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JUDAISM Three Faiths With One God (2601 hits)

Three Faiths With One God

JUDAISM

Judaism, the oldest of the monotheistic religions, is 3500 years old. Jews believe that God made a promise (called the first covenant) to Abraham that he would be the father of a great people if he followed God’s instructions. Jews believe that God renewed the covenant (the second covenant) with Moses, who led the Jews out of slavery in Egypt. God also revealed the Ten Commandments to the Jews as a set of rules to follow.

CHRISTIANITY

Christianity is nearly 2,000 years old, beginning around 30 CE with the death of Jesus Christ. There is a strong Christian tradition in many parts of the Arab World. Some Arab Christians are the descendants of the very first Christians, and the world’s oldest churches are found in the Arab World. Some church services in the Arab World are still delivered in Aramaic, the language spoken by Christ.

ISLAM

Islam is almost 1,300 years old and recognizes Moses, Jesus, and many others as prophets. The Prophet Muhammad (570-632 CE) was born in Mecca, in present-day Saudi Arabia, and is considered the last of the prophets. Muslims believe that Islam began in 610 CE when Muhammad started receiving revelations from God, or Allah in Arabic. These revelations are recorded in the Qur’an, the holy book of Islam.

I start this conversation noting the similarities in all three of the major religions as we explore what Monotheism means.

Monotheism literally means "the belief in only one God". The central values of family, charity, and respect for others are shared by these three religions. Throughout history, these religions have spread from their birthplace, crossing the boundaries of race and ethnicity, with followers in nearly every country in the world.

Let us take the oldest first.

Judaism, the oldest of the monotheistic religions, is 3500 years old. Jews believe that God made a promise (called the first covenant) to Abraham that he would be the father of a great people if he followed God’s instructions. Jews believe that God renewed the covenant (the second covenant) with Moses, who led the Jews out of slavery in Egypt. God also revealed the Ten Commandments to the Jews as a set of rules to follow.

The Jewish holy book is the Torah, which provides the first five books for the Bible. Jews also study the Talmud, the most significant collection of Jewish interpretations of the Torah. In the Arab World, there have been large populations of Arab Jews in Iraq, Yemen, Syria, Egypt, and Morocco. After the creation of Israel in 1948, many Arab Jews settled there, along with other Jews from around the world. Today, the majority of Jews worldwide live in Israel and the United States.

Posted By: Deacon Ron Gray
Thursday, November 19th 2015 at 12:13PM
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Although we often highlight their differences, there are many commonalities between Judaism, Christianity, and Islam.

•All are Abrahamic religions with the belief that Abraham was the father of monotheism.

•All recognize a holy book considered to be the word of God; the Torah, the Bible, and the Qur'an.

•All have a creation story in which God created teh universe out of nothing.

•All believe that God sent prophets to spread his word.

•All consider Jerusalmem a holy city. The Wailing Wall is the holiest site in Judaism, and the Temple Mount is the site of the first and second temple in ancient times.The Church of the holy Sepulchre is believed to be the site the Jesus was crucified. The Dome of the Rock is where the Prophet Muhammad ascended to heaven, and the Al-Aqsa Mosque is the third holiest site in Islam.

•All believe that individuals will be held accountable for their actions.

•All believe in charity, with the requirement of giving to those in need.

•All have different branches, sects and schools.

Thursday, November 19th 2015 at 1:00PM
Deacon Ron Gray

The emergence of Judaism among people of African descent in the first half of this century was made possible by a combination of the following factors: (1) A strong religious tradition in the background of the person who became Jewish that embodied Jewish practices from an early but unclear source. When interviewed, many of the older members of this community recall memories of their parents observing certain dietary laws, such as abstaining from pork or salting their meat. Others recall traditions related to observing the Sabbath or festivals such as Passover and Sukkot. In most cases these practices were fragmentary and observed by people who simultaneously practiced Christianity.

Friday, November 20th 2015 at 11:04AM
Deacon Ron Gray