Monotheism
This is the belief in one single God.

Christianity

Christians believe that there is only one living and true God who is the creator, Redeemer, Preserver, and Ruler of the entire universe. He is omnipotent, omniscient, and omnipresent. He is triune and reveals Himself as Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, with distinct personal attributes without division of His nature, His essence, or His being.

God the Father providentially rules and cares for His universe, His creatures, and human history according to His purpose and grace with fatherly attitude toward all humans. He is the Father in truth to believers in Jesus Christ.

Jesus Christ is the incarnation of God, the eternal Son of God. God humbled Himself by becoming a man taking on human nature with its demands and necessities yet being sinless (some denominations classified within the Christian faith maintain the belief that God, Jesus Christ, and the Holy Spirit are three separate and distinct entities). He was conceived of the Holy Spirit and born of the virgin Mary. He lived a perfect life and by dying on the cross and made provision for the redemption of mankind from sin. He rose from the dead with a glorified body and ascended into heaven and is now exalted at the right hand of God. He is mans Mediator, fully God and fully man, in whose Person is effected the reconciliation between God and humans. He will return in power and glory to judge the world.

The Holy Spirit is the Spirit of God, fully divine. He inspired holy men to write the Holy Bible. He convicts humans of sin and calls them to the Savior. He baptizes every believer at the moment they accept Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior. He develops Christian character and gives spiritual gifts to serve God through His church. He comforts, enlightens, and empowers the believer and the church in worship, evangelism, fellowship, discipleship, and mission.

Man was created in the image of God with a free-will. In the beginning man was innocent of sin until through the temptation of Satan man transgressed the command of God, fell from innocence and inherited a nature inclined toward sin. Man cannot earn his salvation and must accept the free gift of eternal life through Jesus Christ who paid the ransom for mans sin.

Salvation involves the redemption of the whole person through the blood of Jesus Christ and is offered freely to anyone who accepts Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior. There is no other salvation apart from a personal faith in Jesus Christ as Lord.

Furthermore, Christians practice and believe the Holy Bible is the Word of God, written by men divinely inspired by God who is the author. It is Gods revelation of Himself to man and is a testimony to Christ. The Scriptures are inerrant and divinely preserved and are totally true and trustworthy.

Islam

Islam is the name of the religion that came out of the revelations and teachings of Muhammad. It is both a world religion and a political system. Some of its foundational teaching is based on a blend of Arabic, Jewish, and Christian elements. It claims to be the final restoration of the original monotheism and truth revealed to mankind. Thus it boasts to be superior to both Judaism and Christianity in its message and monotheistic faith. It stresses that there is only one God, Allah, the Arabic word for God, meaning "The God." He is the only sovereign ruler of the universe. He does not share his divinity with any other. It believes that God has made Himself known through other prophets in history but his final revelation came to the Prophet Muhammad through the Archangel Gabriel.

Muslims consider the Qur'an the most holy book of Islam and its highest authority. It is considered to be the earthly version of a heavenly book. They believe the Qur'an maintains its fullest and authoritative message only in the Arabic language because it was dictated to Muhammad in that language. The Qur'an divided into 114 chapters called "surahs." Each chapter is divided into verses called "ayat." The chapters are arranged by length, the longest to the shortest. It contains many references to the Torah, the Psalm of David, and the four Gospels. However, the Qur'an emphatically claims to be the final source of authority. It emphasizes on revealing the commands of God and not on revealing God. It testifies to the truthfulness of the Bible. In many cases it refers Muhammad and his followers to the Scriptures. The problem is that Muslims claim that the Qur'an refers in this context to the original Bible before Christians and Jews distorted it. According to Muslims, Christians and Jews perverted the Bible and that is why there are many contradictions between the Bible and the Qur'an. Originally there was no contradiction because the source of the two books in one: God. Not only is the Qur'an the ultimate divine revelation according to Muslims, it is also the ultimate divine miracle. Therefore, literary or historical criticism of the Qur'an is forbidden.

Islamic faith has two basic aspects: faith and works. The entire Muslim lifestyle is based on these two aspects that have been grouped together into the Five Pillars of Islam:

The Confession or "Shahada" -This is the fundamental creed of Islam: "There is no God but Allah; and Muhammad is the prophet of Allah." It expresses the belief in absolute monotheism that is crucial to Islam. All that is necessary to become a Muslim is sincerity in voicing the confession repeatedly. It is the first step on the road to the hope of salvation. Prayer or "Salat" -Each Muslim is expected to perform ritual prayers five times a day: before sunrise, at noon, in mid-afternoon, at sunset, and prior to sleep. These prayers must be proceeded by ceremonial washing of hands, face, and feet. Fasting or "Sawm" -It is required during the lunar month of Ramadan on the Arabic calendar. It is believed that Muhammad received his first revelations during that month. They are required to fast during the daylight hours - sunrise to sunset - and are expected to abstain from all food, drink, and sexual relations. Each day, eating meals is allowed after sunset and before dawn. Almsgiving or "Zakat" -The Qur'an commands all Muslims to practice regular giving. The duty of regular giving of 2 _ percent of one's capital wealth to the welfare of the community and for the propagation of Islam is obligatory on every able male Muslim. Pilgrimage or "Hajj" -If possible, every Muslim who is economically and physically able is expected to make a pilgrimage to Mecca once in his lifetime. Each pilgrim is required to wear seamless white garments with the notion that all are equal before God. During the Hajj each pilgrim is required to walk seven times around the Kaba (the sacred black stone) and kiss it. On the tenth day of Hajj, sacrificial animals (sheep and goats) are sacrificed and a huge festival is celebrated. Muslims commemorate Abraham's sacrificing an animal as a substitute for his son Ishmael (not Isaac as mentioned in the Bible).

