Jesus and Mohammed
Two of the world's largest religions are Christianity and Islam. Christianity and Islam both have millions of followers worldwide. These religions have their own doctrines or texts, practices, beliefs, and history but are they so different. This paper will trace the lives of the founding fathers, the affect their death had on each religion, and how these religions continue today.
A man named Jesus or the Jesus of Nazareth founded Christianity. Historically little is known about him, what is known is that he was born to Jewish parents Joseph and Mary in the town of Bethlehem, which was south of Jerusalem. As a child, he was a devout Jew, well respected for his ability to read and preach at the local synagogue. It is assumed that he worked as a carpenter trained by his father, though there is no historical record following his early life. (Religiousfacts, 2007)
Around age 30, Jesus was baptized by John the Baptist in the river of Jordan in preparation for the Kingdom of God. The most commonly accepted interpretation of this event is "John's publicly announcing that the Messiah had arrived" (Fisher, M.2005) thus starting Jesus on his ministry.
Jesus' ministry began with 12 local men who he chose to be his closest followers or disciples. With them, he spent the next three years traveling around the country preaching and teaching the people they met. Jesus' popularity rose, with large crowds gathering to listen to his teachings." Jesus' teachings were fundamentally Jewish but differed dramatically from Jewish laws of his day" (religiousfacts, 2007). Amazing Jesus seemed to be preaching of his own knowledge and authority (Religiousfacts, 2007). "Whereas Jewish prophets had always prefaced their messages with "thus saith the Lord," ...