Critique of articles written about Judaism, Islam, and Christianity - Book Report/Review Example

The philosophy of non-violence possesses deep roots in Judaism; nevertheless, absolute non-violence is not an obligation of Judaism. Judaism strictly limits the employment of violence in which non-violence frequently becomes the only means of fulfilling a life of truth, peace and justice that Judaism perceives to be three tools for the preservation of the world. Jewish law does not allow any utilization of violence unless in self-defense, whereby any individual any raises a hand to harm another can be considered “evil.

” Judaism is distinct in that it stipulates adherence to Jewish values even in times of war. The assertion that Judaism promotes violence is ironic given that Jewish people shaped the foundation of Western morality as espoused by the concept of sanctity of life, and absolute morality. Judaism fosters the values of respect of life, brotherhood, and freedom as demonstrated by the Universal laws of humanity. Jews remain obligated to act with mercy even in instances of drawing close to the battle.

At the basis of these laws is the critical concept that there exists a God who values all people. Article on Islam Islam texts and doctrines have, in some cases, been linked to violence. In the article, Karen Armstrong notes that the evil carnage witnessed in 9/11 is not characteristic of Islam faith (par. 1). Nevertheless, the question of whether Islam condones violence is legitimate given the increasing cases of terror activities. Koran allows the use of violence for self-defense in which Muslims should not start hostilities.

The Koran cites the Torah as allowing individuals the right of retaliation; nevertheless, the Koran implies that it is meritorious to forsake revenge in line with the spirit of charity. As such, Armstrong is right to highlight that Islam is not addicted to war, and, in that right, jihad cannot be regarded as one of its “pillars” or pertinent practices. Some sections of literature have dealt with the juxtaposition in Islamic law and theology of violence and non-violence as perpetrated by certain groups and individuals.

Islam occasionally permits the utilization of force, while stressing that the core spiritual goal centers on peace and nonviolence. I admit that, it would be erroneous to perceive that Islam is intrinsically a violent religion. Similarly, it is inappropriate to fail to comprehend the conditions that render some believers to feel justified in acting violently against subjects whom their tradition feels should be countered. Given that Islam loosely translates to “peace,” it is complex to explain why there are spontaneous celebrations when there are incidents of terror attacks such as 9/11.

One of the verses in Koran appears to give an open license to kill all non-believers or pagans devoid of any restriction. This does not imply that all Muslims are violent at heart as most Muslims have aspirations for living peaceful lives (Armstrong par. 2). Article on Christianity In the article, Unnever and Cullen reasons that, Christian fundamentalists are not more likely to back capital punishment compared to moderate denominations owing to conservative religious beliefs that rationalize the use of the death penalty (Unnever and Cullen 169).

This may be true given that affiliation to Christian fundamentalist denomination is not always related to support for capital punishment. Indeed, the relationship between affiliation