World Religions: Judaism - Essay Example

World Religions: Judaism Part Question Monotheism One of the most important features of Judaism is the fact it is a monotheistic religion. Judaism is the oldest still practiced religion which first introduced the concept of one and only one almighty god. Unlike most ancient religions which postulated the existence of a collection of gods each with specific power such as the power of fertility, the power over the sun, the power of the heavens (weather), Judaism is the first religion to have been based on the belief of one God. Philanthropy is not a choice Unlike most other religions, Judaism is the only religion in which those who practice are supposed to engage in philanthropy, not as a choice but as a commandment. For those who practice Judaism, helping other people out is not something that one can choose to do or not to do; it is a requirement in order to conform to the tenets of Judaism. Coherence to the laws Judaism requires a strict observation of the Torah, and those who practice this religion are supposed to practice the many laws found in the Torah and other ancient manuscripts. Priesthood One other important feature which stands out in Judaism is the existence of a central priest who is the connection between the deity (God) and the people. This is especially a clear distinction between Christianity and Judaism, which seem to have the same roots. Unlike in Christianity where those who practice Christianity have a complete access to God without the need of a priest to mediate, Judaism uses a priest as the mediator between God and the ordinary person. Question 2 The origin of the synagogue temple is one of the most disputed in the study of Judaism. However, according to recorded Jewish history, it would appear that the first place of worship was built by King Solomon in 950 BCE (Molloy 96). Although history recorded that Solomon built this massive and expensive house of worship which he called a temple, the reality of this has been questioned by some archaeological historians who have disputed a lot of Jewish history. For instance, there is a group of people who have disputed the existence of such people as Abraham, David, and the famous wise king Solomon (Kalman 2-3). Regardless of the reality of King Solomon’s temple being the first temple ever build, there is a common truth that the synagogue system had started up somewhere in the history of the Jewish people. To better understand the issue of the synagogue, it is necessary to understand that the term “synagogue” is of Greek origin, and this may further complicate the issue of the history of the synagogue. There are those who argue that Jews started the synagogue system in order to be able to have a place of worship as the other existing religion. If the term synagogue is in fact from the Greek language, this may indicate that it has its origins in Greek worship practices because the Greek are known to have had a lot of gods and spiritual practices. It is also argued that Jews built their first temple and introduced the synagogue system after the Babylonian invasions as a way to revamp their worship and compete with the other religious structures in the ancient Middle East. Question 3 Over time Judaism has evolved in a number of ways. Not only has it evolved, but it has also led to a number of subsets of Judaism such as conservative, orthodox and reformed Jewish traditions. Orthodox Judaism is the one which has tried to maintain the most fidelity and congruence with the original ancient Judaism (“Variants Within Judaism” par. 3). These are the Jews who believe that Judaism should not be subjected to the changes which have been happening in the society. These Jews adhere closely and strictly to old Jews, and in most cases, these are the Jews who are still in the homeland of Jews. Even within the Orthodox Judaism, they can be regrouped in two major groups such as the Orthodox and the ultra-Orthodox Judaism, which advocates for up to the letter implementation of Jewish laws and requirements. Apart from Orthodox Judaism, there is Conservative Judaism, in which the followers appreciate the need to adhere to the old tradition of the religion of Judaism. Conservative Judaism is more of a fusion between traditional Judaism and the modern culture. However, Conservative Judaism tries as much as possible to be in line with traditional Judaism without incurring the many unnecessary inconveniences of living in a modern world. Reformed Jewish tradition has been a product of the freed Jews who were freed from German ghettos (“Variants Within Judaism” par. 19). Most of these Jews are Jews from outside the traditional Jewish land. Unlike other types of Jews, these Jews believe that the concepts and principles of the Torah are not only subject to change and evolution over time, but that they are also subject to interpretation in order to get contextual meaning. Question 4; how the Hebrew scriptures were assembled The Bible is a collection of manuscripts, each manuscript dealing with a different issue. These books were not written in the same time or even in the same language, although most of them were written in Hebrew. The Dead Sea Scrolls were discovered at different times and in different locations. The ancient scrolls were too many, and not all of them were included in the Bible (Biblion). However, these scrolls divided into different categories depending on the nature of the type of message and information they had. They were divided into five different and distinct categories such as the law books, also known as the Torah, which are the five books written by Moses (Boyle Para 2). These books include the Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy. These books are books of law and are in fact the foundation of Judaism as they give the law upon which the religion of Judaism is built. The Hebrew Scriptures also feature stories and poetry of wisdom, and these books are literature