no. judaism is a straight transition from the polytheism and philosophy of the greeks but puts in the single god twist.
christianity takes the idea further and adds the concept of avatar of god into the mix as well as the trinity, which bases off, but doesnt limit to the previous judaic traditions {avatar is similar to many dharmic relegions in sum way, although that way is not god's trancendance} the concept of sacrifice is also sumwhat unique.
islam bases of both judaism and christianity, reduces a lot of the apparent mysticism and makes the rules a lot stricter and more in accordance with arabic custom.
all abrahamic relegions have hell and heaven as very similar.
the norse and greek gods are very similar and are very much like humans with little concept of morality and ultimate justice. there is no real judgement, just transition and glory in ragnarok n stuff.
hinduism has different parts. some deal with the philosophy of trancendance of conciousness and uniformity of all things and the creation of the world/ on the other hand, you have pantheonic type beleifs and long fables and love tales and tales of petty character/revenge etc etc which are just basic mythology also found in the relegions of japan of amaterasu.
zoarastrianism ive forgotten about. wicca is just worshipping beauty and nature and trying to be in tune with nature and gaea and stuff.
eastern chinese beleifs and stuff about yin/yang and shintoism n stuff talk about philosophy n harmony and lotsa other stuff.
buddhism is very unique as a relegion{if u take it as such} having the major aim of ending suffering and explaining that its besis lies at desire. and trying to find the truth of your ownself and the world around you which leads to hapiness according to the philosophy.
All religions delineate the relationship between phenomenal reality (which certainly includes human beings) and a transcendent reality, (which may or may not center on a single god). Broadly speaking, the major Eastern religions (starting with Hinduism) have tended to focus more on the mystical aspect of this relationship; the major Western religions (beginning with Judaism) have focused more on the ethical relationship.
__________________
Shinier than a speeding bullet.
"I must not fear. Fear is the mind-killer. Fear is the little-death that brings total obliteration. I will face my fear. I will permit it to pass over me and through me. And when my fear is gone I will turn and face fears path, and only I will remain."
-Paul Atreides
There are many differences in any religion. But yes, there are also broad and unifying themes that can be drawn between them.
A great (probably the best) source for this line of thinking would be Joseph Campbell, who during his lifetime was the world's foremost expert on comparative mythologies and religions. The Hero With a Thousand Faces is his magnum opus and is dedicated to this very theme. Most of his other works extrapolate on the nuances of this and similar ideas.
The connections can go beyond simply the concept of God, all the way to the most basic stories, motifs, hero/savior figures, and lessons. If I could impart one religious truth to people, it would be this idea, and how it should unify people rather than divide them (which it inevitably does).
The unknown goes by many different names to comfort the many. To explain the unexplainable and make it personal would mean to give it names. To understand it would give you privilege to teach it. To give you privilege to teach it gives you followers, to give you followers gives you power, to have power would give ego and dominate. To have such a voice would take away from what a personal relationship is all together.
__________________ Deja Moo: The feeling that you've heard this bull before.
Last edited by Deja~vu on Jan 15th, 2008 at 02:00 AM
afterlife, sum sort of justice, divine purpose, companionship to an extent, explanation of unexplained phenomenon, justification of morality , justification of social norms and conformity, a way to channel prejudices and spite. etc etc etc
^for the less thick among us, i was trying to be overly general and hurried. and by greek, i do not necessarily means zeus, i just cudnt think of a very good term to use for the region before greece. im generally talking about the evolution of ideas as karen armstrong describes in sum of her books like the battle for god n stuff.
That's not possible. The Koran asserts that "There is no god but God." and then Shintos believe that rocks and trees have spirits, as well as in hundreds of personified gods.
Now unless the Koran is being metaphorical or just joking around (as well as any other religion that states its the one true path), then that's simply not possible.
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Jan 14th, 2008 02:05 AM
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