Essay 3

As we come to the end of the semester, there is a lot to reflect back upon. With this,
learning all about the different religions has really opened up my eyes to other people’s beliefs.
When it comes to Judaism, I had very little knowledge beforehand. After learning about the
religion, however, my interest was sparked. One thing that really stood out to me was that
Judaism is not only a religion, but also a culture. Growing up, I always heard that my dad’s side
of the family was Jewish but did not practice the religion. After taking this class, I have learned
that unlike other religions, Judaism can be religious, political, and cultural. When it came to
Islam, I had absolutely no prior knowledge. However, I now have a decent amount of
knowledge on the religion. Muslims do not worship Muhammad, they worship Allah. Also, Islam
is the second largest religion, with first being Christianity. When it came to the Christian
religion, I had the greatest knowledge upon. Growing up, I always practiced this faith, however I
never really paid attention in church. Something interesting that I learned in this class however
was that while the Trinitarian Monotheism are all connected to God, they are not connected to
each other. This is often mistaken by many. While these religions may differ, they have their
similarities. The Christian religion and Islam religion both have prophets, Jesus and Muhammad.
All three religions, Christianity, Judaism, and Islam, all believe in one God, however they have
different practices. For instance, each religion has their own unique Holy Book that they use for
their practice. The Bible, for instance, corresponds with the Christian Religion, while, Islam and
Judaism, pray from the Koran and Tanakh. The Hebrew Tanakh is similar to the Old Testament
of Christianity. After taking this class, I have more respect for these religions after learning
about their traditions. These people are just as or more invested into their practice than I am
with my faith, so therefore they should be treated with equal respect.