...Kyle Baldani Religious Studies Islam and Christianity: A Comparison October 4, 2010 Islam is one of the largest religions in the world, with more than one and a half billion followers worldwide it is the most rapidly growing religion today. While on the surface Islam and Christianity appear to be very different, the history of the two religions and the core beliefs behind them are very similar. Most of Islam’s population comes from the Middle East, but there are still large amount of Muslims all over the world including Africa, China, and the United States (NationMaster, np). Depending on the region in which they live some customs may vary. Within the United States Islam has grown significantly in the past twenty years, largely due to the high percentage of immigrants coming over from the Middle East. Fundamentally speaking there are a few major correlations between Islam and Christianity. Two of the biggest similarities are the monotheistic bases of the religion, or belief in one God and the belief that both religions result from the direct descendent of Abraham, a quality also shared with Judaism. While there may be many similarities in the area of which the two sects were founded, they still differ in many ways most of which come from the doctrinal beliefs at the heart of each religion. The most important figure in the world of Islam, and a name that is recognized by most around the world is the prophet Muhammad. Muhammad was born in approximately 570 C.E. in the town...
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...The word martyr incites many reactions in our world today, Martyrs and Martyrdom is automatically related to violence and killing in the minds of many in the general population. The word martyr stems from a Greek word and means “witness”. It was a word that was used in legal matters but soon the meaning was extended to individuals who “by their death witnessed their belief in their respective faiths”. Being a martyr has many different meanings and does not always mean killing yourself in the name of god but rather it is a peaceful journey the individual takes by himself. Judaism, Christianity and Islam all have their own versions of martyrs and martyrdom. These three religions often share many similar characteristics and they do have similar ideas of martyrdom but they also do have stout differences. This paper will ponder what martyrdom means to each religion and the differences between martyrs among the Abrahamic religions. Out of the three Abrahamic religions, martyrs are least prominent amongst the Jews. In the Jewish religion a martyr is associated with “Kiddush Hashem”. As said by Huseyin Cicek “Everyone who lives according to Kiddush Hashem is witnessing, and is a witness of, the one and true God. Every religious Jew has to live according to Kiddush Hashem, if he or she seeks salvation, because life is a gift from God. The only way of honoring God is Kiddush Hashem”. Cicek states that every religious Jew has to live according to the Kiddush Hashem...
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...Contemporary Issues in Western Religions Religious beliefs have been the center of many conflicts across the entire world since the beginning of time. Christianity, Islam, and Judaism the major monotheist religious traditions have been at the heart of many of those religious conflicts. Historical connections and theological similarities are prevalent between the three. In parallel to the similarities exists the contemporary struggles affecting these western religious traditions. From the internal struggles within Christianity such as abortion, to its struggles with Islam and Muslim extremists, finally to the contempt against Christianity from actions of the Holocaust, each tradition faces contemporary struggles within their own right. Gaining a better understanding and insight into the historical, theological, and contemporary struggles between Christianity, Islam, and Judaism will enhance appreciation for each belief. Historical Connections and Theological Similarities: One main pillar of similar theology between Christianity, Islam, and Judaism is the belief in one god. However, each has different perspectives in relation to God. For example, Christians believe in [pic]the Trinity[pic] of [pic]God; God the Father, the Son (Jesus[pic] Christ), [pic]and the Holy Spirit[pic] ("Judaism, Islam, Christianity-Comparison", 2002-2011). Also Christians consider Jesus [pic]the son of God, born to the Virgin Mary, and[pic] had [pic]come to earth to offer redemption for...
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...considered the largest of all Christian churches (Believe, 2007). Roman Catholicism is a branch of Christianity governed by the Bishop of Rome, the Pope. Today the Roman Church with the Pope, Archbishops, Cardinals, Monsignors, Priests, Deacons, and Nuns has become a huge global operation reaching almost every country in the world. This report will include a personal viewpoint gathered from an interview with a Roman Catholic follower and a recent visit to their church. In addition to the personal viewpoint on Roman Catholicism, this report will include researched facts on Roman Catholic beliefs and practices as well as a comparison between Catholicism and Islam. Although Catholics and Muslims have distinct beliefs and worshipping practices, they share similar fundamental principles. Church Visit Presentation BVM was the place of worship visited on Saturday May 29th, 2010 for Saturday Mass. The Church is located in Cheltenham, Pennsylvania at 100 Old Soldiers Road. The mass was conducted by the Pastor of the church, Father Harrison. The church service for this day was extremely interesting and was based on the concept of the Holy Trinity and its importance to honor this belief. This topic was fascinating because of the marvel in the doctrine of the Trinity. I was grateful that I attended this particular service as it helped with my uncertainty in comprehending the concept. The church was beautiful with many statues and stained glass windows. The service included...
