Two Religions, Research Paper Example

Introduction

Religion is an important aspect of the lives of many. Many people may even argue that society could not function without religion. This is true because religion regulates human behavior. Most laws are that we have today are rooted in religious practices somehow. Without the many religions that are present in the United States, society would be greatly changed. Whether it would be better or worse remains an unanswered question. Some people feel it would be better, while others are adamant that society would be in utter chaos without religion. Religion provides a reason for life- a meaning for everything. Most religions teach that society members should work together and share in love. They also discourage selfishness that only complicates society. Religion plays a bigger role in life than many people realize. Religion affects family, education, etc. Marriage is a religious ceremony. Whether or not one becomes educated depends or his/her religious beliefs. Some religions shone education, while other only educate their men. Although there are so many different types of religions, they all attempt to make sense of the world. The two religions I decided to investigate were: Judaism and Catholicism.

Background Judaism

Judaism is the religion that Jewish people practice. Judaism stems from one central belief that people of all religions are children of God. There is an estimated 5.8 million practicing Jews in America. The early Jewish history is told in the Hebrew bible known as the Pentateuch, which is the first five books of Moses. It is also called the Torah. Judaism is the oldest of the three western monotheistic religions.

Background Catholicism

The Roman Catholic religion is one the largest sects of Christianity in the world. It is referred to as the Roman Catholic because its roots can be traced back to Rome. There is estimated to be more than 783 million people who practice some form of Catholicism. These statistics are based on baptismal records. Their basic beliefs are derived from the New Testament. Their basic belief is that God entered the world through the incarnation of his son Jesus.

Major Teachings of Judaism

Jewish life is guided by the 613 Godly commandments written in the Torrah. The Torrah contains the five books of Moses-Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy. No one is allowed to touch the Torrah during the reading; they use a special pointer called a yad to follow the words as they read.There are very specific doctrine about individual and community. For one day out of the seven days in a week, they limit their resources. They walk to synagogue on Sunday. They will drive only when walking is not possible. The Torrah prohibits wasteful consumption of anything. They must preserver life. Use of chemicals and modern materials are cautioned. Judaism focuses on the relationship between God and man. Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob are considered the founders of this religion.

Major Teachings of Catholicism

Catholic life is guided by the teachings of the bible and other guidelines set forth by the pope. Those guidelines cover issues in social justice, racial equality, disarmament, human rights, contraception, and abortion. They openly oppose artificial contraception. They do not allow remarriage after divorce. Three Catholic themes are prayer, liturgy, and scripture. Catholics hold the bible in high regards and are not to teach contrary to its guidelines. Catholics believe in the Nicene Creed, which means they believe that God exists in three person (Father, Son, and Holy Ghost).

Worship/Ceremonies of Judaism

Jewish people are required to pray three times a day-morning, afternoon, and evening. They prefer to pray with at least ten adult Jewish men in a synagogue if one is available. However, prayers can be recited where ever one is at the prayer time. Morning worship service is conducted on the Sabbath and other special prayers on specific holidays. During prayer the head of male Jews must be covered. This is done to show reverence to God. During Morning Prayer they must wear a prayer shawl. Two small, leather phylacteries must be worn on non-Sabbath and festival days. Only a qualified rabbi may inspect these sacred items. A Jewish inmate should never be required to pray in a room that contains a toilet or symbols from other religions. A Minyan is required to conduct Jewish worship. Non-Jewish cannot utter particular blessings or participate in certain Jewish activities. There must be at least 10 people present to have worship services. It is considered a sign of disrespect to bring in money of any kind. Men should not even bring their wallets and women should not bring in their purses. The synagogue is also used a school for adults and school age children.

Worship/Ceremonies of Catholicism

Mass is the formal worship services of Catholics. Attending Mass is the only way Catholics can fulfill the third commandment. The first part of Mass is called the Liturgy of the Word. They mainly read the bible during this time. The Catholics recite and read from the Bible during worship service. The faithful members are asked to receive communion. By tradition, all clergy are male. Bishops and priests are celibate. The pope is elected for life by the College of Cardinals, a group of thirty members. Catholics follow a religious practice cycle of Advent, Christmas, Epiphany, Lent, Easter, and Pentecost.

