Questions to Jews & Christians

[Muslima]

Hello,
I have a few questions that maybe you guys can help me with. I have always been curious about Religion in general, but never really meet a lot of religious people that I can ask some questions that I have . So here it goes :

-If you're Christian: Do you guys have a certain number of mandatory prayers that you do every day? For ex, Muslims pray 5 time a day.Does it depend on what branch of Christianity you follow? What is the difference between Catholics, Protestants and Methodists? Can you guys go to each other's churches?

-Jews: Shalom. What do you guys consider "Kosher". Muslims eat "Halal" but If I don't see something halal at the store, I usually buy Kosher because I was told that is very similar to Halal, even though I really don't know what Kosher fully means, I think I understand the concept but never really asked a jewish person, so maybe you can help me out? Also, do you guys have a certain number of mandatory daily prayers like the Muslims do? Do you do ablutions before prayers?


That's all guys, thanks

[Anonymous]

I'm Christian...

To answer your questions:

1. Do you guys have a certain number of mandatory prayers that you do every day? Does it depend on what branch of Christianity you follow?
No... I don't know about all the "branches" (denominations), but most of the Protestant ones do not. Not sure about Catholics.

2. What is the difference between Catholics, Protestants and Methodists?
Protestants grew out of the Reformation period from the Roman Catholic church. In a nutshell, some people felt the Catholic Church was a bit too corrupt so they split from them. Then different fractions started appearing... Presbyterian, Baptist, Methodist, Lutheran... each started by different leaders. They all hold to the universal truths about Christianity, just vary slightly in certain aspects of the belief.

3. Can you guys go to each other's churches?
Yes, it is very open. I grew up in a Presbyterian church but now go to what is called non-denominational.

[Anonymous]

Muslima wrote:
-If you're Christian: Do you guys have a certain number of mandatory prayers that you do every day? For ex, Muslims pray 5 time a day.Does it depend on what branch of Christianity you follow? What is the difference between Catholics, Protestants and Methodists? Can you guys go to each other's churches?

Christians do not have "mandatory" prayers as far as I know but there are many different types of prayers. Here is what I know of:

Prayer books: many churches have prayer books with readings that you can pray with. These readings are usually taken from the Psalms and other Biblical passages. The Coptic Orthodox church's prayer books have five different sets of prayers, or "hours" that are read five times a day, very similar to Islam.

Personal prayer and reflection: This how people pray in movies. They are thanking God or asking God for help, guidance, forgiveness, etc. Giving thanks before meals would be another type of this prayer.

Liturgical prayer: The liturgy and mass of many churches is a form of prayer, coming together with the rest of your church community and praying together.

Praying with Scripture: Many people read a piece of scripture on it and reflect on it in prayer. Some people keep journals where they write their thoughts and prayers down. This is a type of prayer that I really like, because I believe that I express myself best in writing.

Praise and rejoicing: Many people like to sing in praise of God, or even dance, as I've seen in some churches.


So there's nothing "mandatory," but as you can see, you can basically have your whole day revolve around prayer if you want to. It's up to you as an individual.

[Muslima]

Anonymous wrote:I'm Christian...

To answer your questions:

1. Do you guys have a certain number of mandatory prayers that you do every day? Does it depend on what branch of Christianity you follow?
No... I don't know about all the "branches" (denominations), but most of the Protestant ones do not. Not sure about Catholics.

2. What is the difference between Catholics, Protestants and Methodists?
Protestants grew out of the Reformation period from the Roman Catholic church. In a nutshell, some people felt the Catholic Church was a bit too corrupt so they split from them. Then different fractions started appearing... Presbyterian, Baptist, Methodist, Lutheran... each started by different leaders. They all hold to the universal truths about Christianity, just vary slightly in certain aspects of the belief.

3. Can you guys go to each other's churches?
Yes, it is very open. I grew up in a Presbyterian church but now go to what is called non-denominational.

Thank you, I appreciate it. So Catholics were the "Original Christians" and all the other denominations branched out from them?

[Muslima]

Anonymous wrote:

Muslima wrote:
-If you're Christian: Do you guys have a certain number of mandatory prayers that you do every day? For ex, Muslims pray 5 time a day.Does it depend on what branch of Christianity you follow? What is the difference between Catholics, Protestants and Methodists? Can you guys go to each other's churches?

Christians do not have "mandatory" prayers as far as I know but there are many different types of prayers. Here is what I know of:

Prayer books: many churches have prayer books with readings that you can pray with. These readings are usually taken from the Psalms and other Biblical passages. The Coptic Orthodox church's prayer books have five different sets of prayers, or "hours" that are read five times a day, very similar to Islam.

