Christianity vs. Islam

Started by MFA, August 09, 2012, 09:32:42 AM

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MFA

Anyone want to venture some guesses about doctrinal (not practice) differences between Christianity and Islam?

CubaLibre

The big one that comes to mind is that, in Islam, Jesus is just a prophet, not the son of God.

JustKari

Islam does not believe in the Trinity; Father, Son, and Holy Spirit being of one mind and considered to be One, they believe in the singular manifestation of Allah.

MFA

Yup.  More generally, Allah is completely transcendant, whereas YHWH is revealed as both transcendant (i.e., "above creation") and immanent (i.e., involved with creation).

Even more importantly, the most important and accurate revelation of Allah is a book:  the Qur'an (not just a translation of the Qur'an, but the Qur'an in the original language, Arabic).  Some people think that, in contrast to Islam, the Christianity claims that the primary revelation of God is the Bible.  Not true.  According to Christianity, the primary revelation of God is Jesus Christ.

These two differences are foundational.

marksch19

Islam's salvation is works-based whereas Christianity espouses that you can only be saved through Christ alone.

Islam's more heretical, I'd suppose.

Yawn

Quote from: JustKari on August 09, 2012, 11:24:34 AM
Islam does not believe in the Trinity; Father, Son, and Holy Spirit being of one mind and considered to be One, they believe in the singular manifestation of Allah.

MANY Christians don't accept the Catholic Trinity either.  I don't. 

Islam also believes that Jesus will return (with MudHamMud) and will send his follower out to "kill those who say I am the Son of God" (Christians).

RevStan

All good points!! I personally believe our all mighty creator will judge us all  :sad:
Endeavour to persevere

Yawn

Why the sad face????

"Fear not little flock, it is My Father's GOOD PLEASURE to give you the Kingdom."

And there's another difference. God is more than our Lord. He is our FATHER--Literally if we have the Spirit of God.

MFA

Another significant difference is that Islam offers no assurance of salvation.

Patriot

Quote from: MFA on August 09, 2012, 09:32:42 AM
Anyone want to venture some guesses about doctrinal (not practice) differences between Christianity and Islam?

Do unto others as they would do unto you ......that's all that's necessary to lead a good life, or a bad life.

If you are like everyone else ..... you'll be BOTH good and bad.

Unless you happen to be a psycho like Stalin, Hitler, Pol pot, Mao, etc., etc., etc.

Religions simply provide the carrot & the stick to reward the "good" and punish the "evil" with an imaginary Heaven and/or Hell.

I'm going to do my best  not to respond to the religious BS that I know is coming.


Patriot

#11
Quote from: Yawn on December 27, 2012, 07:07:17 PM
Yet you make a special effort to proselytize in the Religion Forum.

I don't know if the word "proselytize" truly describes my efforts.

IMO, I'm simply trying to point out that sometimes imaginary BS can be dangerous when taken seriously.

What changed my life is finding out about the horrors of the Medieval Christian Religious Wars at a very early age ...... 7 or 8 (?) Realizing that here are religious fanatics committing the most heinous atrocities in the name of the supposedly gentlest and kindest man in the History of Mankind.

Then, analyzing Religions with a careful scrutiny, realizing that  all this is simply religious BS that can be replaced with:"Do unto others as you would have them do unto you."

And to this day, even though the practices of the Christians got civilized, Islam is the violent BS it ever was.

My God, if there is one......is the God of Spinoza, Einstein, etc.

Actually, I consider that to be my proudest achievement. Without knowing their thoughts about God (if there is one) .....I came to their conclusion at age ~9. I knew about Einstein.....not his belief about God.

IOW, God is the Sum Total of the Laws of the Universe. Praying to God is like praying to lightening so it doesn't destroy you.

In the final analysis we will all become fertilizer, not unlike the lowly cockroach snuffling around hither and yon.

MFA

Quote from: Patriot on December 28, 2012, 12:15:26 AM
I don't know if the word "proselytize" truly describes my efforts.

IMO, I'm simply trying to point out that sometimes imaginary BS can be dangerous when taken seriously.

What changed my life is finding out about the horrors of the Medieval Christian Religious Wars at a very early age ...... 7 or 8 (?) Realizing that here are religious fanatics committing the most heinous atrocities in the name of the supposedly gentlest and kindest man in the History of Mankind.

Then, analyzing Religions with a careful scrutiny, realizing that  all this is simply religious BS that can be replaced with:"Do unto others as you would have them do unto you."

And to this day, even though the practices of the Christians got civilized, Islam is the violent BS it ever was.

My God, if there is one......is the God of Spinoza, Einstein, etc.

Actually, I consider that to be my proudest achievement. Without knowing their thoughts about God (if there is one) .....I came to their conclusion at age ~9. I knew about Einstein.....not his belief about God.

IOW, God is the Sum Total of the Laws of the Universe. Praying to God is like praying to lightening so it doesn't destroy you.

In the final analysis we will all become fertilizer, not unlike the lowly cockroach snuffling around hither and yon.

The message of Christianity cannot be summed up in "Do unto others as you would have them do you."  Not even close.

But you're right about "religious fanatics."  The problem is that the Christian version of what you're talking about is not really Christian at all.  A true "Christian fanatic" would live solely for others, give the poor, turn the other cheek, etc.  What you're talking about is a demonstrable distortion of Christianity.

But what do you do with all those "fanatics" that don't represent religion?  What do you do with ideologies that systematically murdered millions, but were specifically irreligious?

Patriot

Quote from: MFA on December 28, 2012, 08:45:59 AM
The message of Christianity cannot be summed up in "Do unto others as you would have them do you."  Not even close.

But you're right about "religious fanatics."  The problem is that the Christian version of what you're talking about is not really Christian at all.  A true "Christian fanatic" would live solely for others, give the poor, turn the other cheek, etc.  What you're talking about is a demonstrable distortion of Christianity.

But what do you do with all those "fanatics" that don't represent religion?  What do you do with ideologies that systematically murdered millions, but were specifically irreligious?

By now you shouldn't be asking stupid questions.

How many times must I repeat that what's good for humans is "good".

What's bad for humans is "evil".

For the umpteenth time: Good & Evil exist independent of Religious BS.

MFA

Quote from: Patriot on December 29, 2012, 02:45:25 AM
By now you shouldn't be asking stupid questions.

How many times must I repeat that what's good for humans is "good".

What's bad for humans is "evil".

For the umpteenth time: Good & Evil exist independent of Religious BS.

You responded to a post that said nothing about "good" and "evil."  And in your definition of the word "good," you use the word good.  That's circular.  What is "good" for humans that you can classify it "good"?

So what in Hades are you talking about?  And you claim that having an anti-religious agenda is an indication of not being stupid?

You really haven't made your point...