Introduction
Christianity, Judaism, and Islam are the main monotheistic religions of the world with millions of followers. Although tolerance has become more widespread in society, conflicts and disputes still erupt between representatives of these religions, since they consider their faith to be more right. However, one may note that Christianity, Islam, and Judaism have much more similar principles and features than they might seem at first glance. Therefore, although Islam, Christianity, and Judaism differ in their understanding of many issues and traditions, they have similar concepts, common origins, the principle of people’s love for God and each other, and purpose.
Main text
The history of world religions demonstrates that they all originated in the eastern hemisphere and have the same roots. Judaism is considered to be one of the oldest religions since its foundation dates back to the second millennium BC (Molloy, 2010). It is believed that Abraham was the first Jew who became faithful to God, The spread of Judaism began in the eastern Mediterranean, and the Western Wall in Jerusalem is considered the place where Abraham laid the first stone for the Temple (Chernofsky, 2014). Christianity also arose in the East as a branch of Judaism (Molloy, 2010). In addition, for Christians, Jerusalem is also considered a holy city, since it was there that Jesus was crucified and resurrected (Chernofsky, 2014). Consequently, Judaism and Christianity have many historically determined similarities.
Islam arose much later, only in the seventh century, from the Jewish-Christian traditions and the place of its origin is considered Mecca in Saudi Arabia. Since, at that time, Judaism, Christianity, and Zoroastrianism were the main religions, Islam was also based in part on their principles (Molloy, 2010).
Jerusalem is also a holy place for Muslims as there are the third most important mosque and the stone from which, according to legend, Muhammad ascended to heaven (Chernofsky, 2014). Thus, from a historical and geographical point of view, Christianity, Judaism, and Islam have common roots. In addition, over the centuries, these religions intersected and carried out a cultural exchange, which was reflected in their traditions and sacred laws.
The main consequence of the religions’ common origin is their similar principles, stories, and laws. The first common feature is that Christianity, Judaism, and Islam are monotheistic and Abrahamic religions, which means that they have only one God, and also recognize prophet Abram as the founder of their faith. In all three religions, Abraham was the first person to worship and fully trust their true God; however, only in the Bible and the Qur’an is there a story about Abraham’s sacrifice of his son (Peters, 2018). The story of the first people on earth, Adam and Eve also almost identical and differ only in detail (Peters, 2018). In addition, the Bible, the Koran, and the Torah contain many stories about the same prophets, for example, Moses, Noah, Isaac, Jacob, and King Solomon. Judaism and Islam also do not deny the existence of Jesus and his immaculate conception. However, while in Christianity, Jesus is the savior of the world and the son of God, Judaism and Islam speak of him as one of the prophets (Alalade, 2016). Therefore, these passages from the Holy Books show that religions have common origins.
Moreover, the fundamental concepts of life and death, the principles of worshiping God, and living are similar. For example, the Torah, the Qur’an, and the Bible say that a person’s soul after death goes to heaven or hell, depending on the actions of its earthly life (Weddle, 2017). All three religions describe the Day of Judgment, which will be the last day of humanity, and the souls of all people will be rewarded or punished. However, in this case, doomsday details also differ, such as the role of Jesus or other prophets (Harisah, 2019). In addition, the Torah, the Bible, and the Qur’an describe the Angels, who are God’s messengers and servants endowed with supernatural powers. They follow God’s instructions, deliver messages, and protect people (Alalade, 2016; Peters, 2018). Consequently, the faith of Muslims, Christians, and Jews in the will of the Lord and the laws of creation are also almost the same.
The fundamental laws and truths in Judaism, Christianity, and Islam are also very alike. Religions have the same fundamental commandments sent to them through the prophet Moses, such as the prohibition to kill, steal, lie, and the obligation to honor God through prayer. However, while Judaism and Islam set the exact number of prayers per day, namely three and five, respectively, Christianity calls for continuous prayers (Peters, 2018). However, the primary law is the love and worship of God, faith in the justice of his deeds, as well as peace and love for all people. For example, the greeting in Judaism “Shalom aleichem” and Islamic “As-salamu Alaykum” mean “Peace be upon you,” and one of the most famous Christian commandments is “Love your neighbor as yourself” (Molloy, 2010; Kelly, 2017). Also similar are the traditions in food and prohibitions; for example, representatives of all three religions support fasting to cleanse themselves from sins. However, fasting conditions and duration are different, since Christians refuse some foods, and Muslims do not eat before sunset (Molloy, 2010). Consequently, religions also have some customs and traditions justified by the Holy Books.
However, at the same time, there are fundamental differences between religions, which create disputes between their followers. Although all three religions are monotheistic, Christianity emphasizes the concept of the trinity, in which God is represented through the image of God the Father, God the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Jesus is God the Son but in the bodily incarnation, which is equal to God (Peters, 2018). However, Jews and Muslims deny this belief, since it contradicts the principle of monotheism, and consider Jesus to be a prophet along with others (Garber & Hanson, 2019; Akyol, 2017). In addition, there are differences in the Holy Books of religion, since according to beliefs, the Quran and the Torah were written word for word from the mouth of God by the prophet Muhammad and Moses, respectively (Alalade, 2016; Garber & Hanson, 2019). The Bible is a collection of stories and laws written by different prophets inspired by the Lord (Alalade, 2016). For this reason, Jews and Muslims may consider their Holy Books to be more accurate.
The famous differences are the features of religious traditions in clothing, holidays, attitudes towards women, and the family. While Christianity does not have strict clothing rules, except that it should be modest, Jews and Muslims have the obligation of wearing hats, and especially the decent appearance of women. Jewish, Muslim, and Christian religious holidays also vary in tradition and date. While Christians celebrate Christmas and Easter, Jews honor Chanukah and Passover, and Muslims have a month of Ramadan (Molloy, 2010). It should be noted that the holidays depend on which of the prophets is most revered in religion. However, many traditions and customs have changed over the centuries, and today they are respected by different denominations and countries to varying degrees. Consequently, most of the differences between Christianity, Islam, and Judaism are based on the personalities of the prophets who are fundamental to these religions, and on their underlying principles.
Conclusion
In conclusion, examples from the Holy Books of Islam, Christianity, and Judaism, as well as their history, demonstrate that these religions have many common features. The goal of each of these religions is to create a world in which people honor the Lord and abide by laws that promote the peaceful existence and prosperity of humanity. However, differences between these religions and people’s selfishness often create enmity between the followers of Islam, Christianity, and Judaism, contrary to their fundamental principles. Globalization has contributed to creating an environment in which tolerance at the interpersonal and national levels is a common tendency since it helps avoid conflict. However, there is still discrimination and condemnation toward followers of different denominations, and at the international level, religious conflicts can be the cause of war. Although the religions themselves do not conflict, and the texts of the Holy Books do not call for disrespect and hostility, people continue disputes and debates. However, the history of Islam, Christianity, and Judaism, as well as their principles and stories, demonstrate that these religions have many common features that should unite people.
References
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