The difference between Christianity and Judaism is the religious directions. Can a Jew be a Christian

Original taken from alanol09 The main differences between Christianity and Judaism

First difference. Most of the world's religions, including Christianity, support the doctrine that non-believers in that religion will be punished and won't get a place in Heaven or the World to Come. Judaism, unlike any major world religion, believes that a non-Jew (who does not have to believe in the Torah, but who keeps the seven commandments given to Noah) will definitely receive a place in the World to Come and is called a righteous Gentile.

Second difference. In Christianity, the most important idea is faith in Jesus as the savior. This faith in itself makes it possible for a person to be saved. Judaism believes that the highest thing for a person is the service of Gd through the fulfillment of his will, and this is even higher than faith.

Third difference. Judaism holds that Gd, by definition, has no form, image, or body, and that Gd cannot be represented in any form. This position is even included in the thirteen foundations of the faith of Judaism. On the other hand, Christianity believes in Jesus, who, as G-d, took on a human form. G-d tells Moses that a man cannot see G-d and remain alive.

In Christianity, the very purpose of existence is life for the sake of the next world. Although Judaism also believes in the World to Come, this is not the only purpose of life. The Aleynu prayer says that the main task of life is to improve this world.

Judaism believes that every person has a personal relationship with Gd and that every person can communicate directly with Gd on a daily basis. In Catholicism, priests and the Pope act as mediators between God and man. Unlike Christianity, where the clergy are endowed with exalted holiness and a special relationship with Gd, in Judaism there is absolutely no religious act that a rabbi could do that any individual Jew could not do. So, contrary to the beliefs of many people, it is not necessary for a rabbi to be present at a Jewish funeral, a Jewish wedding (the ceremony can be performed without a rabbi), or when performing other religious activities. The word "rabbi" means "teacher". Although rabbis have the right to make official decisions about Jewish law, a Jew who is sufficiently trained can also make decisions about Jewish law without being instructed. Thus, there is nothing unique (from a religious point of view) in being a rabbi as a member of the Jewish clergy.

In Christianity, miracles play a central role, being the basis of faith. In Judaism, however, miracles can never be the foundation of faith in G-d. The Torah says that if a person appears before the people and declares that Gd appeared to him, that he is a prophet, performs supernatural miracles, and then begins to instruct people to violate something from the Torah, then this person should be killed as a false prophet ( Devarim 13:2-6).

Judaism believes that a person starts life with a "clean slate" and that he can receive good things in this world. Christianity believes that man is inherently wicked, weighed down by Original Sin. This hinders him in the pursuit of virtue, and therefore he must turn to Jesus as a savior.

Christianity is based on the premise that the Messiah in the form of Jesus has already come. Judaism believes that the Messiah is yet to come. One of the reasons Judaism cannot believe that the Messiah has already come is that, in the Jewish view, the Messianic times will be marked by significant changes in the world. Even if these changes occur in a natural way, and not supernaturally, then universal agreement and recognition of G-d will reign in the world. Since, according to Judaism, no changes occurred in the world with the appearance of Jesus, according to the Jewish definition of the Messiah, he did not come yet.

Since Christianity is exclusively aimed at the next world, the Christian attitude towards the human body and its desires is similar to the attitude towards unholy temptations. Since the next world is the world of souls, and it is the soul that distinguishes man from other creatures, Christianity believes that man is obliged to nourish his soul, and neglect his body as much as possible. And this is the way to achieve holiness. Judaism recognizes that the soul is more important, but one should not neglect the desires of one's body. So instead of trying to reject the body and completely suppress physical desires, Judaism makes the fulfillment of these desires into a holy act. The most holy Christian priests and the Pope take a vow of celibacy, while for a Jew the creation of a family and the continuation of the family is a holy act. Whereas in Christianity the vow of poverty is the ideal of holiness, in Judaism, wealth, on the contrary, is a positive quality.

“We don't have the luxury of fighting on every battlefield.
So we will never reach our goal. For this we are too
few, and the blood of the children of Israel is too precious.
Our weapon is the Bible, and the world of the goyim must be laid at our feet by the goyim themselves,
whose blood and property are rightfully ours.”
Rabbi Yechil Michel Pines

"The unity of Judaism and Christianity has a real basis of spiritual and natural kinship
and positive religious interests. We are one with the Jews, without abandoning Christianity,
not contrary to Christianity, but in the name and strength of Christianity"
Alexy II

The very existence of the Jews, their incredible vitality and amazing triumph in the enslavement of peoples already leads to serious thoughts. Where is the key to the fact that a single tribe that has no home of its own and is scattered among other peoples, despite repeated persecution and deportation from all countries, has retained its appearance and continues to nurture its manic idea of ​​world domination?

