a Jew. In general, in the current situation, a Jew can be defined by three main groups of concern. These include, those people who have found their birth place as being the Jewish land and family without concern that they follow the Jewish traditions or not, those that do not have any connection to the Jewish land and traditions in prior times but have resolved to convert to Judaism and those individuals that can trace their background in the Jewish lineage but they do not exercise strict matrilineal decency. Judaism and Hellenistic culture The period when Greek culture was at its peak of spread is termed as the Hellenistic Period. The Jewish community formed a group that had this impact in place with a shift on some activities being carried out. Such included; social transformation that occurred amongst the Jewish societies in the world in language, culture and philosophy and the way of life. Hellenism began long time ago even during the reign of King Solomon when he resolved to employ Phoenician Architecture in association...
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...A Concise Introduction to Islam: by Richard T. Nolan "ISLAM" is derived from the Arabic root salaama meaning peace, purity, submission and obedience. Islam stands for making peace by submitting to the will of God and obeying His law. Jews and Christians view Islam as the latest of the world's great religions. However, worldwide Muslims (sometimes written "Moslems") understand their universal religion as the "final religion" and the "primal religion." As "final," Islam is God's final revelation of prophetic religion, in fulfillment of all that had preceded. Moses was given the Law; David was given the Psalms; Jesus was given the Gospel. Judaism offers God's message of justice, and Christianity proclaims the love of God. To Mohammed (570-632 A.D.; spelled in a variety of ways) the God of Abraham and Jesus revealed the Qur'an (Arabic for "recital," sometimes written Koran). The Qur'an, written in Arabic, is the Sacred Scripture of Islam, the perfection of all previous divine revelations, and is to be understood literally as the direct words of God. In this sense of scriptural literalism, all Muslims may be called "fundamentalists." However, when referring to the aggressive behaviors of a few, "militants" and "extremists" are better categories. Muslims believe in all prophets of the Bible. The Qur'an itself mentions the Torah and the Gospel as scriptures revealed by God to Moses and Jesus. However, the Qur'an indicates that over time, changes were made to the actual biblical texts...
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...Prisoner without a name, cell without a number By Jacobo Timerman "Jacobo Timerman was detained because he was charged with being a communist and was ultimately released when he demonstrated that he was not. The Argentine military did not like that he was Jewish, but this was not truly what put his life at risk." Timerman was being interrogated by the President of Argentina during the time he was accused of being a communist. The questions arose first from him being a Zionist. Zionism is national liberation, and is a Jewish political movement. This generally meant that the political movement had supported the self-determination of the Jewish people seen in a sovereign Jewish national homeland. This was seen since the establishment of the state of Israel where the Zionist movement continued due to the advocates on behalf of the remaining Jewish state; this addresses the threats which continued to be prominent in its existence as well as its security. A Zionist, can also be seen in a less political term, also; this is known as cultural Zionism. It was in 1975 when the United Nations General Assembly passed a resolution which stated that Zionism is a form of racism as well as racial discrimination. This was only two years before the abduction of Timerman. Zionists can be seen as liberals, because of its ideology of being a national liberation. Timerman was abducted because he was seen as a communist through his liberal and leftist newspaper; however, he was kept detained...
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...being or power is believed to be responsible for the creation of the world, for providing a moral framework for human life and being the ultimate destiny of a human person at the end of their mortal life. Different responses: The Semitic religions, Judaism, Christianity, and Islam believe that the supernatural dimension is a single divine being or power. This doctrine or belief is known as monotheism. The two Easter religions, Hinduism and Buddhism, derive from an understanding of a number of divine beings or powers, a belief known as polytheism. Despite these differences, the belief in the existence of beings or powers beyond the realm of the natural world is an important defining element of a religious worldview, [Define the characteristics of religion] 1. Beliefs and believers – the key tenets, doctrine, or values, which underpin the religious practice od a particular religion for the believers a. Central belief for all religions = supernatural dimension b. Paradigm = the core belief to belong to the religion i. Christianity – the belief Jesus Christ died and rose from the dead in order to save humankind from sin and death ii. Buddhism – belief in the Three Refuges iii. Islam – Submission to Allah iv. Judaism – the belief that God has entered history and formed a covenant relationship with his people v. Hinduism – the belief that the ultimate union with Brahman is the only real purpose for humans 2. Sacred texts and writings – The most important belief...
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...World View Chart Writing Assignment Strayer Student Professor: Someone REL 212: World Religions Strayer University Monday, June 13, 2016 World View Chart Writing Assignment In our World Religions course, we studied eight different aspects of ten different religions known throughout the world. While there are many more religions, and more characteristics to all of these religions, the information had to be trimmed down to ten eleven weeks of study. I will attempt to focus on one facet of these eight characteristics used to analyze the ten religions studied in this course. I will also explain the significance, and give an example of how this category is manifested in my social environment. Ten Religions, Eight Facets Out of the multitude of religions practiced around the world, our course (REL 212) offered studies in ten religions: 1. Hinduism 2. Jainism 3. Buddhism 4. Daoism 5. Confucianism 6. Shinto 7. Judaism 8. Christianity 9. Islam 10. Sikhism We analyzed these ten religions using eight characteristics: 1. Cosmogony (Origin of the Universe) 2. Nature of God 3. View of Human Nature 4. View of Good and Evil 5. View of “Salvation” 6. View of an Afterlife 7. Practices and Rituals 8. Celebrations and Festivals From these eight facets of religions, I chose the View of Good and Evil. The reason is because people’s view of good and evil helps steer an individual’s actions toward other people and the surrounding environment....
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...Studying Religion Components of Religion are expansive inside of one viewpoint with a composed gathering of convictions with distinctive implications. Contingent upon an individual’s religious faith, this individual will rise above their convictions within their own power. There is no distinction amongst the natural and supernatural, and amongst beings and non-beings (Molloy, 2013). When an individual decides to practice a religion this can be of many choices, such as Judaism, Christianity, or Muslim. In Judaism religion, Jewish believe in Yahweh, Christians believe in God the creator of the universe, and Muslims believe in Muhammad a prophet from God. For a long time the practice of any religion has transcended above from era to era there are numerous practices, which occur today. The outside appearances of religions for example structures, artifacts, and rituals will illustrate how each religion contains their own attributes that differs from other forms of religion. Although, in some characteristics of worship, especially in the sense of spiritual occurrences all religions do share similar essentials in their faith that progresses beyond any individual’s everyday learnings, and it is impossible to be illustrated through language. According to Molloy “scholars that individuals ordinarily call religions manifest to some point following the eight elements” (Molloy, 2013). These eight elements are a belief system, community, central myths, ritual, ethics, material expression...
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