Islam, Judaism And Christianity - Essay Example

Judaism not only can, but does stand on its own. Judaism’s core beliefs in the Old Testaments are shared with Christianity. The two religions even believe in a messiah. The difference is Judaism rejects Jesus of Nazareth as that messiah, whereas Jesus is the long awaited savior in the Christian religion. The question becomes does one believe Jesus is the long awaited messiah? Christians believe so, normally without doubt. Judaism rejects that belief. Christianity has changed the world in the past two hundred years. America and most countries in the West have Christian leaders. This has influenced historical events. Cold War propaganda touted communist wanted to take over the world and get rid of religion all together. The evolution of anti-war movements and negotiations can be taken from Jesus’ teachings of peace. Instead of the Old Testament’s ‘eye for an eye’ like Judaism calls for, the death penalty has been rescinded in many countries and in parts of the United States. Finally, with the decadence of the past two hundred years, a messiah that forgives everything is quite appealing. It is more popular than Judaism’s demand that Biblical law be obeyed. Other events have been interpreted through Christian views in the past two hundred years. One example is the Holocaust. Some Christians believe the Holocaust was a punishment for denying Jesus was the messiah. Although Christians are the first to denounce the Holocaust, a small belief remains that it was punishment from a higher power. Jews do have a good reason for holding on to their faith. When examined closely, all the facts in the Christian Bible about Jesus do not measure up for some individuals (Jews and Muslims). One of the prophecies was Jesus would be a descendant of David. Jesus of Nazareth was a descendant of David; on Joseph’s side of the family tree. Now if Jesus was the Son of God, how was he a descendant of Joseph? If Jesus’ birth was not an immaculate conception, he would be a descendant of David. That could cause disbelief. Another inconsistency is the tale of Jesus sitting in heaven with twelve disciples about him. Judas betrayed Jesus; so many Christians even believe he went to hell. If that is so, only eleven places would be set around Jesus. Another point of contention is Josephus. Much of Jesus’ life told outside the Bible can be attributed to Josephus. He wrote “Jewish Antiquities”. Josephus was there during Jesus’ time, but like many Jews rejected the notion that Jesus was the messiah. Judaism was a religion long before the concept of Christianity was born. The traditions and laws passed down are rich and important. Judaism can be seen as the root for Christianity, but roots can be spliced making two plants out of one. Judaism should continue, and the covenant should not evolve or be considered outdated by the world. Judaism should be respected like Christianity is respected. Although Judaism is seen as preparation for Christianity, it could also be seen as preparation for today’s Judaism. All of the ancient rites and laws still exist. Some of the most faithful of Hassidic Jews in Israel still practice ancient law and rituals. Without the original foundation of Judaism this type of Hassidic Jew would not exist. Without the original Jewish faith, both Christianity and Islam would not exist. These religions evolved out of Judaism. However, Judaism remained the same. Some might think that shows the Jews are more faithful to their religion than those that converted to Christianity. Islam was shaped by Judaism. Mohammad was greatly influenced by not only Judaism, but Christianity as well. The major concept Islam took from Judaism was the ideal of one God. The Trinity of Christianity offends Muslims greatly. They believe only one God, Allah should be worshiped. The thought of Jesus as being worshiped as a God is blasphemous for Muslims. Islam believes Jesus was inspired by God, but as a prophet, not the true Son of God. Unlike Christianity, Islam and Judaism do not believe in Original Sin. Islam incorporated many of Judaism’s prophets in the Old Testament in the Koran. Abraham, David, and Solomon are a few mentioned in the Koran. Many Islamic traditions came from the Hebrew Bible. Examples of these traditions are a fundamental religious outlook, jurisprudence, structure, and practice. Both Islam and Judaism believe that their scripture was revealed through divine intervention. Both religions believe in a day of Divine Judgment laid out in their separate scriptures. The study of religious law in both religions is considered a form of worship. Islam laws are Sharia, while Judaism calls them Halakha. These laws can be written, but can also be oral. Both religions consider holy and secular laws to be one and the same. Islam and Judaism have some of the same or similar practices and laws. For instance one practice is prayer. Fasting is also a central part of both religions. Dietary laws are observed in both religions. Pork is forbidden in both religions. For Islam and Judaism meat must be prepared in a ritual fashion. Circumcision is promoted in both religions. Idolatry and graven images are forbidden in both religions. Since Judaism held these practices first, Islam was greatly influenced by many of their practices. The above examples are only a few of the practices where Judaism influenced the Islamic religion. Islam believes that the Torah was corrupted by Judaism. The true message was delivered by the angel, Gabriel, to Mohammed. The true message was not corrupted by time, false prophets, or false beliefs. The other ideal that would restore purity to the religion revealed by God to Jews was that Mohammad should be accepted as a prophet. Not only should Mohammad be accepted as a prophet, but as the final prophet in the Judaism’s line of prophets. Christianity is seen as corrupted as well. Islam wishes to correct the corruption through Mohammad’s message. Islam can be traced back to Judaism in many ways. Ancestrally it is accepted Muslims are descendants of Abraham through his son Ishmael. Jews are descendants of Abraham through Isaac. Thus when God promised Abraham his descendants would be ‘God’s chosen people’ both Muslims and Jews are the chosen people. Christianity can be tied into Judaism through the beliefs in the Old Testament. The Old Testament promised a messiah to release all of God’s chosen people from their burdens. When the Jews rejected Jesus as the messiah, Gentiles accepted him and became the chosen people. The Ten Commandments are studied and obeyed by both religions. Christianity is the fulfillment of the Jewish promise of a messiah. The evolvement of Judaism into Christianity is a fulfillment of the prophecies of the Old Testaments, if an individual believes Jesus is the messiah. Islam, Judaism, and Christianity are all religions based on traditions passed on by Abraham. Judaism was the first religion, but Islam and Christianity based their beliefs on the base of Judaism. Both religions borrowed key aspects for their individual scriptures from Judaism. Without Judaism, Islam and Christianity would not exist. Bibliography Cohn-Sherbock, Dan. Judaism: A Short History. New York: One World Publications, 1999. Crossan, John Dominic. Jesus: A Revolutionary Biography. New York: HarperOne, 1995. Schimmel, Annemarie. Islam: An Introduction. New York: State University of New York Press, 1992. Read More