Judaism

[ekhoy]

Judaism is apparently the oldest religion, but how is this so?
Why is it that the Christians church has a distinctive look with their stain glass windows and their classic wooden benches?
Why is it that the Buddhist temples have the red colour scheme and the ancient gold statues?
Why is it that the Mosks have the silver cones?
and then....
Why is it that the Synagogues look like modern day architecture.
If Judaism is the oldest religion, then why dont they have a distinctive worship place or why is it that a Rabbi wears a business suit when giving service?

Just a couple questions to think about.

[Kamehameha34]

Why do men with little penises drive big cars?

[phoenix_fire]

A lot of Christian churches don't look like that at all. Mine doesn't. And I think the minarets on mosques are mandated. Many people on this board would argue that Judaism is not the world's oldest religion. And as far as I know, there isn't really a traditional "look" for synagogues because, for one, they were originally supposed to be smaller community meetings and second because Diaspora Jews lived all over the place, adopting many different cultures and sometimes they were not allowed to have public meetings. Therefore, no set architecture was ever able to develop.

[notworthabean]

Judaism is apparently the oldest religion, but how is this so?

its not, animistic religiosn in africa are older, as is hinduism and zoastarainism

Why is it that the Christians church has a distinctive look with their stain glass windows and their classic wooden benches?

thats only some churchs..

Why is it that the Buddhist temples have the red colour scheme and the ancient gold statues?

tradition?

Why is it that the Mosks have the silver cones?

again not all do..
and then....

Why is it that the Synagogues look like modern day architecture. If Judaism is the oldest religion, then why dont they have a distinctive worship place or why is it that a Rabbi wears a business suit when giving service?

we actually ahve a priestly caste, but they can't do anything sense our temple was destoryed. Rabbis are like Layman in the catholic church..

[ekhoy]

Quote by: notworthabean we actually ahve a priestly caste, but they can't do anything sense our temple was destoryed. Rabbis are like Layman in the catholic church..

so this temple that was destroyed?...what did it look like?
a brick community centre?

[notworthabean]

Quote by: ekhoy so this temple that was destroyed?...what did it look like? a brick community centre?

no, it was destroyed ove r2000 years ago,but all descirptison of it are very beautiful

heres a model of the first temple(aka solomons temple)



not exact, but you get the idea



heres the 2nd.

they were destoryed. we dont' build grand tmples because we can't buidl theo one we want to.

Quote by: Kamehameha34 Why do men with little penises drive big cars?

... now that there's Viagra.

Regards
S.

[Nathan Struth]

I'm Jewish by birth, belief is atheist.

Umm...Jews get moved around a lot and the truth is that we have built beautiful things, it's just that those damned Romans keep knocking them down. We have some beautiful synogogues actually, check out Israel.

Jews are good achitects:)

[G. Adams]

Quote by: ekhoy Judaism is apparently the oldest religion, but how is this so? Why is it that the Christians church has a distinctive look with their stain glass windows and their classic wooden benches? Why is it that the Buddhist temples have the red colour scheme and the ancient gold statues? Why is it that the Mosks have the silver cones? and then.... Why is it that the Synagogues look like modern day architecture. If Judaism is the oldest religion, then why dont they have a distinctive worship place or why is it that a Rabbi wears a business suit when giving service? Just a couple questions to think about.

Hinduism is older. Nature based and shamistic religions are undoubtedly older, though precision is impossible given that they typically have an oral tradition.

The rest of your questions are questions of local culture impacting upon religion at one point in time and then, as religions are generally conservative and traditionalistic, the style is maintained. However it is wrong to assume that all of any religions buildings look like the stereotype. There are new Christian church's near me which look more like community centres than the typical shape. And over time their have been great shifts in style. Think of the shift between Norman and Gothic architecture for churchs in the Medieval period. And before that, the Saxon churches in England had their own distinct style.

[shunyadragon]

Quote by: G. Adams Hinduism is older. Nature based and shamistic religions are undoubtedly older, though precision is impossible given that they typically have an oral tradition. The rest of your questions are questions of local culture impacting upon religion at one point in time and then, as religions are generally conservative and traditionalistic, the style is maintained. However it is wrong to assume that all of any religions buildings look like the stereotype. There are new Christian church's near me which look more like community centres than the typical shape. And over time their have been great shifts in style. Think of the shift between Norman and Gothic architecture for churchs in the Medieval period. And before that, the Saxon churches in England had their own distinct style.

The age of relgions is to a certain extent indeterminate and evolve as human culture and civilization evolved. It would not be correct to say that Hinduism is the oldest, because we have the oldest archeological evidence for the religious beliefs of the Vedic culture.

