...------- Dillon Alonso English 111 October 28, 2013 Islam and Christianity: Comparison and Contrast Religion is a large part of culture all around the world. Religion has effected governments, laws, and generations upon generations and has even been instrumental in the founding of some countries across the world. Among the world’s most prominent religions are Islam and Christianity. Both of these religions have influenced the world in a different way. Despite their differences, Islam and Christianity have many similarities in their core beliefs and convictions. Islamic and Christian people believe in one God that is the Creator and Sustainer of the universe. They also both believe in God-sent prophets such as: Noah, Abraham, Moses, David, Joseph, John, Jesus, and etc. The Ten Commandments and moral teachings are important to both the religion’s core beliefs and they have strong conviction that all people should live by the standards provided in the commandments and teachings (“Islam vs. Christianity”). Right and wrong are absolutes and cannot be wavered in between yet both religions claim to have “gray areas” that require personal conviction. Muslims and Christians believe that the Old and New Testament are Holy Scriptures inspired by God. Both Islam and Christianity believe in a fallen, evil angel called Satan. According to the religions, Satan should not be followed and people should avoid...
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...Contemporary Issues in Western Religions Religious beliefs have been the center of many conflicts across the entire world since the beginning of time. Christianity, Islam, and Judaism the major monotheist religious traditions have been at the heart of many of those religious conflicts. Historical connections and theological similarities are prevalent between the three. In parallel to the similarities exists the contemporary struggles affecting these western religious traditions. From the internal struggles within Christianity such as abortion, to its struggles with Islam and Muslim extremists, finally to the contempt against Christianity from actions of the Holocaust, each tradition faces contemporary struggles within their own right. Gaining a better understanding and insight into the historical, theological, and contemporary struggles between Christianity, Islam, and Judaism will enhance appreciation for each belief. Historical Connections and Theological Similarities: One main pillar of similar theology between Christianity, Islam, and Judaism is the belief in one god. However, each has different perspectives in relation to God. For example, Christians believe in [pic]the Trinity[pic] of [pic]God; God the Father, the Son (Jesus[pic] Christ), [pic]and the Holy Spirit[pic] ("Judaism, Islam, Christianity-Comparison", 2002-2011). Also Christians consider Jesus [pic]the son of God, born to the Virgin Mary, and[pic] had [pic]come to earth to offer redemption for mankind’s...
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...discussed are Christianity, Judaism, and Islam. The primary focus religion that will be discussed is Christianity, the second religion will be Judaism, and the third religion will be Islam. In this paper the historical connections between these three religions will be explored. Questions will be answered such as; what makes these three religions similar? How are they connected? The theological similarities and differences between Christianity, Judaism, and Islam will also be thoughtfully brought up. The contemporary struggles within Christianity today will be explored. It will also be discussed what contemporary struggles Christianity has with Judaism and the contemporary struggles between Christianity and Islam. In this paper it is the expressed hope that the reader will be able to learn about these three religions and gain knowledge. The paper is to help the reader learn something new about Christianity, Judaism, and Islam and with curiosity want to explore these individual religions further. With this hope in mind this paper will start with the historical connections between these religions. When you take a look at the different religions being discussed in this paper you first have to look at how each one is defined. According to the Merriam-Webster dictionary Christianity is defined as being a religion derived from Jesus Christ, based on the bible as sacred scripture, and professed by Eastern, Roman Catholic, and Protestant bodies. (Christianity, 2011) Judaism...
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...primary religions that are widely renowned would be Christianity, Judaism and Islam simply because of the publicity and attention brought forward in religions’ behalf. The comparison and contrast of these three religions will be broke down in a manner that discusses the fundamental beliefs, prevalent practices within and the regions of which the religions are the most practiced. The religion of Christianity is known as a trinitarian monotheism where there is only one God and the practices take place within a church, chapel or even cathedral. Christianity is deemed to be revealed through various Prophets and even Jesus as it was shown to be recorded through in the Bible. The Bible is the holy testament of the trials and tribulations of Jesus, who was established to be the identified ideal for all mankind. The presentation of Christianity is that all of the population were to be treated as equals and in addition were to treat those surrounding them in a respectful and conscientious manner to honor the Bible. The regions of which Christianity is primarily the focused would include both South and North America in addition to Europe and a scattering of countries within the expansion of Africa. Christianity is a developing religion in some regions and the concepts and traditions of also expanding so that new communities and personnel were exposed to the practices and customs of the religion. Religion 3 Within Christianity there are various sacred practices that are deemed as...