We must begin with Judaism, the religion of the Jews, since Christianity is its direct and immediate product. And second: if you want to understand the people, study their national religion and culture. We will not understand either Christianity or Jews if we do not understand Judaism. A feature of Judaism is that the Jews are kindled by the evil belief that they are "God's chosen ones", chosen by their god to exterminate other peoples. Except for those whom they make their immediate slaves. According to the Bible, according to an agreement with Jehovah, they should receive power over the world by offering the sacrificial blood of pagan foreigners.

What conclusions can be drawn if, in the Bible, Moses sent Joshua and Caleb Jefonnin to investigate. Returning, they say: "Do not be afraid of the people of this land, for you will get it FOR EATING" ( Numbers 14:9). "Meek" David not only kills all foreigners in a row (adults, babies, elders), but sweetly invents sophisticated tortures, puts them under threshing machines, under iron axes, burns them in fiery furnaces ( 2 Samuel 12:31).

All the psalms of David are saturated with bloodlust, hatred for other peoples, the desire to enslave them. "... ask me, and I will give you the nations as your inheritance and the limits of the earth as your possession. You will strike them with a rod, like a potter's vessel, you will crush them ..." ( Psalm 2:8-9). "... let the saints triumph in glory and rejoice on their beds, praise to God in their mouth and a two-edged sword in their hand. To take vengeance on the peoples, punishment on the tribes. To conclude their kings in bonds and their nobles in fetters of iron ..." ( Psalm 149:5-8). "Daughter of Babylon, desolator! Blessed is he who will repay you for what you have done to us! Blessed is he who will take and break your babies against a stone!" ( Psalm 137:7-9).

"You (Jews) will take possession of nations that are larger and stronger than you, every place on which your foot sets foot will be yours; no one can stand against you" ( Deuteronomy 11:23-25).

"Your God is leading you (Jewish people - SCh.), to the land that he swore ... to give you with large and good cities that YOU DID NOT BUILD, and with houses filled with all good things that YOU DID NOT FILL, and with wells hewn in stone that YOU HAVE NOT DONE, with vineyards and olive trees that YOU HAVE NOT PLANTED, and you will eat and be satisfied" ( Deuteronomy 6:10-11).

The greatest and most joyful Jewish holidays are Passover (Passover) and Purim.
Easter- a holiday in joy about the total killing of Egyptian children ( Exodus, ch. 1-16).
Purim- a holiday in joy about the massacre of 75 thousand pagan Persians without exception. And they executed not only men, but women and children ( book of Esther). Jehovah promised his followers enslavement and dominion over the world, but only for strict observance of his commandments.

The content of the Shephokh prayer, said on Easter evening, is composed of David's psalms: "Pour out your wrath on the Gentiles who do not recognize you, and on the kingdoms that do not recognize your name ... Pour out your fury on them, and let the flame of your anger embrace them ... Pursue them in anger and destroy them from under the heavens of the Lord" ( Psalms 79:6, 69;25; Lamentations of Jeremiah 3:66).

A connoisseur of the history of Rome, the Englishman Edward Gibbon testifies that in Cyrenac under Emperor Trajan, the Jews slaughtered 220 thousand Greeks, in Cyprus - 240 thousand. A huge number of Egyptians became their victims. Many of these unfortunates were cut to pieces, content with the example of David.

Jewish historians of the early 20th century either remain silent about these events or mention them in passing. Usually, this uprising is said only that it was brutally suppressed by the Roman troops with the victims of "poor", "unfortunate", "humiliated" Jews. And not a word about the gigantic sacrifices of the innocent indigenous population, destroyed by the Jews at the request of their religion. But no one forcibly resettled the Jews either to Cyrenaica or to Cyprus. They appeared there as ordinary settlers - merchants and usurers. The indigenous population did not put any obstacles to their arrival. They are kind when they come. But not when they settle down and begin to live among the peoples who sheltered them.

