...| Monotheistic Religions | | | Linda Vance | University of Phoenix | | Monotheistic Religions Monotheistic religions practice the worship to one God. Three of the oldest surviving religions to practice monotheism are Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. Although Judaism, Christianity and Islam have distinguishing worship practices and philosophies, their histories parallel one another. Within this paper one will see both the similarities that tie these religions together and the distinctions that separate them. The comparison of each religion and the core figures associated with the religion; and what roles they play. The question this paper will attempt to reveal is, is, the God of Muhammad, the God of Israel, and the God of Jesus, one and the same? One of the key figures in all three religions is Abraham. To the Jews, Abraham was the first of their people to make a covenant with God. It is said that the agreement between God and Abraham would give special favor for the Israelites obedience to God (Fisher, 2005, p.230). To Islam God told Abraham and his son Ishmael to build the first Ka’bah in Mecca for the tribes of Arabia to worship (Fisher, 2005, p.362). And to Christians the genealogy of Jesus is traced back to Abraham, through David (Fisher, 2005, p.288). We can see that in Monotheistic religions all share the same general lineage and God. Even though each separate religion’s interpretation of Gods plan varies may be attributed to the creation of...
Words: 1292 - Pages: 6
...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
...Each of the various texts referring to the five main religions throughout the world have their own view of God. All of the religions are monotheistic, meaning they only believe in one God. However, one of the religions is not monotheistic and describes “the one” in terms of ‘suchness’ or ‘ultimate truth’. Three of these religions are anthropological. The anthropological aspect is the human shape and how the people picture God. The three anthropological religions include Judaism, Islam and Christianity. In Judaism, it is said that the Lord is their God and the Lord is one. The people of Islam, known as Muslims, believe that no one is to be compared to their God, Allah, inferring that Allah is their ruler and the humans are his slaves. Christians believe that God...
Words: 617 - Pages: 3
...will find religions have similarities despite individual practices.” Judaism, Christianity, and Islam all relate to each other, yet all have distinct differences. Judaism, Christianity, and Islam are three monotheistic religions that share many beliefs. Jews and Muslims stress the singularity and unity of God, addressing one all-powerful God and through him all things are made. Christians share this belief, however, difficulty arises when identifying Christianity as monotheistic when trying to understand or decipher God as the Holy Trinity and Jesus as the Son of God. According to all three religions, God is the origin of existence and He alone provides basic rules for guidance. Universally, God is merciful and through God one is given strength to be more like what one ought to be (Christ, Muhammad, etc.). All three religions believe humans are superior creatures on Earth and were made in God’s vision, created with mystery, allowing for growth and discovery. Judaism, Christianity, and Islam claim to have received the final revelation; through a scholarly standpoint one can see the three are intertwined; sharing origins, history, beliefs, and future. Judaism and Christianity both acknowledge the Bible, Prophets, and Jesus; despite the conflicting views of Jesus as the Son of God and Jesus being a “false Prophet.” Islam acknowledges Muhammad and the Qur’an as the final revelation, yet Muslims acknowledge Jesus as a Prophet. Ultimately these three monotheistic religions believe...
Words: 357 - Pages: 2
...Sheet The second module covers Philosophy of Culture. This encompasses the three main world views. These views are theism, transcendentalism, and naturalism. First Week - Introduction The first class covered the introduction ot the Philosophy of Culture course by having us answer seven thought-provoking questions. Each question, though simple, was worded in such a way as to make one think about it in-depth. These questions dealt with our perception of reality and our thoughts concerning life and its meaning. It challenged our religious faith and made us declare not only what we believed, but why we believed it. We read “An Atheist’s Values”, a statement of secular humanism. We then wrote a paragraph describing the views of this type of naturalist. Although brotherly love, courage, cheerfulness, and dignity are promoted in the statement, no basis or foundation upon which these virtues should come is given other than the author’s opinion. We read and discussed in class the three basic world views. By studying these views, we will be able to understand the mindset of those whose world views differs from ours. Second Week – Overview of World Views Theism is the belief in one superior being, a creator or god. This can be broken down even further into monotheistic and polytheistic beliefs. Monotheistic religions, such as Judaism, Christianity, and Islam, believe in one god. Polytheistic religions, such as those practiced by the ancient Greeks, Romans, and Egyptians, believe...
