Religions of the Common - Research Paper Example

? Comparing Christianity and Judaism Introduction Christianity and Judaism are two among the largest religions in the world. Both religions have a Jewish heritage, and though this makes them share a lot of similarities, they also have a lot of differences. Judaism is among the oldest religions in the world, dating back to 2000 B.C (ReligionFacts, 2013). Abraham, the first Patriarch is considered as the founder of Judaism, while Christianity on the other hand was founded by Jesus Christ in the 1st century A.D (ReligionFacts, 2013). Both religions are intertwined because both can trace their earliest beginnings from Abraham. Christianity literally means followers of Christ and those who follow His teachings. Judaism denotes the people who belong to the Jewish heritage or ethnicity and who mostly follow the law given to the Jews and Moses in the Old Testament. It also means those that belong to the tribe of Judah. Christ Himself was a Jew but ushered in the dispensation of Grace, coming into great conflict with those who believed in Judaism during hid days on earth. Christianity Christians have the belief that one God exists, and is in three persons, the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. This is narrated in the Jesus’ great commission to His disciples in Mathew 28; 19 where new believers are to be baptized in the name of the Father, Son and Holy Ghost. Christians also believe in the Bible which they believe is God’s word revealed to man. Christians believe that the people who wrote the Bible had inspiration from God and thus they refer to it as the Word of God. Christians also believe in the deity of Christ, that He is the second of the Godhead and that He is equal to God (ReligionFacts, 2013). They believe He is the promised Messiah, and that His mission was to reconcile man back to God through His sacrifice on the cross. Christians also believe that the reason of the death of Jesus was for the sake of all mankind. The Holy Spirit to Christians is believed to be the third one in the Trinity and is worshipped together with the Father and the Son since He is also God. Christianity also has three major divisions, Protestant, Orthodox and Roman Catholic with each having additional rituals and practices. In the Roman Catholic division of Christianity, for example, writings of ecumenical councils and ancient church Fathers and creeds are included in the division’s beliefs and practices. Christians also have sacraments and ordinances like baptism and Holy Communion with the Roman Catholic and Orthodox divisions adding the sacraments of marriage, confirmation, penance, Holy orders and anointing of those who are sick (ReligionFacts, 2013). In all of the Christian divisions, prayer is given great preeminence though the order and conducting of the same has varies from division to the other. Christians believe that mankind inherited an original sin from their first parents Adam and Eve who sinned against God. Jesus Christ paid for sin by His death on the cross to reconcile man back to God as narrated in the Bible in scriptures in Romans 5: 17. Christians and mostly Protestants believe in salvation through the work the sacrifice of Jesus Christ on the cross and not by any other works or sacrifices (Horbury 2006). They believe that God redeems man through the work of the cross, giving them a new birth and new life, 2 Cor 5: 17. Christians also believe that there is a place of eternal fire known as hell which will be used to punish the unrighteous from everlasting to everlasting. They believe that man is destined to die, and after death there will be judgment, with those that are righteous going to heaven and those that will be not being condemned to eternal hell. The Roman Catholic division of Christianity teaches that some souls that will need cleansing will be taken to purgatory before being allowed into Heaven. Christians practice their worship in churches, chapels, cathedrals and Basilicas (Avery-Peck & Neusner, 2009). On the area of clothing, Christian divisions like orthodox and Roman Catholic have special clothes for the clergy while there are no prohibitions for the members (ReligionFacts, 2013). The clergy among the Christian fraternity include Pastors, Priests, Bishops, Deacons, Monks, Nuns, Ministers and Boards of elders (Horbury, 2006). In the Roman Catholic and Orthodox divisions of Christianity, Statues and other artifacts are used especially during prayer. However, they are not used in the Protestant division of Christianity. In the Catholic, Orthodox and Anglican divisions of Christianity assistance is asked from Mary, Saints and Angels. Christianity believes that Jesus is the messiah who God promised for the salvation of mankind and believe that His birth was divinely inspired and that He is God made man . Christian teachings acknowledge Jesus as the fulfillment of the coming of a messiah as promised in the Old Testament Isaiah 7; 14. Judaism Judaism teaches about the belief in one God, Yahweh or Jehovah, basing this in Deuteronomy 6; 4 which states, “Hear oh Israel, the Lord is our God, the Lord is one”. Judaists believe in the Tanakh which comprises of the Torah, Neviim and Ketuvin. The Tanakh is similar to the Bible’s Old Testament with the Torah part comprising of Hebrew law, Neviim comprising of the prophets and Ketuvim comprising of writings (Horbury, 2006). Judaists do not believe that Jesus had a divine nature or that he was the Messiah but that He was just an ordinary Jewish man, meaning that they do not place any significance to His mission on earth. They also believe that the