Judaism is given by the Talmud - the "sacred" book of the Jews, the highest code of Judaism. The very word "talmud" in Hebrew means "instructions". It's like a set of rules, both civil and religious. The Talmud includes 52 volumes, and 6 of them have been translated into non-Jewish languages ​​with abbreviations and elimination of some "uncomfortable" places. The remaining 46 volumes are kept strictly secret and are known only to the top rabbis. About getting to know a book like " Ibbur", many rabbis of the lower degrees dream. The Old Testament grew out of the Talmud, the Old Testament is the smoothed and sleek 6 books of the Talmud, from which the most disgusting moments were removed (but the tails still remained). The New Testament, which describes the adventures of Christ and the letters of the apostles, grew out of old testament. Both of these covenants set a single whole - the Bible. Contrasting the two testaments to each other is demagogy for the dull-witted. In fact, the Old Testament serves as the basis for the New Testament. Without the Old Testament, the New Testament is unthinkable.

Both in the Talmud and in the New Testament, exclusively Jews act as teachers of the law, only under different names: in the first - rabbis, that is, rabbis, in the second - apostles, which in Greek means "messengers." This refers, of course, to the messengers of the same Jewish god Yahweh, whose name in the Bible, which the Jews themselves first translated into Greek, so as not to irritate non-Jews, is everywhere replaced by the word “Lord”. But from changes in the places of the terms, the sum, as you know, does not change.

Misunderstanding of the essence of the Bible comes to the point that Christians are not able to answer even the simplest, most elementary questions regarding this book - the direct object of their faith. Ask any Christian: "How many religions does the bible specify? What are they called? How are they different? Why are they in the same book?" You will most often hear the wrong answers. Most likely, no one will answer them at all. And the focus is this.

All canonical religious books usually specify one religion. For example, the Koran specifies Islam and nothing else, while the Avesta specifies one Zoroastrianism. In the case of the Bible, everything is different: it asks TWO religion. One (Old Testament) is Judaism, the other (New Testament) is Christianity. What is their difference? The difference is huge, but it is clearly almost never covered, which allows you to fool your head as much as you like. Judaism and Christianity are almost opposite in value system. But why are they in the same book? How can they get along together, although they are so different from each other? The answer is quite simple.

The Bible is ONE book made up of TWO religious systems. The Bible is the worldwide blueprint for building a slave system. In every slave-owning system there is a class of slaves, who are things, and a class of slave-owners, who have slaves and do with them whatever they like. Judaism is a religion for slave owners (Jews). Christianity is a religion for slaves (non-Jews). That's the whole bible. The main essence of Christianity is to foster more despicable slaves. Judaism and Christianity form two opposite psychotypes. Judaism shapes the mindset of the slave owner. Christianity shapes the mindset of a slave. That's all Jewish Christianity games.

Judaism raises the self-esteem of the Jew to the height of the spirit. They say to a Jew: "You are chosen by God. All other peoples are non-humans, service cattle. You must manage other people. You need to make your way everywhere and pull your own. The property of a goy is your property, which is temporarily with him. an eye, a tooth for a tooth." Therefore, Jews do not go to cook steel and not to extract coal in mines and not to repair elevators, but go to banks, to the media, to leaders, to commercial structures, where they have their own everywhere.

Christianity teaches a person the opposite: "You are a servant of God. You are a small, sinful person. You need to repent, humble yourself, pride is a sin, interest in women is a sin, a full-blooded life is a sin. The thought of sin is also a sin. Do not worry about tomorrow, Jesus said so. Be patient, for God is patient and commanded us. They hit you in the face - turn the other cheek. They take away your outer clothing - give back your shirt. They rape your wife - offer your daughter as well. Give your property to the poor, take your cross and forward. And His grace will descend on you. And if you are self-willed, you will thunder into hell."

Christian hierarchs do not hesitate to openly call Christians lambs (sheep) that need to be pastured. And those who graze are directly called shepherds (shepherds). And the Christian agrees with this. Christians are called servants of God, they call themselves that. They consider such treatment to be normal. For them it is natural. You can recall the wedding ceremony "God's servant to God's servant." But it is even better to recall the very characteristic saying of the apostle Paul: "Slaves, obey your masters with humility". The main thing is not just to be a servant of God, but a sinful slave.