We have found arheological and paleontological evidence for cerimonial burial, places of worship and rituals that date back to well before 10,000 years. There is a common pattern of evolution of belief, from more animistic and nature worship roots, to hierarchial polytheistic religions that mirror hierarchial human social structure (early Judism and Vedic cultures, and onto more monotheistic religions (later Judism, Christianity. later Vedic, and Islam. Beliefs and images of an anthropomorphic king-like God tend to evolve to a more univerasl undefined 'Source' of existence, as with the Islam, Buddhism and the Baha'i Faith.

Which comes first human creation of religion by intelect and emotion, or is it revelation from God with human cultural over burden that results in what we see as religions today? Is the evolution of religions simply a reflection of the advancement of human civilization and culture, or is it a progressive evolving revelation from God that results in the spiritual and physical advancement of humanity?

[Epistemologist]

Hinduism, for one, is older than Judaism.

Anyway, an explanation for such a prima facie lack of distinctive religious traditions is the actual culture of the followers, as many Jews are materialists in a so-called modern world, whereas such practices could erode quasi-traditions. Or maybe another explanation is that they just don't care anymore. Of course, I guess there are some Jews who still have "distinctive" worship ceremonies without suits and such.

But regardless, the meaning of "distinctive" depends on perspective. If you live in a place where suits, etc. are commonplace, then yeah, it seems as if a religious worship service where suits and such are worn is not very sacred, unique, or special per se. But that's not necessarily the case I suppose.

[shunyadragon]

Quote by: Epistemologist Hinduism, for one, is older than Judaism.

Note my previous post. The claim that Hinduism (Vedic religious beliefs) are older is simply based on the present apparent archeological evidence for one line of belief, which the ancient Vedic beliefs evolve through different possible sources. There is evidence that ALL religious beliefs evolve this way in a region in a related manner and not just one belief system, as with the evidence for a relationship between of Egyptian, Judiac, Persian (Zorastrian), Christian and Islamic religions from more primal cultural religious beliefs.

Anyway, an explanation for such a prima facie lack of distinctive religious traditions is the actual culture of the followers, as many Jews are materialists in a so-called modern world, whereas such practices could erode quasi-traditions. Or maybe another explanation is that they just don't care anymore. Of course, I guess there are some Jews who still have "distinctive" worship ceremonies without suits and such.

This statement carries to much of a judgemental basis to be of value. To many cultures Christianity is 'very materialistic in a so-called modern world.'

But regardless, the meaning of "distinctive" depends on perspective. If you live in a place where suits, etc. are commonplace, then yeah, it seems as if a religious worship service where suits and such are worn is not very sacred, unique, or special per se. But that's not necessarily the case I suppose.

This relative judgement of what is 'distinctive' is carried in the cuturally burdened beliefs of all religions including Christianity and Judism.

[phoenix_fire]

Well, the thing is that the age of Judaism is based on historians placing its beginning with Abraham. People were, however, worshiping the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob long before that.

[shunyadragon]

Quote by: phoenix_fire Well, the thing is that the age of Judaism is based on historians placing its beginning with Abraham. People were, however, worshiping the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob long before that.

It is interesting to follow the Biblical view and find how the concept of God evolved from the primative Neolithic to the Roman Christian Empire view we inheret today. This evolving view is found in almost all cultures. Some primative cultures are still living in their primative worldview today.

[G. Adams]

Quote by: shunyadragon The age of relgions is to a certain extent indeterminate and evolve as human culture and civilization evolved. It would not be correct to say that Hinduism is the oldest, because we have the oldest archeological evidence for the religious beliefs of the Vedic culture. We have found arheological and paleontological evidence for cerimonial burial, places of worship and rituals that date back to well before 10,000 years. There is a common pattern of evolution of belief, from more animistic and nature worship roots, to hierarchial polytheistic religions that mirror hierarchial human social structure (early Judism and Vedic cultures, and onto more monotheistic religions (later Judism, Christianity. later Vedic, and Islam. Beliefs and images of an anthropomorphic king-like God tend to evolve to a more univerasl undefined 'Source' of existence, as with the Islam, Buddhism and the Baha'i Faith. Which comes first human creation of religion by intelect and emotion, or is it revelation from God with human cultural over burden that results in what we see as religions today? Is the evolution of religions simply a reflection of the advancement of human civilization and culture, or is it a progressive evolving revelation from God that results in the spiritual and physical advancement of humanity?

I didn't say oldest, I said older. And I noted that nature based and shamanistic religions are certainly older.

It is impossible to date a religions actual beginning, particularly if they are uncodified in texts. Which is why we must use archeological evidence to the best of our means, and be prepared to withdraw statements when new evidence shows otherwise.