The Similarities and Differences of Christianity Versus Judaism Essay Example

The Similarities and Differences of Christianity Versus Judaism Essay The Similarities and Differences of Christianity versus Judaism Christianity and Judaism have many similarities and differences within their religions. Traditions play various roles and integrate through their beliefs, values, cultures, and making political decisions. Christianity and Judaism have changed historically throughout time. Judaism and Christianity rely on the basic standard of obeying God, an adherence to his rules and intentions and their faithful fulfillment. Judaism and Christianity are both monotheitic religions. Christianity and Judaism both believe in one God who is almighty. In Judaism, God is seen as having a contractual relationship with the Jewish people where they must obey his holy laws in return for their status of the chosen people. Both religions believe God is holy, righteous, and just. Christianity and Judaism share the Hebrew Scriptures known as the Old Testament. Both Christianity and Judaism believe in the existence of heaven, and hell. â€Å"Traditions and beliefs shared by Jews and Christians that derive for the Old Testament of the Bible are known as Judeo-Christians. (http://www. google. com/search? source=igamp;hl=enamp;rlz=1G1ACAWCENUS404amp;=amp;q=define%3AJudeo-Christianamp;btnG=Google+Search) Both Judaism and Christianity teach that God has a special plan for the nation of Israel and the Jewish people. The Person and work of Jesus Christ is the one primary issue that Christianity and Judaism cannot agree upon. Judaism recognizes Jesus as a good teacher, and perhaps a prophet of God. Judaism does not believe that Jesus was the Messiah. Taking it a step further, Christianity teaches that Jesus was God in the flesh. We will write a custom essay sample on The Similarities and Differences of Christianity Versus Judaism specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on The Similarities and Differences of Christianity Versus Judaism specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on The Similarities and Differences of Christianity Versus Judaism specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer Christianity teaches that God became a human being in the Person of Jesus Christ so He could lay down His life to pay the price for our sins. Judaism strongly denies that Jesus was God or that such a sacrifice was necessary. I feel that religion is the most vital aspect within the Christian and Jewish cultural societies. Without religious doctrines both Christians and Jews would not benefit or bring forth positive change and success within their communities. The Jews have many beliefs similar to the Christians. Thanksgiving focuses are thoughts on that which we have to be thankful for. While Thanksgiving and the expression of gratitude is a secular holiday, the idea of thankfulness is deeply rooted in the Jewish faith. There are many rituals, historical and theological connections between Judaism and Thanksgiving. The Puritans strongly identified with the historical traditions and customs of the Israelites in the Bible. In their quest for religious freedom, they viewed their journey to America as similar to the migration of the Israelites from Egypt. England was Egypt, the king was Pharaoh, the Atlantic Ocean their Red Sea and the Puritans were the Israelites, entering into a new covenant with God in a new Promised Land. In fact, most of the Puritans had Hebrew names and there was even a proposal to make Hebrew the language of the colonies! On thanksgiving, the Jewish people give thanks for all of the good in our lives. Saying â€Å"Thank You† is a primary Jewish value. Christians celebrate Thanksgiving in both traditional and alternative ways in order to show gratitude for all they’ve been given. A Jewish funeral is a sacred rite and should be invested with both dignity and simplicity as taught by Jewish tradition. The family of the deceased should consult the Rabbi when death occurs. Preplanning is encouraged. (See 7. 2 of this GUIDE) The Jewish way of dealing with death is one part of a larger philosophy of life in which all persons are viewed with dignity and respect. Our people believe that, even after death, the body, which once held a holy human life, retains its sanctity. Our sages have compared the sacredness of the deceased to that of an impaired Torah scroll which, although n o longer useable, retains its holiness. In Jewish tradition, therefore, the greatest consideration and respect are accorded the dead. Jewish law and tradition have endowed funeral and mourning practices with profound religious significance. To this end, Jewish funerals avoid ostentation; family and visitors reflect in dress and deportment the solemnity of the occasion; flowers and music are inappropriate; embalming and viewing are avoided; and interment takes place as soon as possible after death. A Hevra Kadisha, a holy society traditionally supervises funerals in Jewish communities, consisting of volunteers who aid the bereaved and ensure that appropriate practices are followed. In some communities this is carried out by local cemetery societies or by funeral homes which observe Jewish customs and