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1) The STAR of DAVID is
the best recognized
symbol of Judaism.
A popular folk tale has it
that the Star of David is
literally modeled after the
shield of the young
Israelite warrior David,
who would later become
King David.
1) The CROSS is the
most recognized symbol
of Christianity.
It represents how Jesus
was executed, but also
promises salvation for
believers.
1) The CRESCENT MOON is
commonly regarded as a symbol of
Islam, although the symbol cannot be
shown to have been used by Muhammad.
The crescent was the symbol of the
powerful Persian (Iran) & Ottoman (Turkey)
Empires.
The color GREEN has a special place in
Islam. It is not clear why this is so. Some
say green was Muhammad’s favorite
color. Others believe that it symbolizes
nature and life, hence the physical
manifestation of God.
2) Date Started
• Judaism is
considered to
have started in
1800 BC when
Abraham
refused to
worship idols of
false gods and
began a
covenant with
God.
2) Date Started
• Christianity started
in 33 AD when Jesus
Christ is believed to
have been
resurrected from the
dead and forgave
the sins of all people
who would believe
in Him.
2) Date Started
Islam started in
approximately
~610 AD when
the Prophet
Mohammad was
sent messages
from God
through the
Angel Gabriel.
3) Founder
• Judaism is considered
to have started in
1800 BC when
ABRAHAM
refused to worship
idols of false gods
and began a
covenant with God.
3) Founder
• Although Christianity
developed out of
Judaism, the founder
of Christianity is
JESUS CHRIST
who believers say is
the Son of God and
the 2nd person of the
Trinity.
3) Founder
• Islam started in
approximately 610
AD when the
Prophet
MOHAMMAD
was sent messages
from God through
the Angel Gabriel.
4) Believers of Judaism
are called JEWS
4) Believers of Christianity are
called CHRISTIANS
4) Believers of Islam are called
MUSLIMS, which means “ONE
WHO SUBMITS” [to God]
5) MAIN BRANCHES
1. ORTHODOX
•
Strictly follows ALL Jewish Laws
2. CONSERVATIVE
•
Closely follows Jewish Teaching
3. REFORMED
•
Loosely follows Jewish Teaching
5) MAIN BRANCHES
•
Within Christianity there are many denominations (Catholic, Baptist,
Pentecostal, Methodist, etc.) who practice their faith in slightly different ways.
1. CATHOLIC
•
•
•
Communion = True Blood & Flesh of Christ
Pope leads the Church
Honors Virgin Mary & Saints
2. ORTHODOX
•
•
•
Communion = True Blood & Flesh of Christ
Honors Virgin Mary & Saints
Lead by council of bishops, NOT the Pope
3. PROTESTANT
•
•
Rejects the leadership of the Pope
Many versions of Protestantism
5) MAIN BRANCHES
1. SUNI
•
•
Looks to religious leaders for guidance
Rejects Muslims Saints
2. SHI’ITE
•
•
Looks to descendants of Prophet Mohammad for guidance
Honor Muslim Saints
3. SUFI
•
Mystical interpretation of Islam
6) Key Beliefs
1. GOD’S CHOSEN PEOPLE
2. ISRAEL GIVEN TO JEWS BY GOD
3. LIVE BY GOD’S LAW (10 Commandments)
6) Key Beliefs
1) JESUS IS THE SON OF GOD
(incarnation).
2) HE DIED ON THE CROSS
AS A SACRIFICE FOR SINS OF
ALL MANKIND (crucifixion).
3) SINNERS WHO BELIEVE IN
JESUS ARE FORGIVEN & GO
TO HEAVEN (salvation).
6) Key Beliefs
• 5 Pillars
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
ALLAH is God
CHARITY
FASTING
PILGRIMAGE to MECCA
PRAY 5 TIMES a DAY
7) Yahweh, the GOD of
ABRAHAM.
Yahweh’s name is
considered too holy to
speak out loud, but is
sometimes translated as
“I Am Who I Am”
7) God Known as the HOLY TRINITY
(God the FATHER, God the SON, &
God the HOLY SPIRIT)
7) God Known as ALLAH
8) Jewish Prophets
Although the Jews
have many prophets,
MOSES is considered
one of the important
because he is the
“GIVER OF THE
LAW” (God gave
Moses the 10
Commandments).
8) Christian Prophets
• Christians believe in
ALL of the Jewish
Prophets from the
“OLD TESTAMENT”
• Christians also believe
JOHN the BAPTIST
was a prophet.
