Judeo-Christian Religions The Main Differences between Judaism, Christianity, and Islam
Judaism The oldest of the Judeo-Christian religions First monotheistic religion Started in Israel, Lebanon, and Jordan The Exodus Migrated to Egypt from Israel to escape famine Became enslaved Moses led them out of Egypt and back to the “promised land” (Israel) During their period of wandering through the desert they received the Ten Commandments
Key Features of Judaism Monotheism Believe in one god. Holy Books The Torah - the Old Testament in the Bible. The Talmud – a collection of legal, ritual, and ethical writings, as well as Jewish history and folk stories The Ten Commandments The ten laws given to Moses by God. They forbade believing in false gods, stealing, murder, adultery, and other forms of immoral behavior. Holy Places, People, and Items Church is called a Synagogue Their pastor is called a Rabbi Holiest city is Jerusalem because it is where the temple of Solomon was built and is where the wailing wall is today.
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Christianity Based on the teachings of Jesus Preached forgiveness, mercy, and sympathy for the poor and helpless Crucified by the Romans for claiming he was the Messiah (savior) After his death Christianity was spread by his Apostles (followers) They believe he was raised from the dead and ascended into heaven Became the major religion of the Roman Empire Roman Empire split into the western countries and the Byzantine Empire Led to the split between Roman Catholic and Eastern Orthodox Later a split in the Roman Catholic church led to Protestant religions
The Divisions in Christianity Eastern Orthodox Found mainly in Greece and Russia and some areas of the Middle East Roman Catholic The Pope is the head of the Catholic Church and its headquarters are the Vatican City located in Rome, Italy Protestant Reject the Pope’s authority and believe that people should interpret the Bible for themselves. Many different groups: Assembly of God Adventists Amish Baptist Church of Christ Episcopalian Lutheran Methodist Presbyterian Pentecostal Non-Denominational
Major Beliefs of Christianity Role of Jesus He was the son of God He sacrificed himself to save humankind from punishment for their sins. After his death was resurrected and rose to Heaven Christian Conduct They will be saved and will go to Heaven after death if they have faith in Christ as their savior and treat others with love and respect. Golden Rule: “Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.” The Christian Bible The sacred book of Christianity Old Testament (The Torah – Jewish Bible) New Testament (describes the life and teachings of Jesus Christ and his apostles)
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Islam Islam means submission to the will of God in Arabic Followers are called Muslims, one who submits to God Founded by Mohammed around 600 AD Had a vision that commanded him to convert Arab tribes to the belief in a single God, Allah (the same god worshipped by Jews and Christians) Merchants in Mecca grew jealous of Mohammed’s growing influence Fled to Medina in 622 AD, where he became a religious leader His followers believed that he was God’s last and greatest prophet. His teachings are contained in the Qur'an (Koran) Many Muslims live in Arabic-speaking countries. Pakistan, Bangladesh, and Indonesia are also Muslim nations.
Sunni vs Shiite Sunni Shiite (Shia) 85% of the Muslim population Believe that the first followers (Caliphs) were the successors to Mohammed Sunnis approach God directly, there are no church leaders Shiite (Shia) 15% of the Muslim population Believe that only Mohammed’s descendents could be successors (Imams) Imams hold an exalted position. The Ayatollah is the most important Imam.
Sharia Law The moral and religious law of Islam Most well known law is the “Haram” law Deals with sexual misconduct Any kind of sexual activity outside of marriage. Punishment for violating the Haram law is either stoning to death or a severe flogging. Secular Laws vs. Religious Law If the Haram law is violated by a Muslim in the United States, should the Muslim community be allowed to stone that person to death or should they have to be required to follow the US Constitution?
The Five Pillars of Islam Confession of Faith Prayer Charity Fasting Pilgrimage Muslims must affirm: “There is no God but Allah and Mohamme d is his prophet. Muslims must pray five times a day, while facing east towards the city of Mecca. Muslims must give money to the poor and pay taxes to the mosque. During the month of Ramadan, Muslims cannot eat or drink during daylight hours. If physically able, a Muslim must make a pilgrimage (religious trip) to Mecca.
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Islam Images
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Islam Images
Islam Images
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Islam Images