Monotheistic Religion Elements - Essay Example

Primary figures of Judaism include the patriarchs Abraham, Jacob and Isaac, and Moses. A follower of Jesus Christ is a Christian. Christianity comprises three branches; Roman Catholicism, eastern orthodoxy, and Protestantism. Some of the historical figures in Islam include the prophet Muhammad. They believe that Allah transmitted the knowledge to Muhammad from 570–632 C.E. Judaism is traditional and holds onto religious, ethical, and social laws articulated in Torah, writings, and prophets. Judaism comprises orthodox, conservative, reformist, and the reconstructionist who differ in liberality from traditional beliefs (Azmah, 2004) Christians believe in one God existing in the trinity as the father, the son, and the holy spirit, with Jesus Christ as messiah sent to save the world (Azmah, 2004). The objective of the theology of the Quran informs the life and culture of Muslims.  The pillars of the Quran encourage praying five times daily and the pilgrimage to Mecca. Muhammad is Allah’s prophet. They believe in helping the poor. Nature of God Judaism believes in the existence of god as incorporeal and creator of everything. Jews believe in a common connection to sacred narratives about their relationship with god. According to Christians, God is a trinity, Jesus is God and human, Jesus came through the power of the holy spirit, Jesus will come back to the world, and god’s word is the bible. Muslims believe in one God, Allah, who created and ordered the universe (Azmah, 2004).   The Hebrew Bible is called the Tanakh. The sacred text in Christianity is the bible. Quran is their holy text. Muslims believe that revelation to humanity is in Quran (Azmah, 2004). Judaism emphasizes practice more than belief. Their worship is in synagogues that replaced the second temple in 70 C.E. after its destruction. Judaism focuses on rituals performed in synagogues. Rituals like praying occur daily while others occur weekly. Repetition of the rituals brings them closer to God (Azmah, 2004). Central practices involve gathering in churches for worship. Rituals and practices among Christians depend on the denomination. Worship services are on Sundays where Christians pray, sing, and preach (Azmah, 2004). Rituals and practices among Muslims are few but darned crucial. They believe in five Islamic pillars of confession, the ritual prayer, the alms tax, the pilgrimage to Mecca, and the law of fasting during Ramadan. Other practices include mystical Sufism rituals and Shi'ite practices (Azmah, 2004). Some of their ethic and morality include belief in god, prohibition from improper worship, murder, oaths, theft, adultery, false witness and coveting, respect for Sabbath, parents and teachers (Azmah, 2004). The ethics and morality of Christianity are that Baptism happens in infancy or adulthood. Christian morals also demand that they regularly attend Holy Communion. In Islam, ethical requirements and their morality discourage interest on loans and lending people money with the intention of financial gains. Islamic morals also teach adherence to the teachings of Prophet Muhammad (Azmah, 2004). Read More