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...World Religion Report Carolyn Maynard HUM 130 December 7,2010 Byrl E. Shaver II Abstract Christianity is the largest, and one of the oldest world religions. Although it began as one, it currently has various denominations. All of these Christian groups and churches, however, adhere to the central tenets of Christianity. Christians have a distinct understanding of the nature of God, the identity of Jesus Christ, and the role of salvation. While most of the Christian holy sites are in Rome and Jerusalem, two of the earliest centers of the religion, Christian sites can be found in all countries where the religion is present. The early Christian missions, located primarily in Florida and California, are an example of important sites for the religion in the United States. This paper provides an overview of the religion, information regarding St. Augustine Mission in Florida, an interview with a Christian, and a comparison between Christianity and Islam in order to provide a deeper understanding of the Christian faith. Christianity is currently one of the world’s largest religions. Approximately 33% of the world’s population or around 2.1 billion people profess the Christian faith (Major Religions…, 2007). Who are these people? What do they believe in? Where do they come from? Where are they going? These are some of the basic questions many people, unfamiliar with Christianity, could have about the religion. Many Christian symbols, such as the cross, are well known, but...
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...Jesus and Mohammed Paper Jesus and Mohammed Jesus Christ and Mohammad are two prophets that have changed many individuals’ views on both Christian and also Islamic religion. Both religions originate from the Middle East. Christianity and Islam worshippers obey the Ten Commandments. It is also important for each worshipper of the two religions to love their neighbor as well as forgive one another. Although there are many similarities within the two religions there are also major differences that separate the two. Jesus as well as Mohammad’s death had a major impact on the path of Christianity as well as Islamic religion. Life of Jesus Christ Jesus was born in Bethlehem to a spiritual Jewess Mary and a carpenter named Joseph. It is taught that Jesus was conceived by a miracle of the Holy Spirit (Religion Facts 2010). The Gospels do not have any narratives on the early life of Jesus Christ. The book of Luke goes on to explain the life of Christ as age 12. During this time in his life Jesus was found discussing religion in the temple to a rabbi about the torah. The answers that he gave to the rabbi he left many astonished. This was a turning point in Christ life; he was discovered to be the Son of God. At the age of 30 Jesus began his ministry. One of his first acts was when he was baptized by John the Baptist. John the Baptist was known as a captivating and alluring person. He called many to repent and baptized those that responded to his calling...
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...Opposite Ends of the Belief Bench One subject darkly clouded with confusion is religion, and the idea that they are all the same. Mahatma Gandhi, an important Hindu teacher states, “The soul of religion is one, but it is encased in a multitude of forms.” Two of the most popular religions in the United States, Christianity and Islam, are facing this problem. I grew up Christian so the subject of religion is very important to me. After 9/11 the American public was on high alert for terrorists, and they still are today. Just recently a US Ambassador to Libya was killed along with two Navy Seals by an Islamic terrorist group. Some people may ask why do they attack, what motivates them it is what they believe. When your Sacred text, the Koran in this case, has verses that say, “And slay them wherever ye find them, and drive them out of the places whence they drove you out, for persecution [of Muslims] is worse than slaughter [of non-believers]”, it is seen clearly why there are terrorist attacks ( Koran 2:191-193). Americans live in a culture where acceptance is the goal. Everything is acceptable because everyone has their own opinion. No one can refute that opinion because the refusal itself could be seen as offensive and the offender will likely get sued. As a result, most people keep their thoughts to themselves, creating the opposite of the desired environment. Instead of freedom of speech we have freedom to speak as long as you do not mind being chewed up by the media...
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...religions of Christianity and Islam. Both religions have many followers that openly and subtly attack the opposing religion today. The fact that both religions preach strong beliefs and devout lifestyles that contradict each other creates an environment for struggle. Additionally, the expression “two wrongs don’t make a right” helps encapsulate the root of the problems that continue to persist between the two religions. This prolonged hatred is the result from centuries of conflict between religious descendants. In the modern world, social media is increasingly influencing both Christianity and the Islam faith through raising awareness and presenting biased opinions. As Christianity and the Islamic state globally become more aware of each other, the differences in each religion have become an expansion of animosity against the opposing faith. A popular view from both faiths of Islam and Christianity involve a defensive and aggressive stance towards the opposing religion. Islamic followers in many aspects of belief disagree with and reject Christian views. This is created by feedback loop that has influenced many Muslims on different levels towards having a hateful mindset. Largely due to media created opinions, Islamic followers are lead to believe the worst about Christianity. This is only compounded by a conflictual history between the two religions and many people’s unwillingness to forgive. Not unlike the Islam view on Christianity, there are many views of Islam that are...