Personal prayer and reflection: This how people pray in movies. They are thanking God or asking God for help, guidance, forgiveness, etc. Giving thanks before meals would be another type of this prayer.

Liturgical prayer: The liturgy and mass of many churches is a form of prayer, coming together with the rest of your church community and praying together.

Praying with Scripture: Many people read a piece of scripture on it and reflect on it in prayer. Some people keep journals where they write their thoughts and prayers down. This is a type of prayer that I really like, because I believe that I express myself best in writing.

Praise and rejoicing: Many people like to sing in praise of God, or even dance, as I've seen in some churches.


So there's nothing "mandatory," but as you can see, you can basically have your whole day revolve around prayer if you want to. It's up to you as an individual.

Interesting. We also have different sorts of prayers but there are 5 mandatory ones that need to be done daily. I never heard about the Coptic Orthodox, and that they prayed 5 times a day. Do we have a lot of them in the US? Never heard any reference to them. I also love to write, so it's interesting that you have the liturgical prayer. Thank you for answering!

[Anonymous]

The Catholic Church is hierarchical. The Pope is considered the person who intercedes with God on behalf of mankind. Protestants are more decentralized. They believe that the individual has a personal relationship with God, so each individual denomination tends to have its own rules. The Catholic services are very liturgical, with each congregation praying in unison for much of the service, and a short five minute sermon or homily from the priest. On the other end of the spectrum are evangelicals, who have lengthy sermons by individual pastors and very free form services, with opportunities for silent or voiced individual prayer. Mainline Protestant denominations are somewhere in between.

Rules for kosher food involve separating meat and dairy products, as there is a verse in the Book of Leviticvus that says that the meat of the kid may not be cooked in the milk of the mother. You aren't supposed to eat them at the same meal, and most families that keep kosher have separate dishes for meat and dairy. There are also strict rules about which kinds of animals are kosher, and how healthy they have to be, as with halal. There are also strict rules about the slaughter of animals, I.e., it must be done with a sharp knife etc. This is similar to halal, but halal rules require that a Muslim prayer be recited, which kosher slaughterers don't do. Thus most vegetarian food is kosher, but when meat gets involved, it gets complicated quickly.

[Muslima]

Anonymous wrote:The Catholic Church is hierarchical. The Pope is considered the person who intercedes with God on behalf of mankind. Protestants are more decentralized. They believe that the individual has a personal relationship with God, so each individual denomination tends to have its own rules. The Catholic services are very liturgical, with each congregation praying in unison for much of the service, and a short five minute sermon or homily from the priest. On the other end of the spectrum are evangelicals, who have lengthy sermons by individual pastors and very free form services, with opportunities for silent or voiced individual prayer. Mainline Protestant denominations are somewhere in between.

Rules for kosher food involve separating meat and dairy products, as there is a verse in the Book of Leviticvus that says that the meat of the kid may not be cooked in the milk of the mother. You aren't supposed to eat them at the same meal, and most families that keep kosher have separate dishes for meat and dairy. There are also strict rules about which kinds of animals are kosher, and how healthy they have to be, as with halal. There are also strict rules about the slaughter of animals, I.e., it must be done with a sharp knife etc. This is similar to halal, but halal rules require that a Muslim prayer be recited, which kosher slaughterers don't do. Thus most vegetarian food is kosher, but when meat gets involved, it gets complicated quickly.

All vegetarian & seafood is also halal. I didn't know about the milk/meat thing. I guess Protestants would be the closest to Muslims then in how we view God & our relationship to Him. Thank you !

[Anonymous]

Jew here

Jews are required to pray 3 times a day. For me, it is preferable to pray in a group of 10 or more men but women do not have that requirement.

Kosher entails a host of rules. As stated by a PP, for meat it means only certain animals are kosher (must have split hooves and view it's cud). The animal must also be free of wounds and blemishes and then slaughtered in a particular manner. Then only certain parts of the animal are kosher and the meat music be soaked and salted to remove all the blood.

Additionally, milk and meat may not be cooked or consumed together.
Vegetables are all kosher, except insects are not so vegetables have to be carefully Checked to ensure no bugs are consumed.

There are additional rules for fish (must have fins and scales) and birds (must not be predators).

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Jew here

Jews are required to pray 3 times a day. For men, it is preferable to pray in a group of 10 or more men but women do not have that requirement.

