1. How do Islamic perceptions of Heaven and Hell differ from those of Christianity and Judaism?
   From what I have gathered, each of these believes in a Heaven and a Hell. However, their perceptions of what Heaven and Hell look like and how an individual gets into them are different. Islamic religion weighs an individual’s good deeds against their bad deeds. They have a view that there are eight gates of which they must enter. Just because you are of Islamic religion, does not mean that you automatically get into Heaven. Within Christianity and Judaism, an individual believes in God and they will go to heaven (or the Garden of Edan within Judaism). Their good deeds and bad deeds are not weighed against each other. Overall, to me it seems like getting into Heaven or Hell is more complicated within the Islamic religion. There is more at stake. You’re not just simply reminded of your accomplishments and downfalls, but they’re thrown against you and placed onto a scale.

2. Although Jesus was a Jew, the religious institutions created in his name proved difficult for Jews to embrace but attractive to Greeks. What elements in the Nativity and the Passion narratives seems particularly and culturally familiar to a pagan audience?
   Pagan audiences could feel very connected to Jesus, starting at his birth up until his death. They were able to relate this story to those that they have heard several times. There were parts in each of the four gospels that they were able to connect with as well. A huge one that stood out to me was Christmas! Christmas time was used to convert the pagans into Christians.

3. Jesus claims the redeemed sinner is more precious to God than the righteous person who never sinned. This implies a conception of God unlike that found in the Old Testament or in The Iliad. How does this emphasis on human repentance and divine mercy change human relations to God? What different aspects of the divine/human relationships were emphasized in Gilgamesh, or The Iliad?
   Within the Gilgamesh and Illiad, they had many gods that were characterized to different aspects of life. The relationships between these Gods and the individual were less-attached. However, by doing good “deeds’ you were at the top of these Gods’ lists. Now, individual’s relationships with God are more connected. They’re not as distant. Individuals know the types of actions that are expected. A redeemed sinner is able to learn from his actions/mistakes and make oneself into a better person, inside and out.

1. Christianity, Judaism, and Islam and believe that Heaven and Hell exist, but each of these faiths view these places in a different way. Muslims are told often in the Quran that God is merciful and that he knows their hearts. They attempt to live out the Five Pillars of Islam so that they will be assured a place in heaven. In our assigned text of the Quran believers are told “God has promised those that have faith and do good works forgiveness and a rich reward. As for those who disbelieve and deny our revelations, they are the heirs of Hell’ (1014). We see from this passage that salvation in the Muslim faith is based on good works. Hell is reserved for those who deny God.

Jews at Jesus’s time were split on the issue of Heaven and Hell. Some, such as the Sadducees did not believe there was an afterlife. Others believed in Heaven and Hell, and depended on sacrifices for atonement and following the law of the Old Testament. This was their hope of reaching heaven.

Followers of Christ believe that no one can reach the perfection which the Old Testament law requires. They believe that God is merciful and came to earth in the form of a man to be the final atonement sacrifice. Christians, therefore, believe that Jesus is the only way to Heaven, and that Hell is for those who reject his atoning sacrifice. Christians, unlike Muslims, believe that Heaven cannot be earned by good deeds, but is available for those who choose to follow Christ.

2. The Greeks were familiar with narratives about humans attempting to appease angry gods. They therefore would have been able to understand the need for grievances to be made right before God. They also would have been familiar with both human and animal sacrifices for atonement. They could have possibly seen Jesus’s death as a sacrifice for atonement.

Greek mythology is full of stories of children who are half god being born to humans. In such stories the god comes down and impregnates the women, allowing their child to be divine. This was the case in Achilles’s birth. Greeks would have been familiar, therefore, with stories similar to that of Jesus’s birth and would have more likely accepted it.

3. I disagree that Jesus claims a redeemed sinner is more precious than one who never sinned. In the assigned text there is a passage, which I assume this discussion question is referring to in which Jesus states “I tell you that thus there will be joy in heaven over one sinner who repents rather than over ninety nine righteous ones who have no need of repentance’(pg. 894). In this passage he says that there will be more “joy’ not that the redeemed is more “precious’, and I think the difference is worth noting. It is as if you had three children, two who loved you and never rebelled, and one who disowned you. Were the child who disowned you to ask for forgiveness, you would be filled with joy. They would not suddenly become more “precious’ to you. This fact is also demonstrated in the parable Jesus tells about the two sons. The father in the story said to the un-rebellious son “My child you are always with me and all that is mine is yours; but we had to make merry and rejoice because your brother was a dead man and came to life’.

In the Iliad the gods did not seek repentance from mortals, but instead sought revenge for wrongs humans committed against them. The gods also picked favorites among the humans and would use their divine powers to assist them. If a person believes that Jesus truly did see a redeemed sinner as more precious, then an argument could be made that he is similar to the gods of the Iliad in this point; they both have “favorites’. The gods of the Iliad did not show mercy on humans but instead would allow fate to overtake them.