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...Christianity, Islam and Judaism Student’s Name University Affiliation CHRISTIANS, MUSLIMS AND JEWS Comparison of Views on Jesus as the Messiah Matters of faith or religions are one of the major issues that form trends globally. The main religions well practiced today include Christianity, Judaism religion and Islam. Roughly, four billion people globally identify themselves within either of the religions. The three religions share so many similarities and differences depending on the topic and what their Holy book instructs them. The Christians will follow what the Bible says, and the Muslims strictly obey the Quran. On the other hand, the Judaism religion takes their teachings from their holy book The Hebrew Tabakh. These religions have often been subjects of engender disagreements. The disagreements have often kept communities apart, created divisiveness, ended friendships and sometimes lead to violence. If one analyzed the religions of the world, you would realize that so many aspects are same which include central beliefs, doctrines and morality. All of them trace their origin from Abraham. The Muslims, Christians and the Jews believe that God is responsible for designing and creating the whole Universe and anything that is in it. This belief in one God makes all the religions Monotheistic. Although there are fundamental commonalities that are evident in the three principal religions, the greatest difference that exist between Christianity and both...
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...Kyle Baldani Religious Studies Islam and Christianity: A Comparison October 4, 2010 Islam is one of the largest religions in the world, with more than one and a half billion followers worldwide it is the most rapidly growing religion today. While on the surface Islam and Christianity appear to be very different, the history of the two religions and the core beliefs behind them are very similar. Most of Islam’s population comes from the Middle East, but there are still large amount of Muslims all over the world including Africa, China, and the United States (NationMaster, np). Depending on the region in which they live some customs may vary. Within the United States Islam has grown significantly in the past twenty years, largely due to the high percentage of immigrants coming over from the Middle East. Fundamentally speaking there are a few major correlations between Islam and Christianity. Two of the biggest similarities are the monotheistic bases of the religion, or belief in one God and the belief that both religions result from the direct descendent of Abraham, a quality also shared with Judaism. While there may be many similarities in the area of which the two sects were founded, they still differ in many ways most of which come from the doctrinal beliefs at the heart of each religion. The most important figure in the world of Islam, and a name that is recognized by most around the world is the prophet Muhammad. Muhammad was born in approximately 570 C.E. in the town...
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...Islam, along with Christianity and Judaism is a major monotheistic religion of the world. It was founded by Prophet Muhammad in Arabia, in the 7th century CE. According to Encyclopedia Britannica Online, “the Arabic term Islam, literally ‘surrender,’ illuminates the fundamental religious idea of Islam—that the believer, called a Muslim, accepts surrender to the will of Allah (God)” (Mahdi, Rahman, Schimmel). In Islam, Allah is considered the only God, and it is believed that humans must submit to his will. The Prophet Muhammad is considered the last Islamic Prophet, and the one to whom Allah had revealed sacred scriptures known as Qur’an. Although Muhammad started with a small group of followers, they quickly grew in number and his teachings started spreading rapidly “through the Middle East to Africa, Europe, the Indian subcontinent, the Malay Peninsula, and China”(Mahdi, Rahman, Schimmel). Today, there are about 1.6 billion Muslims in the world which makes it 2nd largest religion of the world. However, Islam is perceived to be radical and contradictory religion by many non-Muslims. Moreover, due to the terrorist attacks which had been associated with this “religion of peace,” Muslims call it, Islam had been viewed as a “bad” religion. Since America is the “melting pot” of different cultures and religions, non-Muslims should strive to learn about the Islamic religion, its teachings and interpretations, its differences and similarities with Christianity and Judaism, and how to...