Churchmen are very fond of talking about the return of a herd of round-the-clock rams (sheep) to the corral (into the bosom of the holy church). This is one of their favorite topics. The sheep is the most frequently mentioned animal in the Bible.

Ideally, Jewish slave owners would like Christian slaves to behave as Christ teaches them: "... love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who offend you" (Matthew 5:43-44) . That is, the ideal Christian is a wretched and hunted creature who, after a blow, readily turns the other cheek.

The Bible is the history of the Jews. Jesus is Jewish. The apostles are Jews. These books were written by Jews. All characters are Jewish. This story is intended for Jews and promotes the superiority of Jews over other peoples.

It is difficult to unequivocally determine the attitude of the Jews towards Jesus Christ, since most of them are adherents of rabbinical Judaism based on the Talmud, the predecessor of which was the Pharisees. The main difficulty causing such an ambiguous attitude lies in the fact that he did not establish the predicted kingdom of Israel, which was supposed to bring liberation to the people of the Jews, did not fulfill or did not fulfill most of the prophecies found in the Old Testament. Therefore, many Jews do not see in Jesus the Messiah, who was supposed to bring prosperity to the whole earth.

Due to the fact that, unlike other Christian religions, Judaism requires a literal, not delayed in time, occupation of the throne of David by the Messiah, and the eternal reign on it, the attitude of the Jews towards Jesus Christ remains unchanged in their denial of him as the Messiah. Therefore, one should not count on the mass voluntary faith of Jews in Christ as God in the future, especially this applies to the Jews of the Haridim, that is, the Orthodox world. For them, if such a process is possible before his Second Coming, then only in the same supernatural way, as happened with the Apostle Paul, to whom Jesus appeared personally, and the appearance of a direct prophecy associated with the blindness that appeared in the apostle. Even despite the fact that Paul was familiar with the teachings of the Jewish Christians, and was personally present during Stephen's dying sermon, only a miracle helped him to be convinced of the correctness of the teachings that the first followers of Jesus preached.

The prophecy of Isaiah, described in the words of the Apostle Paul, foreshadowing the salvation of Israel, speaks of the coming of a deliverer for Zion. Only at this moment, according to the prophecy of Zechariah, believers will be able to understand and accept his coming, that is, to see the Messiah in him and really believe in him. At that moment, God will be able to take away the sins of the Jews, and the Jewish people will be saved by their Messiah Jesus. And it is precisely this interpretation, which does not coincide with classical expectations and ideas about how salvation will take place, that is more correct than the point of view accepted today.

Based on this, the understanding of some of the events becomes more consistent and logical, but does not change the previously established attitude of the Jews to Jesus Christ. According to the biblical texts, the Jewish people must meet their Messiah on Earth, and will remain the people of Israel for the whole thousand years of the forthcoming Messianic period. At this time, the Church from a part of the Jews and Hellenes remains to “reign with Christ”, while the names of the twelve tribes of Israel and the great apostles of the Church will remain separately in New Jerusalem, and its inhabitants, that is, people living in New Jerusalem, will be called simply servants of God . This means that there is no absorption, much less displacement of one another.

Based on the existing system of Jewish faith, and its main criteria regarding how the Messiah should act, and what results this should bring to the Jewish people in the literal sense, there is an obvious conclusion about the attitude of the Jews to Christ, as having failed in his obligations to the people of Israel. Only the literally and accurately realized prophecies found in the sacred books can change this point of view. Therefore, today there is no significant number of grounds that would allow us to expect the Jews to soon believe in Jesus Christ as the Savior and Messiah, and this situation will continue until the Second Coming of Jesus.

Very often, Christians mistakenly refer to Jews who belong to Judaism as brothers in faith, not knowing that these religions, although related, have significant differences. After all, the Old Testament is common, Jesus came precisely to Israel, the Jews are called everywhere God's people. What are the differences and how should an Orthodox Christian treat Judaism?

Judaism - what is this religion

Judaism is the oldest monotheistic religion, the followers of which were born Jews or converted to this faith during their lifetime. Despite the ancient age (more than 3000 years), there are not so many followers of this trend - only about 14 million people. At the same time, it was from Judaism that such movements as Christianity and Islam came out, which today have the most a large number of followers. What do the Jews confess?

