Comparison of Judaism Islam and Christianity - Assignment Example

Answers to Questions According to Streng, the ultimate reality is the divine power or entity that confirms the truth of the human problematic. The human problematic is the quintessential problem that each person has to face in his life and it also refers to the ultimate problem among all problems. It defines the basis of human existence and it is the truth upon which all our fears are based. It is therefore the one thing that everyone is trying to avoid or at least delay. However, one will then ask what the basis of this human problematic is and this is where ultimate reality comes in. The ultimate reality is the ultimate basis of every human problematic in every religion (Streng). In Christianity, for example, the human problematic is death and eternal torment in hell, and the ultimate reality, which is the God in the Christian Bible provides the basis and explanation for the existence of this human problematic. In the case of Christianity, death and eternal torment in hell is caused by sin, which has its roots in the original sin of Adam and Eve that led to the fall of man. On the other hand, the ultimate dimension is the way of changing the human problematic. Every religion or religious movement, after identifying the cause, seeks to find a solution to the human problematic and employs a number of solutions like rituals, prayer, consumption of organic foods, and other things. Ultimate dimension is supposed to inspire someone to change his current situation or to find a solution to the human problematic. 2. Cultural dimension is the actions that someone takes as a group in order to reinforce the community and to increase church attendance as well as to consider marriage and funeral rites. Whatever is personal must always go harmoniously with culture. One aspect of cultural dimension is the historical conditions upon which a particular belief or system of belief evolved (Streng). For example, during the time of Jesus, the political scenario was turbulent because of the conquest of Israel by the Romans, and that the Jews were persecuted by the conquerors. This was the time when Jesus rose and led the people into defiance of Roman authority. The transformative power that was evident in his preaching was the result of the cultural dimension of belief, which means that there was shared religious intent among the Jews who opposed Roman rule. This sense of unity somehow turned into a system of faith and belief. During the time of Muhammad, he was in a cave in a religious retreat when the Angel Gabriel appeared to him in a dream, and after that he spent the next 12 years preaching the word of God in Mecca, calling forth the polytheistic Meccans to return to Allah. Because of this, he was hated until he decided to move to another city, called Medina, where he and his followers began his attacks on the Meccan caravans. Despite the conflicts, Muhammad urged his followers to heed the teachings of God’s prophets – Noah, Abraham, Moses and David (Wood). His community of Muslims have eventually successfully established the religion of Islam with him despite continual opposition from the Jews and from polytheistic Meccans. 3. Streng equally emphasized the concept of personal dimension of religion because if Christianity was formed from the cultural dimension, religions like Buddhism focused more on the connection between shared religious tradition and experience of personal enlightenment and transformation. The personal dimension of religion is all about the ultimate transformation of a person into a true believer of his faith and into an enlightened individual. In short, the goal of the personal dimension of religion is the change not only in the level of awareness of the believer but also an equally significant change in his mode of living. The goal is also to resolve the human problematic on an individual level and to be therefore released from whatever it is that is causing spiritual suffering, whether they are material things or impure thoughts. In short, an enlightened consciousness is the goal of the personal dimension of religion. It is through the personal dimension and through the enlightenment that it brings that it can help believers maintain the religion and their bond to each other (Streng). In Islam, one way of exemplifying the personal dimension of the religion is through the individual observance of the 5 pillars, which are namely: 1. Belief in the one and only true God Allah, or the Shahada 2. Salat, or praying five times a day in the direction of the Kaaba in Mecca 3. Paying the Zakat, or 2.5% of one’s earnings 4. Sawm, or fasting during the 9th month of the Islamic year, and on that day, fasting from sunrise to sunset 5. Doing the Hajj, or making the pilgrimage to Mecca at least once in one’s lifetime (The Five Pillars of Islam) If a Muslim observes these five pillars of Islamic faith, and if he does it sincerely and wholeheartedly, then he eventually develops enlightenment. Thus, the personal dimension of a religion is the perfect vehicle for the enlightenment of the individual, and for the maintenance of unity among all Muslims or among members of any particular religion. On M. Ayoub’s idea of “protected peoples” to non-Muslims, 4. As Biblical faiths, Judaism, Christianity and Islam share common qualities in terms of Creation, Revelation, Redemption and Covenant. These common qualities are carefully underlined in the sacred books of these religions: the Torah of the Jews, the Holy Bible of the Christians, and the Quran of the Muslims. In terms of divine revelation, in Judaism, revelation is through the Prophets of the Old Testament in the Bible. In Christianity, it is through the Prophets and through Jesus or God Himself as revealed in the Holy Bible. On the other hand, in Islam, revelation is through Muhammad as recorded in the Holy Quran (Comparison of Judaism, Islam and Christianity). In terms of redemption or the means of salvation, Judaism uses the concept of belief in God and good deeds. Good deeds also matter as a means of salvation in Christianity. However, along with good deeds, Christians believe that correct belief, faith and the sacraments are also means of salvation. On the other hand, in Islam, it is correct belief, a personal commitment to the Five Pillars, and once more, good deeds. In short, good deeds are common among the three religions as a means of salvation. In terms of the concept of Creation, Christianity and Judaism have the same in the story of how God created the world in the first part of the Book of Genesis. God created the heavens and the earth. He began with the creation of water, light, the atmosphere, the land and the oceans. He then created vegetation and probably the Garden of Eden, then the Sun, the Moon, the Stars and other planets, the water creatures, the birds, and the land animals. Finally, he created Man and from him, Woman (What is the order of events in the biblical Creation?). On the other hand, in Islam, Allah created man from dust then from a drop of semen, from a clot, then from a lump of tissue. Then man is born as an infant. Moreover, the first man in Islam was created in Janna and not on Earth, and Creation in the Muslim concept has no clear details (Abbas). Moreover, in terms of Covenant, in Judaism, God made a covenant with Moses. In Christianity, God made this covenant through Jesus Christ, while in Islam, God made this covenant with the Prophet Muhammad. It is Christianity that uses the concept of the New Covenant or the New Testament that is made only through Jesus Christ (Esposito). 5. According to Rabbi Epstein, the cornerstones of Judaism are the belief in one God and Israel’s responsibility to God. According to Epstein, the issue is not whether or not you possess faith, but in what things you put your faith. This means putting the faith in humanity and not in the idea of the divine, which is merely a human-created concept that people cannot truly rely on. In short, Judaism is more than a religion but rather an organized movement that encompasses history, culture and civilization of the Jewish people. This means that carefully tied up with Judaism is the idea that, for the Jew, the Jewish heritage is very important, although the Jewish people are no better than any other group of people (Cotto). Top of Form Bottom of Form Works Cited Abbas, Alli. The Islamic View of Creation. 1995. Religion Facts. 25 Feb 2013. Comparison of Judaism, Islam and Christianity. 2013. Religion Facts. 25 Feb 2013. Cotto, Joseph. Greg Epstein on faith, ideology, and Humanism. 2012. Washington Times. 27 Feb 2013. Esposito, John L. How is Islam similar to Christianity and Judaism?. 2012. Islamic City. 25 Feb 2013. Streng, Frederick. Realization of Param Bhutakoti (ultimate reality-limit) in the Astasahasrika Prajnaparamita Sutra. 1982. National Taiwan University. 25 Feb 2013. The Five Pillars of Islam. 2013. University of Calgary. 27 Feb 2013. What is the order of events in the biblical Creation?. 2013. ChristianAnswers.net. 27 Feb 2013. Wood, David. The Historical Muhammad: The Good, the Bad, and the Downright Ugly. 2013. 4Truth.net. 25 Feb 2013. Read More