The Similarities Between the Different World Religions - Essay Example

Exploring the Similarities Between the Different World Religions

Religions are a crucial part of modern societies. However, their diversity has been a massive cause of differences in the advent of globalization. This is because people always focus on the differences and ignore the similarities between the different world religions. Understanding the similarities is the right way to get rid of the strive and get to know more about faiths than we do. We will start by looking at some common points between Judaism, Islam, and Christianity. For starters, the three religions all believe in the existence of one God. Other than these, the faiths believe that Abraham started them hence the reason they are all called Abrahamic Religions. The religious history shows us that Abraham was an Aramaic who was the ancestor of the Jewish people. The Quran says that Islam is a continuation of the religion Abraham practiced, and it is not something entirely new.

Other than having a belief in one God and having the same founding father, the three faiths agree that Moses was the true prophet of God. Prophets are a sensation in Israel and among the Jews. While Christians call Jesus the Messiah, Islam believes that Jesus was a prophet born without a biological father. This is a common birth story that is similar to what Christians have faith in. The two beliefs acknowledge Jesus even though they give him different titles. Mary, the mother to Jesus, is also a common figure in the Bible and the Quran. Even though she takes a centerpiece in Christianity, her name appears more times in the Quran than in the Bible. However, Muslims feel that Christianity developed wrong doctrines surrounding Jesus. They acknowledge the virgin birth of Jesus but don't endorse his being the Son of God or if his death redeemed humanity from the grasp of sin. All the Abrahamic religions share prophets. Part of the backstories are similar, but there is always a divergence in interpretation of a prophet's status, worth, and position in each religion. People rarely take the time to understand this.

Geographical locations also play a role in creating similarities between these faiths. The most important city to all the three religions in this discussion is Jerusalem. It is the historic center of all of them. Muslims place the Dome of Rock in Jerusalem. They believe it to be where Muhamad ascended to heaven.

On the other hand, Jews place Jerusalem as their physical and religious homeland. Christians also value Jerusalem as the place where their savior, Jesus, resurrected after dying on the cross. The three faiths attach some value to Jerusalem even though their reasons might be different. The notable difference in this common ground is how Muslims relates it to Mohamed while Christians connect it to Jesus. This is the most significant divide in ideologies people have between the two faiths. The bad thing is this is what most people focus on rather than looking at the similarities.

All the religions in the world have a set of writing that guides them on what their God wants them to do. While God can manifest in other forms or through nature, they trust that scripture is the best way to infer or interpret what He wants them to do. The three Abrahamic beliefs have common chunks of scripture. Judaism has a holy book made up of the Tanakh and the Talmud. The Christian Bible adopts the entire Tanakh for its old testament and adds a set of books for the New Testament. The Quran, on the other end, has common narrations that span Judaism and Christianity. They match in accounts of prophets and their activities but occasionally differ in the interpretation of what an account meant or what believers should take away from narrations.

The way the three faiths choose to worship also displays some similarities. Singing might be a big part of worshiping God in church, but it also happens in other religions. Chanting and hymns form part of worship in Mosques and Synagogues. However, Christianity takes it a step further and focuses on praise, worship, and other entertaining songs. Jewish beliefs and Muslims focus on chants during prayer. These vocalizations with rhythm are a popular way of passing information and showing devotion to different degrees of use across religions.

Pilgrimage is also another similarity between these religions. All people believe in paying homage to a specific sacred spot at one point in life. While the destinations might differ, the meaning and intention are the same. Muslims head to Mecca. Most of the Christian faith and people of the Jewish faith will visit different spots in Jerusalem. Muslims will also pilgrimage this city even though Mecca is the most popular destination for them.

God plays the centerpiece in all these religions. All the worship, dedication, and effort are to please this deity. While the common name is God, each religion has specific names they use. To Muslims, the go-to option is Allah. Followers of Christ and Jews use Elohim or Yahweh. To them, Yahweh is divine and is not used often. As such, they prefer using God and Lord to refer to Him. Muslims and Christians believe that Jesus will come back to earth and reveal more about God at some point. Jews believe in a Messiah who will make this revelation but do not agree that this will be Jesus.

Other than these specific similarities between these religions, people get the same common lessons in retrospect. They are all in part about teaching us how to live in a society in harmony. The experience is that they will receive rewards for leading a good life. These similarities between the three still extend over to other forms of belief in the world. It is hard to come to terms with these similarities bearing in mind how differences between the three are peddled. A big part of the roots is the same. What differs is an interpretation of core principals and happenings. Those who can see beyond this end up embracing their brethren hence obeying the basics of any religion – living together in peace and harmony.