Judaism is the faith (religion) of the Jewish people

The main idea of ​​religion is faith in the One God Yahweh (one of the names of God) and the observance of His commandments, which are set forth in the Torah. In addition to the Torah, the Jews also have the Tanakh - another sacred text, the belief in the holiness of which has become one of the fundamental differences from Christianity.

Based on these two documents, the Jews hold the following views:

1. Monotheism - believe in the One God the Father, who created the earth and man in His image and likeness.
2. God is Perfect and Almighty and is also presented as the source of Grace and Love for all. He is not only God for man, but also a loving Father who has mercy and helps to be saved from sin.
3. There can be dialogues between man and God, i.e. prayers. It does not require sacrifice or any other manipulation. God wants to approach man directly and does so according to His will. A person should only strive for dialogue and the holiness of God.
4. The value of a person who is created in the image of God is enormous. He has his own purpose from the Lord, which consists in endless and all-round spiritual perfection.
5. In the history of mankind there are great people and prophets, about whose life the Old Testament writes. Among them are Adam, Noah, Abraham, Jacob, Moses, David, Elijah, Isaiah and other wise men who are fundamental personalities in Judaism and role models.
6. The main moral principles of religion are love for the Almighty and for one's neighbor;
7. The basis of religion is the Ten Commandments, the observance of which must be strictly for a Jew.
8. The doctrine of the openness of religion, i.e. the opportunity to apply to anyone who wants to.
9. The doctrine of the coming of the Messiah - a prophet and a king who will save mankind.

These are far from all the theses of Judaism, but they are fundamental and allow you to form an opinion about this religion. In fact, it is the closest to Christianity in its beliefs, but still has significant differences.

Difference from Orthodoxy

Despite having the same belief in an Almighty and Loving God, Christianity differs significantly from Judaism in a number of theological issues. And it was these differences that became irreconcilable for their followers.

Jews pray in the synagogue

The differences include:

1. Recognition of Jesus of Nazareth as the Messiah and Lord as part of the Holy Trinity - the Jews reject this fundamental foundation of Christianity and refuse to believe in the divinity of Christ. They also reject Christ as the Messiah because they do not understand the importance and value of His death on the cross. They wanted to see a Warrior Messiah who would save them from the oppression of other peoples, but a simple man came who saved humanity from sin - the main enemy. Misunderstanding and denial of this is the main and fundamental difference between these religions.
2. For a Christian, the salvation of the soul is only in faith in Jesus Christ, but for a Jew this is not important. In their opinion, people of all faiths, even radically different ones, can be saved, provided that the main commandments (10 Commandments + 7 commandments of the sons of Noah) are observed.
3. For a Christian, the fundamental commandments are not only the 10 laws of the Old Testament, but also the 2 commandments that Christ gave. Jews recognize only the Old Testament and its laws.
4. Belief in Chosenness: For the followers of Christ, it is clear that everyone who confesses Christ can be saved and become part of God's people. For Jews, faith in their chosenness is fundamental and indisputable, despite their actions and lifestyle.
5. Missionary - the Jews do not seek to enlighten other peoples and convert them to their faith, but for Christians - this is one of the commandments of Christ "Go and teach."
6. Tolerance: Christians try to be tolerant towards representatives of other faiths and be meek during times of oppression; on the contrary, ideas are extremely aggressive towards other religions and always militantly defend their beliefs and rights.

The attitude of the Orthodox Church towards Judaism

Throughout Christian church history (as well as the history of Judaism) militant skirmishes occurred that concerned disagreements in dogmatic issues.

Synagogue - a place of public worship and the center of life of the Jewish community

At the beginning of the birth of Christianity (the first centuries AD), the Jews were extremely militant towards its representatives, starting with the crucifixion of Christ himself and the persecution of His first disciples. Later, with the widespread spread of Christianity, its followers began to treat Jews cruelly and infringe them in every possible way.

According to historical documents, there was a forced baptism of Jews in 867–886. and later. Also, many people know about the persecution of Jews as a people already in the 19th-20th centuries, especially in the USSR and during the Second World War, when millions of Jews suffered.

The Church today responds to this in the following way:

• a violent attitude towards the Jews took place, but much later than the Christians suffered;
• it was an exception, not a ubiquitous practice;
• The Church has a negative attitude towards such manifestations of violence and condemns the actions and the very idea of ​​forced conversion.

