Lives of Faith
Arthur J. Congdon
Western International University
HUM 127 Religions of the World
Elise Whitworth
July 2, 2006
Two of the most influential people in all of religious history would have to have been either Jesus or Muhammad. From the moment they were born and extending far beyond their deaths they were both solely responsible for the founding and the continuation of their respective religions. In the year 6 B.C.E (before common era) the son of God Jesus Christ was born near the town of Bethlehem.(Fisher, 2006) Almost 600 years later in the town of Mecca the eventual Prophet Muhammad was born. The influences and religious experiences of these two people shaped the future of both religions. A look at the lives of these two men and the impacts of their deaths follows. A comparison of how both the men influenced their religions and also how they are both revered and worshipped in today's societies will happen as well. All of these thing will try and explain how the preaching and messages these two men tried to convey to their followers are being followed today.
A look at the historical life of Jesus Christ reveals that he was born to the Virgin Mary and his father Joseph in the year 6 B.C.E. His birth occurred during the Judean reign of King Herod. (Fisher, 2006) There isn't a lot of written history concerning Jesus' early years up to the age of about 24 years old. Jesus was a simple carpenter who was known for his fierce devotion to the Lord. He began to preach publicly at the age of 25 or so. (Fisher, 2006) This time during his life was a very successful one, he was adapt at healing the sickly and exercising demons. On a pilgrimage to Nazareth, Jesus was said to have been baptized by John, who la ...