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Out of all western religions, Judaism is the oldest one, originating from the nomadic Hebrew tribes around 1200 BC. The books of the Jewish Bible known as The Old Testament to Christians and The Law and The Prophets to the Jews, are based on a number of sources dating from before 2000 BC to around 250 BC.

Christianity, the religion with the largest audience in the Western World, has developed from Judaism, being mentioned for the first time in historical documents at the end of 1st Century AD. The Christian Bible is composed by the Jewish part, The Old Testament and newer part, called The New Testament, written originally in Greek.

Islam (the word "islam" means to surrender) has appeared in the Arabian Peninsula during the 7th century AD and it combines elements from Judaism and Christianity. The Islam believes that Allah is God and Mohammed is the prophet, while Christians believe in one God which came down to earth as Jesus Christ. The Jews worship one god, whose Hebrew name is JHWH.

Hinduism dates back from 3000 BC; it is a polytheistic religion and it is based on the belief system and rites from all over the Indian Subcontinent. Out of Hinduism grew Buddhism around 300 BC as a system of beliefs which promoted the idea of cycle of birth, death and rebirth as infinite values. One can break out of the cycle of life and reach Nirvana, the highest state of enlightenment. Buddhists worship Buddha who in earthly life was an Indian prince.

These are the five religions presented in the "Plug'n' Pray" kits, and by taking a quick overlook at the history of religions, one can see that although they were conceived differently and at different times, they seem to share the same ideology: they all suggest a strong relation between the human and the cosmic world, the presence of good and evil, light and dark. The difference is that all these concepts are interpreted in different ways.
Although many of the world's great religions base their beliefs upon ancient sacred texts, historical records show that change does occur and that religious groups use various methods to modify their beliefs. Sometimes the texts which support the old beliefs are translated in an obscure manner or simply ignored; other times they are reinterpreted symbolically or are regarded as having been valid in the era or the society in which they were written. Every age has had at least one public religious debate which made changes in the human history.

Religion has and will also have a negative effect on humanity, by emphasizing differences in culture, social and political views. While surfing "Plug'n' Pray", the audience does not penetrate serious issues the world is currently dealing with; the artists succeed in taking a lighter and more humorous approach, by giving everyone the opportunity to rather 'Plug'n'Play". The art piece itself creates a world of open possibilities, where anyone can cross their social and cultural boundaries and choose their own religion, their own god. Is this the key to a new social order, a political harmony of the New World, the key to world peace? Lionello Borean and his collaborators propose a "digital religion", a contradictory concept which creates a virtual space where everyone's identity and religious choices are safe and private. No one needs to know what kit you chose to buy, whether it was Buddhist or Christian.

 
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Site: http://www.plug-pray.org/