Judaism's Profound Influence on Western Society

801 Words2 Pages
bulb-icon

Recommended: + Judaism history background

Jews have been horribly persecuted throughout history, such as being thought to have killed Jesus Christ and started the black death, however the Jewish Religion gives more than religion to the advanced Western Society, more than most people realize. Judaism was started by Abraham when he was commanded by God to leave Ur and go to the promised land. There, he was to start his own religion with his God as their deity. Abraham’s people then moved to Egypt and back to Canaan (the promised land) and then to Egypt again. Finally after being enslaved in Egypt the second time, Moses was commanded by God to lead his fellow Israelites out of Egypt to go back to Canaan for good. In the more present day, Jews have been forced out of their “promised” land many times and consequently have spread their religion all over the world. The values that Hebrews believed in, practiced and followed are reflected in Western Civilization following the spread of Judaism, such as individual worth, rule of law, fair trial, charity, healing the world and day of rest/weekend. Rule of law was first practiced by the ancient Hebrews, influencing Western Civilization and and it the most important ancient …show more content…

As explained in the Hebrew Bible, “There will be one law for the citizen and for the stranger who dwells among you.” It was important to the Hebrew society for all people to follow the same laws. In Duxbury Middle School there is a school handbook and and a code of conduct. Rules are outlined in the Code of Conduct that all students are required to follow: “To succeed as a school community, we must hold true to our mission and core values.” There are rules such as “Gum chewing will not be allowed.” All students are required to follow the rules of the school, if they do not, they can be punished by getting an after school or lunch

Show More
Related

  • Analysis Of Schindler's List: Jews Persecution Through The Holocaust

    1895 Words  | 4 Pages

    Jews, a religious group of people originating from Israel, have lived in Europe, including Germany, for about 1500 years (Carr; Shyovitz). As Jews moved away from Israel, agriculture was no longer their main form of breadwinning. They have become more educated and many acquired skilled professions. In Europe, Christians were not allowed to lend money and the Jews have become the main money lenders. The knowledge, skills, and money lending abilities that Jews possessed allowed them to become extremely prosperous. During 1000-1500, most Rulers in Europe were Christians, who disliked the Jews (Carr). Although they lived peacefully with their neighbors, Christians blamed

    Read More

  • How Did Religion Influence Religion In Colonial Society

    1262 Words  | 3 Pages

    Religion was a key component to the construction of the early American colonial society. It shaped the beliefs and actions of the settlers within the society in many ways. Originally, the newcomers settling on North American land had main motives of owning their own land, increasing their country’s empire and gaining personal profit. Alongside those motives came the sheer desire to spread their religion with whom they encountered in the new land of opportunity. As stated, settlers set out to convert others towards Christianity because they believed freedom was found in worshiping God. Socially, if a person identified as a Christian they automatically were placed higher on the hierarchy. In the same respect, religion and politics at this time were delicately intertwined. Being Christian also meant the government heavily favored you and your peoples since you were to be considered influential in society. In the Maryland Act Concerning Religion (1644), John Winthrop’s Speech to the Massachusetts General Court (1645), the Trial of Anne Hutchinson (1637) and Roger Williams Letter to the Town of Providence (1655) one can notice the striking role religion plays both socially and

    Read More

  • Difference Between Sephardic And Ashkenazi Jews In Modern Times

    2260 Words  | 5 Pages

    Such debates are naturally meaningless in the rest of the world, where the Jews are to follow the laws of the land. The different historical background of the two movements of Judaism has created a noticable gap in their culture, their traditional laws and their adherence of those laws. It has shaped the manner of their developement and the final result of it. The history itself was shaped by the environment in which the exiled Jews found themselves, and the attitude of the people who surrounded them.

