IndexIntroductionEthical Dimensions of World Religions: SimilaritiesEthical Dimensions of World Religions: DifferencesConclusionIntroductionThrough life, as we hear about the different religions of the world and what they believe or believe they are true, it becomes easy to start building assumptions about these religions. We may also find that some or most of these assumptions turn out not to be as we had considered them before. One place this can be seen is through the assumption that "all religions are fundamentally similar" or that "they are simply different paths to the same goal." These statements are not heard very often from religious people themselves, but rather from those who look at the issue from an outside perspective. When you begin a religious study by examining different religions, it can become easy to see how this statement is not true. All religions may have commonalities in precepts or ideas about their ultimate goals, however they are not all different paths to the same real goal, nor are they fundamentally similar. According to Ninian Smart, there are six dimensions of religion, and by examining some of these, one can see how one might arrive at the previously stated conclusion, but one can also understand how this conclusion is not entirely true. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an Original Essay Ethical Dimensions of World Religions: Similarities The ethical dimension of religion is where most of the similarities between the world's major religions can be seen, which causes oversimplification as discussed above. As Rabbi Marc Gellman and Monsignor Thomas Hartman suggest in their article entitled “Exploring Religious Ethics in Everyday Life,” all religious ethics can be divided into four main virtues. These virtues include: The Golden Rule, compassion, humility, and hope (Gellman and Hartman). Each virtue shows key similarities and differences within the ethical dimension of all religions. These similarities are found in religions around the world, but some of the most notable are found in the religions of the Middle East. As religions spread and become more prominent in other regions, the three religions that originated from the Middle East are Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. These religions share some highly distinctive similarities, including being the three largest monotheistic religions in the world. Especially those between Christianity and Judaism since Christianity consciously derives directly from the historical foundation of Judaism. Islam, while not directly related to Judaism in the same way that Christianity is, has incredibly similar ethical and conservative beliefs to those of other Middle Eastern religions. These three faiths have similarities within specific ethical standards, but on a broader basis it is easy to examine their virtues and how they compare. Starting from Christianity and Judaism, it is understood that the Christian church includes all of the Torah and the Old Testament. in his Bible, in the sense that all the same ethical precepts written in those texts are shared. One is the golden rule of Judaism, Christianity and Islam. In Judaism this is stated in the Torah as: “You shall love your neighbor as yourself” (King James Version, Leviticus 19:18). This same principle is also stated during Jesus' Sermon on the Mount in the New Testament of the Christian Bible which states: "Therefore, whatever you wouldmen do to you, do it also to them" (King James Version). , Matthew 7:12). Finally, this rule is stated within the Hadith of the Islamic tradition which says: “None of you is a believer until he wishes for his brother what he wishes for himself” (Hadith 40:13, Nawawi). Middle Eastern religions also share the same idea of ​​compassion for others as God shows compassion for his followers. This directly relates to the Golden Rule and to the way followers are taught to treat each other. There is also the virtue of humility which can be seen through any monotheistic religion, but most importantly can be seen in all three Middle Eastern religions it is shown in monotheistic religions as reverence towards an omnipotent and omniscient god. Finally, these religions share the virtue of hope. While the virtue of hope can be seen across many world religions, in Middle Eastern religions it is shown in a couple of ways. different. The first way is that believers must place faith and hope in God because He knows everything. Second, believers are taught to have hope to eliminate the fear of what might happen in the future. Similarities in virtues and ethical standards are not exclusive to Middle Eastern religions, these can also be found in the religions of Asia. In the Asian region, some of the largest religions are Hinduism, Buddhism, Sikhism, and Confucianism. All of these religions share distinct similarities, but Hinduism, Buddhism, and Sikhism are even more so. Both Sikhism and Buddhism derive historically from Hinduism in their own right. These three faiths are known to have their doctrinal similarities, but they are also seen to have similarities within their ethical standards. Confucianism also holds ethical standards and rules similar to other Asian religions. The virtues that can be examined are the Golden Rule, compassion and hope. Starting