Words: 946 - Pages: 4
...1. What is the holy book of your faith and how does it compare to others? Moses: The holy book of my faith is the Torah, which means “instruction” in English. The Torah consists of the first five books of what Christians call the Old Testament. Jesus: The holy book of my faith is the Bible. It teaches that I am the Son of God and the messiah that was sent to save humanity. The Bible elaborates on the Torah by adding my teachings and the Gospels of my disciples. Muhammad: The Our’an is the holy book of Islam. The Qur’an is considered to be the word of God (Allah). It is organized in chapters where my teachings are written in verse so that Muslims can recite them. 2. Why is the Holy Land an important site for your faith? Moses: The Holy Land is an important site for my faith because it is where the Cave of the Patriarchs is in Hebron. The Cave of the Patriarchs is a cenotaph (an empty tomb) that was built over where Abraham is thought to have been buried....
Words: 609 - Pages: 3
...Religion, Culture, and Death The five religions discussed during this week’s seminar have many similarities, and just as many differences, in relation to their specific views on death, dying, bereavement and grieving. Judaism, Christianity, Islam, Hinduism and Buddhism all contain their own system of beliefs and traditions that members use in order to deal with impending death. Judaism is the oldest of the three monotheistic religions that stems from the Middle East and follows the teachings of Abraham and Moses. Judaism believes that death was a direct consequence of Adam and Eve eating from the forbidden “Tree of Conscience” (Leming, 2011). There are several branches of Judaism throughout the world: Orthodox Judaism, Hasidism, Neo-Orthodox Judaism, Reform Judaism, Conservative Judaism, and Reconstructionist (Wilkinson, 2008). All of these sects of Judaism can have very different traditions in regard to the treatment of the deceased’s body. Under the old Jewish tradition, the body of the deceased must be buried as soon as possible after death, within twenty-four hours if possible, although the burial cannot happen on the Sabbath. Before burial, the body is washed, anointed with oils and spices, and dressed in a white linen sheet after which it is buried in Jewish consecrated ground. More contemporary Jews are more likely to choose cremation over burial. Jews have a multi-tiered morning practice. For the first seven days after the death...
Words: 1224 - Pages: 5
...than people think, but I am going to share only a few of their common religious themes and people, starting with the fact they are all monotheistic religions. Monotheistic means they only believe in one god and not only do they share this belief, but specifically the belief about God (that’s God with a capital G). They all believe that God is the creator of this world and that because of Him, life exists. They believe that God has a plan for you, and if you follow him, you will live a good life. All three of these religions also believe in this idea of “paradise,” a place to go after death and be with God. Each religion may have a different name for this place in the future, for example, the Christians call it Heaven, but it is a common place all three religions believe in and they believe you will get there only if you believe and ask God for forgiveness of your sins. They are all known as Abrahamic religions because they all believe in the story of Abraham and believe our history traces all the way back to Abraham. Abraham is the one who brought the idea of monotheism, and his followers passed this down generation after generation. Although Muslims saw Abraham as a prophet, while Jews saw Moses and Christians saw Jesus as their prophet, all three religions believe that Abraham was real and that his story with God was real. All three religions share the idea that God has left a written message on this planet for us, which can be thought of like a holy book, since it is called...
