Comparing Sikhism, Judaism, and Christianity - Essay Example

?Comparison On Sikhism, Judaism & Christianity Webster defines religion ‘as an organized system of beliefs, ceremonies and rules used to worship a god of group of gods.’ There are numerous religions and spiritual traditions in the world and many of these religions have both commonalities as well as differences. This paper presents a comparison between three religions, namely, Sikhism, Judaism and Christianity. The founder of Sikhism was Guru Nanak Dev, and the founders of Judaism and Christianity are Abraham and Jesus Christ, respectively. All the three religions believe in God. As per Sikhism, there is one God and they believe in the teachings of Sikh Gurus. God is linked or merged with the Gurus and Gurus represent ‘The Creator’ and Sikhs emphasize the need to keep harmonious balance between temporal and spiritual obligations. Furthermore, in sync with the beliefs of Sikhism, Judaism and Christianity also believe in one God and that God is eternal and immutable. It is said that Judaism calls for highest sense of self-discipline and it is considered to be one of the strict religion. As per Christianity God is supreme, powerful and besides being the creator of all things. Christians believe that it is possible to reach God only through Jesus, who is His only Son. As far as human life is concerned, Sikhs consider human life as precious because the soul has to goes through several births and deaths before it is blessed with human form. In tune with this belief, in Judaism everything is connected to God as God created the world and controls the all activities in the universe. As per Judaism, God has no physical form and he is not male nor female. The substance of Jewish faith is in Rambam’s principles of faith which makes defense about the existence of God. For Christians, God is the preserver of the world and it is God that created life and made humankind in His image. While Sikhs believe that human beings face problems because of their wrongdoings, they consider remembering God’s name as the prime solution. Judaism believes that every good and bad actions will be treated suitably. Like Christianity, Judaism also believes in confession of past sins and seeking atonement. The Father in Church listens for the sins committed by the people and he prays to God and Jesus to condone their sins. In Christianity it is believed that sin and evil arrived in the world through Adam and Eve. It is because of the negativities that man has become an evil force but it is God that makes final judgment on the man. Judaism and Sikhism profess that every person can approach God individually but in Christianity a mediator is necessary between God and man. Gurudwara is the place of worship for Sikhs, Jews offer prayers and worship in Synagogues and Christians worship in Churches. Sikhs do not believe in icons based prayers hence there are no icons visible in the Gurudwara, Sikhs consider their Holy Book of Guru Grantha Saheb Ji as their ultimate teacher. The Holy book contains a collection of teachings and writings by Guru Nanak and other Gurus, it is hailed by Sikhs as the living word of God. The Holy Book has ample references about Hindu and Muslim Saints. Sikhs place their Holy book on a raised platform decorated with flowers. Like Gurudwaras, there are no icons in Synagogues, but in Church we normally get to see the statue of Jesus Christ and sometimes there are drawings on the wall of the Church those depict angels. Judaism has numerous religious texts but the most important of all is Torah. God gave written and oral Torah to Moses and it contains 613 commandments of God. There would be not going to be another Torah. Similarly Christians also have a Holy Book called Bible. The foundation of the beliefs in Christianity are based on the teaching from the Bible. Besides the Holy book, Christians believe in Trinity, the Father and Son. In Judaism there are many sects, their daily prayers are a part of their life, these prayers are said in the morning and at the bedtime. Sikhs and Christians visit Gurudwaras once a week and it is mostly on Sundays. In the Church, the gatherings are more organized and structured viz-a-viz Gurudwara and Synagogue. In Gurudwara, Sikhs sit in the open space before the singing hymns with legs crossed and listen to the devotional songs by paying singular attention. Sikhs believe that song establishes connectivity to the God hence during their prayers the congregation was in a condition of deep meditation. All listen to the hymns with lot of faith and attention and otherwise too the people in Gurudwara were helping each other in performing various tasks in a very cooperative and disciplined manner. The guests, Sikhs and non-Sikhs alike are welcomed with utmost