History of Religion - Essay Sample

Introduction

Religion refers to an established system of belief in something and the worship of a superior being with superhuman powers. The issue of religion is complex as establishing the true religion is hard. The topic of religion unless approached professionally may result in conflicts between groups as they argue about which religion is superior or right over the other. However, it is important to agree that there exist different religion and they all differ in one way or the other in their structure, practices among other factors. As such, most research has been done to establish the history of religion. Understanding the history of religion helps in appreciating the different religions that exist. This paper will, therefore, compare some aspects of two Jerusalem religions. The religions selected for the study are Islam and Christianity. Two similarities and one difference between the two religions are provided.

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The first followers of a religion are the true representatives of the ideal way to follow that religion. However, different religions have similar aspects as well as differences. One of the similarities between Judaism and Islam is that they both have faith and worship one God. The Muslims, however, refer to God as "Allah." According to Armstrong (2011), the source of the name Allah is found all over the Torah. As religion has a standard way in which they behave and follow, the practices are based on what they all believe in as a group, and therefore each religion has got faith. Faith is considered as believing even in what cannot be seen. On the other hand, faith can also be defined or viewed from the perspective of the moral values that the followers uphold and what they deem right. As such, the practices of religion are guided in what they all believe.

The other similarity between Judaism and Islam is that they both have places of worship. The places of worship are a set place where the followers of a religion meet to worship and develop their faith. Again, it is in these places that people and potential followers are taught about religion and what is expected of them. Followers meet to discuss and learn about their religion and as well teach their children about the religion so that they follow it as well. As such, we can reinforce the claim that the first followers of a religion are the true reflection of the ideal ways the potential followers, as well as the existing followers, should follow. The places of worship are sacred and are taken as holy places where the followers meet to worship God. However, different worship places are set, and they all share common practices regardless of their location. It is the faith and practices that guide the different places of worship. Due to demographic characteristics, these places of worship are set in different regions and continents. One observation is that the different religions are dominant in one region than in other regions.On the other hand, Islam and Judaism have their differences too. They differ in their beliefs and their practices despite having similarities. Both Islam and Judaism have prophets. According to Volinz (2018), the Quran asserts that the prophets are sent to every community and that these prophets share the same crucial message. Some of the names are mentioned in the Quran, and many are figures which are also in the Hebrew Scriptures. While Islam views prophets as human beings, they do not believe in modern prophets. God communicated to human beings through the selected prophets to convey the purpose of their existence. The Quran has mentioned only 25prophets, but Muslims believe that there are almost 24000 prophets. Muslims are mandated to believe in the prophets and honor them. On the other hand, Judaism defines the role of a prophet as a speaker and role models of holiness and represents closeness to God. According to Snell and Paul (2000), the Talmud indicates that there existed hundreds of thousands of prophets many of whom conveyed messages which were solely intended for their generation. However, they are not included in the scripture as the scripture only identifies 55 of Israel's prophets. In Judaism, a prophet is not necessarily a man or a Jew, but there were gentile prophets too.

Conclusion

The topic of religion is not an innovation and has for long been studied. In spite of the differences between Judaism and Islam, one outstanding factor is that they all worship the same God who is referred to as being complex. There is a superhuman they adore and have faith in him. The different religions have what they hold onto and have moral laws that guide them in their faith. Religion could unite and as well divide as people of one religious belief in the truth of their religion and the falsity of other religion.

References

Armstrong, Karen. Jerusalem: One city, three faiths. Ballantine Books, 2011.

Seppala, Serafim. "The Early History of Religion (dis)proving Its Truth." Approaching Religion 8, no. 2 (December 1, 2018). doi:10.30664/ar.69756.

Snell, K. D. M., and Paul S. Ell. "Rival Jerusalems" (2000). doi:10.1017/cbo9780511496066.

Volinz, Lior. "From Above and Below: Surveillance, Religion, and Claim-Making at Jerusalem's Temple Mount/Haram Al-Sharif." Surveillance & Society 16, no. 4 (December 15, 2018): 446-458. doi:10.24908/ss.v16i4.6850.