Leadership/Meetings of Judaism

Spiritual leaders in Judaism are called rabbis. However, trained lay persons may lead prayer services. Any Jewish male over the age of 13 can lead prayer services if he is properly trained. A person allowed to lead prayer is called a chazzan. Jewish people tend to want other Jewish people to handle their affairs. A Dayan is a Jewish judge. Religious courts handle marriages, divorces, and financial disputes within the Jewish community. A shochet is a ritual slaughterer he ensures that meat consumed by the Jewish is kosher. The mashgiach supervises the manufacturers of kosher meats.

Leadership/Meetings of Catholicism

The Roman Catholic Church arrangement is hierarchical, supervised by the pope in Rome. Spiritual leaders in Catholicism are called popes. The Church is structured and divided by diocese, with bishop and archbishops, overseeing individual churches. The pope names the bishops. Dioceses are made up of parishes, each of which has a church and a priest. The pope controls bishops through general legislation.A distinguished practice of worship is prayer for the dead.

Death/Burial Practices of Judaism

Cremations and embalming are considered defilements of the body and are strictly prohibited in Judaism. Autopsies are only permitted if required by law. When a Jewish person dies, the body must be guarded by someone of the same sex. Burial must be completed by sundown the next day. The body must be properly washed and dressed in burial attire. Only Jewish people who are certified in this practice may touch the body. Plain wooden coffin held together by wooden pegs may be used. Burial must be in Jewish owned cemetery. Periods of morning are also specified.

Death/Burial Practices of Catholicism

Catholics believe in life after death. If a person dies before repenting for some awful sin he/she has committed the person soul will be damned to hell. The sick and elderly are encouraged to receive Sacrament on a regular basis. The Catholic funeral rite is called the Order of Christian Funerals. Family and friends of the deceased pray for the soul of the deceases and petition God to receive his/her soul. Catholics may be cremated or buried.

Catholic Place of Worship I Visited

I visited the Santa Martha Catholic Church located in Miami Shores, Florida. It is located in a Hispanic neighborhood. It was the most beautiful building I have ever seen. There were a countless number of statues of Jesus and the Virgin Mary. The landscaping was perfect. Every shrub, flower, and bush was neatly groomed. They almost seemed artificial. The inside was just as nice. Elegant stained glass windows let in beautiful light. There were high ceilings with adorned ceiling fans. There were hard wood floors. The pews were padded with blue cloth. The congregation was very large. I would have to guess several hundred people were there. At first, the people seemed very unfriendly towards me. I felt out of place and like everyone knew I was not a regular member. When the pastor was talking it was completely quiet. Everyone was paying attention. At my regular church people are usually whispering to each other. My church is very loud; people are dancing, and having a good time. At Santa Martha everyone remained seated and quiet. The music was being playing very low. The one aspect that I did like was the fact that the collection plate was being passed around every thirty minutes. This made me uncomfortable because I felt like they were all about money. Families sat together. They didn’t dress any differently than they do at my church. Women wore dresses and men were pants.

At the end of the service, the people were nicer. They came over to talk to me. They wanted to know where I was from and invited me to come back the next Sunday. They told of the different functions they have throughout the week. They had Bible study, women’s issues, and choir rehearsal. On the outside of the church they sold many food items. They even sold Rosemary and Bibles. This only made me feel more like making money was a big issue to them.

Judaism Place of Worship I Visited

The synagogue I visited was located in Sunny Isle Beach. The temple was small, but very nice. It resembles an ordinary building or house. It was located under a condo; a fact I found very strange. It was not very decorative. As you walked in there was a long hall that they used for prayer. The Ark was above the rabbi. Inside the Ark the scrolls were kept. Above them were two plaques that held the 10 commandments. In the middle of the ceiling was light that is never turned out to signify the forever shining light of God. There are seats aligned down the wall (facing Jerusalem) for men and a gallery above for the women and children. The walls were carved in the shapes of fruits, flowers, and vegetables (grapes, pomegranates, and apples). The rabbi stands on a raised platform so that he may see everyone and everyone may see him. There are seven branched Menorahs on either side of the platform.

