Religion Comparison: Islam and Christianity

1 Religion Comparison: Islam and Christianity Christianity and Islam are the largest and second-largest religions in the world respectively. The two religions, despite having different beliefs, share the same origin. They are both monotheistic religions that trace their origins from Abraham, a major patriarch figure in both the Bible and the Quran. Abraham had two sons, Isaac and Ishmael. Christianity traces its roots from Isaac, while Islam traces its roots from Ishmael. Prophet Muhammad is a descendant of Ishmael.

Islam began in the seventh century and is based on the Jewish Old Testament. Muslims worship Allah, the God of Prophet Muhammad. Muslims do not believe that there is a Holy Trinity, and refer to this belief as blasphemy. Christianity originated in Judea / Palestine in the first century. Its teachings are based on the Bible while Islam teachings are based on the Quran.

Christians worship the Holy Trinity; that is, God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit. It considers itself a monotheistic religion because the three entities make up one God. Christian scripture is referred to as the Bible; it is divided into the Old and the New Testaments.

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There are three main Christian beliefs that are not accepted by Islam. Firstly, the belief in the Holy Trinity, that is the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. Secondly, that Jesus died and resurrected after three days in the tomb (Gilman, 2014). And thirdly, that Jesus is God incarnate who will return at the end of time to pick the righteous and ascend with them to live with him eternally in heaven.

Christians believe that Jesus is the son of God, and that he is also God. Muslims do not believe that Jesus is God’s son. According to the Quran, Jesus was a prophet and that he was born of a virgin. It is not possible for God to have a son because he did not have a wife. One of the core beliefs of Christianity is that Jesus was crucified and rose after three days. He died to atone for the sins of the world. According to Christians, Jesus ascended into heaven forty days after his resurrection to live with God the Father, and will return as the Messiah. Islam does not believe that Jesus was crucified. The Christian belief is that human beings are born with a sinful nature but Jesus came to reconcile man to God (McDowell & Walker, 2013).. Islam, on the other hand, believes that human beings are born morally pure and good.

Christianity and Islam have an impact on law and justice because they give their adherents a moral compass that helps them to judge right and wrong. In both religions, doing wrong is forbidden and are punishable, depending on the weight of the misdeed, and whether it was committed intentionally or unintentionally. Islamic law is referred to as Sharia, and is followed as the guide for mental, spiritual and physical behavior in most Islamic countries (Hill, 2013).

The conflict between Islam and Christianity arises from the fact that they both consider themselves to be the path to the one true God. In recent decades, as Christians and Muslims

3 encroach into each other's territories due to globalization, the relations between the two religions have become increasingly polarized as they struggle over land, influence and power. One of the causes of these tensions is that each religion views itself as superior to the other. Islam views Christians are polytheists due to their belief in the Trinity, while there is a lot of fear mongering about Islam among Christians.

References Gilman, S.L. (2014). Judaism, Christianity, and Islam: Collaboration and Conflict in the Age of Diaspora. Hong Kong University Press.

Hill, B. (2013). World Religions and Contemporary Issues: How Evolving Views on Ecology, Peace, and Women Are Impacting Faith Today. Twenty-Third Publications McDowell, J. & Walker, J. (2013). Understanding Islam and Christianity: Beliefs That Separate Us and How to Talk About Them. Harvest House Publishers