Beruflich Dokumente
Kultur Dokumente
RELS 2300
01 December 2017
religion as a group of peoples dedicated to the same convictions and beliefs working toward the
betterment of their members physical or spiritual positions. The differences in cultures, locations and
customs cause beliefs to be expressed in different ways. The traditions and ultimate goals clearly define
and differentiate these religions from one another. Christianity alone has nearly 21,000 independent
Church denominations, falling under 156 main groupings.1 It is my belief that all religions are
inherently different from one another. Even sects of the same religions differentiate with different
names such as Biblical and Rabbinic Judaism or Protestant and Catholic Christians. If they were the
same, why bother with different names at all? With so many options and ways to worship there are
One clear, distinguishing feature in religions is the deities they worship, if any, and how they are
venerated. There are monotheists belief in one God, and polytheists- the worship of many gods, and
also atheists whose beliefs deny gods. From our text Living Religions T.M.P Mahadevan is quoted to
say:
The Hindu mind is averse to assigning an unalterable or rigidly fixed form or name to the
deity. Hence it is that in Hinduism we have innumerable god-forms and countless divine
names. And, it is a truth that is recognized by all Hindus that obeisance offered to any of these
beliefs. Muslims, for instance have created beautiful works of art out of calligraphy to avoid creating a
pictorial representation that could inadvertently become worshiped by people instead of directly to
God.
The heart of Islam is not the Prophet but the revelations he received, which are revered as the
Word of God. Collectively they are called the Qur'an (meaning reading or reciting).
Muhammad received the messages over a period of twenty-three years, with some later
messages replacing earlier ones. At first they were striking affirmations of the unity of God and
the woe of those who did not heed God's message. Later messages also addressed the
Zoroastrians worship a single deity called Ahura Mazda, the creator god. the wise Lord, from whom
all good things flowed.4 Buddhists do not directly worship a divine being, believing that venerating
the Buddha and studying his teachings and other lamas (teachers) they will obtain enlightenment and
reach nirvana. Though they believe in a creator and other gods, they do not help people gain
enlightenment or spiritual awakening, and there is no personal god to direct one's prayers to. These
Another identifier could be the leadership the faiths follow. Christianity was built eventually
with a hierarchy style centering on the Pope. Different popes eventually led to a split in the church,
again differentiating itself from the original religion and beliefs. Then the clergy presided over the
general membership. All looked to the one God, and then Jesus to try to emulate him to go to heaven.
Muslims pray solely to God. There may be an imam, or prayer-leader, but no priest stands
religion. Jewish boys are taught how to read and write ancient Hebrew so they can interpret and study
the Torah; an oral tradition but also written on large scrolls of 613 commandments and sometimes
considered God's will or God's wisdom.6 There is also the Talmud included in their sacred literature
All in Christianity follow the stories of Jesus in the Bible, usually comprised of the Old
Testament and the New Testament. However, different sects of Christianity had differences in their
bibles, sometimes adding books from Judaism and books intended to impart sage wisdom. Back in the
Vedic age, thousands of years ago, the Hindu texts called the Vedas were formed. The origins became a
controversial topic when it was disputed to be created by Indian peoples, Aryan peoples, or a mixture
of both. It is often considered the foundation of Hinduism and contain a revered collection of sacred
hymns praising the deities and exploring the nature of the cosmos.7
Sikhs follow the lessons of 10 Gurus and a book originally called the holy book, named the Adi
Granth (now known as the Guru Granth Sahib). The fifth Guru, Guru Arjun Dev, compiled sacred
Guru Gobind Singh ended the line of bodily succession to Guruship. As he was passing away in
1708, he took the unique step of transferring his authority to the Adi Granth rather than to a
human successor. Thenceforth, it was called Guru Granth Sahib-the living presence of the Guru
embodied in the sacred scripture, to be consulted by the congregation for spiritual guidance and
decision-making.8
If one were to ask a member what makes their religion different from others they would likely
tell you how they worship. Both men and women Sikh initiates are sworn to a special code of
discipline. The book explains: ...Sikh men and women were sworn to wear five distinctive symbols of
their dedications: unshorn hair, a comb, drawstring underbreeches, a sword in a sheath, and a steel
bracelet.9 Many of these items hold great symbolism for the Sikhs and the promises made to God . The
sword is the promise to stand for justice and protecting the weak, the silver bracelet reminds them that
they serve God, and the uncut hair is to respect that which God has made.
