[mar1162]

What can I do to compare and contrast the theological foundations and spiritual practices of Judaism, Christianity, and Islam?

[NeedKarma]

www.belief.net

[Starman]

What can I do to compare and contrast the theological foundations and spiritual practices of Judaism, Christianity, and Islam?

You have to do research which involves a lot of reading, gathering of information, evaluation of data, and the separation of the evaluated data into the two categories you just mentioned--comparison and contrast. Buy a pack of index cards and separate the facts you discover into these two categories. Then place your relevant info under each pack. Under the comparison place all the similarities among those three religions. Under the contrast pack place all the contrast or difference among these three religions. A good place to start your research on the Internet is at Wikipedia. It provides a very thorough description of each religion and offers links to other sites that will be helpful in your research.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Religion


BTW
Some people don't consider the Trinitarian or Unitarian Christian views as being monotheistic. The Trinitarians because of seeming to worship three gods and the Unitarians because of seeming to worship two.

[GParrack]

Can you point to evidence that monotheistic religions are gaining people (advancing) faster than western reincarnation?

[GParrack]

In research for a book I seem to find evidences that main line religions are declining and that reincarnation is gaining in popularity in the west.

[Starman]

Can you point to evidence that monotheistic religions are gaining people (advancing) faster than western reincarnation?

Believe in reincarnation doesn't necessarily preclude belief in monotheism.

Reincarnation

[Morganite]

In research for a book I seem to find evidences that main line religions are declining and that reincarnation is gaining in popularity in the west.

Do you care to share your referents? I am very interested in looking at your data.

M:)RGANITE

[Morganite]

What can I do to compare and contrast the theological foundations and spiritual practices of Judaism, Christianity, and Islam?

That is a vast undertaking. How many words does your essay require?

To compare, you have to set each faith side by side, strand by strand, and precept by precept, looking for, and noting, points of similarity and points od difference. Then you must hold them up in your essay so that the similarities and differences are plainly evident to your reader or tutor, ands see whether you can see any interdependance between discrete ideas. Depending on the level of essay required (grade school, high school, university, etc), you will have to choose your language and explore themes to a greater or lesser extent, taking care not to be led astray by superficialities or by seeming connections where no connections exist.

Contrast means to point out the differences that mark each faith aside from its companions, and show where meeting of ideas, concepts, and purposes, etc, have nothing in common no matter how your regard them.

To do this successfully, it is necessary to make a serious study of each faith, and speak to several informed members of faith, preferably clergy or scholars, so that you receive a view of each of these faiths from the inside perspective rather than collecting false impressions from polemic writings generated by those hostile to them. For example, it is foolish to believe anything a, say, Southern Baptist has to say about Islam because of extreme prejudice that sees Islam and Muslims only as satanically inspired enemies.

Make sure that you do not step outside the limits imposed by the rubric, and keep strictly to 'spiritual foundations,' and 'spiritual practices.' The experts you interview in each faith will be pleased to point you towards the most important of each of these in their particular faith.

For an overarching view of these (and others, that you will ignore) you can do little better than read "The Religious Experience of Mankind," by my late friend Professor Ninian Smart. The book is still available through Amazon,com, etc.

If you have time, I suggest that you interview more than one professor of each faith, and do not be afraid to ask them how their interpretation of a tenet disagrees or agrees with the same one, or similar, in the other faiths. Take along a tape recorder, plenty of batteries, and sufficient tapes to record the whole of your questions and answers. After reading Smart's book, make a lit of questions that you will ask of each religion. Ask the same question of each group so that you will be comparing like with like. If you end up with too much information, then you will have to select those that your respondents feel are the most vital expressions of their faith.

I wish you well.

M:)RGANITE

[valinors_sorrow]

You might consider reading some of the work by Karen Armstrong who has been studying and comparing these three faiths herself for quite some time. Her body of work is extensive and her latest book, the Spiral Staircase, I found to be a fascinating story of one ex-nun's very intimate account of how the decline Gparrack mentioned happens on an individual basis.

The bottom line was that the spiritual arrogance sometimes displayed in the practice of these faiths makes a lot of people question their appropriateness.

There are also some interesting comparisons and figures listed at ReligiousTolernace.org by the Ontario Consultants on Religious Tolerance.

[Morganite]

You might consider reading some of the work by Karen Armstrong who has been studying and comparing these three faiths herself for quite some time. Her body of work is extensive and her latest book, the Spiral Staircase, I found to be a fascinating story of one ex-nun's very intimate account of how the decline you see happens on an individual basis.

The bottom line was that the spritual arrogance sometimes displayed in the practice of these faiths makes a lot of people question their appropriateness.

There are also some interesting comparisons and figures listed at ReligiousTolernace.org by the Ontario Consultants on Religious Tolerance.

