Religion Study--Judaism

Judaism refers to the Jewish people who are alike to the Christians. They believe what is called the Old Testament of the Bible and they do not claim to believe the New Testament because they believe the Messiah has not arrived yet. They believe in the God of the Bible and are major followers of Moses, Elijah, and Abraham. Jews are often called the children of Israel because they are known to be God’s chosen people. Unlike Christianity, Judaism has no official creed or universal doctrinal requirements for membership. In general, a person can be considered "Jewish" whether he adheres to a complete system of beliefs about God and the afterlife, holds only a few simple beliefs that give meaning to ritual, or even in Liberal Judaism they don’t have to believe in God at all. Jews follow what they call the Torah which is the entirety of Judaism’s ethical laws and religious texts. The Torah has a great deal to say about God, humanity, and the meaning of life, and Jewish history has seen significant theological and mystical inquiry into religious concepts. They have what is called the “Thirteen Articles of Faith” that they follow. These are they God exists, God is one and unique, God is incorporeal, God is eternal, Prayer is to God only,The prophets spoke truth, Moses was the greatest of the prophets, The Written and Oral Torah were given to Moses, There will be no other Torah, God knows the thoughts and deeds of men, God will reward the good and punish the wicked, The Messiah will come, The dead will be resurrected. These beliefs were constructed by a man named Maimonides. Judaism is one of the oldest religions ever recorded. It began as the religion of the small nation of the Hebrews, and through thousands of years of suffering, persecution, dispersion, and occasional victory, has continued to be a profoundly influential religion and culture. Today, 14 million people identify themselves as Jewish.