Even before the advent of organized religions, our then-savage male and female ancestors had been trying to find meaning in their lives. These people hunted and killed animals, protected their tribal members, fought or otherwise made allegiance with other tribes, made rough tools to aid their daily needs, and procreated. But as the sun rose or hid below the horizon, they felt something was missing. They pondered and pondered but couldn’t yet fully grasp what they were looking for.
Seasons changed, and our ancestors painted the cycle in the caves where they lived. Rudimentary yet artistic imageries of a hunt, of beasts great and small or of people covered the walls. A judgmental archaeologist may find such paintings mediocre -the work of mere savages whose imaginations couldn’t leap far ahead of the norm back then- but look closer; however, an archaeologist will find that our ancestors even then had always believed in Gods.
Beings taller than ordinary humans or beings whose heads were covered with halos covered the walls beside imageries of seemingly mundane events. Evidently part of our emotional intellectual spiritual development is inherent need to find meaning order both we find in our Gods whose exemplary conduct inspires us to do same.
Our ancestors weren’t too savage after all.
In the pages of the Kojiki, an early semi-mythical chronicle from Japan, one can find evidence of our development: “The Three Deities performed the commencement of creation; the Passive and Active Essences then developed, and the Two Spirits became the ancestors of all things” (qtd. in Microsoft Encarta [DVD], 2005). This passage may seem cryptic—considering our forebears’ tendency to make riddles with which to make us think—but it is also reflective of how different religions around the world were formed. The passive essence refers to our belief in Gods, whom we praise and ask for salvation, mercy, and other forms of help. The active essence involves emulating moral values and character strengths exhibited by our Gods. Both essences play a significant role in our overall advancement.
The term ‘religion’ is derived from the Latin word ‘religio’, which refers to the adherence and practice of ritual obligations, including abstract concepts such as faith and belief (Paden, 2005). These two vital essences complement each other, with one being active and the other passive. Religion has evolved over time to become a way of life and an integral part of society. Most religions define a set of conduct that adherents must follow, limiting excessive pleasures or extreme behavior.
Religion also promotes marriage as a sacred oath between man and woman rather than indulging in savagery such as raiding helpless villages to kidnap females as wives. In some tribal communities around the world, tribal leaders resolve quarrels by marrying their daughters or sons to others found in rival tribes where they have quarrels with.
Another example where religion plays a vital role is in Native American villages. Tribal leaders use their religion expressed through songs, sacred symbols, dance, and smoking peace pipes passed around during group discussions to forge inter-tribal unity and peace. They discuss how best to resolve petty issues while also predicting what kind of life lies ahead such as whether it will rain or not so that each leader may suggest a solution.
Religion, when used nobly, brings people closer together and bridges gaps. It does not limit its followers to just one set of ideals or purposes, but rather finds common ground among other religions. One could also say that religion makes sacred the vital components in society. As one writer put it, it intersects, incorporates, and transcends other aspects of life and society” (Paden, 2005).
Currently, the three most prominent world religions are Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. This is based on the number of adherents, organizational structure – such as having one unifying sacred literature – historical-cultural significance, and unique qualities of each religion. Despite sharing a bloody history of conquests to liberate sacred artifacts, inter and outer wars, betrayals and treacheries; these religions also share common practices and beliefs. This paper aims to identify them and analyze how they affect adherents. However, before delving into that analysis it is important to provide a brief background and history of each religion.
Around 200 B.C., Judaism began in what is now Israel (although it was initially called Palestine until the Jews established the state on Friday, May 14, 1948). It was founded by Rabbis, although many consider Abraham to be the first Jew. He made a sacred written agreement or covenant (berith) with God, which is written in the Torah. This agreement is sacred and central to Jewish belief because adhering to God’s laws, which are expressed in commandments or mitzvoth, can help humanity achieve a peaceful life that is harmoniously connected with the workings of the universe (Microsoft Encarta, 2005).
Born shortly after the death of Christ, Christianity is the sister religion of Judaism. Much of its teachings and practices, such as baptism, were borrowed from Judaism. However, the main distinction between the two religions is Christianity’s belief in Jesus as a divine figure. While Jews see Jesus as a messenger or teacher, Christians believe he was God reincarnated. The Bible serves as the sacred text for Christians.
Muhammad founded Islam in Saudi Arabia during the 7th century. He was born in Mecca, which was then the central city of the Arabian Peninsula. Despite being a quiet man, he often retired to the neighboring hills and mountains to meditate and pray. One day, while sleeping after a day of meditation, he heard a voice commanding him to memorize and recite words that would form the core teachings of Islam. Many believe that this voice came from the Angel Gabriel, whom Muslims consider as higher than Michael (as Christians believe). Muslims follow a set of morals and way of life written in their holy book known as Koran or Qur’an; this is equivalent to Christian Bible or Jewish Torah.
These three religions share a common concept: that there is only one God, one supreme deity or consciousness who gives life and death, joy and sorrow, pain and pleasure, and many other paradoxes. Christians are taught to have no other gods but to believe only in God the Father as Jesus called Him. Jews believe that God created the universe and ceaselessly governs it (Microsoft Encarta, 2005). Muslims also believe in the same concept. They consider Muhammad as the final prophet sent by God to preach the system of laws for proper living (Dallal, 2005).
Such a monotheistic belief has had both negative and positive results. On the positive side, it effectively abolished idolatry, which is part of human weakness to worship people and objects. Moses demolished a golden calf as an example. Additionally, it altered the way people worship by reducing the Greek pantheon of Gods to just one. However, adherents have largely played a negative role in monotheism’s effect. One issue is that it altered their view towards other religions. Instead of there is only one God,” this belief has often been turned into “there is only one God, and yours is not as valid as mine.” This mindset gave birth to fanaticism, hatred, and bigotry throughout history. For instance, consider the inquisition created by the papacy during the Middle Ages under Inquisitor General Tomas de Torquemada’s leadership; these proceedings tortured and killed heretics and other deviants from faith without sufficient proof or evidence against them. Adherents also labeled non-adherents as infidels or traitors during times like the Crusades when three world religions clashed.
