RELIGIONS
OF THE WORLD
Judaism
Orthodox
. Belief in Deity:
There exists only one personal God Almighty--creator, all-powerful,
ever-present, and all-knowing--formless, incorporeal spirit.
. Incarnations:
None, as only God is worshipped. Moses was the greatest of all
prophets.
. Origin of Universe and Life:
They hold to the book of Genesis literally, that God created
the universe/life from nothing, in less than 7 days, less than
10,000 years ago; Adam and Eve were the first humans. But, some
hold that a "day" in the Bible is not defined as 24 hours, and
some believe that scientific discoveries don't contradict but
attest to God's awesome power.
. After
Death:
Traditional Judaism believes in the World to Come, the coming
of the messianic age heralded by the messiah, and a resurrection
of the dead, but beliefs vary on the details. Some believe souls
of the righteous go to heaven, or are reincarnated, while the
wicked suffer from a hell of their own making or remain dead.
Some believe God will resurrect the righteous to live on earth
after the Messiah comes to purify the world. Judaism generally
focuses on strictly following God's commandments rather than
on details of afterlife or rewards after death.
. Why Evil?:
No original sin. Most believe God created Satan as evil inclination,
a tendency that lies within everyone. People also have awareness
of and inclination toward goodness. Thus, God provides free
will as a test of obedience and faith.
. Salvation:
Salvation is achieved through faith and continual prayer to
God, strict adherence to divine commandments (Jewish Law), including
dietary restrictions, to give to the poor, "love your neighbor
as yourself," bring God's message to humanity by example (a
responsibility of God's "chosen people"). Confessions and repentances
are expressed through Yom Kippur when one fasts, asks forgiveness
from others and from themselves, and commits to do good deeds
in the future.
. Undeserved Suffering:
Sometimes it is believed that suffering is caused by a weakness
in one's devotion to God. Generally, it is believed that God
gave humans free will to feel pleasure and pain, and His purpose
in allowing deep suffering of the innocent must be good even
if mysterious. God suffers along with the sufferer. Some Jews
(e.g. the Hasidim) believe that suffering is punishment for
past-life sins. Knowing why God allows suffering is not as important
as knowing that God will punish the perpetrators.
. Contemporary Issues:
Judaism holds that human life begins upon first breath, and
Jewish law requires abortion if necessary to save the mother's
life prior to birth. Most believe that potential human life
should never be terminated casually, but abortion is generally
regarded as a personal decision, especially within the first
40 days of pregnancy.
