FRIDAY, AUGUST 9, 2024 - AN OVERVIEW OF MONOTHESTIC RELIGIONS

 FRIDAY, AUGUST 9, 2024 SPIRITUAL THOUGHTS

Recently, I’ve been thinking about monotheistic religions.  The “big three” seem to be Islam, Judaism, and Christianity. 

The last two are related in that Christians use the foundation of Judaism.  The prophet of Christianity was Jewish and he fulfilled many of the Old Testament prophecies about a Messiah.  

The rest of religions (in my very humble viewpoint) tend to be either more self-focused - meditation, taking time for self reflection, - or a multitude of gods.  

I can imagine prehistoric man getting to the reasoning stage saying “Where did I come from?”  There were the physical things of the world - sun, moon, rain, wind, land/dirt/crops, fire, love.  Was there a “sun god”?  Was there a god or goddess of love?

Now many centuries, our theories are better, our philosophical analysis is in a plethora of books and writings.  Do we use the Torah, the Koran, the Bible, or the writings of Thomas Aquinas, Plato, Socrates, and others.  Do we stay with Western philosophies or use some Eastern philosophies?

Yes, I am a product of my background - in the United States - settled originally by English people with Christian backgrounds - put me in the Christian camp.  I know many Jewish friends who rely on their heritage and writings.  I don’t know many Muslim friends, but sense they read and know their philosophies and teachings.  

There are also those without a deep spiritual upbringing.  Like the novel, “Hello God, it’s me, Margaret” - where one of her parents is Jewish and one is Christian - and the parents have decided NOT to give her a religious heritage and let her decide when she is an adult.

 "Train up a child in the way he should go and when he is old he will not depart from it" is from Proverbs 22:6 - and would apply to all particular faith positions.  

In Christianity, we’ve ended up with multiple factions.  

That is also similar to Jewish groups - with orthodox, conservative, reform, and reconstructionist.  I didn’t quite understand in Connecticut where there were within close proximity to my house, there were two Jewish groups with different perspectives.  One was a Reform group, and one was a Conservative group.  My friend Steve’s family was with the Conservative group, and my friend Kenn was with the Reform group. I don’t know if Steve’s wife came from the Conservative side or the Reform side - and how they view Judaism. 

In Christian schemes, there are a million different Baptist groups. (Okay, that isn’t true).  Though dozens and dozens of Baptist denominations exist, over 90% of Baptists belong to just five groups: the Southern Baptist Convention, the National Baptist Convention USA, the National Baptist Convention of America, American Baptist Churches USA, and the Baptist Bible Fellowship International.  In Madison, South Dakota, I worshiped with an outshoot of the North American Baptist Fellowship - which had its roots in German Baptists.  

And, it continues.  The Methodist Church has divisions over gay clergy, and LGBTQ+ recognition.  Lutherans have ELCA - Evangelical Lutheran Churches of America; WELS - Wisconsin Evangelical Lutheran Synod, Missouri Lutheran Synod.  During the migration of peoples to the United States, you had Norwegian Lutherans, German Lutherans, Swedish Lutherans and others.  In Madison there were three Lutheran groups - one was primarily Norwegian, one primarily German, and one that was the more conservative Missouri Synod group.  

Even Catholics have some of the divisions.  When we moved to Connecticut, there had been a painful Catholic integration prior to our move.  Irish Catholics had St. Patrick’s parish, the many Italian Catholics had St. Antony, Our Lady of Mount Carmel, and other groups.  Even in Texas, there are parishes that are primarily Hispanic,  Some conservatives have parishes where the traditional Latin Mass is used.  There are also breakaway groups - like the American Catholic Church (not aligned with Rome), Eastern Catholics, and more. 

In Muslim faith there are two major groups - Sunni, and Shia - but even there there are other factions.  It seems as if Imams can call out specific regulations. (Okay, I don’t know much about Islam).

And, it seems as every particular group uses something similar to this: "Thou shalt have no other gods before Me"  (Exodus 20:3) - part of the Ten Commandments. 

And, in the United States, traditional Protestant Churches didn’t know what to do with Black people and thus, Black congregations forms (many are also Baptist) - and many are more (much more) expressive i their worship “Preach it brother”, “Amen, Brother”.  

*****

Yes, I have my own biases.  Most specifically, God (how ever you view it) is LOVING.  Christian verses say “God is Love”.  

Humans can mess things up.  In Christian Bibles, John 17:21, Jesus prays “that all of them may be one, Father, just as you are in me and I am in you. “

*****

LOVE WINS

LOVE TRANSFORMS

Karen Anne White, August 9, 2024