Kosher entails a host of rules. As stated by a PP, for meat it means only certain animals are kosher (must have split hooves and view it's cud). The animal must also be free of wounds and blemishes and then slaughtered in a particular manner. Then only certain parts of the animal are kosher and the meat music be soaked and salted to remove all the blood.

Additionally, milk and meat may not be cooked or consumed together.
Vegetables are all kosher, except insects are not so vegetables have to be carefully Checked to ensure no bugs are consumed.

There are additional rules for fish (must have fins and scales) and birds (must not be predators).

Men, not me

[Anonymous]

Muslima wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Muslima wrote:
-If you're Christian: Do you guys have a certain number of mandatory prayers that you do every day? For ex, Muslims pray 5 time a day.Does it depend on what branch of Christianity you follow? What is the difference between Catholics, Protestants and Methodists? Can you guys go to each other's churches?

Christians do not have "mandatory" prayers as far as I know but there are many different types of prayers. Here is what I know of:

Prayer books: many churches have prayer books with readings that you can pray with. These readings are usually taken from the Psalms and other Biblical passages. The Coptic Orthodox church's prayer books have five different sets of prayers, or "hours" that are read five times a day, very similar to Islam.

Personal prayer and reflection: This how people pray in movies. They are thanking God or asking God for help, guidance, forgiveness, etc. Giving thanks before meals would be another type of this prayer.

Liturgical prayer: The liturgy and mass of many churches is a form of prayer, coming together with the rest of your church community and praying together.

Praying with Scripture: Many people read a piece of scripture on it and reflect on it in prayer. Some people keep journals where they write their thoughts and prayers down. This is a type of prayer that I really like, because I believe that I express myself best in writing.

Praise and rejoicing: Many people like to sing in praise of God, or even dance, as I've seen in some churches.


So there's nothing "mandatory," but as you can see, you can basically have your whole day revolve around prayer if you want to. It's up to you as an individual.

Interesting. We also have different sorts of prayers but there are 5 mandatory ones that need to be done daily. I never heard about the Coptic Orthodox, and that they prayed 5 times a day. Do we have a lot of them in the US? Never heard any reference to them. I also love to write, so it's interesting that you have the liturgical prayer. Thank you for answering!

I bet you have! Lots of books on historical times (especially medieval/Renaissance) structure their day around them. So you might have a character "hear the bells for Vespers" or tend to the animals after Prime...


Matins (during the night, at midnight with some); also called Vigils or Nocturns or, in monastic usage, the Night Office
Lauds or Dawn Prayer (at Dawn, or 3 a.m.)
Prime or Early Morning Prayer (First Hour = approximately 6 a.m.)
Terce or Mid-Morning Prayer (Third Hour = approximately 9 a.m.)
Sext or Midday Prayer (Sixth Hour = approximately 12 noon)
None or Mid-Afternoon Prayer (Ninth Hour = approximately 3 p.m.)
Vespers or Evening Prayer ("at the lighting of the lamps", generally at 6 p.m.)
Compline or Night Prayer (before retiring, generally at 9 p.m.)

[Anonymous]

oh, and that list is from Wikipedia!

[Muslima]

Anonymous wrote:Jew here

Jews are required to pray 3 times a day. For me, it is preferable to pray in a group of 10 or more men but women do not have that requirement.

Kosher entails a host of rules. As stated by a PP, for meat it means only certain animals are kosher (must have split hooves and view it's cud). The animal must also be free of wounds and blemishes and then slaughtered in a particular manner. Then only certain parts of the animal are kosher and the meat music be soaked and salted to remove all the blood.

Additionally, milk and meat may not be cooked or consumed together.
Vegetables are all kosher, except insects are not so vegetables have to be carefully Checked to ensure no bugs are consumed.

There are additional rules for fish (must have fins and scales) and birds (must not be predators).

Interesting! For Muslims as well , congressional prayer is better for men but not required for women. When are the 3 prayers? Are there specific times? Do you just read the prayer or is there more to it?

[Anonymous]

Muslima wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I'm Christian...

To answer your questions:

1. Do you guys have a certain number of mandatory prayers that you do every day? Does it depend on what branch of Christianity you follow?
No... I don't know about all the "branches" (denominations), but most of the Protestant ones do not. Not sure about Catholics.

2. What is the difference between Catholics, Protestants and Methodists?
Protestants grew out of the Reformation period from the Roman Catholic church. In a nutshell, some people felt the Catholic Church was a bit too corrupt so they split from them. Then different fractions started appearing... Presbyterian, Baptist, Methodist, Lutheran... each started by different leaders. They all hold to the universal truths about Christianity, just vary slightly in certain aspects of the belief.