cordiality in Gurudwaras. In order to enter Gurudwara a devotee is required to remove shoes outside and is also required to cover head. Sikhs go to the Holy Book and bow before it reverentially and donate their money in the basket lying there. Inside a Gurudwara it is always serene and calm. Hymns in Sikhism are called Kirtans and they are chanted during festivals continuously till the end. Three Sikh musicians and instrumentalists sing devotional songs with two drums. In Church, the prayers are conducted by Father who is attired with white gown, and has a big cross on his neck. Father pronounces message and the sermons for audience, mostly these are quotings from the Bible, from a pedestal. Non-Christians are also welcome during prayers in Churches. Inside Jewish temple, it is absolutely peaceful and cleanliness is at its prime, people too were most respectful. Open space is arranged for the purpose of worshipping and in Judaism a woman hymn the Torah and other devotees present there chant behind her. In Gurudwaras quite like in Churches, social service is performed by volunteers who do their job with devotion and perfection. Sikhs are known for their hard work. They donate generously at Gurudwaras and the proceeds from donations are utilized for community kitchen and for helping the under privileged. Sikhs consider service as one of the most important aspect of life. In Church father and nun are known for their commitment to social service and they help the poor people. As a part of their social service activities, Churches have established a number of schools and colleges. People who administer the Jewish temple and the devotees are very cooperative, but unlike Sikhism and Christianity the religious tenets in Judaism are strict and non-Jews are not encouraged to join. One reason for this is that modern secular values do not hold good in Judaism, the devotees participated in prayers on his own responsibility. In general, the people who look after and the devotees the temple are very cooperative. A Sikh adult wears turbans and women wear a scarf or a cloth to cover their head and it runs from one shoulder to the other shoulder. Sikh adults who have been baptized also wear five articles of faith these include uncut hair, a comb, a metal bangle, a dagger and shorts. As regards the Jews they wear skullcaps called kippot. During prayers women cover their head with a shawl and men (after attaining 13 years of age) also wear shawls during prayers. Conservative Christians dress modestly that is men wear clothes those do not expose their chest, arms and legs. Christian women wear dresses those cover their knees and some women even cover their head. The practices followed by Sikhs include offering prayers and meditate on God's name, offering services at Gurdwara, wearing turban and five articles of faith. Sikhs are known for working, worshipping, and charity. Sikhism does not profess monkhood or asceticism. In Judaism Circumcision is performed when the baby boy is eight days old the ceremony is termed brit milah. Bar/Bat mitzvah in Judaism is adulthood and at the age of thirteen years a boys become accountable for their actions and become bar mitzvah. Jews offer services on Saturdays at Synagogue. In Christianity prayers, study of Bible, Baptism and Communion, Church services on Sundays and numerous holidays form part of practices. Judaism is represented by The Jewish Star also called The Star of David, it is the Jewish identity or the symbol of Judaism. The Star of David can be seen on the tombstones of religious Jews. The Khanda is the symbol of Sikhs. It includes double edged sword called Khanda in the centre, The Chakkar or the circle is in the middle and two single-edged swords crossed at the bottom and rest with each other on both sides of the Khanda. The symbol Khanda reflects concepts of Sikhism and it depicts that two that is spiritual and temporal sovereignty are the same hence these may not be seen as distinct entities (sikhs.org, 2010). Ek Onkar is the symbol of Sikhism it is written in Punjabi language and it represents One Supreme Reality it is the central tenet of Sikhism. Ek Onkar is found on all Gurudwaras. The Christian Cross is the religious symbol of Christianity, it depicts crucifixion of Jesus Christ. In other words it memorializes Christ’s death. It is worth inclusion that Judaism and Christianity have few similarities some of these are that Christianity arose in the Jewish household of faith (Ask.com). The foundational teachings of Judaism pertaining to God and man have been adopted by Christianity. References: Ask.com. "Similarities between Christianity and Judaism." www.ask.com. N.p.. Web. 10 Dec 2013. . Sikhs.org. "Religious Emblems." Sikhism, Religion of the Sikh People. sikhs.org. Web. 10 Dec 2013. . Read More