JUDAISM,CHRISTIANITY, AND ISLAM THREE RELIGIONS ONE LAND ONE GOD JUDAISM,CHRISTIANITY, AND ISLAM

MONOTHEISM VS. POLYTHEISM ALL 3 RELIGIONS MAINTAIN BELIEF IN ONLY ONE GOD. ALL HOLD JERUSALEM AS A HOLY CITY. UNLIKE THE POWERS OF THE REGION IN ANCIENT TIMES WHO BELIEVED IN POLYTHEISM OR MANY GODS.

JUDAISM FOUNDER – ABRAHAM (ORIGINALLY ABRAM) HOMELAND – CAANAN (PRESENT DAY ISRAEL OR JORDAN RIVER VALLEY) GREAT LEADERS – ISAAC, JACOB, JOSEPH, MOSES, JOSHUA,DAVID, AND SOLOMAN. (MORE EXIST AND ARE OPEN TO OPINION) BELIEFS - G-d exists G-d is one and unique G-d is incorporeal G-d is eternal Prayer is to be directed to G-d alone and to no other The words of the prophets are true Moses' prophecies are true, and Moses was the greatest of the prophets The Written Torah (first 5 books of the Bible) and Oral Torah (teachings now contained in the Talmud and other writings) were given to Moses There will be no other Torah G-d knows the thoughts and deeds of men G-d will reward the good and punish the wicked The Messiah will come The dead will be resurrected

CHRISTIANITY FOUNDER – JESUS CHRIST HOMELAND – NONE GREAT LEADERS – APOSTLES BELIEFS – VARIED ACCORDING TO SEPERATION AMONG CATHOLICS, ORTHODOX, AND PROTESTANT DENOMINATIONS. BASIC TENANTS – JESUS IS THE SON OF THE ONE TRUE GOD

ISLAM FOUNDER – MUHAMMAD HOMELAND – SAUDI ARABIA, THE MIDDLE EAST, JORDAN RIVER VALLEY,AREAS ALSO PROMISED TO THE HEBREWS THROUGH ABRAHAM. GREAT LEADERS – ABRAHAM, ISHMAEL, MUHAMMAD, SALADIN. BELIEFS – ONE GOD EXISTS AND MUHAMMAD IS HIS PROPHET BASIC TENANTS – CLAIM THAT THE SCRIPTURES OF THE JEWS AND CHRISTIANS ARE REAL AND DIVINE, BUT CONTRADICT THEM. CLAIM PALESTINE BELONGS TO THEM.

SPREAD OF CHRISTIANITY GREAT COMMISSION PAUL THE APOSTLE INCLUSION OF GENTILES CONQUERING OF ROME THE CRUSADES RISE OF THE CATHOLIC CHURCH PROTESTANT REFORMATION MISSIONARY JOURNEYS/AGE OF DISCOVERY MODERN EVANGELISM

SPREAD OF ISLAM JIHAD TRADE ROUTES THE CRUSADES THE OTTOMAN EMPIRE MILITARY CONQUEST MODERN EVANGELISM

THE DIVISION AMONG MUSLIMS SUNNI – FOLLOWERS OF ISLAM WHO BELIEVE ISLAM HAS BEEN CORRUPTED BY WESTERN WAYS DUE TO THE FALL OF THE OTTOMAN EMPIRE AFTER WWI. ACCORDING TO THEM, THE LEGITIMATE LEADERS OF ISLAM THE 4 CALIPHS OR HOLY MEN WERE THE ONLY RIGHTFUL HEIRS TO MUHAMMAD. SHIITE – ONLY RECOGNIZE THE 4TH CALIPH, ALI, AS MUHAMMAD RIGHTFUL HEIR. THEY BELIEVE THEY WERE WITHOUT SPIRITUAL LEADERSHIP UNTIL THE RISE OF KHOMEINI IN IRAN IN 1978. BOTH DISAGREE ON THE EXISTENCE OF WHAT THEY CALL THE MAHDI “RIGHTLY GUIDED ONE”. SHIITES BELIEVE HE HAS ALREADY BEEN HERE AND WILL EMERGE AGAIN FROM HIDING. SUNNIS BELIEVE HE HAS NOT COME INTO HISTORY YET. IT ALL STARTED AS A RESULT OF MUHAMMAD’S DEATH AND FOLLOWERS DISAGREEMENT ON WHETHER BLOODLINE LEADERS SHOULD TAKE OVER OR THOSE IT WAS THOUGHT WOULD FOLLOW THE TEACHINGS THE BEST. ONE WENT THE BLOODLINE WAY, THE OTHER DID NOT. SHIITES FAVORED THE BLOODLINE ROUTE.