Transcript History and Perspective September 20, 2001 Religion, Israel

Ethical
Monotheism
Ethical Monotheism
• Concept of one God-all other gods
are false
• God is just and expects humans to
be just in turn
• Divides the world between righteous
and unrighteous
• Can lead to intolerance towards
those who reject concept and those
who practice different types of
monotheism
Judaism
• Belief in one God who is creator,
lawgiver, and judge of mankind
• Righteous must follow Torah, or law
code
• Torah defines moral and ethical
behavior
• Concept of sin-disobedience to God
or God’s law
• Personal relationship with deity
through prayer
Holy Books
• The Torah-covenant with God and
law code
– contained in first five books of
Christian Old Testament and in the
Islamic Koran
• The Talmud- rabbinical
commentaries and rulings on the
Torah
Three Major Schisms
• Orthodox
• Conservative
• Reform
Christianity
• Developed from Judaism during
Roman rule of Palestine
• Shares Jewish belief in one God,
creator, lawgiver, and judge of
mankind
• Spread by Jews who believed that
Jesus of Nazareth was the Son of God
who died and was resurrected to
redeem all mankind of their sins.
Christianity
• Believe that Jesus is the Christ
(anointed one) who will return to
bring the kingdom of God on earth
• accepted Ten Commandments, but
rejected dietary restrictions and
other aspects of Jewish law
• Faith in Jesus Christ as the son of
God and the savior of mankind
united Jews and Gentiles together in
a new religious faith
Three Major Schisms
• Catholic
• Orthodox
• Protestant
Holy Book
• The Holy Bible
–contains The Old Testament
and The New Testament
Islam
• Meaning of Islam is submission to
the will of Allah, a Muslim is one who
has submitted
• Belief in one God, Allah, who is the
one God of Jews and Christians and
also of the whole world
• Recognition of Mohammed as the
last and greatest of Allah’s prophets
which include Abraham, Moses, and
Jesus
Islam
• Mohammed is revered but not divine.
His messages from the angel Gabriel
are the final revelations of Allah
• Muslims must live according to the
word of Allah--all human acts have
religious connotations
• Separation of state and religion
therefore not possible
Islam
The Five Pillars
• There is only one God, Allah, and
Mohammed is his prophet
• Must pray five times a day, facing
Mecca, with public prayer on Friday
at mid-day
• Observe holy month of Ramadan
with fasting from dawn to sunset
• Must give alms to the poor
• If it is possible, make a pilgrimage
(hajj) to Mecca at once in a lifetime
Modern Islamic Mosque
Holy Book
• The Koran
– means recitation
– contains parts of The Torah and
Old Testament
– record of Allah’s word
– ethical and legal guide
– political instruction
Two Major Schisms
• Shi’ite
– believe only descendants of
Mohammed’s family may act as
religious leaders (Imams)
• Sunni
– accepted leadership of the Caliphs
outside Mohammed’s blood family
History of Conflict
• Each monotheistic faith had similarities
with one another but also enough
differences that conflict was bitter and
violent
• Each faith convinced it was the true
faith and competed for territory and
converts
• Religious tolerance did occur but rare
for all three monotheistic faiths to live
together without one dominating the
others
History of Conflict
• Jewish revolt against Rome, 66-70 AD
– created bitter and angry break with
Christianity
– Jewish temple destroyed by Romans,
Jews slaughtered, or sold into
slavery and dispersed throughout the
Roman world
– From this point on Jews would be
without a state, always be strangers
in increasingly Christian and Muslim
lands
History of Conflict
• After years of persecution by the
Roman government, Christianity
becomes state religion of Rome
• By 4th century AD, bishops and Roman
emperors establish orthodox doctrine,
try to force conformity on all who
disagree including Jews and other
Christians
• With the breakup of the Roman empire,
Christianity becomes a unifying and
civilizing force in Europe and the
eastern Mediterranean
History of Conflict
• Mohammed begins to receive his
revelations around 610 AD
• He is forced to flee from Mecca to
Medina in 622, beginning of Islamic
calendar
• Returns to Mecca in 630 and converts
the city
• Islam born amidst war, must fight to
defend faith
• Very rapid spread of new faith across
Asia Minor, the Middle East and the
Eastern Mediterranean
Expansion of Islam 622-732
History of Conflict
• The Crusades (1096-1291)
– First major conflict between
Christian Europe and Islamic world
– Religious, economic, and cultural
conflict
– Islamic world more cosmopolitan,
technologically advanced
– Violence radicalized both faiths
– Atrocities and massacres of
civilians led to mistrust and hatred
Map of the Crusades
History of Conflict
• Christian and Islamic cultures
continued to be in conflict up to the
17th century
• Struggle for territory, ports, trade
routes, and hearts and minds
• Ottoman Turkish empire unified
Islamic world, would control
southeastern Europe until 19th
century
The Ottoman Empire
History of Conflict
• In the 18th and 19th centuries, Europe
and the United States adopted a more
secular outlook
• They developed a culture which valued
the individual and individual rights, the
separation of church and state, and
tolerance towards other faiths
• Discontent could take political form
History of Conflict
• Islamic regimes, especially Ottoman
Empire, did not develop the same
values
• Repressive governments allowed no
political expression of the masses
• Political discontent thus often
expressed through religious avenues
• Public opinion in the Islamic world
today still expressed through public
religious rallies and demonstrations
History of Conflict
• WWI
– Ottoman empire is defeated and its
territory is divided up among the
victorious powers
– Clash of cultures, religions, and world
views could not be mended
– Democratic institutions would not be
created or encouraged
– New states created after WWI would be
Islamic, but economically controlled and
in some cases ruled by Western powers