Saturday, October 26, 2019
Judaism vs. Christianity :: Compare Contrast Comparison Essays
Judaism vs. Christianity Judaism and Christianity developed on the basis obeying God, on adherence to his rules and intentions and their faithful fulfillment. Since the fulfillment of Godââ¬â¢s will is a duty of a Jewish or Christian person, both religions fall into the rule-deontological category. In Judaism, God is seen as having a contractual relationship with the Jewish people where they must obey his holy laws in return for their status of the chosen people. God rewards or punishes Jewish people based on whether they obey or disobey his will. In parts of the Old Testament, however, God does show mercy or forgiveness, and in later interpretations Godââ¬â¢s laws such as the Ten Commandments are followed not only out of loyalty to God but also because of their high moral character. In Christianity, the emphasis is placed on love of God rather than on obeying his will. People must believe that God is merciful and loves them as well. As a reflection of Godââ¬â¢s love, people must also love other people (and the whole humanity in general) and forgive their enemies. In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus endorses agape, or selfless love (in contrast to eros, or possessive love), which consists of dedication to another personââ¬â¢s good, even at the expense of our own good and happiness. People should practice peace and nonviolence, return good for evil and love for suffering (ââ¬Å"turn the other cheekâ⬠). This leads to a special conception of justice, called the ââ¬Å"divine justiceâ⬠, which is based on giving a person what he or she needs rather than deserves (e.g., in case of a crime, redemption rather getting even). Even though agapeistic love is certainly a noble ideal, it is unstable equilibrium and an easy victim of the ââ¬Å"prisonerââ¬â¢s dilemma,â⬠in which the best alternative for a group of people is not the best alternative for each person in the group. Judaism vs. Christianity :: Compare Contrast Comparison Essays Judaism vs. Christianity Judaism and Christianity developed on the basis obeying God, on adherence to his rules and intentions and their faithful fulfillment. Since the fulfillment of Godââ¬â¢s will is a duty of a Jewish or Christian person, both religions fall into the rule-deontological category. In Judaism, God is seen as having a contractual relationship with the Jewish people where they must obey his holy laws in return for their status of the chosen people. God rewards or punishes Jewish people based on whether they obey or disobey his will. In parts of the Old Testament, however, God does show mercy or forgiveness, and in later interpretations Godââ¬â¢s laws such as the Ten Commandments are followed not only out of loyalty to God but also because of their high moral character. In Christianity, the emphasis is placed on love of God rather than on obeying his will. People must believe that God is merciful and loves them as well. As a reflection of Godââ¬â¢s love, people must also love other people (and the whole humanity in general) and forgive their enemies. In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus endorses agape, or selfless love (in contrast to eros, or possessive love), which consists of dedication to another personââ¬â¢s good, even at the expense of our own good and happiness. People should practice peace and nonviolence, return good for evil and love for suffering (ââ¬Å"turn the other cheekâ⬠). This leads to a special conception of justice, called the ââ¬Å"divine justiceâ⬠, which is based on giving a person what he or she needs rather than deserves (e.g., in case of a crime, redemption rather getting even). Even though agapeistic love is certainly a noble ideal, it is unstable equilibrium and an easy victim of the ââ¬Å"prisonerââ¬â¢s dilemma,â⬠in which the best alternative for a group of people is not the best alternative for each person in the group.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
No comments:
Post a Comment