Alexander Men once very clearly expressed his attitude towards Judaism, and it completely coincides with the opinion of the entire Orthodox Church and its attitude. According to him, the Old Testament became the basis for the three main monistic religions that arose in the bosom of the culture of Ancient Israel. Both Judaism and Christianity, despite their unequivocal recognition of the Old Testament, have their own teachings and canons, which have their own theological differences.

Despite this, according to the independent definition of the Russian Orthodox Church, it is multinational and does not want and will expel Jewish elements from its bosom, since it has a lot of them in itself.

Important! Christianity is a brotherly religion and accepts anyone and everyone who shares its values. At the same time, she does not deny different cultures and nationalities, but strives to spread faith in Christ among all peoples and cultures.

The Orthodox Church accepts all nations, including Jews, but is not ready to accept the beliefs of Judaism, because it finds them wrong. If a Jew wishes to attend worship services, no one will interfere with him or treat him with disdain. But an Orthodox Christian cannot accept his beliefs, because he confesses Christ, whom the Jews reject as Lord.

This leads to the conclusion that every Orthodox Christian should politely and tolerantly accept other cultures and religions, but without renouncing his national origin and faith in Jesus Christ.

The fundamental difference between Christianity and Judaism

Initially, Judaism and Christianity were one and the same teaching, but over time they split into two directions: that is, two religions that largely contradict one another. Although they have common origins, now there are more differences between them than similarities. What is the difference between Jews and Christians? Let's find out the answer to this question in this article.

Judaism acts as the religion of the Jews, distant descendants who made a vow to Abraham. The main distinguishing feature of Judaism is that it tells about the chosenness of the Jewish nation in relation to other peoples.

Christianity- is a religion that does not depend on nationality. Anyone who considers himself a follower of Jesus Christ can become a Christian.

The difference between Judaism and Christianity

How are these two religions different from each other? Do they have something in common? We will talk about this in more detail now.

Features of early relations between Jews and Christians

It should be noted that the Jews did not treat Christians very well even from the moment of the independent formation of the church. Jews often engaged in provocation of the Roman authorities in order to start persecuting Christians.

And in later times in the New Testament, we find a mention that it was the Jews who were responsible for the suffering of the Savior, as well as for the subsequent persecution of his disciples.

This, in turn, led to a negative attitude of adherents of the new religion towards the Jews. Later, as a result of this attitude, many anti-Semitic actions were justified in a number of states of the world.

Since the second century AD, there has been an increase in negative attitudes towards the Jews on the part of Christians.

Modern relations between Jews and Christians

Some improvement in relations between the two religions begins in the sixties of the twentieth century. At that time, there is an official change in the perception of the Catholic Church of the Jews, and most of the prayers are freed from anti-Semitic elements.

In 1965, the Vatican adopted a declaration "On the attitude of the Church towards non-Christian religious teachings." According to it, the Jews are no longer blamed for the death of Christ, plus any anti-Semitic activity is condemned.

Pope Paul the sixth had to officially ask for forgiveness from non-Christian peoples (in particular, from the Jews) for long-term persecution. As for the Jews themselves, they are characterized by a fairly loyal attitude towards Christians. Although they find some of the Christian religious customs incomprehensible to themselves, despite this they show a favorable attitude towards the fact that the basic elements of Judaism are used in other religions (in particular, in Christianity).

Do Jews and Christians have the same god?

It is no secret that the Christian Bible consists of two parts: the Old and New Testaments. The Old Testament is the basis of Judaism, and the New Testament is the teaching of Christ and his disciples.

It turns out that both Christians and Jews have the same basis of religion and worship the same Deity, the difference lies only in the rites of serving him.

Even the name of the Deity remains the same - Yahweh, which in translation into Russian means "Existing".

Differences in postulates

Separately, it is necessary to dwell on the main differences in worldview.

Christians believe in three main dogmas, namely:

• original sin of all mankind;
• the second coming of Christ;
• atonement for all sins at the expense of the death of the Savior.

Adherents of Christianity believe that the main human problems can be solved with the help of these dogmas. As for the Jews, they do not recognize these principles.

Differing Perceptions of Sins

Another important difference between Jews and Christians lies in their different attitudes towards sin. For example, Christians believe that all people have already been born sinners (due to original sin) and can get rid of it only by living a worthy life.

