Religions of the Abrahamic kind

[The idea]

To fill a world with religion, or religions of the Abrahamic kind, is like littering the streets with loaded guns. Do not be surprised if they are used.

Religion's misguided missiles -- Richard Dawkins

http://www.guardian.co.uk/Archive/Article/0,4273,4257777,00.html

On what basis is a religion classified as being "of the Abrahamic kind"? Is it because the founder of a given religion is believed to be a descendant of Abraham? If that is the explanation and if it is believed that Emmy Noether was a descendant of Abraham, then does it follow that Noetherian rings should be classified as part of "Abrahamic algebra"? What's next-- "Jewish physics"?

[UserGoogol]

It's not so much that they decided to make an arbitrary catagory based on being supposedly descended from Abraham. It's more that there was a catagory of religions which are deeply related (the religions which worship Yahweh) and "Abrahamic religions" is the most suitable term available. Besides the belief that Mohammed and Jesus was both descended from this guy, there's the fact that Abraham is basically the legendary founder of Judaism, and Judaism is the religion which started all.

Myself, if I could decide what it would be called, I'd call it Yahwehism, but that doesn't really work because each religion has its own distinct name for him.

[sparklecat]

I always was rather fond of "the cult of Yah" myself...

[epepke]

Originally posted by The idea
On what basis is a religion classified as being "of the Abrahamic kind"?

The concept of "Abrahamic" religions has recently replaced the notion of "Judaeo-Christian" religions for two reasons: Jews got their knickers in a twist for being included by name, and Muslims got their knickers in a twist for being excluded.

As you have pointed out, it is possible to get your knickers in a twist over "Abrahamic" as well.

So, I'd like to suggest an alternative.

It's "Yahwist religions for bloodthirsty creeps who are really into genital mutilation, alpha-male worship, killing in general, sociopathy, and borderline personality disorder, and who somehow think that their obsessive-compulsive fixation on their puerile sky-daddy makes them better than other people."

I'll admit it's a bit wordy, but it should make further anal-retentive arguments unnecessary.

[DVFinn]

As the word Yahweh is really just a guess at the tetragrammaton, the four letters YHWH from the aramaic, I propose that we refer to the Judeo/Christian/Muslim faiths and there derivitives as YahooWahoos.

Not my term of course, I've seen it floating around atheist discussion groups for years, but it is as good a guess as Yahweh or Jehova at how the word was pronounced and it's more fun to say.

[wollery]

I believe that in Islam followers of these Abrahamic religions are known as the "People of the Book", that book being the old testament. It seems to me to be a reasonable way to define them.

[Andonyx]

Originally posted by sparklecat
I always was rather fond of "the cult of Yah" myself...

Divine Secrets of the Yah Weh Brotherhood?

[epepke]

Originally posted by DVFinn
As the word Yahweh is really just a guess at the tetragrammaton, the four letters YHWH from the aramaic, I propose that we refer to the Judeo/Christian/Muslim faiths and there derivitives as YahooWahoos.

Not my term of course, I've seen it floating around atheist discussion groups for years, but it is as good a guess as Yahweh or Jehova at how the word was pronounced and it's more fun to say.

I like it, too, but someone I knew who converted to Judaism said that those particular phonemes would require extra consonants in Hebrew.

[The idea]

Originally posted by DVFinn
As the word Yahweh is really just a guess at the tetragrammaton, the four letters YHWH from the aramaic, I propose that we refer to the Judeo/Christian/Muslim faiths and there derivatives as YahooWahoos.

Maybe this definition from the devil's dictionary could be used to construct a short label?

MANNA, n.
A food miraculously given to the Israelites in the wilderness. When it was no longer supplied to them they settled down and tilled the soil, fertilizing it, as a rule, with the bodies of the original occupants.