1. A) Define the term religion in such a way that your definition includes the following characteristics: deity, community/congregation, morality, ritual. B) Some people argue that the world would be better off without religion. Others think that religion is very useful to society. Which view do you agree with and why?
Religion is a system of beliefs driven by the feeling that some questions can only be answered by faith; for instances, questions such as where did we come from? and What happens to us after we die? These and other external mysteries help define religion as beliefs in supernatural forces, community, myth, moral code, ritual, and the belief in the afterlife. The belief in supernatural beings, especially god is based …show more content…
Compared to the other branches the Reconstructionist branch was created in North American. One element that is distinct from the other branches is that the Reconstructionist believes "...the scriptures were not divinely, but created by the Jewish people themselves; and that the traditions existed for the people, not the other way around, and so could be modified (129)." In the same way, the Reconstructionist rejects the idea of Jews as the chosen people and prefer to believe more in the individual faith. The last branch of Judaism is the Humanistic and is originated from North American. The Humanistic branch of Judaism believe in the concept "to foster a positive Jewish identity, intellectual integrity, and ethical behavior …show more content…
As a Christian, I celebrate an important holiday season of preparation before easter, called Lent. Lent is a Christian reflection or memorializes on Jesus Christ suffering, sacrifice, death, and resurrection. In other words, the 40 day period of self-denial practiced by Roman Catholics and Christians of not consuming meat and it’s dedicated to Christ’s death. The purpose and gold of Lent are to have a commitment to fasting, repentance, and spiritual discipline to strengthen the faith in God. Providing that, if I invite a Jew to my religion 's major holiday in this case Lent, I would emphasize several aspects of the practices of Lent such as that is a self-purification period, reflection, and moderation. Those aspects of the practices of Lent would make my Jews guest feel welcome because it 's similar to their holiday practices of Yom Kippur. The purpose the holiday of Yom Kippur is to bring about reconciliation between individuals and God. Another essential aspect of the Jewish holiday Yom Kippur is repentance or refer to many Jews as Teshuvah. Thus, this similarity will be the understanding of my practices that will result in a positive welcome of my