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...practice and religion base as you do. There are several different religion but the main three are Islam, Christianity, and Judaism. In the beginning Christianity, Judaism, and Islam was somehow connected, unfortunately due to disobedience what was first one end up becoming three, in which caused different beliefs followed by different gods. Along with these beliefs came may struggles to obtain and carry out the very thing that they were proven to be right, pure and true. The Islamic religion believes that Allah “was the creator and sustainer of life” (Molly, M., 1999, Page 425.) Christianity believes that God is the creator and sustainer of life. Judaism also believes that God is the creator and sustainer of life. All three religion believes there is a higher power. Islam describes Jesus as a prophet as described here, “He encountered angels and the great prophets of the past, including Abraham and Jesus,” (Molly, M., 1999, Page 428) Judaism also describes Jesus as a prophet as well because Jesus, in their opinion, did not save the Jews. They believed that the real Messiah was going to become their military leader on earth and create an Eden in Jerusalem. They had expected the real Messiah to expel the Romans and rule the new world. (Molly, M., 1999, Page 346) Both the Jews and Islam are able to trace their way back to Abraham. The Jews are the descendant of Isaac and Islam is the descendant of Ishmael. Ishmael’s mother was Hagar, who was Sarah’s slave, and his father was...
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...contemporary issues in Western Religions. The main objective is to elaborate on Islam, Judaism, and Christianity. The other key focus is to uncover the struggles within its historical and modern times. Islam is an interesting subject because it has plenty history surrounding Islamic cultures, and the contrast between Judaism, and Christianity. Nevertheless, revealing how time has change from than to now also captivate some attention. Exploring the foundation surrounding Islam such as Abraham, and the other forefathers is rewarding when searching the history of these three religions. Historical connections Islam and Judaism share connections starting very early in history with the patriarch Abraham. Abraham had two sons, Ishmael, and Isaac, who eventually went on to lead two different groups of people. Ishmael led the Arabs who later became known as the Muslims and Isaac led the Israelites who later became Jews. These two different groups of religions grew and traditions known today in modern religion. Each religion shares a monotheistic belief and has similar belief in prophets. The Tanakh tells the story of Exodus that God chose Moses to lead the Jews out of slavery into freedom (Molly, 2010). Muslims also believe that Moses and several other historical figures, including Isaac, and Ishmael were prophets of God. Judaism connection to Christianity is through Jesus, and the Old Testament. Christianity developed from Judaism; the Tanakh...
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...One of the largest religions in the world is Islam, with more than one and a half billion followers nationwide which is rapidly growing today. Islam and Christianity appear to be very different, but core beliefs behind them are very similar. Most of Islam’s population came from the Middle East, but there are still large amount of Muslims throughout the United States (Nation Master, 2010). Islam has grown significantly in the past twenty years within the United States. They both, belief in one God and that both religions result from the direct descendent of Abraham, a quality that is also shared with Judaism. The doctrinal beliefs of each religion are each different. Islam is the most important figure in the world, and a name that is recognized by most around the world is the prophet Muhammad. Muhammad was born in approximately 570 C.E. in the town of Mecca. At the time of his birth the area of Mecca was populated by many people who practiced polytheism, and a minority of the population was devoted to Christianity and Judaism. Instead of pursuing any of these practices, instead Muhammad would find himself meditating in a cave on the outskirts of town quite frequently, and it is there where Muslims believe their religion was founded. One night while meditating it is said that an archangel visited Muhammad and declared him as one of God’s prophets. Over his lifetime he had many more visions and through the help of his wife and cousins the words he received were written down, and...
