Essay On Religious Identity

900 Words2 Pages

Religious identity is “identifying with” and participating in “a” religion often “marking” one in a way that is distinct from being “marked” by, for example, speaking a certain language or being a citizen of a particular country, so that this ‘identity’ may be taken on, and becomes “detachable” from the culture in which the religion of its bearers originated, and one may come to have an ‘identity’ as such that supplements or parallels, “ethnic” identity. Rival religious identities may be present in the same society; and they may be absent even where there are rival patterns or interpretations in the same society. Religious identity is sometime “taken on” in a ritualized way through a rite of initiation. In the Western world there are three main monotheistic religions. Judaism, Christianity and Islam. These three make up different identities and backgrounds to value and become part of there culture. These monotheistic religions are similar but also very unique in a way due to their traditions and different texts.
In Judaism there are Bar/Bat Mitzvah’s these young men and women at the ages of 13 are able to take on adult religious responsibility. The Bar Mitzvah also referred in Hebrew as, “son of the commandment” are now able to stand in front of a congregation and read to them from the Torah. Rabbi’s, High Priest, Bar Mitzvah’s can be related to Christianity and Islam. In Christianity there are those that study the Bible and proclaim the gospels. They can be known as pastors or evangelists. Also, those who are of the Catholic Church such as a pope, and cardinals can be compared to Bar Mitzvah’s as they are devoted to the teachings and scriptures. In Islam the muezzin is a person who calls those to prayer is slightly different t...

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...ve there lives to God. In the Ten Commandments it states how one must do and not do things. In Christianity the way of life is different due to the formation of being baptized. Baptism reflects of ones cleansing of their sins by sprinkling or being dipped in water and being conformed to the Church. It symbolizes that your old life is gone and now your new life is to be devoted to Christ.
Overall, the prayers of all three monotheistic religions are similar in a way due to the Lords prayer (Christianity), the prayers of the book of Psalms (Judaism), the Adhan and The Opening/Al-Fatihah (Islam). All three monotheistic religions are similar and different in a way due to their God. The God of Christianity is known as Yahweh just as of Judaism. The God of Islam is known as Allah. Christianity, Islam and Judaism all refer back to Abrahamic religions of the Hebrew Bible.

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