Nonverbal communication and culture. Identity, stereotypes and prejudices, страница 28

(1) God is one, (2) no human ever will be divine, (3) humans are free, (4) humans are the pinnacle of creation, (5) Jews belong to a group or nation whose goal is to serve God, and (6) humans must be obedient to the God-given commandments in the Torah and assume personal responsibility.

These six concepts compose a belief system stressing the secular notion that order must be maintained if Jews are to have a collective life. The Ten Commandments in the Torah therefore give structure to and make possible a social world. Judaism penetrates every area of human existence, providing humankind with a means of communicating with both the secular and transcendental worlds. It is not simply a religion that serves spiritual needs but a guide to worship, ceremonies, justice, friendship, kindness, intellectual pursuits, courtesy, and diet. Although Jewish culture is defined to a large extent by its belief system, Judaism is more than a set of laws.

Oppression and Persecution.Historically, oppression and persecution have been part of the Jewish view of the world. Through the belief that God is using them to introduce insights into history that all people need, suffering, oppression, and persecution seem to be built into the Jewish faith. The summary of the long-standing persecution of Jews is as follows: Only the Jews have had their homeland destroyed (twice), been dispersed wherever they have lived, survived the most systematic attempt in history (aside from that of the Gypsies) to destroy an entire people, and been expelled from nearly every nation among whom they have lived.

Even Moses felt righteous anger at the oppression of his people. What we have then is a people who, for thousands of years before the Holocaust, have experienced murder, exile, and discrimination. This treatment makes it very difficult even today for many Jews to trust gentiles (non-Jews).

Learning. Of additional interest is the importance the Jewish religion places on learning. So strong is this value that it is reflected in a Jewish saying: "Adam chose knowledge instead of immortality." The attitude helps determine how Jews perceive the world and function in it. For thousands of years Jews have made the study of the Talmud (a holy book that is over five thousand pages long) an important element of Jewish life. Some Hebrew translations of the word Talmud actually contain the words "learning, "study," and "teaching." So strong is the value of learning for Jews that the Jewish prayer book speaks of "the love of learning" as one of three principles of faith. References to the importance of education are sprinkled throughout Jewish holy books. As long ago as the first century, Jews had a system of compulsory education. Even today there is a Jewish proverb that states "Wisdom is better than jewels."

Justice. The Jewish faith also teaches a strong sense of justice. The promotion of justice is a paramount concern for the Jew. In fact, one of the four categories of Jewish law is actually to ensure moral treatment of others. So strong is this basic precept that much of Western civilization owes a debt to the early Jewish prophets for establishing the notion of justice as a major principle for the maintenance of social order.

Family.While all societies value the family, for the Jew kinship ties have both religious and cultural overtones. For 4,000 years, the Jewish family has been the very core, mortar, and citadel of Judaism's faith and the central reason for the survival of the Jews as a distinct ethnic group. The Jewish home is a temple, according to Judaic law, custom, and tradition.

3. Islam

Islam is a vital force in the contemporary world. Islam is the newest and fastest-growing religion in the world with more than 1 billion followers. Yet in spite of these statistics most Europeans and Americans know little about the Islamic religion. The heart of Islam is well hidden from most Westerners, and the outer images of Islamic countries present bewildering contrasts: stern ayatollahs ordering the lash for prostitutes, camel drivers putting down prayer mats in the desert, a sophisticated royal prince discussing international investments, and fiery national liberators proclaiming equality and denouncing Western values.