DIFFERENT BETWEEN CHRISTIANITY AND JUDAISM

Christianity vs Judaism

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Christianity and Judaism are two Abrahamic religions that have similar origins but have varying beliefs, practices and teachings.

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	Christianity	Judaism
Place of origin:	Jerusalem	Israel
Founder:	Jesus Christ	Abraham
Practices:	Prayers, sacraments (some branches), worship in church, reading of the Bible, acts of charity, communion.	Orthodox Jews recite prayers 3 times daily, with a fourth prayer added on Shabbat and holidays. Shacarit prayer in the morning, Mincha in the afternoon, Arvit at night. Musaf is an extra Shabbat service.
Scriptures:	The Holy Bible, a collection of canonical books in two parts: the Old Testament and the New Testament.	Tanakh (Jewish Bible) , Torah.
Concept of deity:	God is eternally supreme as the creator and preserver of the world. The trinity exists as three beings in one godhead: The Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. One being, three persons. Three persons, one God.	Belief in one God and teachings of the tradition, prophets and rabbis.
Clergy:	Priests, monks, nuns, ministers, bishops and deacons.	Traditionally, no clergy other than priests (Cohanim). Religious functionaries like Rabbis, Cantors, Scribes, Mohels. People who specialize in public Torah reading ceremonies. Anyone can lead service or prayer.
Use of statues and pictures:	Used in Catholicism Orthodox Christianity; statuary is not used in most Protestant denominations. Statues are not worshiped but looked to as a point of focus in prayer and meditation.	Not allowed as it is considered Idolatry.
Literal meaning:	Christ means "the anointed" or "Messiah". A Christian is a believer in Christ. A believer is also called and known as a saint in Protestant branches.	A Jew (Hebrew: יְהוּדִי, Yehudi (sl.); יְהוּדִים, Yehudim (pl.); Ladino: ג׳ודיו, Djudio (sl.); ג׳ודיוס, Djudios (pl.); Yiddish: ייִד, Yid (sl.); ייִדן, Yidn (pl.))[1] is a member of the Jewish people/ethnicity
Place of worship:	Church, chapel, cathedral, basilica, home bible study, personal homes.	Synagogues, Western Wall
Life after death:	Man is appointed to die once, and after that face judgment. Those who belive live on in heaven, while those that rejected God suffer eternity in hell. After the culmination of the events of the Book of Revelation all believers bodily ressurected.	World to come, Reincarnation (some groups); temporal suffering in Hell; eventual return to Paradise(Garden of Eden), unifying with God, there are different opinions and beliefs
Principle:	God created man. Man sinned and fell under its curse. God redeems sinful man through the shed blood of Jesus Christ. Those that He redeems, He regenerates them and they become "born-again".	They are the Chosen people of God, and must follow their Covenant with Him. A unique ethnicity. Early monotheists.
Definition:	Follower of the Christ	Of the tribe of Judah.
Branches:	Catholic, Orthodox, Lutheran, Anglican, Baptist, Evangelical, Charismatic, Nondenominational, as well as several others.	by traditions based on location: Sephard, (Spain, Islands, Arab countries, Turkey) Ashkenaz (Central/Eastern Europe, Germany, France) Greek, MIzrachi: Jemen, India etc. By approach to tradition: Orthodox, Conservative, Reconstructionist, Reform
Time of origin:	Approximately 33 AD.	c 1300 BC
Goal of religion:	To love God and obey his commandments while creating a relationship with Jesus Christ and spreading the Gospel so that others may be saved also.	To live. fulfill the Covenant with God. Love God with all your heart and a perfect faith (from the morning service).
Rites:	Seven sacraments: Baptism, confirmation, Eucharist, penance, anointing of the sick, holy orders, matrimony.	Mitzvahs.
Means of salvation:	Through Christ's death and resurrection. Salvation is by grace, through faith. Not by works, lest anyone should boast.	Through belief in God, good deeds, complete faith.
Angels:	Angels are servants of God used as messengers and warriors and guardians of humanity.	Angels serve God as messengers. World is full of beings existing that we cannot see or understand
Status of women:	Can become nuns in the Catholic and Orthodox Churches and may be priests in Protestant churches. The Bible states that men and women have different roles but are not inferior. Women are equal to men in modernity.	Equal to Men in eyes of God and in the Law (Halakha) in reality differs in different traditions. Conservatives & liberals differ greatly
Geographical predominance:	Worldwide	Israel, North America, Europe. Has varied over time, due to various persecutions and migrations.
Human nature:	Man has inherited "original sin" from Adam. Mankind then is inherently evil and is in need of forgiveness of sin. By knowing right and wrong Christians choose their actions. Humans are a fallen, broken race in need of salvation and repair by God.	two equal impulses, one good and one bad. People decide which one they follow. Human nature is in human hands. You must judge each person for innocence (Avos chap. 1).
Population:	2.4 Billion includes Catholics, Protestants, and all other Christians. ~1/3 of the Earth's population	Around 13-20 Million, debated
Identity of Jesus:	Son of the Living God, and Saviour of the world, and 2nd person of the Godhead.	Not God, by some streams recognized as the teacher, some extreme streams recognize him as the Messiah (Jews for Jesus) by some his ideas were a compilation of wise Judean ideas, credited to a generic Jewish name meaning savior.
Status of Adam:	Adam was the first man created by God. He fell into temptation and brought sin and death to the human race.	Disobeyed God in the Garden of Eden. First known use of the Adam/Eve mythology.
Geographical distribution and predominance:	Christianity exists strongly worldwide while it is concentrated in Europe, the Americas, Sub-Saharan Africa, Asia an the Pacific.	Jews are dispersed all over the world, present in almost all countries however the majority lives in Israel, USA, Russia, France, UK
Marriage:	Marriage is between one man and one woman. Jesus affirms this in Mathew 19:3-9 ‘...Therefore a man shall leave his father and his mother and hold fast to his wife, and the two shall become one fles...h’	Between one man and woman. Marriage can be arranged or it can be a love marriage. In our times monogamistic, against premarital sex. Marriage is the merging of two souls as one