    Read More

  • Why Jews Have Been Persecuted

    344 Words  | 1 Pages

    Jews have been persecuted throughout all of history. A deep seated hatred has existed in many nations against them. Throughout history Jews could not find a resting place for long before they are thrown out of over 80 countries including England, France, Austria and Germany (Ungurean, 2015). Deicide is one of the reasons why Jews are hated. It is said that Jews are the responsible party for the killing of Jesus. The gospels describe Jews delivering Jesus to Roman authorities while demanding that he be crucified and his blood be on their children (Schiffman, n.d.). As a result Jews are held accountable for the death of Jesus and they are hated by many.

    Read More

  • Judaism

    1576 Words  | 4 Pages

    Judaism, the religion of the Jews, is one of the oldest religions in the world. Judaism in fact, is the oldest of the three major religions that believe in a single God. The other two, Christianity and Islam have been strongly influence by Judaism, which is a big part of western civilization today. In the beginning, Jews were a tribe, a band of nomads, more than likely shepherds that may have died out if they would have remained merely shepherds. Jews were one of many “nations” to be found in the ancient Near East.

    Read More

  • The Effects of Religion on the New World

    1082 Words  | 3 Pages

    Since the day Christopher Columbus landed in the Caribbean, religion and commerce has played a major role in shaping the New World. Religion defines cultures, changes history, and molds civilizations. During the seventeenth century in the New England and Southern colonies religion influenced colonists lives. Although the majority of settlers bound for the colonies started in Europe, religion and commerce would lead them in different directions. The New England colonies became defined by their religion, while the Southern colonies were defined by their production of tobacco.

    Read More

  • The Issues that Led to the Emancipation of Jews

    1039 Words  | 3 Pages

    ...f society. The second point of view held that Jews were inherently bad and can never be salvaged despite any and all efforts made by Christians to assimilate them. These Christians felt that there was absolutely no possibility of Jews having and holding productive positions in society. All the aforementioned occurrences lead to the transformation of traditional Jewish communities, and paved the way for Jewish existence, as it is known today. It is apparent, even through the examination of recent history that there are reoccurring themes in Jewish history. The most profound and obvious theme is the question of whether Jews can be productive members of their country and at the same time remain loyal to their religion. This question was an issue that once again emerged in Nazi Germany, undoubtedly, and unfortunately, it is not the last time that question will be asked.

    Read More

  • The History of Jewish Persecution

    2340 Words  | 5 Pages

    Every religious group has suffered a time when their religion was not considered to be popular or right. Out of all of these religious groups that have suffered, no one group has suffered so much as that of the Jewish religion. They have been exiled from almost every country that they have ever inhabited, beginning with Israel, and leading all the was up to Germany, France, Spain, England, and Russia. Not only have they been exiled but also they have suffered through torture, punishment, and murder. Thus, because of the history of the religion, the Jewish people have become a very resilient people. They have survived thousands of years carrying their religion with them from one country to the next and never loosing their faith. They have traveled form Eastern Europe, to the United States and have finally managed today to settle comfortable all over North America. The Jewish religion has suffered tremendously throughout the centuries, and unfortunately it did not become any easier for them during the twentieth century.

    Read More

  • Religion's Role in Early American Exploration and Development

    1348 Words  | 3 Pages

    Throughout human history, religion has played a fundamental role in societal development, regardless of the culture. Christianity, in particular, has profoundly shaped the last two thousand years of history and continues to do so today. This holds true in the case of European development and exploration of the New World. As exploration in the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries flourished, many countries set out to declare land on behalf of their country, and in an effort to bring honor to their God. When English settlers first developed colonies in New England, one of their goals was to share the word of God with the Native Americans they encountered. This drastically conflicted with the views of the Native Indians, and completely altered the development of North America. European religious views in early North American exploration set the tone for America’s development into a commodification driven society that exploited the environment as a means of economic potential.

