Adam,Nailah

  Research Question: What type of conflicts do we see in different religions and how has it affect us physically, emotionally, or intellectually?
 *  //Religion and Conflicts// **



//**R** //eligion is the basis for which people’s lifestyles are regulated. It is the concrete example of civilization and the means for unity within a society. However, those beliefs and values are not always shared and creates conflicts that affects us and the way we live, think and feel. Islam, Christianity and Judaism are three religions that have conflicted upon each other. The following brochure are key and prime examples of the conflicts of those religions and how they affect us.
 * Introduction: ** 

**Quotes:**
====**“**Some groups, such as America’s New Christian Right and Jama’at-i-Islami of Pakistan, have operated largely through constitutional means though still pursue intolerant ends. In circumstances where moderate ways are not perceived to have produced results, whether social, political, or economic, the populace may turn to extreme interpretations for solutions. Without legitimate mechanisms for religious groups to express their views, they may be more likely to resort to violence. “ ====


==== “Many religions also have significant strains of evangelism, which can be conflictual. Believers are called upon to spread the word of God and increase the numbers of the flock. For example, the effort to impose Christianity on subject peoples was an important part of the conflict surrounding European colonization. Similarly, a group may seek to deny other religions the opportunity to practice their faith. In part, this is out of a desire to minimize beliefs the dominant group feels to be inferior or dangerous. Suppression of Christianity in China and the Sudan are but two contemporary examples. In the case of China, it is not a conflict between religions, but rather the government views religion as a dangerous rival for citizens’ loyalties. All of these instances derive from a lack of respect for other faiths.” ====

**Interpretation/Analysis:**
==== Christian and Islamic groups work together in a constitutional way yet still are not tolerant of each other’s views and beliefs. Modern society hasn’t discovered ways to share the same beliefs socially, politically or economically and have decided to lean on their own extreme interpretations to try to find a solution. If they continue not to find ways to express religious views, violence is the next step. ==== ==== Religions have strained preaching publicly and personally witnessing that causes conflicts. Examples show that European colonizations were forcefully imposed by Christianity. Also, Christrianity in China and Sudan resulted in suppression. The conflicts that resulted in these suppressions are caused from a lack of respect for people of different religions. ==== ====<span style="color: #000000; font-family: 'Courier New',Courier,monospace;"> Christianity and its conflicts are resulted from disrespect of other religions. It cause suppression and character flaws emotionally and intellectually that affects people of religion. Public preaching and personal witnessing, also known as evangelism, also contributes to the conflicts of Christianity. History shows that the progression of religion has not grown to the point where religions have respect for other religions, which results in possible violence and discrimination. ====

<span style="color: #000000; font-family: 'Courier New',Courier,monospace;">**Quotes:**
====<span style="color: #000000; font-family: 'Courier New',Courier,monospace;">"During the seventh century (A.D. 600's), Muslim Arab armies moved north from Arabia to conquer most of the Middle East, including Palestine. Jerusalem was conquered about 638 by the Caliph Umar who gave his protection to its inhabitants. Muslim powers controlled the region until the early 1900's. The rulers allowed Christians and Jews to keep their religions. However, most of the local population gradually accepted Islam and the Arab-Islamic culture of their rulers. Jerusalem became holy to Muslims as the site where, according to tradition, Muhammad ascended to heaven after a miraculous overnight ride from Mecca on his horse //Al-Buraq//. The al-Algsa mosque was built on the site generally regarded as the area of the Jewish temples. ==== ====<span style="color: #000000; font-family: 'Courier New',Courier,monospace;">The Turks conquered Jerusalem in 1071, but their rule in Palestine lasted less than 30 years. Initially they were replaced by the rulers of Egypt. The Fatimids took advantage of the Seljuk struggles with the Christian crusaders. They made an alliance with the crusaders in 1098 and captured Jerusalem, Jaffa and other parts of Palestine. ==== ====<span style="color: #000000; font-family: 'Courier New',Courier,monospace;">The Crusaders, however, broke the alliance and invaded Palestine about a year later. They captured Jaffa and Jerusalem in 1099, slaughtered many Jewish and Muslim defenders and forbade Jews to live in Jerusalem. They held the city until 1187. In that year, the Muslim ruler Saladin conquered Jerusalem. The Crusaders then held a smaller and smaller area along the coast of Palestine, under treaty with Saladin. However, they broke the treaty with Saladin and later treaties. Crusade after crusade tried to recapture Jerusalem, but they were unable to do so for more than a brief period. “ ====

