The Westerns three religions - Research Paper Example

College: The Western’s Three Religions The precise meaning of Western religion has remained controversial just like the definition of the term ‘The West, itself. However, most religious scholars and historians have congregated on the fact that western religion refers to those religions whose practice is synonymous with the western culture. Conversely, this meaning is disputed as it is merely based on the conjecture that western culture and history are so distinct that they can constitute a religious conviction or religious practices.

Nevertheless, it is agreed that the canons that form the foundation of Western religion are different from those that form the basis of Eastern religion. The Western religion is practiced in America, Europe and Australia (Matthews, 2008). Most religions found in North America, Europe and Australia have one focal point of concurrence, that is, they subscribe to monotheistic attribute of the supernatural being. They believe in one God who is omniscient, powerful and omnipresent. Research shows that western religion is a branch of Abrahamic religion that split into three forms of practice.

They are Christianity, Judaism as well as Islam. Captivatingly, all the above types of religion originated from the Middle East and expanded rapidly during Civilization and the New Age movements. Nonetheless, some scholars have disputed the inclusion of Islam since its practice is different from the practice of other religions in the west. Instead, they assert that since Christianity has mutated itself severally and resulted in to various codes of belief that distinctly separate Protestants from Romans, it would be prudent to look at Christianity as a farther of two religions.

Despite that, Islam constitutes about 4% in Europe and America which can not be ignored. On the other hand, Christians in USA are about 78.5%, in Canada about 77% and in Europe about 80% according to 2006 statistics. Judaism traces its roots to the days of Moses and is usually associated with Jewish culture. All the same, it received some degree of acceptance among non Jewish in the West (Padgett & Sally, 2003). References Accad, M. (2003). "The Gospels in the Muslim Discourse of the Ninth to the Fourteenth Centuries: An Exegetical Inventorial Table (Part I)".

Islam and Christian-Muslim Relations 14 (1). Brockopp, Jonathan E. (2003). Islamic Ethics of Life: abortion, war and euthanasia. University of South Carolina press. Day, J. (2000). Yahweh and the Gods and Goddesses of Canaan. Chippenham: Sheffield Academic Press. MacMullen, R. (2006). Voting About God in Early Church Councils. New Haven, CT: Yale University Press. Matthews, W.(2008).World Religions . New York: Cengage Learning. Padgett, A. G & Sally, B. (2003). Introducing Christianity. Maryknoll, N.Y.: Orbis Books