What Do Judaism, Christianity and Islam Share in Common?
Islamozoophobia and anti-Semitism are increasing worldwide. Yet, Islamozoophobia and anti-Semitism do not necessarily have anything to do with the beliefs of the religions. Both share a belief that the soul exists separately from the body. As a result, they believe that there is a life after death.
a belief in the need to worship God
Judaism and Christianity share a belief in God, and both teach that a person should worship God in the right way. Christianity emphasizes the importance of the Bible, and both religions promote family values and observances. Judaism also places a great value on education. The earliest Jewish holidays were associated with agricultural seasons. Christianity also believes in the Trinity of God.
Despite the similarities between the three religions, the similarities end when Islam and Christianity acknowledge Christ. Although all three religions claim Moses as the prophet of God, they disagree about the position of Christ. Islam, however, claims that the Holy Prophet of Islam is the final and only prophet of God. Islam also argues that the Koran is the final word of God.
Judaism, Christianity, and Islam all share the belief that worshiping God is essential to achieving salvation. The most common form of worship in all three religions is prayer. Each tradition prescribes specific times and ways to pray. In addition to private prayer, all three faiths hold public prayer in their houses of worship. For Christians, Sundays and Saturdays are the designated times for public prayer. Moreover, they practice public worship during celebrations throughout the year.
While christianity and Islam are monotheistic, they have many differences. Islam teaches that God is one and the only true God. Christianity teaches that God has three centers of consciousness. Likewise, Islam rejects the doctrine of the Trinity.
a belief in separation of body from soul
Some religions and philosophies hold that a person has a separate soul and body, and that a person’s soul can exist independently of the body. In such a case, the soul of a person would retain a certain amount of consciousness, and could be considered a “semi-person” in a broader existential sense. But it could not be a “person” in an objective metaphysical sense.
This belief stems from the concept that a soul separate from the body has an intelligence and mode of understanding. It can use the habits of knowledge it has acquired in this life to understand itself. This ability is impaired only by the local distance between the soul and body. The Philosopher says in his De Anima i, 4 that this interior principle is corrupted by death.
A separated soul, however, is still capable of knowing what it did in this life, and it will continue to do so. Even without a body, it will still be able to experience sorrow, joy, and knowledge, and will continue to grow in its ability to understand. If this is true, then a separation between the body and soul does not represent an end to the human race, but merely a continuation of the soul’s journey.
The separation of the soul from the body does not mean that the soul is completely un-human. It is just a change in mode. The separated soul is still a person, but it is not complete and rational.
a belief in life after death
Three of the Abrahamic religions, Judaism, Christianity and Islam, share a belief in life after death. However, each has different views on this issue. Some claim that life after death is a myth, while others hold that it is a fact. Judaism, for example, focuses little on life after death, although the Jewish philosopher Maimonides included this belief in his list of basic beliefs. Islam, by contrast, places a greater emphasis on this belief. The concept of the Last Judgment, Lord of the Day, and the resurrection of the dead are the most basic motifs in Islamic thought.
Christians, on the other hand, believe in the resurrection of the dead. They believe that the spirit of Jesus Christ will return one day to judge the living and the dead, establishing the Kingdom of God. Christianity was born in the first century C.E. and evolved out of Judaism. Although early Christian communities were persecuted, they were eventually welcomed and converted by the Holy Roman Empire. Christians subsequently split into major and minor denominations, each with its own set of values and beliefs.
While Christianity and Judaism have a similar belief in life after death, the differences aren’t as great as many might think. In the first century, the Sanhedrin debated the idea of resurrection. However, the rabbis used ambiguous terminology to allow for the concept of immortal souls. This allowed them to live among Christians, while Muslims had very detailed ideas of resurrection.