traditions. The preparation and burial of the body are highly valued mitzvot. It is a chesed shel emet, an act of kindness performed without ulterior motive, for the dead cannot repay this service. When a member of a community dies, it is the communitys responsibility to lovingly assist the deceaseds family in this final act. A Theology of Christian Burial: As members of the Church, having been baptized into the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ, it is appropriate that all Christian persons be buried from the Church. As we believe in the resurrection of Christ, so we also believe that our bodies will participate in His resurrection at the Last Day. These concepts are foundational to our identity as Christians, and we affirm them when we recite the Creeds of the Church in worship. As members of the body of Christ, it is most important that the Burial Office be a service of public worship, and that it be read within the context of the Holy Eucharist. To do so is a powerful symbol of our being joined to the whole Church, both the living and the dead. As the Prayer Book states (BCP 507), the Burial Office is an Easter liturgy which finds its meaning in our Lords victory over death and the grave. In this liturgy, we celebrate the life and ministry of our deceased sister or brother. And, we look forward in an eschatological way to reunion with those who are dead, and with Christ himself, the pioneer and perfecter of our faith (Hebrews  12:2). Even so, our joy in the passing of a loved one into the larger life in Christ neither can nor should preclude a natural outpouring of grief. Whenever we have become separated from one whom we love, grief over that loss is a good, healthy and God-given emotional response. Indeed, one purpose of the funeral rite is to aid in the facilitation of such grief by clearly showing the finality of death until the time of resurrection. How an individual experiences grief in no way provides a measure of that persons faith, Christian hope or love for the deceased. http://www. standrewscanton. org/burial. html Another cultural tradition is Jewish food. â€Å"Kashrut† refers to the laws pertaining to food in the Jewish religion. â€Å"Kosher† means that a food is ‘fit’ or permitted. Foods such as pork and shellfish are strictly forbidden. The Jewish ‘food laws’ originated more than 3,000 years ago and contribute to a formal code of behavior that reinforces the identity of a Jewish community. Food forms an integral part of religion in life for a practicing Jew. Jewish feast days include Rosh Hashanah and Passover. The Passover commemorates the birth of the Jewish nation. The food eaten helps to tell the story of the Exodus; for example, bitter herbs recall the suffering of the Israelites under Egyptian rule. Christians do not have any food laws. The only exception would be that since the body of the Christian is the temple of the Holy Spirit, it is to be treated with respect and cared for but not in a religious regulation sense, or in terms of earning points with God for salvation. Christians usually avoid both smoking and non-medical drugs both for this reason and that they are part of the world’s way of seeking pleasure and perhaps to fill a void which for the Christian has been filled in Christ. Do this in remembrance of me is evoked each time Christians reenact Christs last supper with his disciples. By commemorating Christs last meal, repeating his words and gestures, Christians re-create the sacred time of Christ and his disciples and eat with him again as they eat in community as his body. Or, Christians believe that they actually eat Christs sacrificed body in the form of the bread host and in so doing are incorporated into it to live forever with God. http://www. answers. com/topic/religion-and-food#ixzz164vmAwcY A Jewish cultural tradition is marital harmony. The Talmud argues that a man should love his wife as much as he loves himself, and honor her more than he honors himself, indeed, one who honors his wife was said, by the classical rabbis, to be rewarded with wealth. Similarly, a husband was expected to discuss with his wife any worldly matters that might arise in his life. Tough love is frowned upon. The Talmud forbids a husband from being overbearing to his household and domestic abuse by him is also condemned. As for the wife, the greatest praise the Talmudic rabbis offered to any woman was that given to a wife who fulfils the wishes of her husband, to this end, an early midrash argues that a wife should not leave the home too often. A wife, also, was expected to be modest, even if the only other person present with her was her husband. It was believed in classical times that Gods presence dwelt in a pure and loving home. Christian views on marriage typically regard it as instituted and ordained by God for the lifelong relationship between one man as husband and one woman as wife, and is to be held in honor among all. [Heb 13:4]. Civil laws recognize marriage as having social and political status. Christian theology affirms the secular status of marriage, but additionally views it from a moral and religious perspective that transcends all social interests. While marriage is honored among Christians and throughout the Bible, it is not seen as