Hinduism also holds up four major goals that define the good life. One is dharma, or carrying
out one's responsibilities and duties, for the sake of social and cosmic order. A second is aratha,
or success in worldly activities, including the pursuit of wealth and advantage. A third is kama,
which refers to love and sensual pleasures, and also to aesthetic expression...The fourth and
ultimate goal of life is moksha, or liberation from the cycle of death and rebirth. Its attainment
Jews uphold strict standards within their Faith. Food must be Kosher and blessed by a rabbi. Some send
their children to yeshivot (day school), where they learn Hebrew and how to obey the commandments.
Prayer and observances of God's presence in all things permeates all aspects of life including how to
sleep, how to deal with women's menstrual cycles, and daily use of the toilet. For traditional observant
Jews, the morning begins with a prayer before they open their eyes to thank God for restoring the soul.
The hands must be washed before blessings and, for all traditional male Jews, putting on a special
Imitation of the model set by Jesus in his own life is the primary practice of Christians. In the
widely read fourteenth-century book The Imitation of Christ, people are encourages to aspire to
Jesus' own example as well as his teachings...Although forms and understandings of the
practices vary among the branches of Christendom, they may include public worship services
with sermons and offerings of the sacraments, celebrations of the liturgical year, private
But what of all these differences? Is there a point or envisioned goal that make these religions
different for a desirable reason? What makes these observations worth while? There are many different
visions of the afterlife as well as how to obtain desirable results while in one's current life.
Hindus believe they are continually reincarnated until their karma-run wheel of birth-death, and
rebirth (samsara) allows them liberation from time, and space, and join Brahman in ultimate reality.
Coinciding with Hinduism's beliefs, Buddhist's ultimate goal is to break the chain of
reincarnation, but diverts by transcending from earthly miseries to nirvana and finally paranirvana.
In the time before Mohammad, the people believed there were no consequences for good or bad
behavior. They had nothing to influence them to live right or wrong. In the section of Living Religions
bodily resurrected and assembled for a final accounting of their deeds. At that unknown time of
the Final Judgment, the world will end cataclysmically:The earth will shake and the mountains
crumble into heaps of shifting sand(Surah 73:14). Then comes the terrible confrontation with
There are those, after presented with all this information, that may still feel that all religions are still the
same. These things are inconsequential to the few things that actually matter. Such as the fact that so
many religions agree to the fact that there is one God and it is the same God as in other religions. Allah,
God, Ahura Mazda. They are all the same being. And those polytheistic practices in Hindu are all just
iterations of the same being. In addition to what they worship, how they worship could be considered to
be based off the same practices. Sacrifices, meditation, praying, prostration-they are present in nearly
every religion listed. Hinduism and Buddhism both believe in reincarnation. There is a popular theory
that religion is man-made. That it is a self-coping mechanism for the bleakness that is life and death.
Scientific Materialism found a form of religion in every human culture. Therefore, society thought up
God or gods in their area, which was then copied, taken to another place and then adapted to local
customs and done again and again. They all use books that have been copied and translated and
exchanged between cultures. They are all probably from the same original book miss-copied. And
ultimately, they all want the same thing for their members Catholics want to go to heaven, therefore
that must be what Buddhists want too. These are some strong arguments but I do not agree.
The sheer amount of diversity I have addressed in the broadest sense of these religions
overwhelming support my position that religions are ultimately, different. Not only externally but
internally in the religions as well. One could look and determine that Hindus and Lutherans are more
dissimilar than they are the same. Differences in religion have started wars such as in Palestine and the
Crusades. Like a different people from a different place with different cultures and traditions are named
differently from another people from another place with another culture and traditions, religions are
differentiated by name also because of different beliefs, traditions, and practices. Someone who learns
about these differences would have no confusion between a Muslim and a Jain. Their traditions, beliefs,
and customs are very different and mostly not at all the same. There are ways to group religions
together in the broad terms I used in this paper. Some have larger groups than others, but there is
something in that specific religion that makes it different from it's sibling or parent religions. There
may be more similarities between Indian religions or Western religions because of the similar customs
of where these religions started and became prominent. There is bound to be some overlapping in some
thoughts (Hindu and Buddhist reincarnation)and ideals (Christian and Islams one God) but that does
dedicated to the same convictions and beliefs working toward the betterment of their members physical
or spiritual positions. The differences in cultures, locations and customs cause beliefs to be expressed in
different ways, causing religions to be inherently different. If someone were searching for a religion
this information could be used as a general guide to help them find what they are looking for. The
knowledge that there are so many different kinds of religions in the world may make them feel that
their specific needs and beliefs may be found in one of he religions in the world.
Works cited
Fisher, Mary Pat. Living Religions 10th Edition. Pearson Publishing, 2015.