1. The Islamic Religion it is a process to make your way up to Heaven. The people of this religion must follow a certain set of procedures and stages to get into Heaven. These people believe that once they get to heaven everything in their life will be fulfilled. The different between Islamic and Christianity is the fact that the Christian people must first believe in God. In order to be blessed with eternal life one must live a faithful life. A person who is sinful their whole life and doesn’t believe in God will be sent to hell and have no eternal life.

2. In the New Testament, there are four different Gospels that tell the story of Jesus. Evidentially Christmas is the Nativity Scene set up to help Pagans transform into Christians. This time of year is made up of thankfulness, giving, and celebration of the rebirth. Then we go onto what is known as Easter. This is the celebration of Jesus’ rise from the dead.

3. In the Christian Religion, one of the most important things is sorrow and forgiveness. Without a doubt every single man is a sinner and must admit it to God for he and only he can forgive people for their sins. This is the gateway to Heaven, through Jesus and his forgiveness. As seen in the Iliad were tasks of good deeds creating a good relationship with God.

1. How do Islamic perceptions of Heaven and Hell differ from those of Christianity and Judaism?

Both Islams and Christians believe in the idea of heaven and hell but their perceptions differ a little when it comes to what they actually look like and when they came to be.  This Islamic believe that in order to get to heaven one must do an assortment of good deeds to earn the right.  Even after completing the acts of good deeds, one may still not make their way into heaven.  The Christians believe that one must accept Jesus into their life as their lord in order to get to heaven.  The Christian story is one that revolves around a theme of forgiveness much more than that of the The Koran.

2. Although Jesus was a Jew, the religious institutions created in his name proved difficult for Jews to embrace but attractive to Greeks. What elements in the Nativity and the Passion narratives seems particularly and culturally familiar to a pagan audience?

The Nativity story is revolving around December 25th or the winter equinox.  This is to  allow an easier transition from being a pagan to christian. The four stories of the Nativity in the new testament are all slightly different but non are in argument with one another.  Parts of the Nativity and Passion narratives that are close in relation to the pagan audience are the basic ideas such as the manger and wise men in the Nativity story, or the death and resurrection in the Passion story.  These types of things were used in Pagan literature especially when referring to gods.

3.  Jesus claims the redeemed sinner is more precious to God than the righteous person who never sinned. This implies a conception of God unlike that found in the Old Testament or in The Iliad. How does this emphasis on human repentance and divine mercy change human relations to God? What different aspects of the divine/human relationships were emphasized in Gilgamesh, or The Iliad?          

   Through my own journey of faith and religion I have too learned that God knows that we are of sin and he is the ultimate in forgiveness so that we may still have an opportunity to join him after our time here on earth.  I think when a human sins but then turns to God for forgiveness he is ecstatic that we have turned to him in our time of need.  I think this allows our relation to God the ability to get closer to us as people because instead of being perfect and never having to turn to him, we are now asking for his help, which is what he wants.  In the Greek religion and all their crazy/still kind of cool gods, it seems they have a more direct relationships with the people on earth and use the people for their own gain. Or vice-versa, the humans on the ground use the Gods as an excuse or rely on them for anything to happen in a major event.                                            

1. Islam experiences some significant differences in it’s perceptions of heaven and hell when compared to the other two Abrahamic traditions. Islam seems to take more detail into account it describing heaven and hell and the realms of them. Christianity describes heaven and hell in perhaps broader terms. Judaism, in my experience, really avoids the topics for the most part with the exception of heaven being the place where God resides. There is little spoken of afterlife and almost no mention of hell in modern Judaism. The most significant differences regarding heaven and hell when speaking of Islam and Christianity then is the issue of how one gets to either place. Christianity focuses on the notion of salvation or lack of salvation being the ticket to either place, that is that faith is the primary factor. Islam insists that faith is a piece of it, but good works and actions here on earth during life are also deciding factors in judgement.

2. I feel compelled to answer this discussion question with a personal anecdote. Several years ago at Christmastime, I was watching some generic travel documentary series on PBS. Really it was on in the background while I was doing other things, and I think they were filming either in or in the region of Greece on the subject of public instillations of holiday decorations. The focus was on these glorious displays of lit orbs, so imagine white light/golden hue globe ornaments, but big and hung from many things. The show mentioned that the symbolism of this at Christmas was the celebration of light coming in to the world via Christ and Christ’s salvation, his birth, and the orbs of light were symbolism for Christ’s birth, which was symbolism for Christ’s arrival and forgiveness, which (in this particular place and it’s history) was symbolism for the winter solstice. That really blew my mind at that time and place. As a Jew, Christmas is not a spiritually significant time for me. As an Alaskan, winter solstice is a very significant time for me because it literally means that we are on the upswing in terms of literal light available for my brain to consume. Seeing how that makes SO much sense for winter solstice to align with Christmas and the implications and symbolism involved in both really opened my eyes to the ways that traditions build upon other traditions, like Christianity incorporated in to pagan traditions.