Clothes:	There are no prohibitions.	Jews wear skullcaps called kippot, or yarmulkes. During prayer, men over 13 wear prayer shawls, called Tallit and black boxes called Tefillin, which are reminding the spiritual connection with God. Women cover their heads.
Place and Time of origin:	The Savior was promised as the Messiah since Adam and Eve's fall and throughout the Old Testament, Jesus died and was ressurected in 33 AD and Christianity spread thereafter.	1300 BC, Middle East. Religion formed over several centuries; was present by the Babylonian exile; Jews faced Jerusalem and replaced animal sacrifice with prayer as early as 700 BC.
Views on the afterlife:	Eternal life in heaven or hell.	World to come. different opinions.on nature The life after is commonly recognized as the next world. Human soul can be reincarnated, stay in the next world or unify with god. Different beliefs and opinions.
Second coming of Jesus:	Affirmed, No one knows the date of return not even Jesus, only the Father	Denied
Offshoot religions:	Rastafarianism, Unitarian Universalism, and Deism.	Christianity, Mandeanism, Islam.
Confessing sins:	1Jn 1:9"If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness." Confession of sins that the sins will be forgiven based on Jesus's atoning sacrificial death. One stops sinning and confesses.	Temple destroyed in 70, there was a sin offering for individuals, and Yom Kippur confessions, Today people must individually repair their sins, recognize what is wrong and improve themself. People individually confessing sins. Talking with God, Vidui
Religious law:	None.	Halakhah
Day of worship:	Worship should be daily. Many Christians attend church on Sundays.	Every day in particular Holidays. The most important is Saturday (Sabbath), many Holidays correspond to agricultural seasons of Israel and the work week, and the prayers explicitly mention this.
Holy days/Official Holidays:	Christmas (birth of Jesus), Good Friday (death of Jesus), Sunday (day of rest) Easter (resurrection of Jesus).	Shabbath, Rosh HaShanah, Yom Kippur, Sukkot, Simchat Torah, Chanukah, Tu BiShvat, Purim, Passover, Lag BaOmer, Shavout. Holidays given by God in Torah or created to commemorate historical events.
View of Oriental religions:	All faiths do not lead to God, Jesus is "The Way, the Truth, and the Life, no on comes to The Father except through me." Oriental religions are viewed as being simply untrue.	N/A. Many different views Must obey the law of the land, if ethical.
Birth of Jesus:	Virgin birth, through God.	Normal man, normal birth
View of Animistic religions:	Paganism is heresy. Witchcraft is the communication and interaction with demons, fallen evil angelic beings. These have no real interest in ultimately helping their worshippers. Demonic possesion common. Also based in hallucinogens and parlor tricks.	Pagan (however, like paganism, the earliest Jewish holidays correspond to agricultural and work seasons as do the prayers).
Holy days:	Christmas (birth of Jesus), Good Friday (death of Jesus), Sunday (day of rest) Easter (resurrection of Jesus).	Rosh HaShanah, Yom Kippur, Sukkot, Simchat Torah, Chanukah, Tu BiShvat, Purim, Passover, Lag BaOmer, Shavout. Holidays given by God in Torah or created to commemorate historical events. Holocaust remembrance.
Three Jewels:	N/A	Torah, People, Land, Law. love God.
View of God:	One God. Simultaneously merciful, just, and loving. Invisible except for Jesus. Triune, three in one. One God, three Persons, one Being.	God is the one True Creator. God has always existed, none existed before him and will exist forever. He transcends life and death. God is one and the only holiness. God is the creator he is beyond human understanding, he is omnipotent
Legislation:	None	Prerogative of the people
Original Language:	Classical Hebrew, Biblical Aramaic, Koine Greek	Hebrew. Later languages: from 500 BCE, Aramaic and Greek koine and 'Aramized' Hebrew till 300 ce. Local languages and different extinct and living Jewish languages like Carfati, Yiddish, Ladino, Judesmo etc
Resurrection of Jesus:	Resurrected to life and presently in Heaven until His return and reign.	Denied, because Jesus z"l was a normal human.
Original Languages:	Hebrew, Koine Greek, Aramaic	Hebrew till 500 bce, Aramaic and Greek koine till 300 ce Hebrew for services. . Local languages and different extinct and living Jewish languages like Carfati, Jiddish, Ladino, Judesmo etc
Praying to Saints,Mary, and Angel:	Catholics do, Protestsnts do not.	They do not revere Mary, because they do not believe that Jesus Is the Messiah. Praying only to God.
God's role in salvation:	Humans cannot save themselves or ascend on their own to a higher level. Only God is good and therefore only God is able to save a person. Jesus came down from Heaven to save mankind.	Divine revelation of his law and judge mans actions. The role of mankind is to be an example that is is possible to live according to God's Law.
Concept of God:	Eternal, uncreated, triune, Single and unique, Creator of life and the universe, righteous, just, merciful. All-knowing, everywhere present	One deity.
Prophets:	Many in the Old and New Testaments.	Moses, and the subsequent Prophets of Israel. No prophets or magic until the world to come and world peace (according to the Talmud)..
Original Language(s):	Hebrew, Aramaic, Koine Greek,	Hebrew
Virtue(s) in which religion is based upon:	Selfless love, God's mercy, Obedience, Love the Lord your God with all that your heart, soul, mind, strength, and love your neighbor as yourself. Myriad other virtues found in the Bible.	Justice & adherence to God's law
Views on other religions:	There are no other true gods, there are no other true paths besides Jesus. Other religions are formed as a result of rejection of God, Satan's deceptive influence, or lack of true information. While they may have morals, these cannot save anyone.	They believe that all humanity should obey 7 Commandments, regardless if they are Jewish or Gentile however all religions are just different ways to the same God. God is one. Must obey all ethical laws of the land they are in.
Death of Jesus:	Death by crucifixion, resurrection, and ascension to heaven. Will return.	Death and crucifixion by Romans
Position of Mary:	Blessed; Catholics honor her and pray to her, to intercede between them and God. Protestants believe she was a person with a special job given by God to bring Jesus into the world. Nevertheless she was just a person, a sinner, in need of a savior.	Not applicable, as Jews do not believe that Jesus z"l is the Messiah, and therefore, his mother plays no role in the Jewish religion.