    Read More

  • How the Catholic Church Built Western Civilization

    1811 Words  | 4 Pages

    Roles of the Catholic Church in Western civilization has been scrambled with the times past and development of Western society. Regardless of the fact that the West is no longer entirely Catholic, the Catholic tradition is still strong in Western countries. The church has been a very important foundation of public facilities like schooling, Western art, culture and philosophy; and influential player in religion. In many ways it has wanted to have an impact on Western approaches to pros and cons in numerous areas. It has over many periods of time, spread the teachings of Jesus within the Western World and remains a foundation of continuousness connecting recent Western culture to old Western culture.-

    Read More

  • My Jewish Identity in Conflict

    1406 Words  | 3 Pages

    From the beginning of time, Jews have been oppressed. Dating back to the times of Moses and on until the 15th century with the Spanish Inquisition, the Jewish people have been prosecuted solely because of their religious beliefs. Their courageous battles over time against their oppressors merit much admiration.

    Read More

  • Influence Of Religion On Western Civilization

    730 Words  | 2 Pages

    Religion has greatly influenced western civilization. Religion is a way to express ourselves in our own way. To be able to choose who or what we believe in freely. This gives us a sense of individualism and helps our civilization to grow and develop each religion. Just about every ancient culture practiced religion in some way. They were either monotheist, polytheist, atheist, or believed in “magic”. Western civilization was impacted by religion in more ways than one. Every religion contributed in their own way. Some religions even worked together to help create a stronger, more structured civilization.

    Read More

  • Judaism and the Economy

    1214 Words  | 3 Pages

    While the Jewish population is small, its impact on the economy is extensive. For a group of people making up less than two percent of the United States populace, Jews are certainly a topic of much conversation and controversy. For a race so often targeted negatively and used as a scapegoat, it is surprising to realize the Jewish hand in America today. A question circulating for a while is whether or not Jews control America; Jews rule the film industry, the news and communication business is a Jewish kingdom, the American financial industry is essentially a Jewish franchise, and the professions are so dominated by Jews its shocking, so where does their influence run out? While the idea that America is run by Jews is disputed, the fact that there is a disproportionate Jewish influence on the US and global economy in comparison to their size cannot be argued against. While their effect may be small, it is surely noticeable and non-ignorable. Though the Jews have been the focus of much hate and ignorance throughout history, it is undeniable that they have had an effect on the American stock market, the real estate market, and the public school system.

    Read More

  • History of Judaism

    2136 Words  | 5 Pages

    Judaism is one of the most ancient religions in the world. Abraham, his descendants, and Moses are believed to have been the founders. According to Jewish beliefs until Abraham man worshiped many Gods. The story begins with Abraham and his wife Sarah trying to conceive a child. When Abraham was 99 and Sarah 90 God came to Abraham and told him they would have a son. After the child was born God again came to Abraham and tested his beliefs by asking him to sacrifice his only son Isaac. Isaac willingly went with Abraham to be sacrificed. Before Abraham could sacrifice Isaac God sent an angel down to stop him. As a reward for his faith God made a covenant with Abraham that he and his descendants would be protected as long as they continued to show faith in him and live a life that was wholesome. Also from this it is said God blessed Abraham with many children. His son Isaac had two sons Jacob and Esau, Jacob who changes his name to Israel had twelve sons. Israel’s had twelve sons they are the “12 tribes of Israel” and their descendants are later known as the Israelites also called Hebrews.

    Read More

  • Religion and Civilization

    1234 Words  | 3 Pages

    How do we define religion? According to the Merriam-Webster dictionary, the definition of religion is as follows: “the belief in a god or in a group of gods, an organized system of beliefs, ceremonies, and rules used to worship a god or a group of gods, or an interest, a belief, or an activity that is very important to a person or group” (Merriam-Webster.) My personal definition of religion is that it is a set of beliefs and practices that generally pertain to the worship of one or more than one spiritual being or representation of a spiritual power. Religion can be a personal belief or an organization or group of people who have similar beliefs and values. There are many different types of religions in the world and have been since the beginning of mankind.

    Read More

More about Judaism's Profound Influence on Western Society

Open Document