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Judaism and Christianity

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How does the view of humanity and creation differ between Judaism and Christianity?

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Solution Summary

This solution explains the view of humanity and creation of Judaism and Christianity, including the differences. Supplemented with one article on Christianity's view on humanity.

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1. How does the view of humanity and creation differ between Judaism and Christianity?

Judaism and Christianity are referred to as the Abrahamic faiths, along with Islam, because they all follow the Old Testament of the Bible, although they have different interpretations.

Humanity:

In Christianity, humanity is basically good; but free will allows people to do evil things. It is dualistic (body/soul). Various views exist about the human state at birth. One is that a baby is born with a sin nature, separated from God. God needs to grant grace so that he may be saved. This grace is granted through confessing a belief in Jesus and through Baptism. God created all our components intentionally (body, soul and mind) and pronounced them "very good" (Genesis 1:31).
For the Jew, human beings are also good and made in God's image. They do not believe in original sin, as do most Christians. The early break in the relationship between God and first humans seen in Genesis (see excerpts below) is not seen as a final one. Through the Covenants with Abraham and Moses, the Jewish people have a close relationship with God; they are to act as a model for the world of the way God wishes people to live and to use the world. They have a divine mission on earth (http://www.innovationslearning.co.uk/subjects/re/information/creation/jewish_creation.htm).

Creation:

Both the Jewish and the Christian faiths trace their origins back past Abraham and Moses, to the original stories of Genesis and the Garden of Eden. God created the Universe and man in his image. This God is the origin and source of all that exists for both the Jewish and Christian people. Both believe that God cares about the entire creation and desires the well-being of all. God is just and has provided basic rules for our guidance.

The following excerpts exemplifies both views, whereas the second excerpt shows how Christians see their mission on earth as being different than Jewish people, as mentioned above.

Excerpt 1:

The Jewish calendar is dated from the supposed year of the Creation. This is indicated by the letter 'AM' after each year - meaning 'Anno Mundi', Year of the World. For Judaism sees its origins in the ...

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