Crucifix in the sunset.

Contents 1 About Judaism and Christianity 2 Differences in Beliefs 3 Scriptures of Christianity and Judaism 4 Jewish vs. Christian Practices 5 Comparing Jewish and Christian Religious Teachings/Principles 6 The View of Jesus in Christianity and Judaism 7 Geographical Distribution of Jews vs. Christians 8 Groups/Sects 9 Shop For 10 Related Articles 11 References

About Judaism and Christianity

The definition of Christianity varies among different Christian groups. Roman Catholics, Protestants and Eastern Orthodox define a Christian as one who is the member of the Church and the one who enters through the sacrament of baptism. Infants and adults who are baptized are considered as Christians. Jesus's Jewish group became labeled 'Christian' because his followers claimed he was 'Christ' the Greek equivalent of the Hebrew and Aramaic word for 'Messiah.' Judaism is the religion of the Jewish people, based on principles and ethics embodied in the Hebrew Bible (Tanakh) and the Talmud.
Christianity began in 1st century AD Jerusalem as a Jewish sect and spread throughout the Roman Empire and beyond to countries such as Ethiopia, Armenia, Georgia, Assyria, Iran, India, and China. The first known usage of the term Christians can be found in the New Testament of the Bible. The term was thus first used to denote those known or perceived to be disciples of Jesus. The history of early Christian groups is told in Acts in the New Testament. The early days of Christianity witnessed the desert Fathers in Egypt, sects of hermits and Gnostic ascetics.
Jesus gave the New Law by summing up the Ten Commandments. Many of the Jews did not accept Jesus. For traditional Jews, the commandments and Jewish law are still binding. For Christians, Jesus replaced Jewish law. As Jesus began teaching the twelve Apostles some Jews began to follow Him and others did not. Those who believed the teachings of Jesus became known as Christians and those who didn't remained Jews.

