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Christianity Vs Islam

Essay by   •  August 27, 2010  •  1,615 Words (7 Pages)  •  3,721 Views

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On the surface, Islam and Christianity appear to have very little in common, however, as you get deeper into areas such as rituals, beliefs, ethics, founders, and sacred objects, the two show strong mutual similarities, particularly in the fundamental areas. In this essay I will compare and contrast the doctrines that make up the worlds largest and most recognized religions, Christianity and Islam.

The word Islam means "surrender" or "submission," submission to the will of Allah, the one God. Muslims are those who have submitted themselves. The basic creed of Islam is brief: Both Muslims and Christians are monotheists, believing in the same god, referred to as "Allah" by the Muslims and "God" by Catholics. Islam teaches that there is one God, the creator and sustainer of the universe. This God, Allah, is compassionate and honorable. Because he is compassionate, he calls all people to believe in him and worship him. Because he is also lawful, on the Last Day He will judge every person according to his deeds. On the Last Day, all the dead will be resurrected and either rewarded in heaven or punished in hell.

Christianity parallels the singular view of God. In the Christian Bible one of the Ten Commandments states that "I am the Lord thy God.....thou shalt have no other gods before me". Also, identical to Islam, God is considered the creator of the universe, and he is also just. On the last day, or judgment day, the same holds true within Islam and Christian beliefs, the dead will be resurrected and either rewarded with heaven or punished with hell.

In Islam, God sent prophets to communicate his will. These prophets, all mortal men, were elected messengers to whom God spoke through an angel or by inspiration, this is identical to Christianity. Another example of the use of prophets was God sending Moses to free his people out of Egypt. Both Islam and Christianity have practices or duties that are central to the life of there religious community. Catholics are expected to take part in as many of the Seven Sacraments as possible, while Muslims are expected to practice all of the Five Pillars Of Islam.. In this sense Islam and Christianity are considerably intertwined, appearing to come from the same beginning. Both Islam and Christianity are based primarily on the lives and teachings of men sent by God. In Christianity, Jesus was the son of God, sent down to earth to spread the word of the Lord to the people, and ultimately die a brutal death so that this people may reach eternal peace in heaven. Christians praise Jesus' suffering for them as well as for his teachings and for the miracles he performed to assist the needy. Despite the fact that Islam and Christianity share a mutual God, Muslims do not believe that Jesus was his son; instead they identify Jesus as a prophet.

Islamics also believe in forgiveness, another basic Christian principle, Islam teaches that God is always ready to pardon the individual and restore him to the sinless state in which he started life. In Christianity this is called being "born again".

This greatly distinguishes the two religions, as Jesus' relation to God is one of the fundamental beliefs in Christianity. The Islamic religion is almost based solely on the teachings of the prophet Muhammad, who like Jesus, was a shepherd boy.

Christianity is a religion in which events are claimed to have occurred but which can never be proved. Those who practice it live by different morals than are preached by the holy texts. It is an institution in which holy scripture is contradictory, and wherein the supreme being, by the very definition, cannot exist. Christianity is, therefore, a fundamentally flawed religion. According to the Bible, events have occurred which are even more miraculous than the resurrection of Jesus Christ. Events such as the stopping of the sun by Joshua (Joshua 10:12-14), the reversal of the sun's course by Isaiah (Isaiah 38:7-8). The stopping and reversal of the sun would have been visible worldwide. The idea that people could have witnessed these events without having been amazed by them is, quite simply, ludicrous. Other cultures having witnessed this would certainly have offered their own explanations in keeping with their own cultural and religious beliefs. Surely a society existing at the time would have documented this miraculous event. Yet nowhere have such works been found.

The Christian Bible is highly contradictory, not just to modern day Christian beliefs, but in and of itself. Today's society is of the belief that all people are created equal, and Christians submit that their god is of the same belief. Modern Christians believe that their god loves everyone, and that they are all equal. However, after Adam and Eve had eaten from the tree forbidden by god, this deity said to Eve "I will intensify the pangs of your childbearing; in pain shall you bring forth children. Yet your urge shall be for your husband, and he shall be your master." (Genesis 3:16). This tells us that, according to the Christian religion, women shall naturally be dominated by men. This kind of behavior is not conducive to a being who believes in inherent equality.

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