|
maybemaybenot -> RE: The Religions of Peace (7/18/2006 7:17:31 AM)
|
quote:
ORIGINAL: jojoluvr
i would have to disagree about christianity being "one" religion -- i disagree quite profoundly with many christians about the "core" beliefs. while i recognize that they consider themselves christian as much as i do, it is too much of a stretch to see it as one faith. some christians believe authority lies within the church; others believe it lies within the bible (just to name 2 options). some christians focus on the work of the spirit; others focus on the god of creation. some christians have a low christology (focus on jesus' humanity); other have a high christology (focus on his divinity). there is an illusion that that christianity is one -- but it never has been really -- even before the 95 theses on the castle door. the cultural practices and range of beliefs held by those who call themselves christian is vast.... those who try to make it one often really just want the rest of the christian world to jump on their bandwagon -- whatever it may be...certainly all christians use (or re-create, as you suggest about the quran for muslims) the bible to promote their own agenda, as we have for 2000 years....
i would say that the 3 major branches of judaism represent, for the most part, 3 different faiths as well -- the orthodox and the reformed are certainly worlds apart in what they believe, how they live, etc. presenting islam as the only one that is fractured or self-contradictory is disingenuous at best...
jo
Maybe I was too vague in my earlier post. My use of the word core is that we all pretty much accept the Bible, as the handbook of our given religion. As Judiam does with the Torah. And in Christianity that Jesus is viewed as the savior. Yes, each sect/denomination may interpret/practice
differently. But at the end of the day there is no arguement on the sacredness of the Bible/Torah. The disagreements come with interpretation/practice.
In contrast, Islam has a big difference.
Muhammad is the prophet of that religion and within the different sects/tribes etc there is no disagreement. But a big difference is in the succesion, which "fragments" things, IMO. Shi'ite Muslims reject the first three successors of Muhmmad and have taken the fourth succesor, Ali, Mohmmads son in law as the rightful successor. While Sunnis accept the first three, leaving Ali the fourth successor. Seems to me that if you have one prophet claiming it's successor x 3 and some agree with the original Prophet and others reject and pick the fourth, there is a much bigger fragmentation than how a Catholic or Baptist practices their religion. Maybe it's just me.
I still maintain the issue of the differing tribes adds to the mix, but that is my opinion. You have yours.
If you see me, or my words as disingenuous, so be it. The topic of Islam and the problems with in Islam itself is not something I created and has been studied for many years.
Part of the Middle East Peace process has been trying to unite the Arab/Muslim/Islamic world. The fact that this has been a tedious and exhausting project at best, proves to me that some of the problems lie within the Islamic world itself.
mbmbn
|
|
|
|