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...tends to interact with people from different religions and races. He/she is bound to encounter conflict with colleagues, subordinates, and superiors due to different values, and perhaps, varying meaning for the same values. One of the ways to prepare oneself for possible encounters is to be aware of some of the values held by people from other religions. * Islam: The religion revealed to Prophet Mohamed (PBUH) through the Quran, Holy Book of Islam. Muslims are obliged to pray Allah (SWT) five times a day according to a very rigorous schedule, at dawn, around noon, in the afternoon, at dusk and at night. These prayers can only be merged in specific cases, such as visiting a foreign country or during a journey exceeding 80 kilometers. Talking about the workplace, an issue could arise regarding the fact that Muslims have to pray and according to what we stated above, there are two compulsory prayers during the work time – at noon and during the afternoon. Malaysia or other countries try hardly to give either some right to majority and minorities or not at all. We have been hearing, mostly in the West, that Islam creates problems in the workplace since they want to pray but we truly believe that it goes back to the company policy to allow or not their employees to perform any act of faith at the...
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...“We can never obtain peace in the outer world until we make peace within ourselves.” The sole focus of an individual is dynamic fulfillment that derives from ones inner sphere signifying outer peace. Peace within one’s self is gained through sacred meaning, and the diminishing of inner turmoil that restricts inner peace in which individuals require in order to achieve external peace within the world .Internal strife and peace will lead the restoration of peace in the outer world. In both Christianity and Islam, sacred texts are vital sources of information on all aspects of peace. They demonstrate principal teachings about peace, and teachings on inner peace as well as supporting the ultimate aim of world peace. Although man is unable to avoid conflict, they can teach themselves to respond in ways that avoid negative outcomes. The scriptural text, the New Testament is used as a sacred text among Christians as it is the key principal and foundational element of teaching. Peace is an underlying value that has been conveyed through the form of a message conveyed to Christian believers. Peace is at the heart of Jesus’ life and ministry. The New Testament expresses peace as virtue as it a key element of the reign of God. Jesus himself is known as the “prince of peace”. Peace being a common notion throughout Christian scriptural literature emphasize’ the importance of peace, combating conflict in which derives away from peace. The New Testament encounters inner peace as it an imperative...
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...Running head: THE RELIGION OF ISLAM The Religion of Islam the Contrasts and Parallels of Christianity Richard Bucher September 9, 2012 THE RELIGION OF ISLAM The Religion of Islam the Contrasts and Parallels of Christianity Numerous individuals define religion as a belief or faith. By practicing a specific religion one agrees to exist in life by a certain creed. Thus, religion is employed as a guide for practitioners’ lives. This is one component that is similar amongst all religions. Furthermore, there is an abundance of religions located everywhere in the world. One of the most commonly practiced religions is Christianity. In the United States alone, 79.5 percent of its citizens claim to be Christian (Fairchild, Christianity). I am apart of this statistic. A person who deems themselves Christian is one who concurs with the teachings of Jesus Christ, and accepts him as man’s savior. Moreover, there is another religion that has a much smaller percentage, but it is growing exponentially, and it is known as Islam. Individuals whom are practitioners of Islam are called Muslims. Islam is a monotheistic belief where they believe that Allah (God) is the creator of all things. Ultimately, before properly educating myself on the religion of Islam, by going to the mosque, through extensive research, and by interviewing an individual from the Muslim community, I had my own notions about this religion. Consequently...
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...1 Christianity, Judaism, Islam, Hinduism, and Buddhism are five of the major religions in the world. As there are several types of religions that exist in the world today, these are the five religions that have a huge impact to the understanding about life on earth and after death. Christianity, Judaism, and Islam fall under the Abrahamic religion, the religion that firmly believes that human spiritual growth was born through Abraham and his descendents. Hinduism and Buddhism descend under the Dharmic religion, a religion that believes in an ultimate spiritual reality beyond the physical world. After compiling the matrix of information on all of the different religions, each differs in certain beliefs but is similar in several ways. One of the most major factors that unites or connects each of these religions is that all believe and worship in one higher Supreme Being or authority. Christianity, Judaism, Islam, Hinduism, and Buddhism whether monotheist or polytheist each pledges to the conviction of a superior domination. Each believes that there is a mystical world, beyond the human world, that is our eternal home after life on Earth determined by our actions in the current life. Also there is a common core of practices that all of these religions do to open themselves to spiritual dimensions through prayer, meditation, fasting, etc. Moreover, each religion delivers the same message. All stress and argue the importance of contribution and service to others. Christianity, Judaism...
