Islam vs. Christianity
| Subject: | 🛕 Religion |
| Type: | Compare and Contrast Essay |
| Pages: | 3 |
| Word count: | 862 |
| Topics: | ✝️ Christianity, Bible, Islam, 🧚 Creation Myth, 🕎 Theology |
essay ASAP?
Islam and Christianity comprise two of the most dominant religions globally with half the world population belonging to either. The two faiths have surprising similarities and differences in many areas of practice. These include in the sacred text, holidays, leadership, beliefs, deity, and moral conduct.
A commonly known similarity between the two is based on the deity. Both faiths believe that there is only one God. They also believe that this deity created them and the entire world as well as the idea that God is sovereign in their lives. In addition, they both agree that God is the source of morality and justice, which is why they act according to the provisions of their hold scriptures being the Qur’an and the Bible for Islam and Christianity respectively. The two also agree that God’s ultimate justice is delivered through life after death to be experienced in hell or heaven implying that they both believe in eternity.
There are also similarities in their view of morality. One is that licentious living in addition to immoral behaviors like pornography as the major pollutants of the society. Since these have been on the rise in today’s world, both believe that some of the predicaments that the human race is facing is wrath of God because of their immorality. Since most of these immoral deeds are rooted in the western world, Islam has a deep hatred of this section of the world.
The two religions are also based on the ideology of charity. The two believe in the respectful treatment of those in need through giving and helping as much as one could. From a Christian perspective, helping those in need is reciprocated by God through more prosperity to those that give. This concept is visible in the four gospels that act as an example for all Christians to follow. Jesus himself helped those in need throughout the time that He was on earth and repeatedly asked Christians to do the same. In Islam, on the other hand, Zakat requires the Muslims to pay some of their wealth to the less fortunate. At the end of Ramadan, the Muslim community holds feasts and invites the less fortunate.
Another similarity is evident in their acts of compassion. It is a similar belief between the two that being compassionate draws one closer to God. The faiths hold the idea that one should love their neighbor as they love themselves and that one should do to others what they would like them to do unto them. These are found in Christianity teachings. On the side of Islam, Muhammed said that one only becomes a believer if they love their brother as they love themselves.
When considering their sacred texts, the Muslims use Qur’an while the Christians use the Bible but the two have similarities. Both believe that these texts are authoritative and that they hold guidelines to eternal judgment. This implies that the two scriptures provide guidance on how to live on earth in harmony with others and with God. Both faiths also read the book of Psalms. Both also have a figurehead who represents the central ideologies of each faith. Christianity has Jesus Christ, which is where the name Christianity comes from while Islam has Muhammed whose Sunnah, words and deeds, should be emulated by all Muslims.
On the other hand, there are a myriad of differences rooted in the two faiths starting with the deity. Although they have some similarities on the deity, they also disagree a lot on the nature of the deity. While Christianity believes that God is a trinity or the concept of one God revealed in three different persons, Islam views this ideology as blasphemy. To them, accepting the trinity ideology is the only unpardonable sin, which condemns one to hell. It should be noted, however, that Islam has a high view of Jesus Christ but it rejects His divinity or the ideology that He was the son of God. Muslims reject the idea that Jesus Christ was both man and God and that he was immaculately conceived as to them being born by Mary meant normal ways in which a person is born, which is inaccurate and which would discount Him as son of God. There are other areas within which Muslims and Christians disagree with respect to the nature of God specifically according to the human relationship with God. Muslims believe that God is distant as well as unknowable in addition to the idea that His relationship with man is that of master and slave. This heavily contradicts what Christians believe as they view God as someone that they know and trust as well as someone personal. Furthermore, in the Bible, God is described as someone that goes out of His way to rescue one missing sheep and someone who is referred to as love itself. In the Qur’an, on the other hand, goodness is not part of God’s essence and that He is referred to as good because He causes good. While Christians view God as holy, Islam views Him as not always holy because He chances His mind and promises and does not offer salvation assurance.
Offered for reference purposes only.