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CHRISTIANITY
Christianity is the largest religion in the world with about 2 billion followers. It is
based on the life and teachings of Jesus Christ. Most Christians are members of three major
groups: Roman Catholic, Protestant, or Eastern Orthodox. Christianity teaches the existence
of only one God (monotheism), and it began as a subset of Judaism. Christians regard Jesus
as the son of God. They believe that Jesus entered the world and died to save humanity from
sin. The cross, a symbol of the crucifixion of Jesus Christ, represents Jesus’ love for
humanity by dying for its sins. Christians believe that they reach salvation by following the
teachings of Jesus Christ.
Christianity’s religious text is called the Bible, which is composed of two main sections, the Old and New
Testaments. These texts outline the acts of important figures in Christianity, as well as the principles and ethics of
Christianity, called the Ten Commandments. These commandments are not unique to Christianity, as they play a
fundamental role in Judaism as well.
For Christians, Christmas is a holy day that marks the birth of Jesus, believed to be the son of God. Many nonChristians also observe with secular (non-religious) festivities. Although they differ around the world, some common
ways of observing the holiday include attending worship services, hosting gatherings with family and friends, feasting and
exchanging gifts. Many decorate for the holiday using lights, Christmas (fir) trees, Nativity Scenes (displays depicting the
birth of Jesus), and (commonly in the United States) images of Santa Claus, a character of legend who is believed to bring
gifts to children.
Upon death, Christians believe that a person is destined for either heaven or hell, though not all sects of
Christianity believe that a person actually has control over whether they go to heaven or hell. Some believe that a person
is born predestined to go to one or the other, and that person’s actions in life will not affect his/her fate. Others believe
that a person’s actions throughout his/her life will ultimately decide whether he/she goes to heaven.
JUDAISM
Judaism is the religion of more than 14 million Jews throughout the world. Judaism was the first major religion to
teach the existence of only one god. The basic laws and teachings of Judaism come from the Torah, the first five books of
the Hebrew Bible. Abraham founded Judaism more than 3,000 years ago, after God spoke to him and encouraged him to
found this religion. Judaism is unique because it is viewed as ethnoreligious, meaning that it is an ethnic group whose
members are also unified by religion.
Judaism teaches that a person serves God, or Yahweh, by studying the Torah/Tanakh and living by its teachings.
Orthodox Jews obey the Torah without question. Conservative and reform Jews interpret the Torah to make its teachings
relevant to today’s world. The Star of David, also called the Shield of David, is the universal symbol of Judaism. The
emblem refers to Kind David, who ruled the Kingdom of Israel, in the Middle East, from about 1000 to 962 B.C.
Rosh Hashanah is the Jewish New Year. During this two-day observance, Jews
examine their lives, repent for wrongs committed during the previous year, and make
amends. To remind people of the importance of reflection, the shofar (an instrument
often made of a ram's horn) is blown one hundred times on each of the two days. Some
also participate in a tashlich ceremony, where people symbolically cast off the sins of
the previous year by tossing pieces of bread or another food into a body of flowing
water.
Judaism traditionally believes that death is not the end of a human’s existence,
however it places more focus on life here and now, rather than the afterlife. This leaves
a lot of room for personal opinion on a person’s destiny after life; some may believe in
a Christian-like heaven/hell, while others may believe that the coming of the Messiah
(Jewish prophet who will be like Christianity’s Jesus Christ) will result in the
resurrection of passed on Jews.
ISLAM
Islam is a religion based on the teachings of the prophet Muhammad. Followers of
Islam, known as Muslims, believe that God revealed these teachings to Muhammad to the
angel Gabriel. It is the second largest religion in the world, with more than 1.5 billion
followers. Muslims are concentrated from southwest to central Asia and parts of Africa. Islam
also has many followers from southeast Asia. Sunni Muslims believe that their leaders should
follow Muhammad’s example. Shi’a Muslims believe that their leaders should be Muhammad’s
descendants.
Islam teaches the existence of only one God, called Allah in the Arabic language. Muslims believe in all prophets
of Judaism and Christianity. They show their devotion by performing lifelong acts of worship known as the Five Pillars of
Islam. These include faith, prayer, almsgiving (charity), fasting, and pilgrimage to Mecca. The crescent moon has become
a familiar symbol for Islam. It may be related to the new moon that begins each month in the Islamic lunar calendar,
which orders religious life for Muslims. The five points of the star may represent the Five Pillars of Islam.
The text that Muslims follow is called the Quran. It incorporates some aspects of the Old Testament, and furthers
its relationship to Christianity by mentioning Jesus Christ, not as the son of God, but as a prophet. Muslims believe that it
contains the word of God, as spoken to the prophet and founder, Muhammad.
Ramadan is one of the most important months of the year in Islam. Muslims who are physically able fast (do not
eat) each day of the entire month of Ramadan, from sunrise to sunset. The evenings are spent enjoying family and
community meals, engaging in prayer and spiritual reflection, and reading from the Quran. Eid al-Fitr (Breaking of the
Fast) is celebrated at the end of the month of Ramadan.
In terms of life after death, Muslims believe that Allah will weigh each person’s good and bad deeds prior to
entering Paradise. If that person’s good deeds outweigh the bad ones, that person will be invited into Paradise. If the bad
deeds prevail, that person will go to hell.