Differences in Beliefs

The Religion of Mary and Joseph was the Jewish religion. Judaism's central belief is the people of all religions are children of God, and therefore equal before God. Judaism accepts the worth of all people regardless of religion, it allows people who are not Jewish and wish to voluntarily join the Jewish people. While the Jews believe in the unity of God, Christians believe in the Trinity. A Jew believes in divine revelation through the prophets and Christians believe it to be through Jesus and the prophets.
The Christian Religion encompasses all churches as well as believers without churches, as many modern practitioners may be believers in Christ but not active church goers. A Christian will study the Bible, attend church, seek ways to introduce the teachings of Jesus into his or her life, and engage in prayer. A Christian seeks forgiveness for his or her personal sins through faith in Jesus Christ. The goal of the Christian is both the manifestation of the Kingdom of God on Earth and the attainment of Heaven in the after-life.
In the following video, Rabbi Tovia Singer and William Lane Craig debate about the Trinity of God:

Scriptures of Christianity and Judaism

Judaism has considered belief in the divine revelation and acceptance of the Written and Oral Torah as its fundamental core belief. The Jewish Bible is called Tanakh which is the dictating religious dogma. Christianity regards the Holy Bible, a collection of canonical books in two parts (the Old Testament and the New Testament) as authoritative: written by human authors under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, and therefore the inerrant Word of God.

Jewish vs. Christian Practices

Traditionally, Jews recite prayers three times daily, with a fourth prayer added on Shabbat and holidays. Most of the prayers in a traditional Jewish service can be said in solitary prayer, although communal prayer is preferred. Jews also have certain religious clothing which a traditional Jew wears.Christians believe that all people should strive to follow Christ's commands and example in their everyday actions. For many, this includes obedience to the Ten Commandments. Other Christian practices include acts of piety such as prayer and Bible reading. Christians assemble for communal worship on Sunday, the day of the resurrection, though other liturgical practices often occur outside this setting. Scripture readings are drawn from the Old and New Testaments, but especially the Gospels.

Cathedral Petri at St. Peter's Cathedral, Rome

The Great Synagogue, one of the largest Synagogue for Jews in Europe

Comparing Jewish and Christian Religious Teachings/Principles

Judaism teaches Jews to believe in one God and direct all prayers towards Him alone while Christians are taught about the Trinity of God- The Father, the Son and Holy Spirit. Jews generally consider actions and behavior to be of primary importance; beliefs come out of actions. This conflicts with conservative Christians for whom belief is of primary importance and actions tend to be derivative from beliefs.
Another universal teaching of Christianity is following the concept of family values, helping the powerless and promoting peace which Jews also believe in.

The View of Jesus in Christianity and Judaism

To Jews, Jesus was a wonderful teacher and storyteller. He was just a human, not the son of God. Jews do not think of Jesus as a prophet. Also, Jews believe that Jesus cannot save souls, and only God can. In the Jewish view, Jesus did not rise from the dead. Judaism in general does not recognize Jesus as the Messiah.
Christians believe in Jesus as a messiah and as the giver of salvation. Christians believe that all people should strive to follow Christ's commands and example in their everyday actions.

Geographical Distribution of Jews vs. Christians

The Jews have suffered a long history of persecution in many different lands, and their population and distribution per region has fluctuated throughout the centuries. Today, most authorities place the number of Jews between 12 and 14 million. Predominantly, Jews today live in Israel, Europe and the United States.
Data suggest that there are around 2.1 billion Christians in the world all around the globe inlcuding South and North America, Europe, Asia, Africa, and Oceania.

Groups/Sects

Jews include three groups: people who practice Judaism and have a Jewish ethnic background (sometimes including those who do not have strictly matrilineal descent), people without Jewish parents who have converted to Judaism; and those Jews who, while not practicing Judaism as a religion, still identify themselves as Jewish by virtue of their family's Jewish descent and their own cultural and historical identification with the Jewish people.
There are many people who follow christianity and have divided themselves into various groups/ sects depending upon varying beliefs. The types of Christians include Catholic, Protestant, Anglican, Lutheran, Presbyterian, Baptist, Episcopalian, Greek Orthodox, Russian Orthodox, Coptic.

Shop For

• Christianity - Books and Novelties
• Judaism - Books and Novelties

Related Articles

• New Testament vs Old Testament
• Catholicism vs Christianity
• Catholic vs Protestant
• Christianity vs Mormonism
• Christianity vs Islam
• Shia vs Sunni
• Christianity vs Protestantism
• Islam vs Shia
• Islam vs Judaism

References

• Jews and Christians: Exploring the past, present and Future Edited by James H. Charlesworth
• http://www.blurtit.com/q417167.html
• http://www.christianchallenge.org/ask/002jordan.shtml
• http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jewish_history
• http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jew#Who_is_a_Jew.3F
• http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Christian
• http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Christianity
• http://www.religioustolerance.org/comp_isl_chr.htm

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2. Judaism

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