Relevant Religions

There are three religions that have so much similarity: Christianity, Muslim faith, and Jewish faith. Christians believe in Jesus Christ as the son of God. The Jewish believe Jesus Christ as a prophet. The Muslims believe in Allah, or one central God over all. I am surprised by how closely related these religions are. I did not realize this until our small group discussion in Scholars 101 last week. I hope that I always keep this in mind, because although these three religions have different perceptions and ideals, they tie so well together. Muslims were heavily persecuted during the 9/11 terrorist attack. What was not kept in mind was that all Muslims are not alike. Most Muslims practice the faith according to Allah, not the mass killings of innocent people. This was an unfair persecution from us as Americans, but who else were we supposed to point fingers at? Anyway, the Jewish were not treated so well either. Germany had there hand on them for a long time with horrible repercussions. It is those times that we all look back and dread for the wronged Jewish. The Christians were not quite oppressed, unless you include the Quakers, who came to America to practice their faith freely. The Quakers did not, however, stress the same qualities of Christianity. The Quakers were firm in tradition, and did not budge from historical works. Christianity can change from tradition, as long as faith is being practiced by oneself. What an interesting phenomena! I should have been more aware of this. And another thing- religions usually contain some sort of sentiment along the lines of good and bad. If your good, you are rewarded- if you are bad, then you face heavy consequences. It could be the act of going up or down the ladder of prestige in the next life, the amount of riches received after this life, or if heaven will be home after death, it is nice to know that the world religions want us to be better people.