Armstrong's work is not suitable for the purposes of this essay, because she (Armstrong) does not contrast and compare. Hers is a personal view of religion after her failure to find God. Her books do not provide the foundation and practices of J,C, and I that he/she is required to write about, however interesting or appealing they may be on other grounds.

Dave: You write in The Spiral Staircase about achieving ecstatic moments through study, which you recognize as part of Jewish tradition. How do readers relate to that idea?

Armstrong: Not many people spend their life studying religion, let's be frank. No, this is just for me. I'm not putting my life forward as some kind of blueprint for other people; this is just a memoir. But Jewish people recognize it. As I've written, in the Leo Baeck College where I teach, as soon as I shared the idea for the first time, Lionel Bloom, my boss, said, "This is very, very Jewish."

A more helpful book by Armstrong could be A History of God. However, it is qui9te scho9larly ion its language, and has a relatively narrow subject focus that does not deal with the needs of the questioner's essay, so it is probably too narrow to serve, and unless it addresses the matters contained in the essay's rubric will be of limited benefit. It is always better [and more honest] to do the research personally, and then forge one's way through evidence on all sides and reach one's own conclusions.

Comment on Armstrong's A History of God:

From Powells.com:

In 1965, at the tender age of seventeen, Karen Armstrong took vows of poverty and chastity and entered a Catholic convent. However, she soon realized she was not suited to monastic life and left. Her 1981 memoir of her years as a novice became a bestseller and transformed Armstrong overnight into a spokesperson for religious issues. In 1984, Armstrong made her first of many trips to the Middle East, birthplace to the world's three great monotheisms: Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. What she found there startled her. More often than not, the people she met, whether Jewish, Christian, or Muslim, were mired in prejudice, deeply ignorant of religions other than their own. As curious as she was disturbed by this state of affairs, Armstrong set out to get to the bottom of things. She began serious scholarly research into the religious history of the Middle East, exploring the idea of God as it has evolved through these three religions over the past 5,000 years. This work has resulted in more than a dozen celebrated books, but greatest of these by far is A History of God (1993), in which she surveys the entire range and depth of her subject. Combining rigorous scholarship, genuine ecumenicalism, and an engaging prose style, A History of God has helped millions of Jews, Christians, and Muslims see through their differences and reach a deeper understanding of their respective faiths. Not bad for a failed nun. Farley, Powells.com

[valinors_sorrow]

Sigh.

Morganite:

1. I clearly identified Spiral Staircase as a personal viewpoint book -- it just happens to be the last one I read but it does speak to the GParrack's statement about shifting memberships both you and Starman felt free to comment to... so I thought it was relevant. Am I not allowed also?

2. I also stated that Armstrong has written quite a few books, including the one you've mentioned - History of God. There are more and they are even better that History of God too, which is why I suggested they look over all her works and pick what to read.

3. Some of the others she has written are a very objective comparisons of the three religions. Other literary sorts have hailed her work as that, not just me. I could not recall thosespecific titles at the moment and did not feel like digging them out so forgive me for giving too general of an answer.

4. Isn't it up to the OP to determine how valuable (or not) any suggestions are that are offered here? I did not see this as a debate since its not listed in Member Discussion nor was the OP's question formatted as such.

First you accuse me of being too personal and then too scholarly with my suggestions. Could it be that I like to offer a range because I like researching that way? Am I not allowed a different way of researching than you now, Morganite? Look, I know we've had our religious disagreements but maybe you and I ought to just leave each other alone, lest the OP's question is gobbled up by our (yours and mine) very old rhetoric here. It certainly does not need to be rehashed here in another form.

[jb520]

What can I do to compare and contrast the theological foundations and spiritual practices of Judaism, Christianity, and Islam?

Read the torah-the first five books of the bible. Read the bible and read the qur'an. Compare them all. They are all abrahamic religions and the bible is supposed to be part of the qur'an actually. The bible has been translated and changed, the qur'an has stayed the same, every syllable.

[NeedKarma]

the bible has been translated and changed, the qur'an has stayed the same, every syllable.

The qu'uran was originally written in English? I did not know that.

[Morganite]

read the torah-the first five books of the bible. read the bible and read the qur'an. compare them all. they are all abrahamic religions and the bible is supposed to be part of the qur'an actually. the bible has been translated and changed, the qur'an has stayed the same, every syllable.

I hate to burst your bubble but al Qur'an has not remained the same. Even at the time of Sultan Uthman there were several variant version of it, which is why he undertook to collect all of them and destroy them by burning them leaving only the text that he favoured. However, like most book burners there were some copies that he did not secure.

It is just as much a fiction to insist that the text of al Qur'an has never changed as it is to insist the same for the Hebrew and Greek scriptures. The truth is out there!

