Judaism, Christianity, and Islam, a Shared Faith - Essay Example

Judaism, Christianity, and Islam, a Shared Faith Abstract Almost the entire world is comprised of Judaism, Islam and Christianity. While I knew the link between Christianity and Judaism, I never realized Christianity and Islam could be compared at all. These three religions claim monotheism, which is the belief in the one and same God. If not for lesser details of greater complications, these religions would be precisely the same. What a unified body of worshippers that would make! But there are discrepancies even among fellow believers. This paper is not about these discrepancies, but about the relative philosophies among believers of these three separate yet united religions. Judaism, Christianity and Islam have been intertwined throughout history by the certain commonality they share in theology, all three are monotheistic (believing in one God) and conceive God to be the Creator and also the source of moral law. The same figures, histories and places are prevalent in each, although they are frequently presented with different roles, perspectives and meanings. 54% of the world’s population consider themselves of the Abrahamic religion. (wikipedia, 2011) These religions share the collective belief that Adam was the first man created and ancestor of all human beings, Abraham is a prophet and the Torah (which is comprised of the first five books of the old-testament) as being a revelation of God. The holy scripture Jews read is called the Tanach, which is the Torah. Christians study The Holy Bible, both the old and new testaments. And the Muslims follow the Quar’an. All three of these works cover the first 5 old testaments, and the lessons of such prophets as Abraham, Isaac, Ishmael, Noah, and the list goes on. The fact these religions are monotheistic is the most significant unity between them. In Judaism and Islam, the monotheism of God is absolute including of God’s essence. In Christianity there is a doctrine titled Trinity which says that God exists as 3 persons: Father, Son and Holy Spirit united in one being. Christians believe Jesus is God, Jews and Muslims deny this stating that God is too powerful to be reduced to a man that has such needs as eating and sleeping, and who could be beaten, and experience death as Jesus did. They attest that no savior is needed or available as an intermediary for us. Islam regards Jesus not as God, but only a human being that became a magnificent messenger of God, and was God’s word brought to Earth. Jews not only deny Jesus as God but as a prophet as well believing the true messiah the word promises has not come yet, but will arrive at a future place in time. Just as Jews refuse Jesus, so too do many Jews and Christians refuse Muhammad, a prophet singular to Islam religion, visited by the angel Gabriel who brought the final message of God to Earth. Christians share with Muslims the belief in the second coming of Jesus, yet they are split in this joint notion as Christians believe this will be the time of rapture and the final judgment day and Muslims believe Jesus coming will be only to kill the false messiah and restore God’s people once again leading them through this treacherous time. Jesus will rule and then die forty years after leaving behind him a world cleaned and restored to true religion, the religion of Islam. Aside from monotheism, some other mutual views of God these religions hold are that God will reward the good and punish the wicked, God knows the thoughts and deeds of men, the dead will be resurrected, and a personal relationship with God is within everyone’s grasp. We can return to God always through repentance, perfection is not expected of His creation. Following God’s commandments in this physical world connects us to God spiritually and our mission on Earth is to proclaim the glory of God and His existence everywhere. All three religions maintain that life is a test and we will all be judged by God after death since He is the true judge who knows our actions and motives. It is also acknowledged through Judaism, Christianity and Islam that we are judged by our faith and our works and they cannot stand alone but must labor together. The faith in our hearts must shine through the good deeds we perform for others. All three religions believe in free will. That is simply the choice we all have to resist the evil impulse we are constantly tempted by. Worshiping God is vital to these religions and an agreed primary method of worship is taking the free will God gave us and giving it back to Him by choosing to do what is pleasing to Him, which is what He would have us do. We will stand before God accountable and He should be not only remembered but revered in the decisions we make. However seemingly inconsequential a choice may be, at all times in our every choice we are serving something, someone. And if it isn’t God then we are wrong as followers of Him. Our personal relationship with God is stressed in the Abrahamic faith. No matter how many times we sin, we can return to him through repentance and ask His forgiveness which the Merciful God never denies us. A shared manner of seeking repentance as well as strengthening our personal relationship with God is through prayer. Judaism, Christianity, and Islam all hold prayer in the highest regard and seek God regularly through it. Jews pray three times daily at least, they pray over common activities, at holidays, they have prayers for deceased loved ones. Their prayers are very symbolic and they use such actions as lighting of candles as part of their praying ritual. Different prayers are memorized and said at different times. Muslim prayer also is very symbolic. The Islam religion prays