3. In Gilgamesh or the Iliad, gods are not God. That is that these were polytheistic people whose gods had power but were not necessarily righteous. These gods reproduced with humans and committed what the old and new testaments would consider sins like gluttony and jealously. This changes drastically when it comes to the new testament’s claims that God reproduced with a human only once and only as a gift to humanity. Jesus was not a warrior or a king but rather a preacher and a humble teacher, willing to suffer for the sake of all of his father’s “children”. This put humans in the position of really seeing God as father, not simply a powerful or masterful being but as a compassionate and protective force.

1.     In my opinion from what little I have read, I would say the most dramatic difference in the Islamic version of heaven and hell verses the Christian or Jewish interpretations comes from the Journey to achieve the end goal. Overall the idea of a perfect existence after death if you go to heaven and an eternity of suffering if you go to hell. I find it interesting that all seem to believe in a type of divine judgment albeit at different points along the journey to or through the afterlife.

The Last Judgment, 1572-79, fresco, Duomo

2.      The most familiar parts of the Nativity and the Passion to the Greeks would have been the very creation of Jesus born of a woman and god much like a few of their own heroes. These half-man, half-god beings would often end up serving the human population for some greater good and end up dying for some greater good or belief, much like the life and death of Jesus

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Retreieved from:  https://www.reddit.com/r/atheism/comments/tkvnb

3.        Ancient gods were cruel unforgiving and more interested in entertainment than anything else. Gods of this genre were unbalanced and bi-polar to say the least. The repentance introduced with Christianity seems like it would have eased some of the pressure of religion on everyday life, even removed fear of a gods retaliation. Needless to say if all a sinner has to do to get back on a gods good side is repent, pay the church and a couple hundred hail Mary’s, who wouldn’t trade up from a lifetime of fear of Zeus’s wrath. In Gilgamesh and The Iliad the god’s were painted as meddlesome and quick to anger, each one with their own agenda.

Something I’d like to add is the difference between study today versus when I was in high school. In high school religious opinions and interpretations in the class room were  taboo, and avoided in order to respect differing opinions and beliefs(and avoid lawsuit). But now it seems that religion is fair game and not just from a literary aspect, also from that of history. I I find myself relatively uncomfortable addressing any opinion or lack there of that I may or may not have, of any religion due to my early education. This combined with the fact that I was not raised in a religious household nor do I hold to any religion in my adult life, makes discussions on this topic foreign and distasteful to me.

1. How do Islamic perceptions of Heaven and Hell differ from those of Christianity and Judaism?

I must start by saying I enjoyed this lesson a lot.   I knew very little about the Islamic religion and even what some of the big differences were between Christianity and Judaism.   This has shed some light.   The Islamic view of Heaven is that it takes good acts to get there, and even then one may not get in.   Allah will compare your good deeds against your bad deeds, and if your good outweigh your bad then you can enter.   If not, you are sent to hell.   Christianity and Judaism are more alike, when you die you either go to Heaven or Hell and you stay there.   However for Judaism, they believe Heaven is the Garden of Eden.

2. Although Jesus was a Jew, the religious institutions created in his name proved difficult for Jews to embrace but attractive to Greeks. What elements in the Nativity and the Passion narratives seems particularly and culturally familiar to a pagan audience?

What does Christmas mean to people?   What about the Passion?   I would say that nonbelievers, Christmas is a time for exchanging presents, being with family and loved ones, baking, and all those fun things that Im sure all of us enjoy.   Even nonbelievers though are familiar with what Christmas is traditionally.   The birth of Jesus, the three wise men giving their gifts of gold, frankincense, and mer.   Many are aware that this is what it is, however it is now a cultural norm that it’s all about the presents.   Additionaly, for a pagan audience, the Passion is familiar to many as well.   Good Friday, and Palm Sunday… these many people know of.   When Jesus was crucified and rose again.   However, we today correlate this with the easter bunny and candy.

3.  Jesus claims the redeemed sinner is more precious to God than the righteous person who never sinned. This implies a conception of God unlike that found in the Old Testament or in The Iliad. How does this emphasis on human repentance and divine mercy change human relations to God? What different aspects of the divine/human relationships were emphasized in Gilgamesh, or The Iliad?                                                          

First of all, all men are sinners.   According to the Bible.   Therefore, I would think that every man who accepts God gift of eternal life, forgiveness, and unconditional love would be a great victory for God.   What isn’t precious about the acceptance of this gift according to God?   I think that makes our relationships with God all the more special.   You are accepting Him, and acknowledging that he is the I AM.   This type of relationship is the opposite of those present in the Iliad or Gilgamesh.   There I think everyone is focused on obtaining what is best for themselves, and the gods use the humans and vise versa for their own personal gain/enjoyment.   They are all consumed up in vanity and pathetic arguments that the gods, after awhile, do not seem like god like figures at all compared to Jesus or even Allah.

