Michael1942's Blog

There has been so much print and air time about Religions and the differences among them. I have downloaded several charts showing some of the differences between the many religions. Many Western religions (many with European and Eastern beginnings) have an assortment of sects that believe the basic premise of the root religion but have deviated due to their own perception of how they interpret the bible along with the overall teachings of the root group. This doesn’t mean that any of the many are more right or more wrong than the others. It does not mean that any of their “Bibles or Quran’s” are incorrect or correct. Keep in mind that all of these religious “guides” are thousands of years old and have been translated millions of time and perhaps altered due to translation and sometimes sect preference. After looking at the attached charts, it became clear to me that aside from personal interpretation most major and minor religions have at one time or another have been co-opted by the breakaway sect. So it appears that religions all have the same goal in general but have been used in the name of  justice to murder, maim and oppress many. I have put below as a first line a brief history of Islam naming the two main sects along with a quote from the Quran.

Major sects and denominations Sunni and Shiite Twelvers – Majority Shi’ite denomination that reveres the Twelve Imams Seveners – Shi’ite denomination holding that the legitimate line of imams ended with the seventh Sufi is a mystical branch Sacred text.

“Righteous is he who believes in Allah and the Last Day    and the Angels and the Scriptures and the Prophets.”    — Quran 2:177

Six Articles of Faith

There is no official creed to which one must adhere to be considered a Muslim. All that is required is to believe and recite the Shahada: “There is no God but God, and Muhammad is his Prophet.” Beyond this core belief, however, Muslim doctrine is often summarized in “Six Articles of Faith.” Many Muslims believe that one must adhere to the six articles to be considered a Muslim.

Muslim Beliefs about God

The single most important belief in Islam, and arguably the central theme of Islam, is that there is only one God. The name of God is Allah, which is simply Arabic for “the (al) God (ilah).” The term is related to Elohim, the Hebrew word for God.

Comparison of Statistics and Basics

Comparison of Origins and History

Comparison of Religious Beliefs

Hopefully these charts and the introduction will allow some of us to realize we are not so far apart religiously and can conceivably move forward to ease world tensions.