Religion Analysis: The Top Ten Religions in the World

Similarities 

Differences 

Both Wiccan and Judaism religions believe in supernatural existence, and worship their Divines with honor. 

Both Wiccan and Judaism religions acknowledge holy day celebrations where Wiccans celebrate Esbats (cycles of the moon) and Jews in Judaism celebrate festivals such as Hanukkah (festival of lights). 

Both Wiccan and Judaism religions conduct rituals for purification, where Wiccans conduct purification of the participants and the sacred space while the Jews in Judaism carry out laws of ritual purity by segregating menstruating women. 

While Wicca exhibits duo-theistic (they worship a god and a goddess), Judaism acknowledge God as the sole supernatural being and they worship one God. 

Wicca has no specific central authority figure and their traditional beliefs were stipulated by Gerald Gardner and Doreen Valiente. On the contrary, Judaism traces its central authority as an organized religion from the ancient Israelite religions citing around 500 BCE. 

Whereas Wicca adopts polytheistic view of the world as replete with spirit-beings, Judaism holds that God is the sole supernatural being who revealed his laws to Moses. 

Analysis 

World religions form patterns that unite believers by providing different alternate paths leading to the same finality. However, every religion claims to have the right way towards their supernatural beings, making disparities in spiritual beliefs. Considering the two religions in the case scenario, Wiccan and Judaism religions comparatively attempt to recognize the existence of Divine power. The main argument that may arise in this analysis is that Judaism is equally reported to exhibit witchcraft practices, just like the Wiccans to satisfy its ends. Citing Baskin, and Seeskin (2010), witchcraft is commonly displayed in all other religions, including the Judaism associated with Christianity. Additionally, through conducting various rituals and observing holy days, both Wiccan and Judaism religions pray in efforts to seek powers to receive and instill accomplishment of good deeds to the world. 

Wicca has its ways of manifesting its Divine spirits to the world through the ideas of ethics and community. While Judaism uses the bible as a reference, Wiccans use nature, witchcraft spiritual practices, and personal revelations. In Wiccan religion, witchcraft is the primary source of life-affirming religion. Through witchcraft, Wiccans follow a stipulated moral code to empower themselves and other people. Wiccans believe in the earth-centered religion seeking to improve individual spiritual life through witchcraft. Judaism, on the other hand, follows the recordings in the Hebrew Bible (Torah), believing that God gave Torah to the ancient Jewish leader Moses. Judaism followers believe that God is the sole creator with no helper and no rivals. Contrary to Wiccans, Judaism expects believers to follow God’s ways to achieve eternal peace. Judaism bases its spiritual beliefs in the Hebrew Bible, stating the chronological descendants from the creation stories to the present time. 

Another evident difference between the two is the central authority defining existence and spiritual prayers and sacrifices to the divinities. According to the Jewish stories of existence, the Israelites were given land by God (the promised land) where they would connect and offer sacrifices to God. Wiccans have no specific central authority, but they usually take ten minutes each day to communicate with spirits and reaffirm their faith through a prayer that refers to both women and men divinities. However, according to Wiccans, witchcraft does not involve Satan worship or use of evil forces to cast spells on others because the Wiccans worship with one slogan, “harm no one” (Howard, Michael 2010). The Wiccans believe that no one should be forced to believe in God, but rather, individuals use their terms to approach God. Since the Wiccan religion is practically based on witchcraft, therefore, it was initially described as “the craft of wisdom,” and Wiccans worships the lord and lady in the Temple believing that no harm can happen to them whatsoever. 

References 

Baskin, Judith R.; Seeskin, Kenneth (2010). The Cambridge Guide to Jewish History, Religion, and Culture. Cambridge University Press. p. 120. 

Howard, Michael (2010). Modern Wicca. Woodbury, Minnesota: Llewellyn Publications. pp. 299–301.