<span style="color: #000000; font-family: 'Courier New',Courier,monospace;">**<span style="font-family: 'Courier New',Courier,monospace; font-size: 12pt;">Interpretation/Analysis: **
====<span style="color: #000000; font-family: 'Courier New',Courier,monospace;"> Since 1500 B.C, Jews have been fighting for Jerusalem, their holy land, from numerous religious groups such as Christians and Muslims. When the Romans took over Jerusalem and named it Palestine, the Jews who continued to practice their religion fled from the land. Muslim empires conquered Jerusalem, where Jews were allowed to practice their religion freely. The Crusades, Christian extremists, then took over Jerusalem and forced the Jews to move elsewhere. ==== ====<span style="color: #000000; font-family: 'Courier New',Courier,monospace;"> The conflicts that were risen through Jerusalem were because of Religious causes. The Jews were the first to live in Jerusalem. They were deprived of their land because of other religions and their necessities prior to worship in their holy land. Their disagreements of other religions and their holy land result in conflicts that causes violence, war and greed, effecting the people physically and their stable place to live. ====

<span style="color: #000000; font-family: 'Courier New',Courier,monospace;">**Quotes:**
====<span style="color: #000000; font-family: 'Courier New',Courier,monospace;">**“**A Christian is, by any reasonable definition, a disciple or follower of Jesus Christ. The Bible teaches that Jesus was born of a virgin, his birth instigated by the Holy Spirit. Thus, he was both God and man at once, as the name Immanuel suggests (Matthew 1:23). Further, the Bible teaches that Jesus lived a sinless life (Hebrews 4:15) and died a torturous death on the cross for mankind’s sins (Romans 5:6-8). Scripture records that Jesus accepted worship from men while on earth (John 21:28) and today serves as the sole mediator between God and men (1 Timothy 2:5).” ==== ====<span style="color: #000000; font-family: 'Courier New',Courier,monospace;"> “While Jesus and the first disciples were Jews, and while Jewish scriptures foretold the Christ’s coming, there is little but history that connects Judaism and Christianity today. Jews may accept that Jesus lived, but they deny his deity, his sacrificial death for sin and his present mediation from heaven. ==== ====<span style="color: #000000; font-family: 'Courier New',Courier,monospace;"> However, many Jews and professed Christians don’t take their beliefs very seriously, reduce religion and worship to a social event and manage to politically find common ground and a relative peace.” ====

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====<span style="color: #000000; font-family: 'Courier New',Courier,monospace;"> “Islam is a different story, in several respects. First, like the Jews, Muslims deny that Jesus is the Son of God. They deny Jesus died on a cross for our sins and that he was resurrected. They reject the Bible’s statement that Jesus is God’s final revelator of His will (Hebrews 1:1-3). Jesus is viewed as merely a good teacher, whose teachings were corrupted by the apostles who followed him.” ====

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====<span style="color: #000000; font-family: 'Courier New',Courier,monospace;"> “More importantly, Muslims fundamentally reject the entire foundation of both Christian and Jewish faith. Since they claim both Jewish scriptures (Old Testament) and Christian scriptures (New Testament) are corrupted, neither is accepted.” ====

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====<span style="color: #000000; font-family: 'Courier New',Courier,monospace;"> “ Instead, they follow the teachings and example of Mohammed, reputedly recorded in a holy book called the Qur’an. Other writings and traditions, such as the Hadith, help guide them as well.” ====

<span style="color: #000000; font-family: 'Courier New',Courier,monospace;">**Interpretation/Analysis:**
====<span style="color: #000000; font-family: 'Courier New',Courier,monospace;"> The quotes state the different reasons of faith for both Islam, Jewish and Christian Faith. In Christianity, their savior is Jesus, who was born upon a virgin named Mary. The Bible, their holy book, teaches the Christian people that Jesus was sin-free and died because of mankind’s sins. Today he is the soul peacemaker between God and Men. The Jewish and Christian people don’t share many connects. The Jewish people do not believe in reasonings for coming and his sacrificial death for sin. In Islam, Muslims deny that Jesus was actually the son of god and was resurrected and do not believe that Jesus is the final revelator but Muhammad is. The Muslims believe that Jesus was a teacher. ==== ====<span style="color: #000000; font-family: 'Courier New',Courier,monospace;"> The intellectual conflicts are presented within this summarization. Their own indivisual beliefs raise awareness to other people of choice yet all create relatively good cases that can intellectually affect someone and their ease at choice. The Christians and Muslims take up a majority of the world’s population and can easily influence one choose, yet the Jews are really heavily populated in United States, which conflicts with people of the United States’ intellectual beliefs. ====