As for the Jews, on the contrary, they believe that all people are born innocent, and during their life they choose on their own whether to commit sins or not.

Methods of cleansing from sin

From the foregoing difference in regard to sins follows a difference in their redemption.

Christians believe that all human sins have already been atoned for by Christ at the expense of his sacrifice. But for all the deeds committed by a person during his lifetime, he will answer to the Creator after death. At the same time, forgiveness of sins can be obtained from a priest endowed with such power in Christianity.

In Judaism, it is believed that a person is able to receive forgiveness solely due to his good deeds and deeds.

And all sins are divided into two types:

• committed against God's will;
• committed against other people.

A Jew receives forgiveness of the first category, subject to sincere repentance and regret for what he has done. At the same time, he does not need to go to confession in the church - it is enough to pray to the Almighty from the bottom of his heart.

Perception of other world religious movements

In almost all religious teachings of the world there is a single doctrine - only people who believe in the real God can be in Heaven (or Paradise). For all those who disregard this rule, eternal life in Heaven becomes inaccessible.

In Christianity, this doctrine is also observed to some extent. But Judaism is characterized by a more tolerant perception of other religions.

In particular, the Jews believe that any righteous person who during his life adhered to the seven main commandments given to people by Moses and received by him from the Almighty himself can end up in Paradise.

These commandments are universal, so it is not necessary for a person to believe in the Torah.

Let's take a look at these 7 basic commandments:

• one must believe that the Universe was created by a single Creator;
• you can't blaspheme;
• laws must be followed;
• a ban on worshiping idols;
• a ban on theft;
• prohibition on adultery;
• ban on consumption from the living.

It is believed that even if a person is not a Jew by blood, but will keep all these commandments, he will be able to end up in the Garden of Eden after death.

Also, speaking generally, it should be mentioned that the Jews quite loyally perceive monotheistic religions (for example, Islam in Christianity), however, paganism is categorically not accepted (due to polytheism and worship of idols).

Different perceptions of good and evil

Another very big difference lies in the attitude towards good and evil among Jews and Christians. What is this difference?

Christians place great emphasis on the concept of Satan (Devil). It is he who is personified by a huge, powerful force, which is the root cause of evil and all disasters on earth. Christians have made Satan the opposite of the Creator.

This is where the difference is hidden, because the main belief of the Jews is the belief in the only (!) And omnipotent Creator. The Jews are firmly convinced that no other Higher power can exist, besides the Creator. And, proceeding from this, the Jew never divides good into the will of God, and does not attribute evil to the intrigues of unclean forces. In Judaism, God acts as a just judge, repaying good deeds and able to punish bad ones.

Perception of original sin

You already know about the concept of original sin among Christians. and did not keep God's will, for which they were expelled from the Garden of Eden. It is for this reason that all newborns are already considered sinful.

The Jews deny this approach and say that all babies are initially innocent and can achieve any worldly blessings. And only on the responsibility of the person himself is what kind of life - righteous or sinful he will live.

Perception of worldly life and worldly comforts

And the last difference lies in the perception of worldly life and comforts among Jews and Christians. How does it manifest itself? Christians consider the life after death to be the main goal of life for all people. Jews, of course, also believe in the existence of the afterlife, but their main task in life is to improve their real life.

These concepts can be clearly observed in the perception of both religions of worldly desires and desires of the body:

• Christians believe that all human desires are unholy and are called upon to tempt the righteous to commit sins. They are convinced that only pure souls who were not subject to temptations during life receive the honor of living after death. And proceeding from this, every Orthodox is supposed to pay more attention to his spiritual development than to worldly desires. It is because of this that the Pope and priests are supposed to adhere to the vow of celibacy, limiting worldly pleasures for themselves in order to gain greater holiness.
• In Judaism, the soul is also considered to be more important than the body, but it is not considered that one should completely limit all one's carnal desires. The Jews make the process of their fulfillment a good deed. Therefore, they treat the Christian vow of celibacy with incomprehension, because for them the family and procreation are a purely holy deed.

Similarly, these two religions perceive wealth and material wealth differently. Christians take a vow of poverty, because for them it represents the ideal of holiness. And the Jews, from their position, find the accumulation of financial benefits a positive quality. We hope that we have helped you understand the differences between the religions of Christians and Jews.