five times a day. Salah is offered between first light and sunrise, after the sun has passed the middle of the sky, between midafternoon and sunset, between sunset and the last light of day, and between darkness and midnight. Muslims pray to capture the spirit of submission and be reminded of their commitment to God. Also to be reminded that on the day of judgment one must stand before their creator and give account of their entire life. Prayer is an effective way to keep God present and before us. It gives worshippers proper perspective to their focus which can be so easily blurred by the world they live in. In Christianity prayer is not only a means for repentance, but a means to talk to God. Christians will talk to God and commune with Him about whatever is on their heart or mind and ask advice and answers to questions they have. Prayer is encouraged to be constant throughout the day. Christians believe that God wants us to discuss with Him the littlest things to show we revere Him in all things. Worshipping is still an important part of prayer to Christians as well, and so such acts of humility as kneeling, bowing and prostrating before God are seen as pertinent parts of the experience. Prayer is performed in these religions to show God love and respect and to bring His followers closer to Him. The concepts of Good and Evil among these three religions were fascinating to study. Judaism, Christianity and Islam all believe in Satan as the tempter and trickster. In Judaism, Satan is not a fallen angel, but an angel simply doing the job God wants him to perform. Satan was employed by God to be the angel of death, judgment, and temptation that tests us and our loyalty to God. Therefore, Good and Evil are not two separate forces in the universe battling each other, but only present within ourselves throughout our journey of faith. Hell is not a place of eternal damnation of physical suffering with weeping and gnashing of teeth but a temporary purgatory of psychological shame since we are not cleansed prior to death it serves as purification. In Christianity, Satan is the fallen angel. Good and Evil are warring for power at every instant and the conflict between the two we face inside us is the battle we are fighting for God. Islam religion believes in what they call the law of retribution, which is the eye for an eye and tooth for a tooth mentality of the old-testament. Perhaps this is the reason why this religion is regarded with so much apprehension. Judaism’s geographical origins are in Israel. It is considered unnatural for a Jew not to live in Israel. Christianity also stems from Israel. Jesus was born in Bethlehem but his ministry spread throughout the world. Islam’s origins are found in Mecca, the center of the Earth and through what today is called Saudi Arabia. In Christianity and Islam the same miracles are accepted, even Jesus being bor (islamreligion.com, 2007)n to the Virgin Mary. They just don’t both agree this makes Jesus God’s son. In contemplating miracles my favorite summary came from a Judaism site written by Yisroel Cotlar who wrote the following, “G‑d manages every aspect of creation at every given moment. There are no rules He must follow. There are no forces He must contend with. All is in His hands. Nonetheless, He chose to create a system called "nature." An arrangement of fixed rules. An order of causes and effects. Why did he create nature? In order to conceal His identity and hide His footprints. He wanted a world in which things would appear as if they run on their own, and thus, force Man to discover G‑d on his own. In fact, the very word for nature in Hebrew, "tevah," also translates as "sunk." Nature is G‑d's way of submerging His presence under a sea of scientific laws and patterns. And Man is a deep-sea diver given the task of finding G‑d's hand which lurks behind the veil of nature. And so, life is very similar to a game of "Hide and Go Seek." But every now and then, G‑d emerges from His hiding place and breaks through the self-imposed shackles of nature. The sea is split. A scientific rule is broken. Mother Nature is proven wrong. Perhaps, a child is cured from an incurable disease. Or our nation is saved from a seemingly hopeless situation. And it is through these supernatural events that we realize that nature too is merely a creation of G‑d.” (Cotlar, 2009) This course has expanded my knowledge of not only Judaism but of religion itself. It is a subject that has always fascinated me so I appreciated the opportunity to examine it closer. I am fond of the mysticism of Judaism and of its ancient roots. Judaism, Christianity, and Islam are more closely connected than I ever imagined them to be. Works Cited Cotlar, Y. (2009, april 28). chabad.org. Retrieved april 4, 2011, from chabad: http://www.chabad.org/library/article_cdo/aid/557651/jewish/Do-Jews-Believe-in-Miracles.htm gotquestions. (2002). gotquestions.org. Retrieved april 4, 2011, from www.gotquestions.org: www.gotquestions.org islamreligion.com. (2007, january 26). islamreligion.com. Retrieved april 4, 2011, from islamreligion.com: www.islamreligion.com Jewfaq.org. (2010, december 9). Jewfaq.org. Retrieved april 4, 2011, from Jewfaq.org: www.jewfaq.org Molloy, M. (2009). Experiencing the World's Religions. New York: Mc Graw Hill. religionfacts. (2010, december 6). www.religionfacts.com. Retrieved april 4, 2011, from www.religionfacts.com: www.religionfacts.com religioustolerance. (2011, march 26). religioustolerance. Retrieved april 4, 2011, from www.religioustolerance.org: www.religioustolerance.org wikipedia. (2011, april 3). wikipedia.org. Retrieved april 4, 2011, from www.wikipedia.org: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Abrahamic_religions Read More