of wisdom and personal living (Boyle par. 3). These books offer advice on how to live a fulfilling and successful life and how to live with other people. They are mainly books written by King Solomon such as the Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, and Songs of Solomon. These books also include other books of wisdom written by other authors, such as Job and Psalms. Most of the Psalms are believed to have been written by kind David, Solomon’s father. The rest of the scriptures are considered to be prophetic books and are also classified into major and minor prophets. Question 5 The Holocaust Museum website has a lot of information which can be considered as a part of the rich history of Jews. One of the things that one finds there that is important is Alfred Rosenberg’s diary (“The Alfred Rosenberg Diary” par. 2). Alfred Rosenberg is considered to have been a key person in the Nazi party in Germany, which was involved in planning and the execution of the Holocaust. As a scholar and a thinker, he is said to have been the author of most Nazi creeds and ideology development. The important thing is that Alfred Rosenberg kept a diary during the time of the Nazi war. Needless to say, this diary is a very good insight into the politics of Nazi and especially the war and the Holocaust. In early 1990s, one of the heirs of Alfred Rosenberg decided to donate some of the belongings of Alfred Rosenberg, and this included most of his literature. Legal battles about the donation to the Holocaust Museum ensued, but eventually the museum was able to obtain the right to custody. However, by this time, some of the most important literature belonging to Alfred Rosenberg had already been taken away. Among it was a very important diary kept by him. Alfred Rosenberg kept this diary between the year 1936 and 1944 (“The Alfred Rosenberg Diary” par. 5). This diary is expected to provide very important information about not only the Holocaust but also about the plans against Jewish people. It will be a very good jewel in the history of the Jews, and it will be important to place the Holocaust into the context. Part II Q1 The modern world has complicated the role of religion in political, social, and economic issues (Swatos 60). The first bite of globalisation that affected the Jews as a theocracy was probably some centuries BCE, and this culminated to the burning of the temple in 70 CE. In this regard, the Jewish Bible is not to be taken literally for two major reasons. The first reason is the fact that the Bible was written with so much symbolism and rhetoric, and taking it literally would be impossible and would lead to conflicts. In this regard, it is necessary to understand that most of the issues, especially those which have a political underpinning, should be interpreted carefully, and the Jews cannot afford to follow the Bible as though they were secluded people, but they rather have to respect the other nations as well. Q2 Israel has been one of the oldest theocracies in the world. With the modern world bending towards democracy and also international relations, Israel cannot afford to claim that a certain part of the world is God-given to them. What would stand in the long term is the nation’s ability to relate with the other people in the world. In a modern world, it can be harder for a nation to claim a God-given right to establish themselves as a state. Modern politics are based on other issues and not on religious issues (Swatos 61). Governments and states based on religious issues seem to be giving way to democracies. This can be seen in the MENA regions, where religious democracies have failed (Tunisia, Libya, and Iran among many others). Q3 The Jewish people have gone through a lot of trouble and persecution. As a person, I have never dealt with such a situation either personally or through the experience of other people. It can, however, not be said that the case of Jews being reviled and persecuted is not a unique case to the people of Israel. While the Holocaust was a horrifying episode in the human history, other people around the world have also suffered damage from the acts of uncivilised people. The African continent had to suffer under inhuman colonial masters. Some of Africans were taken to American against their will, made slaves, and brutally abused for years. Q4 The story of the Red Sea parting can be seen in different ways. Some people have tried to argue that this miraculous act did not happen. Others have said that it did happen. This episode from the Bible can be seen as an event that happened due to scientific intervention. Some say that it is possible for strong winds blowing in the different directions to make the waters part for long enough (Rice par. 1). However, whether this happened or not, the underlying issue was the symbol of how powerful and faithful to his people God is. The story, just like most other similar stories in the Bible is an indication that God is an all-able God who can save his people when such need arises. Works Cited: Boyle, Robinson. “Religious Tolerance: Structure of the Hebrew Scriptures, The Biblical Canon.” ReligiousTolerance.org. Ontario Consultants on Religious Tolerance, 31 May 2008. Web. 29 June 2013. . Kalman, Matthew. "Raiders of the Lost Relics." The Chronicle Review (18 June 2012): 2-3. Print. Molloy, Michael. Experiencing the World's Religions. 5th ed. New York City, NY: McGraw-Hill Education, 2009. Print Rice, Doyle. “Study seeks to explain the parting of the Red Sea.” USA TODAY. USA TODAY, Gannett Co. Inc., 21 Sept. 2010. Web. 29 June 2013. . Swatos, William. Religion and Democracy in Latin America. New York City, NY: Transaction Publishers, 1995. Print. “The Alfred Rosenberg Diary.” United States Holocaust Memorial Meusium. United States Holocaust Memorial Meusium, n.d. Web. 29 June 2013. . “Variants Within Judaism.” Israel & Judaism Studies. NSW Jewish Board of Disputes, n.d. Web. 29 June 2013 . Read More