EVOLUTION OF RELIGION A ORIGINS I The oldest religious symbol found to date is the sculpted torso of a female, the Earth Mother, found in an ancient grave The oldest evidence for the belief in some form of af­ terlife are Neanderthal burial sites - some 60-70,000 years old In these graves, the corpse was buried with various implements and supplies carefully arranged around it - presumably to prepare it for the afterlife B DYNAMISM I The belief that there are forces in nature that humans can use to their benefit Mana is a force that can be harnessed and magic is the knowledge that is required in order to use mana Typically, sympathetic magic is used- rituals that imitate what is sought; e.g., the rain dance, fertility rituals, voodoo, etc C ANIMISM: The Soul or Spirit Worship I Beliefs about some form of spiritual afterlife arising from the fear of death Dreams are often thought to be the means for the spirit to contact the afterlife or spirit world Most animism takes the form of ancestor worship a Some spirits are worshiped as spirits of the dead; furthermore anything alive may have a spiritual presencc b Spirits may be believed to guard houses or property Some related words: a Rite: A specific group of prayers and rituals performed in sequence to achieve a desired effect b Shaman: Specialists in these rituals, with knowledge of the spirit world; also called Seers, or Witches c Cult: A specific set of rites to a specific god d Taboo: A limited, or forbidden, thing or action D THERIOMORPHISM i Gods are pictured as various animals, seen especially in Native American culture A hierarchy of spirits exists and may be very difficult to deal with Totemism: The belief that a divine animal created humans and gave them everything they know E ANTHROPOMORPHISM I God or gods take on the form or characteristic of humans May relate to physical, moral or emotional qualities F POLYTHEISM A system of having many gods; gods may be viewed as growing old and dying Stages A-D (above) may historically be co-occurring with stage F Within a polytheistic culture, the lower classes typically create more and more gods, while the upper classes create fewer and fewer gods; this process occurs simultaneously for the two classes G MONOTHEISM I The worship of one and only one God, generally regarded as immortal, omniscient, omnipotent, omnibcncvolent, personal and immutable All the major Western religions (Judaism, Christianity and Islam) are monotheistic and non­ Pantheistic (God is viewed as supernatural and separate from the world) Some related words: a Revelation: A message God has given humans in order to reveal himself Typically, revelations communicate God's plans for a people, God's commandments for proper behavior and, possibly, prophecies of God's future plans or actions b Prophet: A divinely inspired messenger of God The criteria and qualifications for being a genuine prophet often cause controversy within a religion; similarly, an alleged prophet may face violent opposition from established religious leaders when he or she challcnges the religious stutus quo Hindu ] Buddhist, Taoist (intermixed) Tribal Undocumented CHRISTIANITY A CENTRAL DOCTRINE I A monotheistic religion contending the most complete revelation of God was personified in Jesus of Nazareth Jesus is conceived of as hoth human and divine a As divine, he is the incarnation of God: He is the Christ - God in human form b As human, he is the man Jesus of Nazareth, but unlike any other humans, without sin c The most crucial beliefs in this religion: i Jesus Christ was resurrected from the dead on ~ Easter Sunday ii God is believed to be manifest in three personas: Father, Son and Holy Spirit This doctrine of the Trinity is rejected by Jews and Muslims JESUS CHRIST B CHRIST I Jesus is viewed as having been born of the Virgin Mary and living a morally exemplary life He demonstrated his teachings by example, parable, sermons and miracles It is claimed as the Son of God, Jesus made a willing sacrifice - through his crucifixion - so that through his blood, those who believe in him would be cleansed of sin Many Christians view this sacrifice as an act of grace - a great gift bestowed upon an undeserving humanity C THE SACRED AND THE PROFANE I Christian thought is characterized bv a certain duality that divides reality into the profane (to include nature and the human body) and the sacred (to include God, spirit and soul) Historically, Christianity has demonstrated a certain antagonism toward the natural world as profane, and therefore inferior, matter This tendency has at often­ times surfaced in historical Christianity as a negative attitude toward physical pleasure and the human body D HUMAN NATURE Humans are viewed as created in "the image of God" and, unlike other creatures, have responsi­ bility to God and are morally accountable Regarding human nature, there is some division in Christian views: a Some contend that humans are inherently sinful from the time of birth and can only overcome this sin with God's help b Another view holds that humans are capable of acting in keeping with God's wishes aJl(~ through proper nurture and