what is religion and how are they different
...e Muslims split into two sects over a disagreement over who would be the rightful successor in 661 CE. These two branches are the Sunni (which eighty percent of Muslims claim to be), and the Shi’ites (which compose the remaining twenty percent of those who practice Islam). The View of God The arguments on the existence of God constitute one of the finest attempts of the human mind to break out of the physical world and go beyond the sensible to a phenomenal or spiritual realm of experience. Certainly the question of God’s existence is the most important question of human philosophy. It affects the whole tenor of human life, whether man is regarded as the Supreme Being in the universe or whether it is believed that man has a superior being that he must love and obey or perhaps defy. According to what is being read and personally interpreted or what is being taught through others there are basically three ways one can argue for the existence of God. First, the priory approach argues from a conception of God as a perfect being whose non-existence is inconceivable. Second, the posteriori approach gives evidence from the observable world insisting that such a structured design requires a designer. Third, the existential approach asserts direct experience of God by way of personal revelation. This particular approach is not learned, but is more of an experiential view. The great religions of Islam, Judaism and Christianity all share some or all of these elements of presenting God in their faith. Although these religions are not ecumenical to each other in a regular sense it may be stated that their central focus of worship is God. The God of worship, known to them, is not to be shared with relics or objects of worship considered being idols. These three religious believe in a creed of monotheism. However, according to one’s personal convictions this is where the similarities between the three faiths end. Those outside one’s particular camp of faith are considered be pagans or infidels or simply unbelievers. Comparing the view of God between Islam, Judaism and Christiantaiy would reveal some similarities but Judaism and Christianity will come closer in doctrine. This is because of the Old Testament. Both Judaism and Christianity reject the Origin of the Islamic faith. These are broad statements in comparing the three but still are general facts. From infancy, Muslims are taught about the oneness of God, hence monotheism. Muslim theology also advocates unity of the human race as one family under God and reject the Biblical teaching of a “chosen” people. To the Muslim, Allah is the name of God that encompasses all the Holy divine attributes. As in the Jewish faith, Jesus is regarded as a prophet but is rejected as the Holy Son of God. Judaism, at least from a traditional religious sense, draws its belief in a monotheistic existence of God from the Old Testament writings. In traditional Judaism, God is often perceived as a loving Father who is infinitely majestic with divine power. The central prayer of any Jewish religious service is to “love God” as instructed in the book of Deuteronomy Chapter 6. The view of God presented in the scriptures of the New Testament along with the Old Testament is the basis of Christian doctrine. The evangelical belief in God is that of a True Godhead. That is God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit. The idea of Jesus as the Holy Son of God, as previously mentioned, is rejected by Muslims and Jews alike. The Old Testament speaks of a Messiah that would atone for the sins of the world and the New Testament teaches about Jesus the Son. He is accepted and worshiped as God by all evangelical Christians. He is essential to Christian God worship. Even though it may be difficult to understand why Christians still only worship one God, they consider themselves to still be monotheistic. Conflicts The religious conflicts between Judaism, Christianity and Islam have been numerous throughout history and continue to this day. These disagreements are ancient, and some say that they will never be totally resolved. Killing in the name of God remains a sad commentary in the history, present day, and future of mankind. One could argue that the first conflict arose with the founding of Christianity. Because Jesus attacked traditional Judaism, he was given over to the Romans to be crucified. During the Spanish Inquisition, many Jews were persecuted as heretics and had to flee from their homes. Much persecution of Jews by Christians has been justified by the belief that the Jews were responsible for the death of Christ. In Nazi Germany and after the fall of the Third Reich, many Germans said that even though what happened to the Jews of Europe during World War Two was horrible, they did bring it on themselves because they were responsible for the death of Jesus. The Christian/Muslim conflicts began during the seventh century CE, with the fall of the Byzantine cities in Egypt and the Holy Land within ten years of the death of Muhammad. “Europeans watched in horror as the Holy Lands became Muslim and the “infidel” advanced into Spain” (Fisher, p.382). This European advance was finally checked in France at the battle of Tours in 732 CE. Between 950 and 1300 CE, under the aegis of the Pope, Europe tried to roll back the Islamic gains and retake the Holy Land in the Holy Crusades. Lacking the logistical support and leadership necessary for success, the Holy Crusades were over when the fourth Crusade ended in utter defeat. Roughly one hundred and fifty years later, the Muslims finally put paid to the whole issue in 1453 CE with the capture of Constantinople, causing the collapse of the Byzantine Empire and giving Islam total hegemony over the entire Middle East. Today the Christian/Muslim conflicts have more to do with the West’s support of Israel and the West’s dependence on Arab oil. And although open warfare between the Islamic world and the West has not really happened except in the 1990 war with Iraq, (which was over oil, not religion) terrorism is still a source of friction between the two cultures. The Jewish/Islamic conflict began in 1948 CE with eviction of Arabs from their homes and the ensuing creation of the state of Israel in what was formerly known as Palestine. Wars between the Arabs and the Jews have taken place time and again to decide the fate of Israel. After nearly sixty years, there still seems to be no end in sight. The Palestinians yearn for a homeland that can never be as long as the state of Israel exists. Because of the Holocaust during World War Two, the Jews vowed to never again be a people without a homeland. Both claim Jerusalem as their rightful capital and as a sacred site to both religions. Compromise seems impossible on this issue. The Trinity The core beliefs of most religions require people to submit themselves to a higher power. When dealing with western religions such as Judaism, Islam, and Christianity, all have monotheistic views. Monotheism is the worship of a single God of the universe. Even though each of these religions believes in worshipping one single God, they all differ when it comes down to their core belief. The Islamic religion believes in one God, who they call Allah. They completely submit to only him and obey all his laws. Unlike Christianity, the Islamic religion does not believe in the Trinity. They believe Jesus was just another prophet just as Moses, Isaac, and Abraham were. Adam was the first prophet and Muhammad was the last. The Judaic religion believes that humans are made in God's image and have direct contact with God. People are ultimately able to chose between good and evil. It is believed by this faith that God is going to send a Messiah. Both of these religions contradict Christianity because of the Holy Trinity. One of the core beliefs of Christianity is the existence of the Holy Trinity. There is one God who is part of the Holy Trinity, which consists of God the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. According to Grolier Encyclopedia, All are equally God and so are one, each sharing in the divine attributes of ultimacy, eternity, and changelessness; yet they are distinguishable in their relations to one another and in their roles. There are several examples in the Holy Bible describing how God is present in the form of one or all forms of the Trinity. The first example of all parts of the Trinity being present at once is when Jesus was being baptized by John the Baptist. The verse can be found in Matthew 3:16-17 and it states, And Jesus, when he was baptized, went up straightway out of the water: and, lo, the heavens were opened unto him, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove, and lighting upon him: And lo a voice from heaven, saying, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased. In this verse, Jesus Christ is equal with God, and the Holy Spirit is equal with the Father. The Holy Spirit also appears at the baptism in the form...