Religious Traditions Religion Is a Basic Set

Religious Traditions Religion is a basic set of beliefs that concerns the nature, origin and function of the universe as well as commitment and ritual celebrations. Religion also governs the moral behavior of humans. Since the world began, man has had faith and worshiped a supreme being by carrying out certain rituals to appease it. Religion can be classified into three different categories: monotheism, polytheism and pantheism. (All About Religion, 2012). Elements of Religious traditions Monotheism can be described as the belief in one God/supreme deity.

Some well-known examples of these are Christianity, Islam, Judaism which all draw their origins from a man known as Abraham in 2000 B.C. Judaism believes there is one God who is not made up of parts. Judaism clearly lays emphasis on the use of the "Torah" as a basis for serving God. The torahs origin can be traced back to the Talmud and Midraship which have a relationship to the Old Testament books. Christianity portrays God as a trinity - God the father, God the son, God the Holy Spirit.

In Christianity, Jesus Christ is God incarnate. Christianity bases its teachings and beliefs on the bible. Abraham is mentioned as the first prophet but Moses sets the standard for all future prophets having directly spoken to God. The Ten Commandments handed down to Moses forms the foundation for human behavior. Islam's cornerstone is built on an invisible God who is to be fervently feared for his omnipotence. The main pillar is the Quran which is regarded as the book of God.

Quran gives an account of the signs that will appear before the coming of Jesus Christ through Prophet Mohammed. In Islam, a muslim is taught to walk an upright and direct path. Polytheism is the belief in two or more deities. This was the religion of many ancient cultures in Egypt, Greece and Rome. Examples of Polytheistic systems are like Hinduism, and the belief systems of the ancient Greeks.

Pantheism is described as the belief of a universal God in all things .This was characterized in many of the animistic beliefs of the ancient African, and American Indian cultures; examples of this belief system are Buddhism, Confucianism and Taoism. Christians pray and worship together in churches which feature a variety of art decorations; most importantly the cross and the pulpit. The Muslims on the other hand meet in mosques and shrines; the most sacred place being Mecca and in Judaism they met in temples.

The Islamic calendar marks a number of significant festivities; the crescent moon is a major symbol in Islam. Their marriages deaths and births are accompanied by various rites. Moreover, Muslims devote their daily lives in the five pillars of true worship. One underlying factor here though is that they both have sanctuaries of worship. The Jewish calendar on the other hand has a variety of festivals; the seventh day is consecrated as a personification of sacred moment.

Judaism is divided into two forms of time namely Kodesh (holy) and mundane (chol).Judaists seek to devote their lives daily by constant benedictions and prayers. Worship in Judaism is done three times daily throughout the year; emphasis being to serve God according to the commands known as mitvot. They at all costs avoid symbolism in worship especially those of human figures. Christians devote their daily lives to pray and read scripture; the sacred ritual: sacrament varies across the different Christian denominations. However, baptism and the Eucharist are practiced.

(Krell A. Marc & Nadler Allan, 2011) When it comes to leadership ethics and morality, Christians, Muslims and Judaists hold different views. Leadership in Islam is filled by a religious class known as Ulama. They believe that they are part of a universal community and are obligated to realizing a just society. Unlike in the past when the priests assisted by Levites carried out rituals, the cantors now lead by verbal prayers as rabbis have taken over prophecy. The Jewish community composes of both spiritual and secular groups.

The rabbinical law guides its moral and ethical views. Christianity borrowed the hierarchical form of leadership from the Roman Empire. They hold on to the moral principle of love demonstrated by Christ.