8) Muslim Prophets
Islam sees the Jewish and
Christian prophets as
forerunners of Islam, but sees
Jesus as only a prophet (not the Son
Islam is based on the
teachings of the prophet,
MOHAMMAD. They
of God).
believe that the Angel Gabriel
delivered God’s message to
Mohammad, and that
Mohammed was the last and
best prophet.
9) Abraham
All 3 honor Abraham as a holy man
who trusted God and was willing to
kill his son to prove his love for God.
In Judaism & Christianity,
ABRAHAM WAS ABOUT
TO KILL HIS SON ISAAC
BEFORE AN ANGEL
STOPPED HIM AT THE
LAST SECOND.
(Abraham’s true heir =
Isaac)
In Islam,
ABRAHAM
WAS ABOUT
TO KILL
ISHMAEL.
(Abraham’s
true heir =
Ishmael)
10) Holy Book
Jews follow the
TORAH, including the
10 COMMANDMENTS
10) Holy Book
Christians follow the BIBLE; it includes the
Jewish scriptures (old testament), and the
Gospel of Jesus Christ (New Testament).
10) Holy Book
Islam follows the
KORAN (Qua’an), it is
meant to be read and
recited in Arabic so that
there is one language to
unify Islam. Muslims
also have high regard for
the Torah & Gospels.
11) Jewish Afterlife
WHETHER REWARDS AND
PUNISHMENTS CONTINUE
AFTER DEATH, IS NOT AS
IMPORTANT AS HOW ONE LIVES
THEIR LIFE ON EARTH.
Jewish sacred texts and literature have little to
say about what happens after death.
Judaism is much more focused on actions than
beliefs, so it is actually to be expected that its
prophets and sages have not spent as much time
on speculations about the world to come as
elaborations on the mitzvot to be performed in
this life.
The Torah and Talmud alike focus on the
purpose of earthly life, which is to fulfill one's
duties to God and one's fellow man.
Succeeding at this brings reward, failing at it
brings punishment.
11) Christian Afterlife
Christians believe that
GOD WILL FORGIVE
THEIR SINS & SEND
THEM TO HEAVEN IF
THEY BELIEVE JESUS
CHRIST IS THE SAVIOR.
11) Islam Afterlife
Islam teaches the continued existence of
the soul and a transformed physical
existence after death. Muslims believe
there will be A DAY OF JUDGMENT
WHEN ALL HUMANS WILL BE
DIVIDED BETWEEN THE ETERNAL
DESTINATIONS OF PARADISE AND
HELL.
12) Holy Places
For Jews, the WAILING WALL in
JERUSALEM is the most holy place
on earth because it is the location
of the Temple (which held the original 10
Commandments) and was the point of
contact between God and His
people.
The temple was destroyed by
the Roman Army in 70 AD.
Now many Jews go there to
pray and leave messages for
God on tiny scraps of paper
that are placed between the
remaining stones.
12) Holy Places
The CHURCH of the HOLY
SEPULCHRE in JERUSALEM,
Israel is venerated by many
Christians as Golgatha (Calvary),
where the new Testament says
that Jesus was crucified, and is
said to also contain the place
where Jesus was buried.
The church has been an
important pilgrimage destination
since at least the 4th century, as
the purported site of the death
and resurrection of Jesus.
12) Holy Places
The most sacred place in Islam is the
KA'BA IN MECCA, SAUDI ARABIA.
The Ka'ba is a mosque (built by
Abraham according to Muslim
tradition) built around a black stone.
The Prophet Muhammad designated
Mecca as the holy city of Islam and
the direction (qibla) in which all
Muslims should offer their prayers.
The Ka'ba is believed to be the first
place that was created on earth and
the place at which heavenly bliss and
power touches the earth directly.
Each year, thousands of Muslims
from around the world join in a
pilgrimage to Mecca (the Hajj), in
fulfillment of one of the Five Pillars
of Islam.
12.5)
The DOME of the ROCK is an ISLAMIC
shrine and major landmark located on
the TEMPLE MOUNT in JERUSALEM.
The sites significance stems from the
religious beliefs that the rock is where
Abraham almost sacrificed his son (Isaac
or Ishmael) to God. This makes that
location HOLY to ALL 3 RELIGIONS.
13) Israel/ Palestine
According to both Jewish &
Christian belief, ISRAEL was
GIVEN TO JEWS THROUGH
INHERITANCE OF ISAAC
(Abraham’s son).
Although the Jews were in
exile from Israel for nearly
2,000 years, they believe in
God’s unbreakable promise to
Abraham – this is the
foundation for having Israel
being the Jewish Homeland.