A popular saying among Muslims is "Enshallah," which means "if Allah wills." Islam is based upon predestination, even though Muslims believe they must do all within their power to please God in order to obtain rewards in heaven. These are essential duties in Muslim worship to satisfy the will of Allah. Every Muslim must perform the five pillars with a hope for salvation at the mercy of Allah.

References:
Del Risco, Joshua. Bridging the Gap Between the Cross and the Crescent: Sharing Your Faith with Muslim Friends. Interfaith Evangelism Missionary, North American Mission Board, SBC. 2002

Judaism

It is a monotheistic religion that is centered around the Torah (The Book of God's Law) which consist of the first five books of the Bible: Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy. They believe the Torah was given directly by God to his prophet Moses. Jews believe they are God's chosen people to bring knowledge of the one true God to an unbelieving, gentile world.

Judaism had its beginning when Abraham, their patriarch, was called to leave his own country and go to a place God would show him. God promised Abraham he would be a father of a great nation and his descendants would be as numerous as the stars. The pivotal event of the Jewish history is the Exodus account. Moses lead Israel out of the bondage in Egypt to Mt. Sinai where God gave Moses the Ten Commandments. It was there that God gave Moses 613 commandments that formulated the fundamentals of the Jewish beliefs and customs, which they still practice today.

Baha'i

Baha'i is an offspring of the Babi sect which originated from Islam. The Babi religion was founded by Mirza 'Ali Mohammad of Shiraz, Iran. Mohammad proclaimed that a new prophet from God would appear and overturn old beliefs and customs, ushering in a new era.(1)

In 1844, Mirza 'Ali Mohammad, also known as Siyyid 'Ali Mohammad (1819-1850)(2), began proclaiming his beliefs and took on the title of the "Bab", which has the Persian meaning "Gateway".(3) On May 23, 1844, he announced "The Declaration of Bab".(4) The "Bab's" teachings spread over Iran, instigating resistance from both the Shi'ite Muslim clergy and the government. The "Bab" was arrested and incarcerated until he was executed in 1850. There were executions of 20,000 "Babi" followers as well.(5)

The Transition to Baha'i
Mirza Hoseyn 'Ali Nuri, also known as Baha' Ullah, was one of the "Bab's" earliest and prominent followers. In 1852, Baha' Ullah was arrested in Tehran, Iran. It was during his incarceration that he felt he was the prophet that "Bab" had predicted.(6)

A year later, Baha' Ullah was released and exiled to Baghdad. He began a revival in the Babi community. He proclaimed himself as the "Babs" foretold prophet just prior to being moved to Constantinople by the Ottoman government. A vast amount of Babis agreed with him. The result was the transformation from Babi to Baha'i.(7)

On April 21, 1863, Baha' Ullah publicly announced himself as the "Bab's" prophet. He was incarcerated by the Ottomans in Adrianople (modern-day Edirne, Turkey), then moved to the prison city of Acre, Palestine ('Akko, Israel) for the last 22 years of his life.(8) Before his death in 1892, he appointed his eldest son, 'Abd ol-Baha (1844-1921) as his successor.(9) 'Abd ol-Baha spread the movement to North America (1893), Europe, and other continents. He appointed his eldest grandson, Shoghi Effendi Rabbani (1897-1957) as his successor.(10)

In the 1960s, the Baha'i religion expanded. By the end of the 20th century, it had developed more than 150 national spiritual assemblies (governing bodies) and approximately 20,000 local assemblies.(11) In 1979, the Islamic fundamentalists took over Iran and executed 300,000 Baha'is.(12)

Organizational Structure
The Baha'is have no order of priesthood and claim not to observe ritualistic forms of worship. Anyone who worships Baha' Ullah is inducted in. They have no ceremonies, sacraments, or clergy.(13)

Their governmental principles were established by Baha' Ullah and expanded by 'Abd ol-Baha. They claim not to have any type of clergy structure, yet have an electoral process. They begin with the election of a local assembly, which has jurisdiction over all local affairs of the Baha'i community. This process does not allow for parties, nominations, or campaigns.(14)

After the local selection is made, they elect delegates to a national convention, which then chooses an assembly to represent the entire country.(15) Periodically, all the national assemblies gather for an international convention and elect a supreme body known as the Universal House of Justice. The laws are from those established Baha' Ullah, yet they also oversee matters not covered by sacred texts.(16) The Universal House of Justice is located in Haifa, Israel, in the area where shrines of the "Bab" and 'Abd ol-Baha are, near the Shrine of Baha' Ullah at Bahji, which is close to 'Akko. They also appoint institutions such as the "Hands of the Cause of God" and continental counselors. The "Hands of the Cause of God" was another of Baha' Ullah's creations, along with Shoghi Effendi. The Universal House of Justice appoints the continental counselors. Both groups oversee the propagation of the Baha'i religion and community protection.