When the men enter the synagogue they put on a kippah (skull cap) and keep it on during the entire service. They wear these to remind them that they are always duty bound. Before the worship services began, the men put on a teflin (a small leather box with leather straps). The box was worn on the left forearm and on the forehead. The boxes contain scriptures. Women wear tallitot (prayer shawls). Women wore dresses with sleeves and shoes with closed toes. Men wore dark colored slacks that were neatly ironed. They did not take up any monetary offerings and nothing was being sold.

I was allowed to sit where I wanted to, but I was obviously being watched. This made me feel very uncomfortable. I felt out of place because I was not dressed like the regular members. I later found out that even if you are a guest, you are expected to dress appropriately. The people here were not friendly at all. They seemed threatened by me attending.

Compare/Contrast Two Services

Although the two services were nothing like what I’m used to, they did have some similarities and differences. First, the Catholics dressed similar to what I am used to at my own church. The women wore dresses and men wore slacks. They were neat and well groomed. On the other hand, the Jewish people wore special outfits. The men had their heads covered and wore the prayer boxes on their foreheads and forearms. Women wore ritual prayer shawls. Also, in the Catholic Church, the pews were lined up facing forward. The priest was in the front facing the people, just like at my church. In contrast, at the Jewish Synagogue the pews formed a semi-circle with the rabbi in the middle. At the Jewish Synagogue, the women and children sat on a second level away from the men and older boys; whereas, at the Catholic Church the entire family sat together without special seating arrangements. One distinctive difference between the two services was the fact that the Jewish Synagogue did not take up a monetary offering. Men did not carry wallets and women didn’t carry their purses. At the Catholic Church a monetary offering was taken up about every thirty minutes. The one thing they both seemed to have in common was the fact that it was more like a program than a service because they seemed to follow an imaginary schedule.

Analysis

Both places of worship I attended had one thing in common-protocol. The service seemed to be outlined and they followed it religiously. Everything seemed to happen at a scheduled time. Some members even seemed to know what was about to happen next before it happened. The Catholic members were more welcoming to me, while the Jewish members seemed to be untrusting of my presence. This was a totally different experience than what I experience at my church. We don’t follow a schedule and are led by the Spirit of God. I grew up in a Baptist church, so I have some deep rooted beliefs. We were always encouraged not to attend other denominational churches. All my life I have felt this way, but as an adult I now know that this only produces religious intolerance against people of other faiths. Although I don’t see myself converting to either of these religions, I am tolerable and respectful of their practices. Religious tolerance is rapidly growing in America; it should be because America is made up of so many different people. Religious tolerance is important because Christians are supposed to show brotherly love. Love can’t be achieved through hate and intolerance. However, religious tolerance does not mean forsaking your beliefs. It means remaining steadfast to the word of God by allowing his love to be seen through you. As Christians, our main goal is to win souls for Christ. If someone sees Christ in us, they may be willing to accept him as their personal savior. So, as a Christian we are never to agree with the doctrines of other teaching if they go against the Bible, but we are to be tolerable.

People turn to religion to give them explanations for things they don’t understand. Death is something that many people fear, both religious and non-religious. Because no one has been able to die and come back and discuss it with others, no one really knows what to expect. Death is inevitable. Most times, death is unexpected. Almost every religion has an explanation for death. Religions seek to explain what to expect in the afterlife.

I grew up in a Baptist church, so I have many deep rooted traditions. One of the unwritten rules I grew up with was not attending religious services of other denominations. Although I am an adult, I was a bit leery when asked to do this assignment. I was a little embarrassed to realize how ignorant and intolerable I had been. As a Christian, we should be tolerable of other people’s beliefs. I didn’t realize it when I was younger, but I was been taught to show religious intolerance. This is totally against the teaching of the Bible. As Christian, our overall goal is to win souls for Christ. When people are able to see love and tolerance in us, it makes people want to be a part of your denomination.

I enjoyed working on this assignment because it made me examine myself and some deep rooted prejudices I had. I had to really think about the scriptural teachings of Jesus. He wants us to be tolerable of other religions. We shouldn’t forsake our beliefs for another’s teaching when they contradict his teachings. This has been an eye opening experience and I believe I am more enlightened because of it.

Works Cited

History of Judaism: General Observations. Encyclopedia Britannica. 2010.

Walton, Robert C. Charts of Church History. Zondervan, 1986. p. 41-60.