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Worshippers may reach out and touch the Torah with prayer books (hands are not supposed to be used), then kiss the object that touched the Torah, a gesture of affection, respect, and loyalty to God. This ritual is (arguably) symbolically equivalent to Catholic Communion, where believers symbolically ingest the blood and the body of Christ (a sip of wine and a Communion wafer) thereby taking the Lord into themselves. Both practices reaffirm personal relationships to God. Such contemporary (and past) ceremonies and liturgical practices may or may not actually aid worshippers in understanding God (or on the other hand, provide roadblocks for interpretation of the sacred). However, both are powerful signs of a personal relationship between congregants and God.
Many sections of the Old Testament reaffirm monotheism. In Exodus 31-33, Moses leaves Mount Sinai with tablets containing the Ten Commandments, to find that in his absence, Aaron has allowed creation of a molten (golden) calf, a pagan idol. In response, Moses smites those who do not worship only God (only the sons of Levi are left), then returns to Mount Sinai to ask God's forgiveness of his people's sins. On Mount Sinai, God forgives all but those who have gone against Him (Exodus...
Here, the individual worshipper (Moses) asks for personal forgiveness from God, and a chance to atone personally, and on behalf of his people, for past sins, just as Jews still do today once a year on the Day of Atonement (Yom Kippur).
The Christian New Testament describes the sacred, but not only as belief in one God. Instead, the New Testament describes a belief in the teachings, and the resurrection, of Jesus Christ as the son of God. Christians believe Jesus was the flesh and blood son of God, who came to earth to save humanity. Jews (like Muslims) see Jesus as a prophet but not the son of God. In the Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5-7) Jesus says, "Blessed are the poor in spirit: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven" (Matthew 5, p. 1209). The entire text of Jesus' Sermon on the Mount, which speaks of brotherhood; community; respect; humility, and forgiveness, in many ways echoes the Ten Commandments and other Old Testament teachings. However, it also contains several key differences.
For example, Jesus states (as a challenge to the Pharisees, a Jewish sect that held to strict interpretation of Mosaic laws): "That except your righteousness shall exceed the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees, ye shall in no
According to Bass, "Hinduism is the only major religion lacking an adequate explanation as to its origin," as no definitive Hindu text exist that that date before 1000 B.C. Indeed, because Hinduism is one of the religions that views time as cyclical rather than linear, what information is available about Hinduism does not give a very accurate picture of its history (Bass 5). What can be gleaned from this
Foundational Orthodoxy The author of this report has been asked to assess at least three teachers of foundational orthodoxy and compare and contrast what they had to say and do when it came to their job and what they had to say. Indeed, even looking only within the Christian faith and its history, one can find some strong variations After all, there are three or four people that are clearly different
Religion and Society Religion is defined as an organized collection of belief systems, views about the universe, or cultural systems that humans use to relate spiritual and moral values to their lives. Many religions have symbols, traditions, and histories that explain the origin of life, the way the universe works, and the moral, ethical and legal ways to organize human life (De Vries, ed., 2008). While the exact origin of religion
World Religions Compare and contrast 2 different religions World's Religions: Judaism and Buddhism For over centuries, the term religion has been used interchangeably in close relations with faith, set of duties, system or set of beliefs. In 2012, a global poll reported that approximately 62% of the world's population relies on religious beliefs while 38% are not religious (does not belong to any religion), including 10% who are atheists. Religion is a collection
The main holy book of Islam is the Quran, which is the word of God as communicated directly to Mohammed. It is the core book of the religion, and concerns both spiritual issues, and more practical, moral ones. Islamic law comes from interpretation of the Quran, and of Mohammed's life, rather than from the book itself. From Mohammed, Islam spread rapidly throughout the world. The religion's main split occurred as a
Islam Select a Religion Religion is considered to be belief and acts of worship, which concentrates on worshiping a deity and gives a detailed and comprehensive outline for the way of living. It teaches the difference between good and evil, right and wrong and morality and immorality. This paper has selected Islam as the religion to be discussed. Analysis of Christianity Analysis of Christianity Analysis of Islam Religion plays an essential role in providing spiritual,