Beliefs

• The foundation for the Baha'i religion is that the "Bab" and Baha' Ullah were God's elect.
  
• All religions are unified and humanity is too.
  
• All religious founders are manifestations of one God and teachers of God's divine plan to educate the human race.
  
• Despite different beliefs, all religions teach identical truth.
  
• God is only one God, who is transcendent and unknowable.
  
• The Holy Spirit reveals the "Word of God" to prophets who have and will come into the world.
  
• They believe the old time prophets are Adam, Abraham, Moses, Krishna, Zoroaster, Buddha, Jesus Christ, Muhammad (originator of Islam), and of course, the "Bab" and Baha' Ullah.
  
• They believe that God will continue to send prophets into the world. According to Baha'i, a new prophet isn't due for quite some time.
  
• Each person has an immortal soul that will travel through the "spirit world". The spirit world is, according to Baha'is, "a timeless and placeless extension of our own universe--and not some physically remote or removed place."(17)
  
• All prejudices among humanity should be abolished:
  
• "The Baha'’ teachings promote the elimination of all forms of prejudice and uphold equal dignity and respect for all peoples, regardless of their racial, ethnic, religious or national background. Equality of men and women, the elimination of extremes of poverty and wealth and economic justice for all peoples, universal education, and the dignity of the individual are central Baha'’ principles."(18)
  
• Homosexuals are excluded and women are not permitted to serve on in its highest religious courts.(19)
  
• They also believe that Baha'i will eventually be the one-world government and religion.

Practices

• The Baha'i calendar, also created by the "Bab" and confirmed by Baha' Ullah, divides the year into 19 months, with 19 days each, with the addition of 4 intercalary days (5 in a leap year). Their year begins March 21, the spring equinox, and is considered a Baha'i holy day.(20)
  
• They are required to pray daily.
  
• Abstain from narcotics, alcohol, and mind-altering substances.
  
• They are required to be monogamous and obtain parental consent for marriage.
  
• Although they claim not to have rituals, they must fast for 19 days a year. This is referred to as the 'Nineteen Day Feast.' They fast on the first day of each month in their 19-month calendar. The Feast was created by the "Bab". Those who are between 15 and 70 years of age are required to fast 19 days a year (complete deprivation of food or beverage) from sunrise to sunset. During this time, they pray, read scriptures from all religions, and discuss community activities. The purpose of the feast is to strengthen the community bond.
  
• Observe the 9 holy days:
     Marc h 21: The New Year Begins
     April 21, 29 & May 2: Baha'u'llah's public declaration of his mission
     May 23: Bab's declaration of his mission
     May 29: Passing of Baha'u'llah
     July 9: Martyrdom of the Bab
     October 20: Birth of Bab
     November 12: Birth of Baha'u'llah
  
• Make at least one pilgrimage, if possible, to the Shrine of the "Bab" and Baha' Ullah's former homes near the Baha'i headquarters.
  
• Regard work as a form of worship.(21)

Doctrinal Sources
Baha'’ scripture is a compilation of writings from the "Bab", Baha' Ullah, and 'Abdu'l-Baha. Baha Ullah's most common works are The Most Holy Book, The Book of Certitude, Gleanings from the Writings of Baha'u'llah, The Hidden Words and The Seven Valleys. There are many others books of Baha'’ scripture and their doctrine also encompasses those from other religions.

Restrictions

"Although Baha'’s have been very active in the promotion of freedom of expression around the world, there are significant restrictions on freedoms of individual Baha'i members. These are enforced through shunning or expelling non-conforming adherents. Some examples are:

• Gay males and lesbians in monogamous, committed relationships who have held union services to recognize their partnerships have had had their religious rights removed.
  
• Heterosexual Baha'i couples who were married in a non-Baha'i ceremony have had their rights removed.
  
• The Baha'’ authorities have imposed pre-publication censorship on all material written by members about the Faith. Until recently, all such material has to be first scanned by a review committee of the Baha'’ National Spiritual Assembly of the country in which the text is to be published. This was a temporary policy introduced many decades ago. It was slightly modified in 2001-JAN for U.S. materials. Censorship responsibility has been transferred to local authorities. No changes have been made elsewhere in the world.
  
• The Baha'’ electoral process does not permit public nominations or discussion of the candidates. As a result, there has been no change in the nine person US National Spiritual Assembly since 1961, except for those caused by deaths, retirements, or a member leaving the country.