lulabelle's advice column

I'm a raw and living foodest. For those of you who are unfamiliar with what that is I only eat foods that have not been cooked. I do this because it maintains all of the nutrients and enzymes intact and is much healthier. I'm not here to try to convert anyone. I think you can reach maximum health by eating all kinds of foods fixed all kinds of ways. This is simply my life choice. What I'm here to do is help educate people as to what is happening to thier food. Did you know that the pharmaceutical companies have lobbied to have a law voted on called "Codex Aimentarius" that will take away our freedom to take suppliments? It has already been implemented in Europe. Of course it is still ok for them to put steroids, antiboitics and harmones in our foods. Have you wondered why there is a great influx of people acting aggressively and out of character? I'm here to help guide you through this mess. If you want to eat meat...eat meat...just get chemically free meat. I'm here to help you understand what is happening to you.

advice

I was talking to my friend about religions and how they relate, and she told me that Islam, Christianity, and Judaism are very similar in their beliefs. The books are very alike, but have different names, according to my friend, and that the belief in Jesus is how Christianity stands out.

But how are Islam and Judaism REALLY different? [I'm not knowledgable at all with religions, so don't accuse me of lieing and stuff cuz this is what my friend told me]. Just because Muslims believe Muhammad was a prophet and Jews don't doesn't seem significant enough to separate the religions. So yeah..how are they different?

I want to correct something that was said on one of the answers. Islam is definitely not idol worshiping. As a matter of fact that is one of their arguments against Christianity. To them, because we have representations of Christ, Mary, the cross, and the Disciples through-out our Churches that this is idle worshiping. The only thing that they do is wear prayers from the Koran in charm form on a necklace. They are very strict about this.

I'll give you a quick history of the religions. 1st there was Judaism and it was started, as the story goes, when Abram (Abraham) was visited by God and told to move to a land that God would give to him and his descendants. He took his family and nephew w/him to this new land. There God promised that his descendants would multiply. Abram's name was changed by God to Abraham. Abraham and his wife Sarah seemed not to be able to have children so Sarah talked Abraham into having children w/ Hagar, their servant/slave (some say servant, some say slave). Hagar bore a son and his name was Ishmael. When Abraham reached 90 God told him that w/in a year Sarah would have a son. Abraham laughed because they were so old he didn't think it was possible for Sarah to bare children at her age, but w/in a year that is exactly what happened and they named him Isaac. When Isaac grew up God wanted to test Abraham and see who he loved more... God or his son Isaac, so God asked Abraham to sacrifice his son upon an alter. Abraham was torn apart over this, but he did as God asked, he prepared to sacrifice Isaac and just as he was about to inflict the mortal blow God intervened. God blessed Isaac and all his descendants and gave to him the inheritance of Israel. Well, Isaac was the 2nd born and according to tradition of those times it should have gone to the first born, Ishmael. This angered Ishmael so much that he left and went into the land of Jordan and started his own community in what is now called Petra. This is where the Arabs come from. To make this easier for you the Jews are decedents of Isaac and the Arabs are decedents of Ishmael. These two races are started from the same father and are cousins. An interesting note...if you rent the first Indiana Jones Movie at the end of the movie where Indiana Jones is in a Temple...that is Petra. It is literally carved out of the most beautiful pink rock you've ever seen and that horseback ride into the area through caverns is real, I've been there, it is an amazing place. Back to the original point...this is where Judaism comes from.

Now Christianity is started w/the belief that Jesus Christ is the Messiah. Christ was never starting a new religion or trying to break away from his Jewish faith. He was simply trying to reform and clean up his religion. People were wondering away from the true word and he was simply trying to bring everyone back. His sacrifice upon the cross was to save those of us that believe in him and to show us his dedication to us and his trust and belief in God. He also sent his disciples out to preach the word and keep his ministry going. You see, anyone can become Jewish, it is really a religion. I don't think they were trying to start a new religion, but that is what happened because the Jewish religion would not incorporate Christ's word into their practices. They still think the Messiah is yet to come. They think of Christ as a great prophet.

Up until Muhammad a lot of Arabs were Christians. Muhammad said that through all of the translations of the Bible that the true word of God had been lost. Muhammad was an illiterate merchant by the way, which makes all that he did that much more spectacular. Remember that Alter that Abraham was going to sacrifice Isaac on? Well, it is a huge rock and Muhammad went there. Angels appeared to him and he was taken up into the heavens from this place and given the Koran the true word of God. The Koran has the same stories that the Bible and Torah has in them but there are also some distinct differences such as the description of the Creation. The Koran's description of the Creation story better describes the big bang theory. The Arab people have been very careful to simply write down exactly what was said and not put their own interpretation into it, which certainly can't be said about the Bible. The Bible has been used for political gain and power for generations. They also only believe that Jesus Christ was a great prophet and not the Son of God. I think they are missing a big point here, but this isn't a theological discussion and would take to long to go into here. Now the rock that Abraham was going to sacrifice his son on and the same rock that Muhammad ascended into the heavens from is now called The Dome of the Rock. This is the site where a great Mosque has been built and is in possession of the Palestinians which has caused much dissention in the Middle East. This is also the site of the first and supposedly true Jewish Synagogue/Temple. There are remnants of the original Temple which is now called the Whaling Wall. Jews go there daily to pray devoutly to this wall. It is their belief that someday they will regain their true Temple. In Christianity it is our belief that if they do it will begin the end of the world as we know it but the beginning of a world that will be ruled for 1000 years by Jesus Christ and all the people who don't believe in Jesus Christ will parish. The Anti Christ is in this part of it as well. There is going to be a great battle between Jesus and the Anti-Christ. So, you can see why there is so much fighting over there!!!! I've included some sites for you below and I hope they will help.

http://homepage.mac.com/jerrypeterson/CHUMSsite/pages/Story%20Abraham.html

http://landru.i-link-2.net/shnyves/abraham.htm

http://www.wsu.edu:8080/~wldciv/world_civ_reader/
world_civ_reader_1/abraham.html

Namaste!

LULABELLE