from The Golden Rule, Hinduism states: "Do not hurt others, do not harm anyone in thought or deed, do not utter a word that will grieve your fellow man", which takes a more physical to the Golden Rule than Middle Eastern religions (The Law of Manu). Buddhism also states: “Having set an example for oneself, one should neither kill nor be killed. . . . As I am, so are other beings; so that one does not strike another, nor be struck by another. This is the meaning” (Dhammapada, 10:29). This implies almost the same message as Hindu beliefs. Confucianism and Sikhism both have golden rules more similar to those of Middle Eastern religions. In Confucianism it is stated: “If you do not want to be mistreated by others, do not mistreat anyone yourself” (Analects 12:2, Confucius and Waley). The golden rule of Sikhism goes hand in hand with the same premise which says: "We obtain salvation by loving our neighbor and God" (Granth Japji 21, Sahib). These religions also share similarities in the ethical virtues of compassion and hope. In Buddhism, followers use the idea of ​​karuna as guidance. This idea of ​​karuna means in a general sense to understand the suffering of other living beings in the universe (Gellman and Hartman). Part of this idea of ​​karuna is understanding the suffering of others, when reincarnated followers can return to help those in need, which exemplifies the virtue of compassion. Compassion is central to the beliefs of Hinduism as it is one of the three main virtues “along with charity and self-control” (Gellman and Hartman). The virtue of hope is shown in Sikhism, Hinduism and Buddhism through the idea of ​​enlightenment. Hope is something that believers claim forcontinue to fight for enlightenment. Although the term enlightenment is best known for being part of Buddhism and Sikhism, Hinduism has its own form called Moksha. Ethical Dimensions of World Religions: Differences Now, while there are many similarities between these religions and their respective virtues, there are also key differences within the ethical dimension of these religions. Comparing the virtues we can say that some can be very different from others. For example, not all religions require a level of humility in respecting a god. Confucianism teaches humility through social structures and not through veneration of a higher being. Additionally, countless specific ethical standards about marriage, sexual relationships, roles within society, and modesty can provide discrepancies between religions. Middle Eastern religions may be best known for their adherence to these standards, but some of these can also be attributed to Confucianism and Hinduism. While the differences may become glaringly apparent when one closely examines specific ethical standards, with all the similarities that these virtues bring within the ethical dimension of religion, one can very easily see how religion in general can be assumed to be all itself. most of their discrepancies concern their doctrinal and ritual dimensions. Although they have social ethical similarities, they are much more different in practice and ultimate goals. To fully define these differences it is important to examine two areas: deities and the afterlife. In the realm of religious deities, many of the world's most practiced religions are monotheistic. These include Judaism, Christianity, Islam and Sikhism. These monotheistic deities are the same in the sense that they are all powerful and knowledgeable beings who created the entire universe. One key way they differ is in how each deity requires their followers to worship. This can be seen through the demand for different prayer styles and worship services. Another reason they differ is how followers venerate their deities and the doctrinal traditions surrounding them. These traditions include the Trinity within the Christian tradition. Some religions such as Hinduism and Buddhism have more than one deity. In Hinduism there is constant confusion about the actual number of deities in the religion, but they all serve different purposes, interact differently, and are considered deities. In Buddhism it is more or less the same, however all deities live in 27 different heavens which are completely separate from the human realm, but do not accept any of them as god. Finally, in Confucianism there are no deities. Confucianism instead attributes supernatural powers to the Tao present in the universe. Followers believe that this force flows within every living being and helps them work to better themselves within society. Viewing the afterlife within the doctrinal and ritual dimensions of religion, Hinduism and Buddhism both accept the idea of ​​karma and how it can affect your spirit in the world. afterlife. The afterlife for a Hindu and a Buddhist may differ, but in fact they are still very similar. Hindu beliefs are based on the idea of ​​reincarnation and the fact that a person's karma can lead to a better or worse reincarnation. Hindus believe that the cycle of reincarnation cannot be stopped until Nirvana is reached. Buddhists believe much the same thing, but instead believe that the only way to break the cycle is to fully realize that all life is suffering, which ultimately turns the follower's heart away from all things carnal and prepares him or her to leave the.