Words: 472 - Pages: 2
...SOL Review Sheet (Objectives 1&2) OBJECTIVE 1: WORLD RELIGIONS During our first unit we studied 5 different religions: Judaism, Christianity, Islam, Hinduism, and Buddhism. Find information on 2 other important religions: Confucianism and Taoism. 1. Separate these religions into the following categories: |MONOTHEISTIC: |POLYTHEISTIC: |OTHER: | | | | | | | | | | | | | 2. Place the 5 major religions in the correct chronological order: BC AD 0 3. Which three religions consider Jerusalem to be their holy city? 4. What three religions are considered Eastern? (primarily practiced in East and Southeast Asia) 5. Fill in the following information: HINDUISM BUDDHISM Country of origin: ______________ Most Hindus today live in: Most Buddhists today live in: |Religion: |Primarily practiced in: (Regions/countries) ...
Words: 532 - Pages: 3
...The Development of Civilization Prepared for Mr. Bsharah By Chris Treadwell History B1 Spring 2013 Civilization is defined as; an advanced state of cultural and material development in human society, marked by political and social complexity and progress in the arts and sciences. This wasn’t achieved easily, nor was it an ever-progressing movement. More so it was the product of several trial and error advancements in various fields of human endeavor. The starting point for all this advancement is known as the Neolithic Revolution, also referred to as the agricultural revolution. This was the shift from a nomadic hunter-gatherer culture to a more settled agricultural lifestyle. The domestication of plants and animals was a major turning point in mankind’s evolution, but it took more than a millennia to transform from nomads to agrarians. Archeological data indicates that several different forms of plant and animal domestication evolved in separate locations worldwide. “The earliest Neolithic societies appeared in the Middle East about 8000 B.C.E., in China about 4000 B.C.E., and in India about 3600 B.C.E.” The first farming was largely grain based in fertile river-valleys with adequate climate and natural resources to sustain farming. Over time man began developing the where-with-all to change his surrounding environment to suit his needs even further. Certain crops were grown in areas according to availability geographically and ease of production rather than chosen...
Words: 1446 - Pages: 6
...Response • Recognize ways in which organized religion influences people’s lives. • Define common terms related to the study of religion. Week Two: Indigenous Sacred Ways • Describe the importance of relationships to indigenous religions. • Identify examples of roles and observances held sacred by indigenous peoples. Week Three: Hinduism • Describe the Hindu philosophical systems and forms of worship. • Explain the origins of Hinduism. Week Four: Buddhism • Explain the origins of Buddhism. • Describe Buddhism’s theological foundations and spiritual practices. Week Five: Daoism, Confucianism, and Judaism • Compare and contrast the theological foundations and spiritual practices of Daoism, Confucianism, Hinduism, and Buddhism. • Explain the origins of Judaism. • Describe Judaism’s theological foundations and spiritual practices. Week Six: Christianity and Islam • Explain the origins of Christianity. • Explain the origins of Islam. Week Seven: Monotheistic Religions • Compare and contrast the theological foundations and spiritual practices of Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. Week Eight: New Religious Movements & Religion in the 21st Century • Compare and contrast new religious movements with well established religions. • Estimate the impact of religious pluralism and the interfaith movement on the future of organized religion. Week Nine: Making Connections • Communicate with people of different religions about their beliefs and practices. Course...
Words: 2014 - Pages: 9
...Lee 10/14/2013 There are many different religions in the world today, all of which worship and practice differently. Most of the traditions, beliefs, and rituals these religions are consisted of our exclusive to only on religion. Some common traits of most religions are that most of them have sacred areas, sacred times, and the worshippers usually have a relationship with a divine presence. The relationship the practitioners have with what is divine consists mostly with an understanding of what is divine and what or who is sacred. Some religions, such as Judaism, Christianity, and Islam are considered monotheism because they have only one god. Other religions, such as Zen Buddhism, Hinduism, and many other ancient religions are considered polytheism because they have many gods involved in their belief and worship. A third kind of religion is pantheism, referring to religions that worship nature. These religions see their god as existent beings. Many of the polytheistic belief systems include worship of people, animals, or idols. Many monotheistic belief systems see the single deity as a spirit that cannot be touched or seen. All these religions believe that the deity or deities can observe the worshipper and deliver rewards and punishment according to the believer’s behavior. Some examples of sacred times that can be found in religions are feasts or fasts and special days or times of worship. One example is that Christians...
