Introduction
The world’s three major religions, Judaism, Christianity, and Islam, grew from the same historical rootstock. Each monotheistic faith worships one god and embraces various sacred writings. Judaism was founded in the 6th century BCE by Abraham, Christianity originated in the 1st century AD after the death of Christ, and Islam was established in 610 CE when Muhammad began preaching. The founders’ motives differed, but all three claimed that their teachings came from the same source and were intended to unite humanity under the umbrella of one religion. This paper will focus on the historical heritage of Judaism, Christianity, and Islam.
Judaism, Christianity, and Islam
Judaism, Christianity, and Islam all have sacred texts; the Bible is the holy book for Christians. Judaism has a sacred book known as the Torah, and Muslims have their holy book, the Qur’an (Reynolds & Gabriel Said). These books give advice and guidance on how people should live, including how people should treat others. The three religions have developed independently over time as they spread across the globe.
Islam, Christianity, and Judaism all believe in the oneness of God and the revelation of God’s will to those who seek it. However, these religions are different in other aspects as well. For instance, monotheism is a large part of Judaism and Christianity which does not apply to Islam. In addition, Muhammad was believed to have received his revelations from God through the angel Gabriel rather than Jesus Christ. The latter has received his revelations from God through the Holy Spirit (Martikainen & Tuomas). In addition, many rituals are similar and different from Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. For example, Muslims pray five times a day, while Judaism only has three prayer times a day. Judaism has no dowry system like Muslims do but does have an inheritance system. However, Christians do not have either but can pray any time.
Religions such as Christianity and Islam share many of the same moral concepts. Still, they also differ significantly in their general philosophy, so it is essential to know the differences between the three. For example, Judaism emphasizes that God created the world and is its supreme master. On the other hand, Christians believe that God sent Jesus Christ to die for the sins of human beings; Muslims think all true believers of God will go to Heaven. Christians believe that one day soon, all humankind will follow Jesus’ example through martyrdom or personal sacrifice (Tarabeih et al.). However, Jews do not think that one must die on behalf of humanity to achieve divine favor or salvation; instead, they believe they can be saved solely through faith in God’s power.
Judaism was founded by a Jewish political rebel who thought his followers should escape from oppression. He preached a message of social justice, righteousness, and charity and established laws governing conduct within the community and relations with other groups. Abraham, the spiritual father of Judaism, was just one of many prophets sent by God to warn humanity of its evil ways (Goodman & Martin). Judaism teaches personal responsibility for one’s actions, a belief in one God who created the universe and continues to be involved in his commandments.
Christianity is represented as a monotheistic religion centered on the teachings of Jesus of Nazareth. Christian teachings include the notions of atonement and salvation through faith in God and asceticism and martyrdom. Christians also believe that Jesus is God incarnate and “the Son of God.” It is a religion with many believers, with approximately 2.3 billion adherents worldwide (Reynolds & Gabriel Said). The first followers of Jesus were Jews. All the writers, who recorded the life and teachings of Jesus, were also Jews. These writers accepted Jesus as the Messiah, or Savior-King, prophesied by their prophets hundreds of years before. Their motive was not to change Judaism but to fulfill it.
Christianity, Judaism, and Islam all share a lot of similarities. All three religions’ adherents believe in a single deity. The prophet Abraham is the originator of all three religions. All of the sacred writings mention historical individuals, including Adam, Noah, Moses, and Mary, Jesus’ mother (Tarabeih et al.) Muslims hold that all three faiths share a common deity. The second, the Qur’an, is unique among religions in that it contains the ultimate words of God to mankind. The Bible’s messages show how God wants his followers to worship and act according to these people. It is distinct from the Christian Bible since the Torah corresponds to the Old Testament. The gospels, which chronicle the story of Jesus Christ’s life and teachings, are included in the New Testament of Christianity. The Qur’an claims that God “previously revealed the Torah and the Gospel as a source of wisdom for the people” despite Muslims’ belief that these sacred writings, like the Qur’an, come from God.
The concept of God is the most significant difference between Far Eastern Religions and Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. For example, Buddhism is different from corresponding religions in that it does not believe in a god or gods. In contrast, Muslims believe that God is one (Goodman & Martin). They also believe that the Quran is their holy word which Muhammad writes down after his revelations from God. Christians hold the Bible as God’s word – based on revelations from Jesus Christ about himself and how humans should live. Shintoism has no sacred texts like the other three religions have but does have an organized structure around a pantheon of gods. The practice and beliefs of Far Eastern Religions differ from Judaism, Christianity, and Islam because Far Eastern religions focus on meditation, reflection, and self-knowledge to help people develop a connection with their spirituality.
I believe that religions will continue to evolve, and people will find their faith in any religion that is most applicable to their life. My takeaway from studying world religions is that people can access many ideas, beliefs, and practices from every religion, but ultimately, it is a personal journey (Goodman & Martin). Judaism relates to my own spiritual, moral, and philosophical outlook in life because it teaches me how to be a good person and to believe in God. One of the ten commandments taught in Judaism says that one should not steal and not kill. People are becoming increasingly aware that multiple world views and affiliations are available because of the internet and other technological advances. It means that people will be freer to select their religious lifestyle based on their spiritual beliefs.
Conclusion
In conclusion, Judaism, Christianity, and Islam are based on monotheistic faith that worships one god and embraces a variety of sacred writings. These three religions have holy texts. Where Christians take the Bible as their holy book, Judaism has a sacred book called the Torah, and Muslims believe their holy book is the Qur’an. The significant similarity between the three religions is that they both believe in a single deity. The difference between Far Eastern Religious and Judaism, Christianity, and Islam is based on the concept of God. Religions will continue to evolve, and people will find their faith in the belief that favors their lives.
Works Cited
Tarabeih, Mahdi, et al. “Christianity, Islam, Judaism, and unwillingness to donate organs post-mortem.” Death studies (2020): 1-8.
Reynolds, Gabriel Said. “The Qur’an and the Bible.” The Qur’an and the Bible. Yale University Press, 2018.
Martikainen, Tuomas. “The founding of the Islamic council of Finland.” Muslims at the Margins of Europe. Brill, 2019. 27-44.
Goodman, Martin. “A history of Judaism.” A History of Judaism. Princeton University Press, 2018.