Mohammed took from the Hebrew and Greek holy books the bits he wanted to used in his writings. Hence there are similarities. In truth, Mohammed was a reformer whose proposition was that whereas ancient Israel and Christianity once had the truth they had departed from it and he sought to move religion back to what he considered it to be its centre.

However, being visited by Muslim missionaries was a much more harrowing business than being buttonholed by a pair of Jehovah's Witnesses. Were it not so it is questionmable whether Islam would have spread as far as it did. Convert or die is a stark choice, and neither Hebrew Tanak or Greek Christian revelations contains anything of that order.

But, yes, the text has not remained pure and unaltered. To show that it has - as you claim - you need to produce Mohammed's original writings so that a comparison can be made between modern Arabic copies and his monographs.

Asalaam

M:)

[Morganite]

The qu'uran was originally written in English? I did not know that.

No one can prove what language the original was written in. We have a good idea it was Arabic but unless we can actually see Mohammed's own handiwork we can only assume, presume, and guess.

[Morganite]

Sigh.

Morganite:

1. I clearly identified Spiral Staircase as a personal viewpoint book -- it just happens to be the last one I read but it does speak to the GParrack's statement about shifting memberships both you and Starman felt free to comment to... so I thought it was relevent. Am I not allowed also?

2. I also stated that Armstrong has written quite a few books, including the one you've mentioned - History of God. There are more and they are even better that History of God too, which is why I suggested they look over all her works and pick what to read.

3. Some of the others she has written are a very objective comparisons of the three religions. Other literary sorts have hailed her work as that, not just me. I could not recall thosespecific titles at the moment and did not feel like digging them out so forgive me for giving too general of an answer.

4. Isn't it up to the OP to determine how valuable (or not) any suggestions are that are offered here? I did not see this as a debate since its not listed in Member Discussion nor was the OP's question formatted as such.

First you accuse me of being too personal and then too scholarly with my suggestions. Could it be that I like to offer a range because I like researching that way? Am I not allowed a different way of researching than you now, Morganite? Look, I know we've had our religious disagreements but maybe you and I ought to just leave each other alone, lest the OP's question is gobbled up by our (yours and mine) very old rhetoric here. It certainly does not need to be rehashed here in another form.

Sighing right back at you!

I do wish you could see the issue and not interpret my comments as ad honinems. You can be as different as you wish to be, and so can everyone else. Did I comment on 'shifting memberships"? I doubt it, because the rubric does not rewuire it. It asks for the essayist to contrast and compare the 'spiritual foundations,' and 'spiritual practices' of each faith.

I responded to your post in the hope that the questioner would read my response and be guided away from non sequitors and stay on track. School teachers are extremely pernickity abodut essay writers staying right on the subject. They are tired to the point of despairing of scholars who, not knowing the answer required, proceed to answer a question that has NOT been asked and is not required for the piece of work.

By attempting to steer the questioner in the right course to satisfy the academic requirements I feel justified. If I see you walking into the path of a moving vehicle, do I let you wander into it and be maimed or killed, or do I make a warning cry?

You must not take these things personally. I spoke of Armstrong's suitablility for this exercise and did not address any remark to you or in your direction. I hope you will see the difference. I am here to help others, not to fight or massage egos, and that means including my own.

Why art thou wroth? and why is thy countenance fallen?
If thou doest well, shalt thou not be accepted?

If you will revisit the post I made that raised the above quoted complaints from you, and rad it with care, you will perhaps see why I am in total surprise and taken aback and gobsmacked at the tone and strength of your answer. I have neither said or done any of the things in my response to your post of which you accuse me. What is going on?


M:)

[valinors_sorrow]

Whatever you say, Morganite.
I give you the last word here simply because I've lost interest in any extended debate with you.
I only hope that wasn't the case for Mar1162.

[magprob]

Actually, the only holy book that hasn't been changed is Mien Kampf. Isn't that right Morganite?

[talaniman]

What can I do to compare and contrast the theological foundations and spiritual practices of Judaism, Christianity, and Islam?

They all have God as their center no matter the language.

They all have spread the word with a history of blood, conquest and forced conversion

They all purport to being right and your wrong

They all come from the same region of the world and are spreading throughout the world squabbling all the way.

They are all branches of the same tree and have many branches of their own

The contrast is how they see themselves and there traditions and ceremonies.

My observations on the outside looking in.

[Morganite]

They all have God as their center no matter the language.

They all have spread the word with a history of blood, conquest and forced conversion

They all purport to being right and your wrong

They all come from the same region of the world and are spreading throughout the world squabbling all the way.

They are all branches of the same tree and have many branches of their own

The contrast is how they see themselves and there traditions and ceremonies.

My observations on the outside looking in.

Jews have "spread the word with a history of blood, conquest and forced conversion." Do tell more!