devotion to God, can live morally acceptable lives c Both views, however, agree that God's grace is essential E SALVATION Only through the grace of God is salvation possible Christianity contends that only by accepting Jesus Christ as one '5 savior can onc be saved through gracc Good deeds in themselves arc insufficient to guarantee salvation; rather, good deeds may be evidence of repentance WESTMINSTER ABBEY after a person is already saved LONDON A person who is saved will live a morally exemplary life due to love of God and his/her fellow humans In sum, worshippers arc saved by grace through faith F THEODICY I An attempt to explain how a merciful , benevolent God can allow evil to exist especially the seemingly undeserved NOTRE DAME CATHEDRAL suffering of innocents PARIS There arc sevcral possible answers to this probleIll: a Some contend that the suffering of innocents Illay help save others This is most clearly shown in the example of Jesus' sulTcring on the cross for the salvation of humanity b St Augustine held that human suffering is for the sin of Adam c Lastly, it has been contended that the suffering of Christian martyrs gave a powerful demon­ stration of the value of Christian faith d Ultimately, it can be held that the existence of evil is an unfathomable mystery to humans and only to be understood by God G, FAITH AND REASON I Historically, the Church has held that unaided human reason can lead to truth as well as scripture Nonetheless, faith and scripture arc thought to be more reliable compasses to truth, since reason is subject to human error An extreme position in this regard is fideism: The \ iew that on!}' thmughjaith can truth and God be known CHRISTIANITY (CONTINUED) H FAITH AND SCIENCE I Traditionally, there has been some tension between the Church and science as to how to resolve the seeming discrepancy between Biblical and scien­ tific views of the natural world The Catholic Church has attempted to resolve the discrepancy by contending that Biblical truths are tmths offaith and scientific truths are tmths ofreason; the two opemte on pamllel planes and are, thus, not in conflict Current divisions fall into roughly two categories: a Liberal: This view claims the Bible is only metaphorical or allegorical when it comes to the natural world b Fundamentalist: Claim that the Bible is to be under­ stood as literally true; hence, in those cases when scientific discoveries are at odds with Scripture, the scientific outlook is discounted c Authority: The Bible was the sole source of authority to be under­ stood by each Christian according to his/her own conscience BIBLE d Infallibility of the Pope: The infallibility of the pope on matters of morals and religion was denied e Celibacy of Priesthood: Priests were free to marry according to the dictates of their own conscience f Sacraments: Luther recognized only two sacra­ ments based upon scripture: Baptism and the Lord's Supper (Communion) Roman Catholicism has retained seven: Baptism, Eucharist, Confirmation, Marriage, Holy Orders, Penance and Anointing the Sick L CALVINISM I Calvinism 's main doctrines were systematically revealed in John Calvin's Institutes of the Christian I ROMAN CATHOLICISM Religion (1559) As the self-proclaimed old­ Calvinism differed from the est embodiment of Chris- "1P"J:_.·t::.c~ Lutheran Protestant views more tianity, the Holy Roman in degree than kind, perhaps the Catholic Church adheres to L "" .T~ / most notable difference being the several principle doctrines: belief in the predestination ofsouls I Biblical Interpretation: Calvinism has traditionally been The Bible is to be inter- 1:.l ;';';;_ _iiiii_iiliiiil.::Oi&~ a more austere religion, taking a CALVIN preted by Bishops and Papal THE :~:~CAN guarded view toward the consumption of alcohol directive Specifically, the and other pleasures, such as dancing Pope's authority is held to be infallible in matters M AFTER-EFFECTS OF THE REFORMATION conceming religion or morals Apostolic Succession: The pope and bishops are in a linear spiritual succession to Christ and as such, their authority carries, in varying degrees, the same spiritual legitimacy that Christ conferred upon his apostles Dogma: Certain doctrines are unquestioningly accepted such as the Gospel of Christ, the wine drunk and wafer eaten during communion as the literal (and not just symbolic) blood and body of Christ, and the beliet: in the Immaculate Conception Confession: The church implements a mechanism for the atonement of sin through confession Saints: Certain individuals who have demonstrated particularly exemplary moral qualities and can be verified as having been party to, or performed at least one miracle, may be "canonized" - i.e , recog­ nized as saints Grace: The belief that though no ordinary human, no matter how pious, ever deserves or merits salvation, God freely bestows this gift upon the undeserving due to his love and goodness Sacrament: An observable sign of something sacred or a visible sign of divine grace; specifically, seven sacraments are upheld: Eucharist, Baptism, Confirmation, Penance, Anointing of the Sick, Matrimony and Holy Orders