Words: 763 - Pages: 4
...Elements of Religious Traditions Many religions exist in the world today all of which worship and practice differently. Most traditions, beliefs, myths, and rituals present are not exclusive to only one religion. Common aspects between religions are that most have sacred areas, sacred times, and worshippers have a relationship with a divine presence. Though the definition of religion is “to join again” or “reconnect” with the natural or sacred realm (Molloy, 2010). The basic characteristics of religious traditions are content, proceedings, and arrangements in relation to beliefs. Religious Tradition Content The relationship the practitioners have with what is divine consists mostly with an understanding of what is divine and what or who is sacred. Some religions, such as Judaism, Christianity, and Islam are considered monotheism because they have only one god (Molloy, 2010). Other religions, such as Zen Buddhism, Hinduism, and many other ancient religions are considered polytheism because they have many gods involved in their belief and worship (Molloy, 2010). A third kind of religion is pantheism, referring to religions that worship nature. These religions see their God as existent beings. Many of the polytheistic belief systems include worship of people, animals, or idols. Many monotheistic belief systems see a deity as a spirit that cannot be touched or seen (Molloy, 2010). These religions believe that the deity or deities can observe the worshipper and deliver rewards...
Words: 898 - Pages: 4
...HUT 305, Selected Essay Topics. A- Belief in God shapes the way people live their lives. Belief in God gives people something to hope for, someone to believe in, no matter what their situation in life might be. Monotheistic religions believe in one God, with minor theological differences. Explain the concept of God in all three monotheistic religions. Compare this concept with two different concepts taken from two different religions. B- Plato believed in the ontological dualism. He recognized the role of the senses in shaping a perception of the world but denied its accuracy. For him the ideas, shaped in the world of ideals, are the absolute truth. To further explain his theory, he adopted the allegory of the cave, where an enlightened philosopher would take the human out of their ignorance and into the "light". Explain the ontological dualism of Plato, the role he has given to the Ideal knowledge, and his of the cave allegory in order to explain his views. C- Ibn Khaldoun presented the first dedicated science to the study of societies. In this science, called "El Omran", he introduced the concept of Assabyah – a kind of social solidarity. Explain the role of Assabyah in politics and in the evolution of societies, especially when it comes to the transmission of power from one generation to another. D- Is there a “heroic code” that guides the decisions of the characters in The Iliad? Discuss the values of the Homeric hero, paying particular attention to contrasting...
Words: 384 - Pages: 2
...It is a proven fact that there is a universal belief in God, god or gods in every nation on the face of the earth including the most primitive societies. The reason being that after the fall of man in the Garden of Eden as the bible describes in the book of Genesis, man was separated from His creator and became spiritually dead. With a fallen spirit and a blinded mind, man who was created with an intuitive belief and knowledge of the existence of God was drawn by the religious instinct within him to worship something or someone. Unable to find his creator, man produced deities out of his own imagination to worship. Deities of stone, wood, water, fire, air, sun, moon, stars, mountains, birds, kings, emperors etc. giving birth to several religions, the majority being polytheistic and some are still today. Man missed the object of his worship, worshipping the creation rather than the creator. The bible says “Who changed the truth of God into a lie, and worshipped and served the creature more than the Creator, who is blessed forever.”(Romans 1:25). God none the less had an elaborate and well-designed plan for the restoration of fallen man. A plan which existed from the very beginning even before man transgressed, to show the fallibility of proponents of Deism that present an absentee god who created the universe and went into oblivion, leaving man to his own fate and the universe to run itself. The deistic view of God falls short of the truth because the bible reveals God laid His...
Words: 4207 - Pages: 17