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====<span style="color: #000000; font-family: 'Courier New',Courier,monospace;">**“** Many of the world's great religions base their beliefs upon ancient written sacred texts. For Christian denominations, this is generally the Hebrew and Christian Scriptures (the Old and New Testaments) in the Bible. The more conservative Christian faith groups believe that the Bible is inerrant, and its authors were inspired by God. Since the Bible's message is considered fixed for all time, Christian beliefs are often considered equally unchangeable. ==== ====<span style="color: #000000; font-family: 'Courier New',Courier,monospace;"> However, the historical record shows that change does occur, and that religious groups use various methods to modify their beliefs. “ ====

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 * ====<span style="color: #000000; font-family: 'Courier New',Courier,monospace;"> ==== || ====<span style="color: #000000; font-family: 'Courier New',Courier,monospace;">Are translated into English in an obscure manner; ==== ||
 * ====<span style="color: #000000; font-family: 'Courier New',Courier,monospace;"> ==== || ====<span style="color: #000000; font-family: 'Courier New',Courier,monospace;">Are simply ignored; ==== ||
 * ====<span style="color: #000000; font-family: 'Courier New',Courier,monospace;"> ==== || ====<span style="color: #000000; font-family: 'Courier New',Courier,monospace;">Are reinterpreted -- often symbolically; ==== ||
 * ====<span style="color: #000000; font-family: 'Courier New',Courier,monospace;"> ==== || ====<span style="color: #000000; font-family: 'Courier New',Courier,monospace;">Are regarded as having been valid at the era and/or the society in which they were written, but are not for guidance for people today. ==== ||

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 * ====<span style="color: #000000; font-family: 'Courier New',Courier,monospace;"> ==== || ====<span style="color: #000000; font-family: 'Courier New',Courier,monospace;">Most frequently, the conflict has been between established religious organization(s) and a secular movement which is promoting change. The latter can represent physical science, medicine, a social science, etc. ==== ||
 * ====<span style="color: #000000; font-family: 'Courier New',Courier,monospace;"> ==== || ====<span style="color: #000000; font-family: 'Courier New',Courier,monospace;">Other times, the conflict is between a religion and a group attempting to obtain equal rights and protection under law. In the past, this often involved discrimination on the basis of race, or gender. In the early 21st century it involves equal rights for gays, lesbians and bisexuals. ==== ||
 * ====<span style="color: #000000; font-family: 'Courier New',Courier,monospace;"> ==== || ====<span style="color: #000000; font-family: 'Courier New',Courier,monospace;">Finally, in some cases, the conflict has been between liberal and conservative faith groups as in the case of abortion acess. ==== ||

<span style="color: #000000; font-family: 'Courier New',Courier,monospace;">**Interpretation/Analysis:**
====<span style="color: #000000; font-family: 'Courier New',Courier,monospace;"> The Holy books of each religion are the means for their of faith. Their sacred text lay down the rules and beliefs that encrusts their faith. The bullets list all of the conflicts that holy books, such as the Bible, behold within a society. ==== ====<span style="color: #000000; font-family: 'Courier New',Courier,monospace;"> The text supports that conflicts affects someone emotionally and intellectually. The Holy Books cause both mental and physical problems. As listed in the bullets, because of the sacred text in the bible, people ignore it or translate it to their own benefit that causes conflicts. The conflicts of science and religion conflicts with the people of religions creation belief because they set another convincing creation standard. ====

<span style="color: #000000; font-family: 'Courier New',Courier,monospace;">**Quotes:**
====<span style="color: #000000; font-family: 'Courier New',Courier,monospace;">**“** Judaism, Christianity, and Islam are monotheistic religions, namely they believe that there is only one God. Jews and Muslims greatly stress the oneness and unity of God. The affirmation of the oneness of God by Christians is sometimes misunderstood, because Christians believe that the one God is triune (the Holy Trinity). However, this is not a denial of monotheism but an affirmation of the complexity of the Divine Being.” ====

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====<span style="color: #000000; font-family: 'Courier New',Courier,monospace;"> “All three religions believe that this God is the origin and source of all that exists. 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.” ====

<span style="color: #000000; font-family: 'Courier New',Courier,monospace;">**Interpretation/Analysis:**
====<span style="color: #000000; font-family: 'Courier New',Courier,monospace;"> All three religions are religions that believe in only one god. Judaism and Islam greatly stress monotheism while Christians believe that one God is part of the Holy trinity. The religions believe that god is the main source of the reason why everything exist and believes that God gives us the guidance needed throughout life. ==== ====<span style="color: #000000; font-family: 'Courier New',Courier,monospace;"> The conflicts that are set here are intellectual conflicts because they confuse people and their reasoning of choosing religions. Yet it also shows what they share as far as god and monotheism. ====