Judaism and Christianity - Free Essay Example

Many people think that Judaism and Christianity are one and the same. However, Judaism and Christianity have many differences that the worlds population arent aware of. While Jews and Christians worship the same God, they have many different beliefs. Christianity and Judaism are different in many ways. For example, they have very different holidays. Jews celebrate Hanukkah, and Christians celebrate Christmas. There are many differences between Christmas and Hanukkah. Hanukkah began when the Second Temple was torn down by the Roman Empire. According to the Talmud, Judah Maccabee and other Jews, who were apart of the rededication of the Second Temple, witnessed a miracle. In the temple they only found enough oil to light their lamps for one day. In the end, the oil ended up lasting them eight days. They saw that as a great miracle and decided to celebrate an eight day festival. Christmas is the celebration of the birth of Christ. However, Jews dont believe that Christ has come yet, so they dont celebrate Christmas. Jews believe that Jesus was only a great prophet on the Earth and that he wasnt actually Gods son. They dont accept him in their Jewish beliefs. So, any holiday that involves Christ, such as Christmas, Easter, Lent, Palm Sunday, etc isnt acknowledged at all by Jews. Christians, on the other hand, believe that Jesus was sent from God to be the Messiah and save them from their sins. Another big difference between Jews and Christians, are their food laws. Christians dont have very strict food laws other than the specific rules of Lent every Friday. Jews have many food laws that they have to follow called Kashrut. The way the food is prepared is called Kosher. Jews cant eat consume dairy and meat products at the same time. They also cant eat pork, ham, bacon, seafood that doesnt have scales or fins, insects, or grape beverages that arent produced by Jews. These are the main differences between Jews and Christians. These differences cant be overlooked, because they build the foundations of their religions. Judaism and Christianity also have some similarities. They are both monotheistic and worship the same God. They both have the same founding fathers. Specifically, they are Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and Moses. Both Christians and Jews believe that prayer is an essential part of their daily lives. They acknowledge three types of spiritual beings including angels, demons, and spirits. They frown upon the idea of worshiping angels instead of Holy God. There is a smaller list of similarities, but they are still important to know and should be taken seriously. In order to truly understand either religion, it is essential to study and take in consideration the comparisons and contrasts of these religions. While the similarities are much fewer than the differences, the similarities are just as important and should be taken just as seriously. Both religions are very well known throughout the world, with much controversy and debate as to which one should dominate future generations.