reason why He was crucified was because of His claim that He was God. Concerning the Holy Spirit, they do not believe that He is a person or that He is God but that He is a Godly power, which was given to the prophets to execute their mandates. Judaism has several divisions, which include Hasidic, reform and Conservative Judaism (Horbury, 2006). It also has ethnic groupings Sephardic and Ashkenazi. Their rituals include the circumcision of newly born Jewish male children and Bar mitzvah, a ceremony which marks the coming of age of the male children. They also practice the observation of the Sabbath as was practiced in the Old Testament and which was the day on which God rested from all His works. Judaists believe that salvation is by good works and the goodness or grace of God. On the concept of sin, the Judaism religion denies about the idea of an original sin. They believe that they are God’s only chosen people and must fulfill their part of the covenant. They believe that the way out of sin is by prayer and repentance. They also have a day by the name Yom Kippur which is set aside specifically for prayer and repentance. On the concept of hell, Judaism believes that those who die in a sinful state may suffer punishment for some time, though they also believe that certain sins warrant eternal punishment (ReligionFacts, 2013). The teaching on life after death varies among its different divisions and at different times in which it has existed. Some divisions of Judaism teach about reincarnation and some further teach about a return after this life to the garden of Aden. Judaists perform their worship practices in Synagogues, a practice that has been in existence over the centuries. Skullcaps are worn by Judaism adherents that are called Kip pot as part of religion (Horbury, 2006). During prayer, men over 13 years of age wear prayer shawls which are known as tallit and also wear tefillin, which remind them about their spiritual connection to God (Horbury, 2006). In Judaism, any one can lead in prayer or service, but all the same, there are Priests, Rabbis, Scribes and also people who specialize in the public Torah recitation. Statues are not used or permitted in Judaism since they are considered as idols according to their teachings. Judaism does not advocate prayer through any intermediary but make their prayers directly to God (Horbury, 2006). They do not give reverence to Mary as they do not believe that her son Jesus was the promised Messiah, believing that Jesus was a normal man, born by normal parents and that a messiah is yet to come. Comparison Similarities abound between Christianity and Judaism with the former having evolved from the latter according both the new and old testaments. Some of the similarities include the belief by both religions that there is one God, and also about the promise of the messiah. There is an agreement between the two religions that God is the creator, He is all powerful, all knowing, he is everywhere, and that He is eternal (Neusner, 2001). They believe in the patriarchs among them Abraham, Isaac and Jacob and others, and also share belief in the Ten Commandments as were given to Moses on Mount Sinai by God. The religions also believe in prophets as messengers of God and, since they have a common origin, they share the same prophets in the Old Testament; only differing about Jesus Christ who Judaists believe was a prophet while Christians believe he was the promised Messiah. In Christianity, religious terminology like salvation by grace and not by works, Jesus the chief corner stone which the builders rejected but which became the chief corner stone are common (Avery-Peck & Neusner, 2009). Others are, Jesus as the light of the world, as the bread of life that came from heaven and etcetera. The 12 apostles of Jesus Christ are mentioned in the spread of the gospel from Jerusalem to all parts of the world. Paul who was not among the first apostles but who was dramatically converted is adversely mentioned in the advent of Christianity, with his epistles occupying the largest part in the New Testament by one author. He had been a staunch adherent of Judaism, even persecuting Christians in the name of Judaism, but on his conversion he became the strongest defender of Christianity. He understood the two religions very well, having belonged to Judaism first and then to Christianity. Abraham is mentioned in both Judaism and Christianity with the two religions being referred to as Abrahamic religions. Isaac and Jacob also feature much in the two religions, with Jacob as the father of the 12 patriarchs, out of who came the 12 tribes of Israel (Avery-Peck & Neusner, 2009). Prophets like Jeremiah, Isaiah, Moses and others also feature much in the advent of Judaism and Christianity. The two religions also share the Hebrew Scriptures which is also referred to as the Old Testament as God’s word. Both religions also have a common belief that God has a special plan for the Israelite nation which dates back to Old Testament times. References Avery-Peck A. J. & Neusner J. (2009). Judaism and Christianity: New Directions for Dialogue and Understanding: Volume 28 of The Brill Reference Library of Judaism Series. Danvers: BRILL. Horbury W. (2006). Jews and Christians: Academic Paperback Series Scholars' Editions in Biblical Studies. Edinburgh: Continuum International Publishing Group. Neusner J. (2001). Jews and Christians: The Myth of a Common Tradition: Classics in Judaic studies. London: Global Academic Publishing. ReligionFacts. (2013).Comparison of Christianity and Judaism. ReligionFacts. 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