13) Israel/Palestine
• Muslims believe Abraham’s Son,
ISHMAEL WAS HIS RIGHT HEIR
WHO GOD GAVE PALESTINE TO,
SO IT BELONGS TO THEM.
• Muslims have additional Holy Sites in
Jerusalem in connection with
Mohammad.
14) Jews worship in
SYNAGOGUES & TEMPLES
14) Christians worship in
CHURCHES
14) Muslims worship in
MOSQUES (sometimes
called Islamic Centers)
15) Jewish Worship Day
• SUNDOWN FRIDAY TO
SUNDOWN SATURDAY IS
KNOWN AS SHABBAT,
the Jewish day of Worship
• Shabbat is considered a
festive day, when a person
is freed from the regular
labors of everyday life, can
contemplate the spiritual
aspects of life, and can
spend time with family.
15) Christian Worship Day
SUNDAY is the typical day of worship for the vast
majority of Christians, although their various services look,
sound, and feel very different from one another.
15) Muslim Worship Day
• The word “FRIDAY” in Arabic
(Jumna) comes from the name for
the special prayer that is done
only on that day. It’s also the
day Muslims are expected to
pray at mosque – all other days
of the week Muslims may pray in
private.
• All men are required to attend
Friday prayers; women can
attend voluntarily. And men and
women are separated once
inside, praying in different areas
16) Key Jewish Prayers
• Depends on Season and Time of Day
16) Key Christian Prayer
• Although there are many forms of
Christian prayer, the OUR FATHER
(or Lord’s Prayer) unites all
Christians.
• “Our Father who art in heaven,
hallowed be Thy name. Thy
kingdom come, Thy will be done, on
earth as it is in heaven. Give us this
day our daily bread and forgive us
our trespasses as we forgive those
who trespass against us. Lead us not
into temptation, but deliver us from
evil. For Thine is the kingdom, the
power and the glory forever and ever.
AMEN.”
16) Key Prayers
ADAN (Call to Prayer) Translation:
“God is Great.
God is Great.
God is Great.
God is Great.
I testify that there is none worthy of worship except
God.
I testify that there is none worthy of worship except
God.
I testify that Muhammad is the messenger of God.
I testify that Muhammad is the messenger of God.
Come to prayer!
Come to prayer!
Come to success!
Come to success!
God is Great!
God is Great!
There is none worthy of worship except God.“
17) Fasting
• During PASSOVER, JEWS MAY NOT EAT
LEVEANED BREAD – to remember when
the Jews fled from the Egyptian Pharaohs.
17) Fasting
• For many (but not all) Christians, the 40
days of LENT is spent in increased prayer as
preparation for this Easter – NO RED MEAT
EATEN ON FRIDAYS and many also give up
a small luxury (sugar, chocolate, tv) as a sacrificial
offering to God.
17) Fasting
• Muslims fast during RAMADAN FROM
SUN UP TO SUN DOWN in submission to
God and to understand the suffering of the
poor.
18) Main Holidays
ROSH SHASHANAH
(Jewish New Year)
YOM KIPPUR
(Day of Atonement)
18) Main Holidays
• CHRISTMAS IS THE
DAY JESUS WAS BORN
• EASTER is the day
JESUS WAS
RESSURECTED
FROM THE DEAD.
18) Main Holiday
EID UL-FITR (EID)
CELEBRATING THE END OF
RAMADAN
– Almost two billion Muslims
around the world celebrate Eid ulFitr (eed al-fitter), the three-day
festival commonly known as "Eid."
It literally means "the feast of the
breaking/to break the fast." The
holiday marks the end of
Ramadan, the holy month of
fasting and is a culmination of the
month-long struggle towards a
higher spiritual state.
19) Food Restrictions
•
KOSHER
1. NO PORK
2. NO SHELLFISH OR FISH
W/O GILLS or SCALES
(catfish/shark)
3. ANIMALS SLAUGHTERED
WITH PRAYER said over
them in a way to reduce
suffering, hung to reduce
amount of blood
4. Some food combinations are
forbidden (chicken w/ eggs
& milk w/ beef)
19) Food Restrictions
• Few denominations have restrictions on
foods believers are allowed to eat, although
some Protestant sects frown on alcohol.
19) Food Restrictions
• HALAL
1. NO ALCOHOL
2. NO PORK
3. ANIMALS SLAUGHTERED FACING MECCA
W/ PRAYERS SAID AS THEY ARE KILLED.
20) Number of Believers
&
21) Location of Believers
Note the number
of believers overall
and their
geographic
concentration
(which continent
they live)