Christianity, Islam, and Judaism all agree that there is both a paradise and a hell. They differ slightly on what paradise and hell looks like but that seems more like a perspective of the times that those paradises were written down in. These similarities even cross over to how each of the religions give access to paradise though some have different focuses. With Islam and Judaism the main focus in the books with the material provided is that every practitioner must devoted to god and the laws that have been passed down by him. While that is also a theme in Christianity, in fact Jesus’s last words as he goes up to heaven, Christianity also carries a much more highlight theme of forgiveness and mercy than what occurs in the Torah or Koran.

The four gospels were each written with a different focused audience in mind. Its easy to see this when the book of Luke 2 talks about how Jesus was found in a temple discussing theology with the temple masters. This type of exceptionalism that divine beings have is something thats a constant theme in many of the stories that occur throughout stories like the Iliad and Gilgamesh. It gives readers whose cultural background is from these types of stories something thats familiar to help them along with the more alien parts of the book. This type of familiarity is also shown in Luke 15 through the use of a story to get a message across. The use of that type medium is one that occurred in almost every single interaction between characters trying to communicate something in the Iliad and Gilgamesh. For example, Achilles uses the story of Niobe and her children to tell Priam how he must move beyond his grief and get on with his life after the death of his son Hector.

When it comes to the relationships that gods and humans have with one another with religions like those found in the Iliad it seems to be based around both exclusiveness and exceptionalism. This can easily be seen in the Iliad when the gods only interfere in the affairs of men when it comes to those who rise up above the masses through either their own actions or divine birth. The switch from that exceptionalism to a focus on repentance and mercy was a far more inclusive and accepting religion. These kind of changes allow an access for all to divinity for all rather than limiting it to a few.

1) In Islam, they do view Hell similar to that of Christianity, but not so much as Judaism. It is a place of damnation, where endless torture is the only pastime from more torture. Jannah or Paradise is what heaven is called in Islam, but even though they have a similar heaven the atmosphere is a lot more natural than Christians vision. There are rivers and gardens, not streets paved in gold etc. Interestingly, in the Islamic view of heaven, they believe there is no such thing as “original sin,’ thus everyone goes to heaven as long as they don’t do evil. Although Islamic heaven and hell are divided into multiple tiers for severity of good or evil dead which brought them to the end road. Out of all three religious sects, only Christianity and Islam have both an heaven and hell form of propaganda.

3)There are various demigod and characters in Christianity such as Jesus, Virgin Mary etc., as well as various forms such as the holy trinity. The dove from Christianity also represented a zoomorphically theistic concept, which is found in many pagans religious. There is an interesting film called Zeitgeist, which breaks down how Christianity became what it is by essentially engulfing other culture religious elements to make Christianity seem more “friendly.’ Furthermore, Christianity switched out pagan religious day’s with Christian holy day furthering the smooth transition into “holiness.’ In addition now that the Old Testament is not the focus, the New Testament can yank on peoples need for love rather than fear that was the tactic of the Old Testament. Oddly enough, each religion is bursting with metaphors, so a big part of successful religions is the ability for there to be ambiguity through interpretation, meaning everyone could find some aspect of it applicable to their own well being. Everyone wanted gods on their side, and if the Christian god could fill the void of being protected, then more people would be willing to conform to the rules. Also it is poetic in how it describes the events in the New Testament, drawing the listeners to feel as though it was actually happening.

3) The god of older mythologies equated to a polytheist realm of understanding why things happen the way they do. When Christianity came about it combined all gods into one “god’ with various deity time characters remaining for easy transition from poly- to monotheism. In both Gilgamesh and the Iliad Gods were more like guides for the main characters to find themselves, whereas the New Testament is manly focused on taking a sinner and turning them into a righteous one. Because a person who did bad knows what evil is worth leaving for holy reasons they are more in tune with god, but if a person never sinned then they are never aware of what god has to offer and negating the concept of original sin. Intervention is found a lot in both Christianity and paganism, yet the severity of those interventions depends greatly on the moral of the story. There also seemed to be an aspect of cosmopolitan in Christianity, “everyone,’ is included in the various promises no matter if their rank is of king or their title is slave. In the Iliad and Gilgamesh, the guidance from the gods seemed rather biased and focused on why, who, and consequences of actions. Also in Greek mythology not everyone worshiped the same gods, thus battles raged between men and gods of their respective positions on diplomatic or moral disputes.