The purpose of this essay is to compare the two religions, their main characteristics, beliefs, and conceptual and ethical attitudes. Judaism and Taoism are chosen as examples for comparison. Judaism is one of the oldest Western monotheistic religions, distinguished by belief in the one true God. Judaism is based on the tradition of the creation of the world by God, who is above the world and controls it. God in the view of Judaism is not only loving but also angry, capable of punishing and erasing entire civilizations from the face of the Earth. An Eastern doctrine of Taoism was formed in the 2nd century AD, originating from a variety of shamanistic and philosophical teachings and cults. The treatise written by Lao Tzu is the basis of the teaching of the great Tao, and Lao himself is subsequently deified to a cult figure.
One of the fundamental similarities between Taoism and Orthodox Judaism lies in the historical practice of confessing these faiths. Judaism is the religion of a people doomed to wander, and the Torah is the story of how this people finds its identity and vocation. It is no coincidence that the concept of exodus is so important in the text of the Torah. Similarly, Taoism is a religion of solitary practitioners or the masses, which almost never had an official status. The historical destinies of these two religions are also similar, since both of them were waiting for a split. Taoism was divided into two different schools, competing with each other. Likewise, professing Judaists were divided into conservatives, who accept only the law of Moses, and reformists, with freer interpretations of Scripture.
The religion of Judaism perceives the knowledge of God as a devoted faith and the pursuit of virtue, expressed and enshrined in the text of the Old Testament. This text is perceived as the unquestioning Word of God and tells about the origin of the Jewish race – the generation of Abraham and his descendants, chosen by God (Judaism, n.d.). Their mission is expressed in this text and symbolizes the agreement concluded between the people of Israel and the one God himself. In this presence of a vocation, a mission, there is a resemblance to the principles of Tao, which, however, is more vague and abstract than a monotheistic God who speaks directly to the chosen.
The religion of Taoism represents a complex pantheon of gods and demons, which differs from the monotheism of Judaism. In Taoism there is a division into the ruler of the sky and the creator of the world, while in Judaism the father of the universe is the observer of it. At the center of Taoism is the doctrine of the great Tao – an abstract philosophical concept that implies the law of perpetual existential movement (Taoism, n.d.). This is also one of the differences with Judaism – in the view of the Jews, God is able to destroy the world, while in Eastern philosophy things are in a closed cycle of creation and destruction.
Thus, the similarities and differences between the two religious systems are established. Judaism and Taoism are similar in their concept of vocation and path, despite the fact that in Eastern philosophy the path is understood more philosophically and introspectively. Both of these religious schools have split over time and offer different interpretations of their key texts. The main difference lies in the concept of divine order – the monotheistic God of Judaism is justly punishing, while in Taoism the order of things is subject to a sacred balance.
Reference
Sophia. (n.d.) Unit 1 – Challenge 3: Overview of the Religions. Web.