J THE EASTERN ORTHODOX CHURCH I Developed in the Greek tradition, separate from the Latin, or Roman Catholic, Church Besides factors of politics and geography, the two churches split due to GREEK ORTHODOX doctrinal differences over CHURCH icons, the infallibility of the GREECE pope and the marriage of priests The most noticeable effect of the Protestant Reformation upon Christianity has been the fragmentation of mainstream Protestantism into a myriad of denominations, each differing on the particulars of how scripture is to be understood Given Luther 's initial emphasis upon the personal relationship between God and the individual , this development is understandable The diversity of the forms of Protestant Christianity runs the spectrum from denominations such as the Episcopalian Anglican Church, which is quite similar to the Roman Catholic Church, to more novel devel­ opments, such as Christian Science, Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints (Mormons), Unitarianism, Unificationism and others TEMPLE CALIFORNIA N POSSIBLE FUTURE TRENDS I With the evolution of new technologies and social political struggles , Christianity faces many challenges in the new millennium Moral problems posed by such developments as cloning and genetic engineering are likely to raise new challenges to the church Liberation Theologv with its emphasis on social injustice, is likely to remain a growing intluence in developing countries and possibly produce new emerging doctrines relating to the proper relation of Christians to their community Other issues confronting Christians in the new millennium may well include the ordination of female priests, same-sex marriages, increased secularization and relations to other religions K THE REFORMATION I Initiated in the sixteenth century by Martin Luther, the Protestant reformation divided Christendom on several key issues Luther took exception to several doctrines of the Roman Catholic Church, most notably: a The Bible: Luther claimed that a Christian was free to have a ~ personal relationship with God and the intervention of priests to read and interpret the Bible was not necessary b Latin: The Bible could be trans­ lated into other languages and Latin need not be the sole LUTHER language of scripture JUDAISM A CENTRAL DOCTRINE Judaism encompasses some four millennia of devel­ opment; as such, it is a dynamic historical record of the experience of worship of a people who identify themselves as children (descendants) of Abraham (circa: 2,000 B.C.) The basic tenet of this religion is that God made a covenant with a group of people chosen to demon­ strate God 's requirements to the rest of humanity; as such, it could be argued that a Jew is accountable to a higher moral standard than a non-Jew due to this higher responsibility to God In contrast to Christians who accept C hrist as the Messiah, Jews, by not accepting Christ as divine, are still waiting for their Messiah B THE CHOSEN PEOPLE I Jews think of themselves as being chosen as the people responsible to God It is traditionally accepted that this group studies and follows God 's commandments, thus making a covenant with God C THE TORAH I The Jewish Bible is actually a set of books; the most important of these is the Torah The first five books of the Old Testament comprise the Jewish Torah Although Moses is credited with the origin of the Torah , the language (i.e , the vocabulary and style) of the JiJrah seems to date from around 800 B.C., whereas Moses lived around 1,200 s.C The Torah may be understood in conservative or liberal interpretations: a Conservative: The Bible is the actual word of God and is, thus, without error It is an accurate account of the history of the Jewish people b Liberal: The Bible is the product of the interaction of God with his chosen people and a record of their understanding of God's revelation Historically, a conservative interpretation has prevailed with the liberal interpretation becoming _ _ _~ more prevalent in modern times D MOSES I Moses lived around 1,200 s.C and introduced the commandments that are part of the Torah Moses is the most important person in Jewish history, as he is credited with bringing the children of Israel out of bondage in Egypt (circa: 1,300 B.C.) and the covenant between God and his people was renewed under Moses By accepting God 's commandments (as delivered by Moses) , the Hebrews agreed to serve God exclu­ sively; in return, God would bring them to tJ, Promised Land and make them a great nation E THE NATURE OF GOD I The traditional characteristics of monotheism reside in the God of the Tomh: God is endowed with omniscience, omnipotence and omnibcnevolence Perhaps most importantly, God makes a covenant with the chosen to protect, instruct and show them compassion; in return, the people uphold God ',; laws, worship and show proper devotion God is traditionally conceived of as a personal God - a God with whom a personal onc-to-on e relationship is possible In some interpretations however God is a flllldamental , unfathomable mystery.ooG(xl oo is a verb not a noun: a process, not a singularity; ultimately indescribable