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...East/West Religious Paper Misanna Gordon HUM 130 July 15, 2012 Vickie Burns- Sikora Religion has in the past and will continue to be in the future one of the main forces that has constantly shaped and drives the world. Throughout many centuries, wars were fought, laws were made, towns and countries were built and broken down all in the effort to make known or protect many of the different religions that exists in the world today. In this paper I will be comparing and contrasting the different western religions which are Hinduism and Buddhism and the eastern religions which are Judaism, Christianity and Islam. The country of origin for Hinduism is India and Southeast Asia. Hinduism was originated from the word “India” which has the very similar spiritual and cultural practices; this was developed in India more than one thousand years ago. There are several societal and cultural influences that made the religion of Hinduism vital to the region in which it originated. The Hindus of India tends to follow several traditions and social standards. When it comes to culture, the Hindus have several myths indicating that there are multiple faces of the divine, and also myths indicating that the divine interacts in many forms with the believers Hinduism is a religious belief system that lacks unity; it is also referred to as the Santana Dharma. The Santana Dharma means the “eternal religion” (Fisher, 2005). The Hindu religion is made up of several religions that were...
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...Table of contents Introduction…………………………………………………..3 African Traditional Religion……………………………….5 Christianity, Islam…………………………………………..6 Influences of Religion on African Culture……………….6 Conclusion……………………………………………………13 References…………………………………………………...14 Introduction Africa is a continent of diversity. In this diversity there are hundreds of tribes and communities each practicing its own culture and religion. It would be very difficult to define Africa’s traditional religion as it would be difficult to define its culture. More so, it is extremely difficult to establish the dividing line between African Culture and African Religion. However, as much as there were many African Traditional Religions, their similarities were more dominant than their differences. We take up these similarities and encompass them as one African Traditional Religion. In this report, we explore the important aspects of Africa’s Traditional Religions and cultures that cut across the entire continent. This essay is based on various researches done by prominent scholars, historical background of Africa, news and books relevant to African studies. This report attempts to define religion, culture, and explores the major religions, African Traditional Religion (ATR), Christianity and Islam and their influence and impact on African culture. Africa is one of the World’s six continents. It is the second largest and second most populous...
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...[pic]East West University ENG102 Term Paper: Concept of God Course Title : Composition & Communication Skills Section : 04 Submitted to : Farhana Farid Senior Lecturer Department of English Submitted by : Mahmudul Haque ID: 2008-2-10-049 Concept of God Whenever we get into any trouble, especially when we face it alone, and feel helpless, we remember and want help from someone, someone very powerful. Again, when we commit any crime, we feel guilty from our conscious mind but we also get a little frightened that someone is watching and that we will have to pay the cost of our actions to that someone. This super power being is God who is called by different names in different tribes but the concept is somewhat similar. For example, one thing common in all the Major Religions of the world is that the God they worship, they believe He is the same God for them as well as for the others. Initially, we will discuss the concept of God in major religions. First we will try to see the concept from the angle of the general followers of those religions. Then we will try to get a general concept according to the authentic sources of those religions. Concept of God in Hinduism: Hinduism is not actually the name of the religion. It is a geographical name but the British put this name forward for the religion to make a division. The actual name for the religion is ‘Veda’ or ‘Brahmanism’. It is a Non-Semitic, Aryan, Vedic religion...
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...Buddhism, Jainism, Sikhism and Hinduism, and the country has remained religious even during and following modernization. The religions practiced may have shifted a bit, nevertheless, the country remains deeply religious. Among all aspects of Indian life, religion also plays an important role in the politics of India. A political party’s support greatly depends upon the religion the group acknowledges. The two main religions practiced in India are Hinduism and Islam and each religion has parties from whom support is given. Often political support rallies can become so animated that the participants have the need to take action against other religious and political groups. The purpose of this paper is to highlight religion and the caste system of India and explain its impact on Indian political structure and lifestyles. Of the two religions, Hinduism is overwhelmingly more popular. Eighty-two percent of the Indian population practices it. (asianinfo.org) The Hindu lifestyle and belief system focus mainly on the concept of karma and reincarnation. Samsara is a continued cycle of ongoing rebirths. One’s ultimate goal throughout each life is to attain the state of Moksha, which is achieved when one realizes the true nature of surrounding life. This belief of one’s life station...
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