What are the main differences between Jewish and Christian religions?

Judaism believes that only you can be responsible for your sins. Nobody else can take them on or ask forgiveness on your behalf. Yes, we used to do animal sacrifices SOMETIMES, but most sacrifices were a mix of flour and oil. Still, sacrifice alone cannot atone for sin (and human sacrifice is ABHORRED by G-d). To atone for sins, a person must do teshuva, which includes: 1. recognizing the sin [knowing you did wrong] and feeling remorse for it 2. asking forgiveness of the wrong by the person you wronged (example: if you broke a Jewish law, you apologize to G-d, but if you broke your neighbor's favorite flowerpot, you must apologize to your neighbor for no one else can forgive you) 3. try to right the wrong you did--if you broke the flowerpot, either buy a new one or try to repair the old one sufficiently 4. actively resolve and try not to commit the wrong again--if you broke a law, create a reminder for yourself so that next time the opportunity comes up, you will remember.

Christianity has a close relationship with Judaism, both historically and theologically. Jesus, the twelve disciples, the author of most of the New Testament, and the members of the earliest Christian churches were all Jews. Jesus' family followed Jewish customs and Jesus frequently quoted the Hebrew Bible. Jesus' followers believed him to be the messiah, a Jewish figure predicted in the Jewish Bible.


Today, theological disagreements between Christians and Jews remain, but efforts are being made towards greater understanding and respect between the two great faiths. The following chart compares the origins, beliefs and practices of Christianity and Judaism.


Source www.religionfacts.com

History & Stats	Christianity	Judaism
date founded	c. 30 AD	c. 1300 BC
place founded	Palestine	Palestine
founders & early leaders	Jesus, Peter, Paul	Abraham, Moses
original languages	Aramaic and Greek	Hebrew
major location today	Europe, North and South America	Europe, Israel, North America
adherents worldwide today	2 billion	14 million
adherents in USA	159 million	5.6 million
adherents in Canada	21 million	350,000
adherents in UK	51 million	320,000
current size rank	largest	12th largest
major branches	Catholic, Orthodox, Protestant	Orthodox, Conservative, Reform
Religious Authority	Christianity	Judaism
sacred text	Bible = Old Testament (Jewish Bible) + New Testament	Tanakh (Jewish Bible)
inspiration of sacred text	views vary: literal word of God, inspired human accounts, or of human origin only	views vary: inspired human accounts or of human origin only
status of biblical prophets	true prophets	true prophets
status of Jewish Bible	canonical	canonical
status of Jewish Apocrypha	canonical (Catholic); useful but noncanonical (Protestant)	noncanonical but useful
status of New Testament	canonical	noncanonical, not useful
other written authority	church fathers, church councils, ecumenical creeds (all branches); papal decrees, canon law (Catholic)	Talmud, halakhah
modern human authorities	pope (Catholic); each Christian with aid of Holy Spirit (Protestant)	rabbis
summaries of doctrine	Apostle's Creed, Nicene Creed	13 Articles of Faith
Beliefs & Doctrine	Christianity	Judaism
ultimate reality	one God, Jehovah, the God of Abraham	one God, Jehovah, the God of Abraham
nature of God	Trinity - one substance, three persons	unity - one substance, one person
other spiritual beings	angels and demons	angels and demons
revered humans	saints, church fathers	prophets
identity of Jesus	Son of God, God incarnate, savior of the world	false prophet
birth of Jesus	virgin birth	normal birth
death of Jesus	death by crucifixion	death by crucifixion
resurrection of Jesus	affirmed	denied
second coming of Jesus	affirmed	denied
divine revelation	through Prophets and Jesus (as God Himself), recorded in Bible	through Prophets, recorded in Bible
human nature	"original sin" inherited from Adam - tendency towards evil	two equal impulses, one good and one bad
means of salvation	correct belief, faith, good deeds, sacraments (some Protestants emphasize faith alone)	belief in God, good deeds
God's role in salvation	predestination, various forms of grace	divine revelation and forgiveness
good afterlife	eternal heaven	views vary: either heaven or no afterlife
bad afterlife	eternal hell, temporary purgatory (Catholicism)	views vary: either eternal Gehenna, reincarnation, or no afterlife
view of the other religion	Judaism is a true religion, but with incomplete revelation.	Christianity is a false interpretation of Judaism.
Rituals & Practices	Christianity	Judaism
house of worship	church, chapel, cathedral, basilica, meeting hall	synagogue, temple, schul
religious leaders	priest, bishop, archbishop, patriarch, pope, pastor, minister, preacher, deacon	rabbi, rebbe
sacred rituals	sacraments	mitzvot (commandments)
major sacred rituals	baptism, communion (Eucharist)	observing Sabbath, wearing tallit and tefilin, prayer services
head covered during prayer?	generally no	generally yes (especially men)
central religious holy days	Lent, Holy Week, Easter	Yom Kippur, Days of Awe, Passover
other holidays	Christmas, saints days	Chanukah, Purim
major symbols	cross, crucifix, dove, anchor, fish, alpha and omega, chi rho, halo	Star of David, chai, hamsa, tree