Exploring Judaism

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Judaism, which originated in the middle east, is one of the oldest religions in the world. Judaism is the religion from where Catholicism and Islam have their roots. The main difference between Judaism and the previously mentioned religions is that Judaism is based on the old testament entirely excluding the new testaments in its teachings. Jews believe that they are the people chosen by God and that because of the covenant they have the duty, more than any other group of people, to keep the law of God. The law of God in Judaism comes in the form of the Torah. The books of Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers and Deuteronomy, which are said to have been written by Moses, form the Torah. Judaism just like most religions through time has separated into different branches. Some of the most important branches of Judaism are Orthodox, Reconstructionist, Conservative, and Reformed. Orthodox Judaism is the strictest of the branch of the four mentioned. They attempt to keep tradition and biblical regulations as much as possible. Their services require that men and women sit separately and that both cover their heads once they enter the synagogue. Reconstructionist Judaism is relatively new. It was founded by Mordecai M. Kaplan under the idea the Judaism is not only a religion but a combination of religion and culture. Conservative Judaism although less strict than Orthodox in certain aspects is still pretty conservative in others. They keep Saturday morning services and men, although not women, are required to cover their heads. Reformed Judaism is more flexible, men and women sit together at the service, are not required to cover their head, and certain aspects have been adapted to the modern world such as utilizing musical instrumen... ... middle of paper ... ...varied greatly. In addition, they were exceedingly sympathetic not only towards me and my fellow State University student but to the world in general. They prayed for the well being of not themselves or their community alone they prayed for peace in the world. I agree with much of what was said in the service even though I do not share their faith. Nonetheless, I find their values and their love for God admirable. I did not feel like a stranger amongst them I felt like I was making friends with people I would have probably never dare to approach before. That is the most valuable I obtained; to have an open mind and an open heart to others because regardless of how different we may be, there is always something precious we can learn from each other. Works Cited Nigosian, S.A, “World Religions: A Historical Approach.”4th ed. Bedforth/St Martin's 2008. Print

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