The Dummy's Guide to Religion

[Lakitu]

Is there a site that will explain to me what each Religious group believe and how they came to this belief?

From what I can gather, Christianity, Islam and Judiasm all agree there is a God, I would like to know how each belief differs.

Also, I have 2 further questions, sorry if I offend in my ignorance;

1. If Mary is Jesus' mother, why was Mary a virgin if she was married to Joseph?

2. If it's commonly accepted in Christianity that Jesus was born in Jerusalem, which Jesus Jewish. So why all the fighting about it?

[Clanad]

In first century Israel, it was common for women to be pledged to their future husbands.. betrothed or espoused. This was a legally binding contract for marriage, during which time (lasting for a few months to a few years) they could be called husband and wife. The ritual was completed when each took the other as truly husband and wife. In the Jewish tradition, they remained pledged to one another and remained "virgin" until complete. This is waht the Gospels explain about the relationship between Mary and Joseph. (It appears he was considerably older than Miriam)
Yeshua was born in Bethlehem, a few miles from Jerusalem. However, He was, throughout His earthly ministry totally Jewish. The concept of "Christian" or "Christianity" did not evolve until a few years after His resurrection. In the New Covenant Book of Acts (of the Apostles) it states they (the believers) were first known as Christians in the city of Antioch (present day country of Turkey).
to categorize the differences in all the religions would be space and time consuming. suffice it to say that the Abrahmaic relgions to which you refer, loosly believe in one god. Having said that, Jews and Muslims believe in a strict interpretation of that concept, while Christians believe in One God expressed in three personalities... Father, Son and Holy Spirit, yet always only One. A difficult concept, but foreshadowed in several places in the Old Covenant. Muslims acknowledge Jesus and even honor Him, but certainly not as the Son of God....
Try these sites for starters:
http://chinese-school.netfirms.com/Judaism-Chr istianity-Islam.html
http://www.scribd.com/doc/5198158/Abrahamic-Re ligion-What-Is-It
02:45 Tue 02nd Dec 2008

[naomi24]

This might help. It's pretty straightforward.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/religion/religions/

[Lakitu]

I'm sorry about my pigeon English in my original question, I re-qrote my question numerous times and then did not proof read!

Thank you very much for the explanation RE Mary and Joseph and at which point Christianity was born.

The second link is blocked at work, however, I will read it when I get home. The first link is very informative, thank you, but I do have a questions about the following, which is taken from the first link:

God cares about the entire creation and desires the well-being of all. God is just and has provided basic rules for our guidance so that we may be good and righteous, according to God's intention. God is also merciful; by means of God's grace we are given strength to be more like what we ought to be.

I interpret that as saying that we should be respectful to one another. This does not happen in the real world. We have Islams that don't respect Christians, we have Christians that don't respect Athiests. Is my interpretation of this paragraph incorrect?

Children of Abraham: Understanding human beings

The three religions believe that human beings are the highest creatures here on earth. We are the children of Abraham. God created us full of mystery, which means potential for continuous growth, both as a species and as individuals. We are capable of both good and evil. When we grow in goodness, righteousness, and love we become more like what God intended human goodness to be. When we abuse our freedom and do harm to other people, ourselves, and the environment it means that we are going against God's plans as we become evil-doers. Each person is capable, with God's help, to turn away from evil, repent, and do good. We owe God our devotion, glorification, and obedience.

Why is it that we have Muslim suicide bombers etc., if they are clearly going against His plan by doing such a thing?

[sandmaster]

All religions in their time have spread hatred and death. True believers of any faith linked to Abraham do not kill except perhaps in self defence. Turning the other cheek is a Christian ethic but I am sure Mohamed preached similar.
We all believe in the same God - it's the prophets we argue about.

[chakka35]

It's not wise,Lakitu, to treat the nativity stories as if they were history.
There are two versions, one in "Luke" and an almost completely contradictory one in "Matthew". They do, though, agree on Mary's virginity - or, at least, that she and Joseph had not had sex.

You really must ask yourself how these two unknown writers could possibly have known this.
We have nothing from the supposed time of Jesus' life; Paul, who introduced the idea of Jesus in about AD55, says nothing about his birth or childhood; neither does the unknown author of "Mark" (c AD70). So how could anyone possibly know anything about the state of Mary's hymen when they were writing "Luke" and "Matthew" nearly a century after the event?

The only person who would have known is Mary herself. In whom did she confide and why would they have believed her? How did this knowledge survive in secret all of that time, bypassing Paul and the author of "Mark" suddenly to emerge, without explanation as to its source, in the those later gospels?
It's a charming story but not history.

[Lakitu]

I agree with you, Chakka, I am not religious in any shape or form, but I am interested regardless.

The whole reason my question came about was because I had been watching the movie 'The Bible'.

Someone said in another thread the other day (may have been Octavius) that only athiests are the one's who keep questioning Religion. Maybe because we think it beggars belief that there is not one scrap of evidence to support Religious writings.

Anyhoo, I would love for someone to answer my questions posed in my first response, I'm genuinely intrigued how anyone can talk a way around it, particularly the part about going against His plan.

Sandmaster, I did not receive an automated email alerting me to your reply, thank you for your response, I didn't appreciate that it was Prophets that are the sticking point.

[Arlaquinn]

Lakitu.... Why is it that we have Muslim suicide bombers etc., if they are clearly going against His plan by doing such a thing?

muslim suicide bombers = cross wearing christians, same
s h i t different pile....... its all just propaganda, hypocracy, selective perception and a perversion of faith and gods word!!!

Our truth are the lies we were learnt! churches, synagogs and mosques have all failed because they are lead by man!