Evidently, the border between faith and fanaticism is thin, as all three world religions have proven. Unfortunately, our wills can be weak at times. To guide us in our way of life, the prophets were instructed by God to write sacred texts.
In the Christian Bible, Jesus plays a central role that people can emulate to live properly and interact with others. Christians believe Jesus is the Son of God and divine reality itself. By following His actions and character, Christians will inherit God’s kingdom, have everlasting life, and become children of God (Pelikan, 2005). Christ’s supreme sacrifice of death by crucifixion instilled love and hope in the hearts of Christians. When thrown into either life-affirming or difficult circumstances, most Christians rely on their hope inspired mainly by Christ’s resurrection. They love God for the promise of salvation He gives more than anything else.
Christians preach that God means love; He is a supreme living entity capable of total love (Pelikan, 2005). It is unsurprising that the concept of love pervades Christian teachings developing into charity, compassion, among others. The tale of the Good Samaritan in the Bible illustrates this concept.
Christians also believe that God will always forgive them for their sins although some may argue this leads to complacency on their part; they become lazy to be virtuous knowing they are already forgiven with each sin they make.
The Jewish Torah is different in some concepts. After making a covenant, or sacred agreement with God, the Jews agreed to recognize God as their only king and ruler. In return, God supposedly chose the Jewish people and appointed them as mediators between God and humanity (Microsoft Encarta, 2005). Jews unfailingly devote themselves to following God’s commandments bestowed upon Moses. They believe that everything happening or that will happen ultimately has meaning; nothing is purely arbitrary or left to chance. Therefore, even in the midst of persecution and forced exile, Jews have always lived virtuously because of their belief that their actions and obedience to the teachings in the Torah will grant them justice while their oppressors are judged accordingly. Jews also believe that living virtuously hastens the arrival of a messiah who will grant them justice they await patiently. Their devotion may be perceived as passivity during times of trouble but they have proven time and again that they can safeguard their faith and fellows during such times like when they won in the Yom Kippur War.
Perhaps what distinguishes Jews collectively is their obligation and unity with one another. For instance, kibbutzniks – members of agricultural collectives scattered across Israel – discuss inter-community issues (Library of Nations, 1989). They share agricultural produce and industrial know-how with other self-supportive communities thus propagating an endless stream of contribution to Israel’s economy and security as a whole nation.
Jews are somewhat bred to be close-knit particularly during childhood when toddlers spend time with fellow children. As they grow up, Jewish youth take part in adult responsibilities symbolically at first then realistically – boys aged 13 (during Bar Mitzvah) while girls aged 12 (during Bat Mitzvah) read passages from Torah.
Jews value youth so over time women’s roles have increased too. Having faced persecutions over the years, Jews have turned to preserving their brothers and sisters.
Islamic teachings are unique, with a rich history and concepts that differ from those of Judaism or Christianity. Islam means surrender” or “submission to the will of God,” Allah. The Koran teaches that all Muslims are equal in the eyes of God, regardless of their social-religious structure. Muslims belong to a familial community called umma, which is shared even with non-Muslims (Dallal, 2005).
What distinguishes Islam from other religions is its Five Pillars – a set of religious duties that each Muslim should do. The first pillar is the profession of faith (shahada), where a Muslim declares loyalty to the one true God by uttering the words “I bear witness that there is no God except Allah and that Muhammad is its messenger.” Shahada symbolizes surrendering one’s ego in favor of regaining the higher self, which is purest and sinless.
The second pillar is prayer (salat), where Muslims pray five times daily. Such devotion trains the mind into doing only good deeds, much like self-imposed hypnosis encourages positive results.
The third pillar is almsgiving (zakat), where Muslims help those in need.
The fourth pillar is fasting (sawm) during Ramadan when Muslims fast to become more spiritually aware and connected to God as well as other Muslims worldwide.
The fifth pillar requires financially and physically able Muslims to make a pilgrimage at least once in their lifetime to Mecca—the birthplace of Islam—to perform rituals vital in Islam’s history such as Ibrahim’s building Kaaba—the house of God—and reunites them around the world like families do for reunions—reliving past events while scrutinizing present ones while planning for future ones.
The aforementioned three world religions have contributed greatly to civilization. They have enlightened and inspired people to emulate their prophets. But perhaps the greatest contribution these religions have made, in the millennia that have passed, are the stories and parables which still ring true today and impart sound insights to all children around the world. We can only hope that Jews, Muslims, Christians, and those from other religions will find a common ethos instead of constantly criticizing each other.
Chorlton, Windsor (1989). Library of Nations: Israel.” New Jersey: Time-Life Books.
Dallal, Ahmad S. (2005) wrote about Islam in Microsoft® Encarta® 2006 [DVD], published by Microsoft Corporation in Redmond, WA in the same year.
Microsoft Encarta (2005) provides information on Judaism. The source is Microsoft® Encarta® 2006 [DVD] published by Microsoft Corporation in Redmond, WA in 2005.
Paden, William. (2005). Religion.” Microsoft® Encarta® 2006 [DVD]. Redmond, WA: Microsoft Corporation.
Pelikan, Jaroslav (2005) wrote about Christianity in the Microsoft® Encarta® 2006 [DVD]. The publication was made by Microsoft Corporation in Redmond, WA in 2005.