and incomprehensible to the human mind This veneration of God by some Jews is carried on to the extent they will dedim; to write the word " God oo and refrain from any naming of "it:' F THE HOLOCAlJST I The systematic genocide of millions ofJcw,; by the Nazis (circa 1933- 1945) is the single most signit~ icant pivotal event in recent Jewish history Theologically, it presents a challenge to explain how an omnibencvolcnt God could have allowed such a calamity to occur Politically, it was to underscore the need fix a Jewish homeland and provide an impetus fl)r Z ionism G NATURE AND THE WORLD I Unlike C hristianity, Judaism displays no animosity to the natural world Though God is supernatural (i.e., separate from nature), the world is nevertheless God's creation Part of the covenant with God is the responsible stewardship over this creation It could bc argucd that desecrating narure dishonors God and breaks the covenant and trust' placed in the chosen people The historically negative anitud.; toward the body and nature as " profane " f,mnd in C hristianity is not present in Judaism H IMMORTALITY I Judaism places less emphasis upon an afterlif~ than does C hristianity Although resurrection from the dead is a part of Jewish doctrine, Judaism has focused upon a good life on earth and fellowship with God during the person's lifetime Ii I I : I I I DISTINGUISHING BETWEEN JUDAISM AND CHRISTIANITY I Although Judaism recognizes people of other religions can serve God and live according to God's laws, there are significant exceptions Judaism is a monotheistic religion that condemns all forms of idolatry and rejects polytheism , Trinitarian Christianity is rejected as polythe­ istic and Christianity in general is rejected, since Judaism does not accept Jesus as the Messiah Lastly, Judaism considers calling Jesus "God" blasphemous J FORMS OF JUDAISM I Reform a Emphasizes the ethical tradition of the Torah; the Torah's teachings are pertinent only for the ethical lessons they teach; regulations concerning kosher foods, ceremonial purity and dress are no longer thought relevant b Reform Judaism allows the sexes to sit together during services and the ordination offemale rabbis Services are customarily conducted in English Conservative a Requires strict observance of the Torah and Talmud b Services are generally conducted in Hebrew, adherence to kosher dietary ~ laws is encouraged and males wear head coverings in the Synagogue i c Zionism (the establishment of a Jewish homeland) is an TALMUD important concern d Allows for the ordination of qualified women as rabbis Reconstructionism a Attempts to reformulate Judaism in a modem, scientifically-oriented perspective b Denies that Jews are a "chosen people" and is, thus, often at odds with more Orthodox Judaism c Designed to appeal primarily to educated, intellectual Jews i The supernatural aspects of Judaism are rejected ii Focus is upon living in accordance with the ethical requirements of Judaism Orthodox a Retains as many of the old traditions of the Torah and Talmud as possible i During services, the sexes are segregated; men wear head coverings and prayer shawls ii The service is in Hebrew iii Members adhere to kosher dietary laws b Orthodox rabbis generally not recognize Reform and Conservative forms of Judaism and not accept rabbis of these denominations as equals in religious authority c Although assimilated in the modern world, Orthodox Jews are expected to uphold their Jewish faith without compromise Hassidism a Members of this tradition consider themselves the "'pious ones" and are dedicated to the Torah and leading pure lives b Although involved in modern society, members of this group seek to maintain Judaism in the most ancient form possible c Rcgulations regarding proper diet, dress, ritual and study are strictly obscrvcd Ir 1\, K THE QUESTION OF JEWISH IDENTITY I Within the Jewish community, there has been some controversy concerning exactly what makes an individual authentically Jewish Historically, most agree that Jews were initially distinguished as a group by their acceptance of the blessings and responsibilities of God's covenant Today, Orthodox rabbis have difficulty accepting members of non-Orthodox denominations as legitimate Jews The question of whether a convert to one of these non-Orthodox denomina­ tions is entitled to Israeli citizenship poses a problem for many Orthodox Beyond this, other issues include whether Judaism is a religion, an ethnicity, a culture or a heritage =~ ISLAM A CENTRAL DOCTRINE I Strict monotheism; there is but one God, Allah (trans "the God") Muhammad is God's messenger - a prophet Although Moses and Jesus are also recognized as prophets, Muhammad's message is thought to be God's final revelation The divinity of Jesus is explicitly rejected by Mus­ lims, as is the Trinity Islam allows for belief in angels (for example, the an­ gel Gabriel is thought to have brought Muhammad his first revelation) and the personification of evil B.MUHAMMAD I Born in 570, Muhammad received his first revelation from God in 610 In the ensuing 20 years, he received many revela­ tions from God; the compilation of these revela­ tions comprise the Quran During his lifetime, Muhammad converted many of the polytheistic tribes of Arabia to a strict monotheism The two sources of the Islamic faith are the Quran and the Sunna a The Quran is thought to be the direct revelation of God through his messenger Muhammad b The Sunna is thought to be the authentic record of Muhammad's actions and decisions on moral matters without clear scriptural instruction This provides a morally exemplary example for all followers of Islam C THE QURAN I Thought to be the one living miracle of Islam It is argued that it was impos­ sible for Muhammad, an illiterate, uneducated shepherd, to have composed prose of such .