3. Can you guys go to each other's churches?
Yes, it is very open. I grew up in a Presbyterian church but now go to what is called non-denominational.

Thank you, I appreciate it. So Catholics were the "Original Christians" and all the other denominations branched out from them?

No, the Catholic church is not the "original christians". The OC were the followers of Christ in Biblical times.. the followers of the Apostles and/or Disciples of Christ. The Roman Catholic church came from Emperor Constantine as a means to unite power (I'm heavily summarizing here). I don't remember the exact date.. you can probably Google it, but it was way after the death of the Apostles and Disciples.

[Muslima]

Anonymous wrote:

Muslima wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Muslima wrote:
-If you're Christian: Do you guys have a certain number of mandatory prayers that you do every day? For ex, Muslims pray 5 time a day.Does it depend on what branch of Christianity you follow? What is the difference between Catholics, Protestants and Methodists? Can you guys go to each other's churches?

Christians do not have "mandatory" prayers as far as I know but there are many different types of prayers. Here is what I know of:

Prayer books: many churches have prayer books with readings that you can pray with. These readings are usually taken from the Psalms and other Biblical passages. The Coptic Orthodox church's prayer books have five different sets of prayers, or "hours" that are read five times a day, very similar to Islam.

Personal prayer and reflection: This how people pray in movies. They are thanking God or asking God for help, guidance, forgiveness, etc. Giving thanks before meals would be another type of this prayer.

Liturgical prayer: The liturgy and mass of many churches is a form of prayer, coming together with the rest of your church community and praying together.

Praying with Scripture: Many people read a piece of scripture on it and reflect on it in prayer. Some people keep journals where they write their thoughts and prayers down. This is a type of prayer that I really like, because I believe that I express myself best in writing.

Praise and rejoicing: Many people like to sing in praise of God, or even dance, as I've seen in some churches.


So there's nothing "mandatory," but as you can see, you can basically have your whole day revolve around prayer if you want to. It's up to you as an individual.

Interesting. We also have different sorts of prayers but there are 5 mandatory ones that need to be done daily. I never heard about the Coptic Orthodox, and that they prayed 5 times a day. Do we have a lot of them in the US? Never heard any reference to them. I also love to write, so it's interesting that you have the liturgical prayer. Thank you for answering!

I bet you have! Lots of books on historical times (especially medieval/Renaissance) structure their day around them. So you might have a character "hear the bells for Vespers" or tend to the animals after Prime...


Matins (during the night, at midnight with some); also called Vigils or Nocturns or, in monastic usage, the Night Office
Lauds or Dawn Prayer (at Dawn, or 3 a.m.)
Prime or Early Morning Prayer (First Hour = approximately 6 a.m.)
Terce or Mid-Morning Prayer (Third Hour = approximately 9 a.m.)
Sext or Midday Prayer (Sixth Hour = approximately 12 noon)
None or Mid-Afternoon Prayer (Ninth Hour = approximately 3 p.m.)
Vespers or Evening Prayer ("at the lighting of the lamps", generally at 6 p.m.)
Compline or Night Prayer (before retiring, generally at 9 p.m.)

So they have 8 daily prayers, every 3 hours? I don't think i've ever met a Christian who follows that denomination though.

[Muslima]

Anonymous wrote:

Muslima wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I'm Christian...

To answer your questions:

1. Do you guys have a certain number of mandatory prayers that you do every day? Does it depend on what branch of Christianity you follow?
No... I don't know about all the "branches" (denominations), but most of the Protestant ones do not. Not sure about Catholics.

2. What is the difference between Catholics, Protestants and Methodists?
Protestants grew out of the Reformation period from the Roman Catholic church. In a nutshell, some people felt the Catholic Church was a bit too corrupt so they split from them. Then different fractions started appearing... Presbyterian, Baptist, Methodist, Lutheran... each started by different leaders. They all hold to the universal truths about Christianity, just vary slightly in certain aspects of the belief.

3. Can you guys go to each other's churches?
Yes, it is very open. I grew up in a Presbyterian church but now go to what is called non-denominational.

Thank you, I appreciate it. So Catholics were the "Original Christians" and all the other denominations branched out from them?

No, the Catholic church is not the "original christians". The OC were the followers of Christ in Biblical times.. the followers of the Apostles and/or Disciples of Christ. The Roman Catholic church came from Emperor Constantine as a means to unite power (I'm heavily summarizing here). I don't remember the exact date.. you can probably Google it, but it was way after the death of the Apostles and Disciples.

Thanks for clarifying this!