Christianity:

Redefining the Myth

Judaism

Judaism

The Hebrew leader Abraham founded Judaism around 2000 B.C.

Who is a Jew?

• The Jews are an ethnicity, a race, as well as having a distinct religion.• Jews believe that a Jew is someone who is the child of a Jewish mother; although

some groups also accept children of Jewish fathers as Jewish. A Jew traditionally can't lose the technical 'status' of being a Jew by adopting another faith, but they

do lose the religious element of their Jewish identity.• Someone who isn’t born a Jew can convert to Judaism, but it is not easy to do so.

Jewish BeliefsJews believe that there is a single God who not only created the universe, but

with whom every Jew can have an individual and personal relationship.A summary of what Jews believe about God:

• God exists• There is only one God. There are no other gods

• Jews should worship only the one God• God is Transcendent: God is above and beyond all earthly things.

• God doesn't have a body - Which means that God is neither female nor male.• God created the universe without help

• God is omnipresent: (all present) God is everywhere, all the time• God is omnipotent: (all powerful) God can do anything at all

• God is beyond time: God has always existed. God will always exist• God is just, but God is also merciful. God is forgiving towards those who mess

things up• God punishes the bad and God rewards the good

• God is personal and accessible.• God is interested in each individual

• God listens to each individual• God sometimes speaks to individuals, but in unexpected ways

The Jews brought new ideas about God

• The Jewish idea of God is particularly important to the world because it was the Jews who developed two new ideas about God:

• - There is only one God• - God chooses to behave in a way that is both just and fair.

• Before Judaism, people believed in lots of gods, and those gods behaved no better than human beings with supernatural powers.

• The Jews found themselves with a God who was ethical and good.

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The Torah

The most holy Jewish book is the Torah The Torah (or teachings) contains the five books revealed to Moses

by God on Mount Sinai. The Torah contains the laws of God.

What is the Symbol of Judaism?

The symbol or emblem of the Jewish people is the Magen David (Shield of David), also known as the Star of David.

Menorah

The Menorah is one of the oldest symbols of the Jewish faith. It

has seven or nine candle holders and is often displayed in Jewish

synagogues.

The Jews celebrate Hanukkah in December -

one candle is lit every day in celebration of Jewish freedom and

God’s promises.

Christianity

There is One God and He is all powerful, the Creator of all.His son, Jesus the Christ, was a form of God that came to

earth to save humanity from sin and evilHe was killed (crucified) and then rose from the dead three

days later and went up to heaven.By having a personal relationship with Christ, you can

repent your sins and be forgiven.Once forgiven you are free to enter heaven when you die, to

be forever in the presence of God.

Christianity

Christians believe that there is only one God, but that this one God consists of 3 "persons”

･ God the Father ･ God the Son ･ The Holy Spirit

Jesus Christ is the Son of God. He came to earth to teach about love and fellowship and to save humanity from the consequences of its

sins.He represents the person that all Christians must strive to be. Jesus was

a Jew who was born about 2000 years ago in Bethlehem. Jesus lived for 33 years before being crucified by the Romans. Jesus is the

founder of Christianity.

The Son of God, Jesus was also fully human, and experienced this world in the same way as other human

beings of his time

Jesus was tortured and gave his life on the Cross (At the Crucifixion)Jesus rose from the dead on the third day after his Crucifixion

(the Resurrection)Christians believe that Jesus was the Messiah promised in the Old Testament ( a

promise made to the Jews)

Heaven or Hell?

The Bible

The Bible is the Christian holy book. It is divided into the Old and New Testaments. Parts of the writing contained

in the Old Testament are also sacred to Jewish and Muslim people.

The Books of the New Testament

Jesus didn't write the bible himself, instead its many books were written by Christians after his death.

• The 4 Gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke, John.– These books all tell the same story, but have different events.

• The Acts of the Apostles– About what the Apostles (or followers) did after Jesus died.

• Various letters written by the apostles.• Revelations

– A book about how the world will end.

Greek Myth

In the beginning, Chaos (a gaping endless void) and a vast flowing blanket of water (Oceanus) covered all of the universe.

Greek Myth

Eurynome: was the Goddess of All Things, and desired to make order out of the Chaos. She “merged” with a powerful snake, Ophion and she gave birth to Eros, god of Love, also known as Protagonus, the "firstborn".

Greek Myth

Also born out of Chaos were Gaia, called Earth, or Mother Earth, and Uranus, the embodiment of the Sky and the Heavens, as well as Tartarus, god of the sunless and terrible region beneath Gaia, the Earth.

Greek Myth

Gaia and Uranus married and gave birth to the Titans, a race of formidable giants, which included a particularly wily(crafty, clever) giant named Cronus.

Greek Myth

Gaia and Uranus warned Cronus that a son of his would one day overpower him. Cronus therefore swallowed his numerous children by his wife Rhea, to keep that forecast from taking place.

Greek Myth

Zeus made himself Supreme God over all and lived on Mount Olympus, in Thessaly. All the others were left to fend for themselves in lands below Mount Olympus.

Greek Myth

Greek Myth

Prometheus, one of the Titans not vanquished in the war between Zeus and the giants. It is said in many myths that Prometheus had created d a race of people from clay…The Common People

Greek MythThe gods of Greek myth were how a lot of citizens understood the ways of life. They had a creation story to tell and explain their existence.

This gave comfort, but the gods where also very distant beings:

Immortal vs. Mortal

Supreme Beings(Mount Olympus) vs. Common People (Prometheus)

Jewish/ChristianCreation

God created the Heavens and the Earth

Created light and darkness…Called them day and night

Expanded the waters into water and sky

Created the Land

Created Animals

Created Man

Creation!!!