-'._ profound beauty, wisdom QURAN and sublime nature Devout Muslims believe that it is impossible to translate the Quran ITom Arabic, for the religious and poetic impact of the book is lost in any translation Thus, the Holy Book can only be fully appreciated in Arabic D RELIGIOUS REQUIREMENTS-There are five fundamental requirements that a Muslim must fulfill: I Shahada: A declaration that there is but one God, Allah, and Muhammad is his messenger Prayer: Must participate in prayer, facing the direction of Mecca, five times a day Zakat: An obligatory tax (usually about 2.5 percent) that must be paid to the poor Ramadan: During this month, all able-bodied Muslims must fast during daylight hours This month offasting is in observance of the month in which God began to reveal the Quran to Muhammad Hajj: All Muslims physically able to so are expected to make a pilgrimage to Mecca at least once in their lifetime E ISLAMIC ATTITUDES TOWARD OTHER RELIGIONS I Islam regards Jews and Christians as "People of the Book," since Abraham and Jesus are recognized as prophets of the same God as Muhammad Muhammad is viewed as bringing God's final revelation to humanity and, as such, the Qurall supersedes the authority of the Bible and the Torah Most notably, Islam rejects as idolatry the Christian notion of the Trinity and denies any divine element in the person of Jesus Jesus and Muhammad are seen as both mortal humans who were chosen by God to deliver a certain message Given that Muhammad's message is God's last word, it is thought that everyone should convert to Islam, the most perfect revelation of God's will F SALVATION I If they are to be accepted by God, Muslims must follow a very straightforward and clear-cut system of ethics Islam has a clear belief in Heaven and Hell and the appropriateness of a person's morality in deter­ mining where he/she ends up A person must live up to the requirements of the Quran, fulfill his/her religious duties and obliga­ tions, and refrain from prohibited actions Muslims believe that upon the Day of Judgment, humans will be resurrected and judged by God There is no need for Grace in Islam, for tlllmall actions on their own call merit God:S mercy alld goodness G.THEWORLD I Islam views the world as 1.:"'m in ed III any fum,_M il )' :11\ )' means cleC!rolllc or ml-etmnin1 including pholOCOpy recordi ng, ur any inronnalion SIOI1IIC and fClril'\aJ s).tem without " TIlleR flCo n is,"on from th" pu bli$he r 2fHH Rn C hM rt s, hlc u~OIi ISBN-13: 978-157222744-6 ISBN-10: 157222744-3 911~mll ~~III!1!IJIII!ll 11111111111111111 fr~e d~Wn~adS & nun re 01 titles at qUlc uuy.com Author: Albert Lyngzeidetson, PhD Photos of Torah and Talmud courtesy of Chabad-Lubavitch Temple of Boynton Beach, FL Customer Hotline # 1.800.230.9522 We welcome your feedback so we can maintain and exceed your expectations A CENTRAL DOCTRINE I Atheism is fundamentally a rejection of belief in any God It is more than a simple lack of belief, as children and some members of tribal societies may not believe out of ignorance Atheism is a recognition and understanding of the affirmations of religious belief, which are explicitly rejected Specifically, the Judeo-Christian view of a supernatural, omnipotent, omniscient, omnibenev­ olent and personal God is rejected Reasons for rejection include the belief that God's existence is mere superstition, cannot be proven, lacks adequate grounds, is self-contradictory and is the product of delusion and mental illness B PRINCIPAL CLAIMS Beyond the explicit rejection ofthe beliefin the Judeo­ Christian God, atheism typically claims: I Empiricism: Only empirically verifiable reality is recognized; any beliefs about supernatural entities of any kind are rejected, including beliefs in souls, spirits, angels, the occult and spirituality Ethical Relativism: There is no objective moral standard for right and wrong Ethics and morality are viewed as the products of culture and politics, and are, therefore, relative and subject to individual convictions Existentialism: The meaning of life is sought within the individual or the individual's relationship to humanity; there is no overall purpose to life beyond the events of the biological lifespan Mortality: All life ends permanently, irrevocably and absolutely with the death and decomposition of the physical body; all beliefs in immortality, salvation, or reincarnation are rejected SECULAR HUMANISM A CENTRAL DOCTRINE I Focuses on