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...Islam vs. Christianity The two largest religions in the world are Islam and Christianity. For most Americans, Islam is the religion of the Middle East; however, Islam is practiced all over the world by all races of people. The morning of September 11, 2001 was a very tragic moment for all Americans and unfortunately it caused most of us to view Islam as the religion of terrorists. As I started to prepare for this paper, Islam vs. Christianity, I wanted to focus on the religion and not the actions of some of the followers of the religion. But as I went deeper into the religious teachings, I could see how the religion itself could produce violent followers. Ahead, I will mirror some of the basic practices and principles of both religions to help us gain a better understanding of Islamic practices. Both Islam and Christianity believe in moral living and being good to others, but have different views on God and his interpretations. Both believe that there is a God; however, Christians believe in the Trinity: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit and Muslims believe that God (Allah) is the one and only. Both believe that Jesus Christ existed, but Muslims believe that Jesus was merely a prophet who received a revelation from Allah and not the Lord and Savior that Christians proclaim him to be. The Christian holy Book, The Holy Bible, contains the Old Testament which chronicles the lives of those who lived before Jesus and is also sacred to Islam, and the New Testament which is unique to...
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...A comparison of the three monotheistic religions in the Middle East reveals that all believe in one God who governs the universe and to whom we are responsible for our actions on Judgment Day. It is the differing views on interpretation of God's word that sets each apart from the others. Judaism According to tradition, God entered into a special relationship with the Jews when he spoke directly to them at Mt. Sinai: if they would acknowledge Him as their ultimate God and agree to obey His laws, He would acknowledge the Jews as his special people and promised them the land now known as Israel. The Torah, the Holy Book of Judaism, is God's will expressed as commandments. There is no mortal person alone who governs the Jewish faith but each rabbi is the instrument of his own synagogue in order to relay God's oral commandments to the congregation. Jewish tradition dictates that prayers be given three times a day: morning, afternoon, and evening. No work is allowed on the Sabbath so that Jews can spend the day in prayer, study, rest, and family feasting. The Jews believe the Messiah has yet to make himself known to those here on earth. It is their belief that virtue and obedience will be rewarded in the next life and that the suffering and forced exile they have endured will be addressed at the end of time. Christianity Christians believe in one God and that Jesus Christ was sent by him to convey God's love to those here on earth. Though seen as being...
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...Cross-Cultural Perspectives ETH 316 January 30, 2012 Cross-Cultural Perspectives The global organization that I chose was Christianity in Religion. Christianity can be found on every continent on the globe. It is one of the most popular religions, and has many different beliefs associates with it such as: Roman Catholicism, Baptist, Methodist, and Lutherans among a few. This religion also has many opponents across the world also such as Atheist, Buddhists, and the main one that comes to mind and that this report will focus on as its cultural difference is Islam, also known as the Muslim faith. A person’s culture can and most often will determine a person’s religious beliefs. Culture is defined as “the customary beliefs, social forms, and material traits of a racial, religious, or social group; also: the characteristic features of everyday existence (as diversions or a way of life} shared by people in a place or time.” (Merriam Webster Dictionary, 2012) CULTURAL ISSUE WITHIN RELIGION The cultural issue that is dealt with religion and Christianity is that depending on where you are at in the world you can run into opposition. This is a great conflict within the Middle East right now. Each of these religions believes that their religion is the only TRUE religion, and depending on what religion you belong to depends on how far you will take your beliefs. In the Middle East those with the Muslim faith will go as far as to kill themselves and to them become a martyr...
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...Worldviews of Islam and Christianity A worldview is the framework that one sets their level of standard to in making decisions that are right for them to live by. A worldview is beliefs that you hold near and dear to your heart. You choose to live by these worldviews because it is who makes you who you are. Each person’s worldview is different from others and that is what makes us each an individual. Our worldview is developed and molded through our upbringing, our life experiences, our religion and our surroundings. I do believe nurture and nature both play a huge part in shaping our worldviews. We are shaped into our worldview from being nurtured as a baby, child and then adult. We have our worldviews through nature by the surroundings and society we live in and how we perceive them. The Question of Origin – (How did life begin? How did mankind come into existence?) How would your selected worldview answer this question? Compare and Contrast this with how the biblical worldview would answer this question. According to Islam belief, man came about over a period of time that first stemmed from animals, as they animals got bigger, some sort of rock or stone was formed. With the mixing of this stone from the earth, with added water, man evolved. Eventually, man became intelligent and was able to live and prosper around the others evolved the same way. This took a period of time, it did not just happen. Compared to Christianity, Christianity was formed and...
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