by Daniel Cawthorne

Created on: September 01, 2008

Religion, in any form, will always be a hot topic that is strongly debated. Some will say that religion is just for the weak so they can have some kind of comfort. Some will say that religion is important but not any specific one. Others will say that they have the truth and, therefore, the others are unimportant. However, when we take an objective look at world religions, we must ask the question, "What separates one from the other?" This is an important question.

Each religion claims to have something that another one doesn't, but this isn't entirely true. If you take a look, you will notice that the world's major religions can all be similar at times. Let's look at a few.

There are three, main, monotheistic (one God) religions in the world; Judaism, Islam, and Christianity. There are even more religions when you add in polytheism. So what do any of these religions have (or claim to have) that none others have. What separates any of these religions from any other one?

Each of these beliefs all have many doctrines, many of which contradict other beliefs. So, if they contradict, can they all be right? Or is that too extreme? Wouldn't it be also too extreme to say that none of them hold the answer?

Let's briefly look at a few of things that separate religions.

Islam; not much more than a conglomeration of Eastern religions, Christianity, and Judaism, teaches that there is one God, Allah, and Mohammed is His prophet. They teach that Mohammed is the greatest and last prophet.

Islam, currently the fastest growing religion, had its start sometime in the early seventh century A.D. It started with a man named Mohammed. According to Mohammed, when he was forty years old, Allah came to him and told him that he was to be the messenger of Allah's true religion, Islam. He did this by entrusting His message, the Quran, to him. Over the next twenty plus years, Mohammed created the first Islamic state and made Islam into a popular, monotheistic religion with many converts.

"Those who believe (in the Quran), and those who follow the Jewish (scriptures), and the Christians...and (all) who believe in God and the last day and work righteousness, shall have their reward with their Lord; on them shall be no fear, nor shall they grieve." The Qur'an, 2:62
They have a basic belief when it comes to salvation. Unlike Judaism and Christianity, Islam does not teach that another's blood will atone for one's own sin. They teach that to do good (evidenced by the five pillars) and believe in God

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