the betterment, advancement and nurture of the human condition Oftentimes approached from a sociopolitical perspective, wherein the betterment of humanity is taken to be a political imperative The increasing power and influence of science is the impetus for increasing secularization and given the absence of religious belief, humanity in itsel f becomes the new focus of morality Most notably, transcendence (i.e., speculation about immortality) is rejected ; only the significance of the physical life span of the individual is important B HISTORICAL DEVELOPMENT I The roots of secular humanism can be traced back to the Renaissance and the 18 th -century European Enlightenment, but perhaps the advancement of science ' and the industrial revolution in the 19th century is its modern beginning Politically, Marxism is perhaps the clearest modern example of a form of government based upon secular humanism C ATTITUDE TOWARD RELIGION I Secular humanists either dismiss religion as outdated and irrelevant or totally reject religion and see it as a harmful influence in the world Consequently, the attitudes of individual secular humanists toward organized religion can run the spectrum from agnosticism (espousing ignorance about the existence of God), to a liberal atheism (rejection of a belief in God, but tolerant of religion) , to militant atheism (opposition to religion due to the belief that it is harmful to humanity) VIEWPOINTS ON THE FUNCTIONS OF RELIGION A SCIENTIFIC: Religion originally provided an expla­ nation for natural phenomena in terms of supernatural causes Ollen leading to various form s of ritual sacrifice in order to placate the gods of the weather, harvest, fertility, etc B MORAL I Typically, religion serves a moral purpose by providing codes of conduct for appropriate behavior through revelations II'om a divine source Such codes are generally enforced through the adoption of divine threats of punishment or reward in this life and/or the afterlife It is claimed that we need the prospect of divinc justice in order to tolerate the injustice in this lifetime where goodness is no guarantee of happiness well ness or prosperity C POLITICAL: Reli gion is often utili zed by political leaders to legitimize and consolidate their power This is used to justify the so-called "divine right of kings," and the religiously privileged status of the upperclass, such as the Brahmin caste in Hinduism D MILITARY: Political interests oftcn utilize religion to further military aims; the so-callcd "God is on our side" propaganda E ETHNIC: Frequently, an ethnic group will identify themselves as members of a specific religion thereby fostering group unity and strengthening intergroup bonds and identity F ECONOMIC: Religion may be uscd to give an air of divine sanction and legitimacy to economically pri vi­ leged groups; thus, wealth may be see n as an indication of God's blessing upon the privileged G UNIFICATORY: Religion serves as a mean s to satisfy the human need to belong to something greater This need is addressed both in the secular realm of social cohesion and desire to belong in the congregational group, and the supernarural realm of belonging to God's kingdom H PSYCHOLOGICAL: Freud theori zed th at all religion is a form of mental illness, a neuroti c defense mechani sm of ill/imtile regression The individual projects parental qualities upon God to sati sfy the emotional need to feel unconditionally loved and protected by a being greater than himself/herself I EMOTIONAL I Feuerbach claimed that the purpose of religi on is wish fulfillment The reali zati on that thi s world will not satisfy our longings and wi shes compels us to invent the myth that there is another world where all things will be made right In fact, the more miserable, hopeless and di ssat­ isfied people are with their lives, the g reater their tendency to accept the religious promi se of beller lives in the hereafter J EXISTENTIAL I Religion, especially orthodox relig ion , gi ves a very clear purpose and meaning to life There is no emotional dread of exi stence, or ex iste ntial forlornnes s: The path of one 's life and its meaning is clearly laid out Typically this involves fo llowing God's commandments, worshiping and loving God with the hopc of everlasting life K TRANSCENDENT/SPIRITUAL: It is claimed that human s have a deep-rooted spiritual need to fccl connected to the eternal Alone we feel in s if,~lificant and our life seems trivial, but being connected to or being one with the eternal makes us feci restored and complete  ... the infinite in everything This QuickStudy @guide outlines the major topics taught in Comparative Religiolls courses Due to its condensed format, use it as a study guide , not as a replacement... DISTINGUISHING BETWEEN JUDAISM AND CHRISTIANITY I Although Judaism recognizes people of other religions can serve God and live according to God's laws, there are significant exceptions Judaism... Judaism in the most ancient form possible c Rcgulations regarding proper diet, dress, ritual and study are strictly obscrvcd Ir 1, K THE QUESTION OF JEWISH IDENTITY I Within the Jewish community,