Differences between religions

Western religions typically focus on a relationship and worship between the person and their higher deity. Eastern religions typically focus on a process of living life for the next life or the here after. However, there exists a spectrum of religions and practices between the dichotomy of relationship and process.

While some practitioners of the Abrahamic faiths or "people of the Book" (Christianity, Judaism, and Islam) each worship one all-powerful God, each of these religions has different beliefs. Many followers of each of these three religions openly oppose the idea that the three views point to the same God, pointing out the many areas of disagreement as to God's nature, character, deeds and overall plan with humanity.

Jews believe that their deity is the one and only God, who revealed his Torah (teachings) to Moses and other sages of Israel.

Christians accept this same God, but believe that the Christ has already appeared in the form of Jesus, in accordance to the Jewish Scriptures (such as in the books of Daniel and Isaiah). Unlike the Jewish belief of Christ, the Christians proclaim that He came to earth to set God's children free from sin, rather than from oppression. The central schism between the Roman Catholic and Protestant Churches is that in the latter good deeds cannot create or maintain a relationship with God. Virtuous deeds are supposed to simply flow from pure faith and a relationship with God through entering that relationship with Jesus.

Messianic Renewed Judaism believe, just like Judaism does, that there is only ONE "Elohim" (the original word in the Tanach, the Jewish Scriptures)but millions of Gods. Moreover, they maintain this Elohim has three Parts, or Dimensions, just as man has three parts: spirit, soul and body, as per 1st Tessalonians 5:23, since he was created by this same Elohim-in-three-Parts/Dimensions. Thus, the Rebbe Yeshua is the physical manifestation of the Jewish Elohim, and not an idol, but simply the ultimate enunciation of an all Powerful Elohim, who chose, in His omnipotence, to take human form, a decision expressed in the prophecied name, "Emanu´El", meaning "Elohim with us:El=Elohim; Emanu=among us."[2] (http://www.beitshalom.org/articulo.aspx?i=en-us&c=166) This, it claims to have solved the long standing difficulty of Yeshua claiming to be a Part of Elohim/"God."

Muslims, like the Jews, differ with the Christians as to the divinity of Jesus, but accept the Virgin Birth as a miracle of God. The role of Jesus in Islam is as the Messiah and amongst the distinguished prophets, one of whom is Muhammad, believed to be the final and last messenger. The Five Pillars of Islam are the five required deeds or rituals needed to relate to the holy God. Jews and Christians often perceive the Muslim God as being very different than their own in terms of nature and character, although that is hotly debated.

Although there is a tendency, in the West especially, to speak about religion in terms of God not all religions believe in a creator god. For example, Jain cosmology is strongly atheistic and the original forms of Taoism and Buddhism are also non-theistic.