Islam and Christianity
The paper describes differences between Christians and Muslims within America. Additionally, the paper analysis of how spiritual views of Christians or Muslims affect the relations of the two groups. Some of the traits considered negative when practised by Muslims or Arab Americans but positive when practised by Christian Whites are discussed.
Muslims consider Jesus as an upright Prophet of their faith but not God as Christians regard Him. This is the main message by Mohammed that is to tell followers of Islam to worship God. According to Quran 112: 1-4, God is considered unique and provider of everything. God had no son and was not fathered. Quran 19: 34-35 states that Jesus was a son of Mary. Jesus represents a statement of truth. None can be comparable to God. On the contrary, Christians believe that God was the father of Jesus. According to scriptures (John 3:16), because of God’s love to the world, He gave Jesus, His only son, so that Christians can have eternal life. Jesus was sent to save the world and not to destroy it. Christians or followers of Jesus trust that people are born sinners and are only saved by the death of Christ on the cross.
Muslims believe that there is one God, who they consider as the Supreme Being and is free of man limitations, wants, or needs. According to Muslims, God has no partners within His Divinity. On the contrary, Christians believe that God has partners within His Divinity- they accept Trinity as true. Apart from Unitarian followers of Christ, who disregards Christ’s Divinity or Trinity, Christian religion uses the term Trinity as a central doctrine. The faith is that three people unite to form the Godhead, which is, the Holy Spirit, the Son, as well as the Father. The three people are different from one another but have similar character, omnipresent, as well as uncreated.
Muslims trust that Jesus was one of the Prophets and not God, for that reason, Muslims disregards the original sin by man. The Quran narrates the issue but blames Adam as well as Eve equally for sin, then forgives them. Therefore, for Muslims, Jesus did not perish for sins committed by anyone (because everyone is born sinless) nor did He pass away on a cross. Muslims believe that Jesus ascended to heaven where God dwells and that He will come back. Followers of Christ, on the contrary, trust that Christ was crucified and killed. This concept, which is core to the belief of Christians, relates to atonement. The death of Jesus on the cross was to save humanity from sin. After Adam and Eve had eaten the forbidden fruit in the garden of Aden, mankind became sinners, even by birth, and it is only through Jesus people are forgiven their sins by God.
Another difference is that Christians read Bible as the Holy book. Christians gather in church to worship. However, Muslims read Quran as their Holy book. The Muslims gather in Mosque to pay. In summary, Christians and Muslims share many things, but this paper focused on the differences between the two groups, which included Muslims worshiping Allah and Christians worshiping God. Christians believes that Jesus (Christ) is the son of God while Muslims considers Jesus as Prophet. Christians believes in the original sin while Muslims do not. Muslims believe in one God while Christians believe in Trinity.
Muslim-Christian relations possess a history that can be described as complex, which is sometimes characterised by conflict or rivalry; nonetheless, in many instances, Muslim-Christian relations is marked by positive living together. In some circumstances, communal stability, as well as national unity, is under threat because of bad Muslim-Christian relations.
Muslims or Christians sometimes fear another group disrespects that group’s rights or interests. Such contradictions or oppositions are always demonstrated as dependent on religious dissimilarities. Religious sentiments or assertions are easily employed as a way of asserting identity as well as mobilising persons in pursuit of political power. In other circumstances, the interplay of these religious groups leads to antagonistic national grouping as well as movement.
In secularised communities in which Christianity has influenced collective identity as well as remains culturally significant, Muslims are always faced with the option of self-assertion as well as integration. Many, more often than not, affirm their rights against xenophobia as well as racism, call for involvement in public operations, and seek, simultaneously, an identification of their involvement as communities or individuals. This can be demonstrated by the rebellion Muslims at times raise against civil law, which infringes on their rights to exercising their traditions as well as raising their young ones as Muslims.
In regions where Muslims make a majority of the population, political movements, intellectuals, as well as religious leaders exist who prefer the use of Sharia (Islamic law), which is perceived as the norm of government legitimacy. Some Muslims, as well as Christians, oppose such a call because they consider it as an inflexible political model that limits civil rights or bar community from handling modern or contemporary challenges. Such a call brings fear among Christians, who reject being subjected to a status of second-class citizens or aliens within their country. Christians always object Sharia law because as much as it gives freedom of worship and guarantees Christians the right to individual law or practices, it results in the marginalization of Christians.
Muslims always attest that their religion is all-inclusive and never separate religion from politics. Similarly, Christians never proposes a definite model of socio-political. However, the conception that Muslims can never separate a de facto difference between religious power as well as political authority is still popular in Christian circles is not out by a cautious scrutiny. Besides, it is impossible to attribute to followers of Christ the claim that Dominion is precisely a private and spiritual matter. Even though in two distinct manners, Islam as well as Christianity bear faith that revelation guide as well as inform the participation of Muslims or Christians economic, political, and social life. It is challenging to distinguish faith from the spheres of a state as well as society.
There is always tension or worry between Muslims as well as Christians because the two religions are missionary-oriented. The two religions have faith that they possess a divine call or duty to ask other individuals to be part of their faiths. Such a task, as well as right, should never be disallowed. Nonetheless, in the enthusiasm to spread Islam or Christianity faiths as well as invite other people to worship or knowledge God, they must try to carry out their missionary-oriented mission in manners that value freedom and self-esteem of individuals and promote harmony among societies.
Strong spiritual or religious commitments are considered negative when exercised by Muslim as well as Arab Americans but are considered positive when practised by Christian Whites. Christian Whites respect strong religious commitments, except view strong Muslim spiritual commitments as negative. Muslims believe in the adherence as well as submission to the Islamic teachings, in respect to Allah or His Messenger. Muslims affirms the oneness of their God, Allah. Besides, they believe is the loyalty, sound commitment to the dominion of Allah, and disavowal of the foes of God as well as their principles and beliefs, while holding on the sublime practices that Islam encourages. These traits are considered negative by Christian whites, especially those promoting Jihad war. Instead, the Christian whites cherish Godly relationship as well as the commitment to Jesus as Lord. Christian White also promotes peace and love among Christians as well non-Christians.
The most distinct dietary injunction, which is pursued by many Muslims as well as Arab Americans, is the spiritual prohibition on eating pork. Most of the Arab Christians as well condemn eating of pork, although for cultural purposes. The consumption of pork is considered negative when practised by Arab Americans or Muslims but is not a big deal among the Christian whites. Leaving some of the body parts of a woman uncovered, for instance, the face, hands, as well as hands are considered a negative practice. On the contrary, when a Christian woman leaves the face uncovered it is never a malpractice. A Muslim or an Arab American marrying a Christian is considered as a negative practice. However, a Christian marrying a Christian is considered a positive practice among the Christian whites.
In conclusion, the paper has demonstrated that Christianity and Islam have differences, such as in the place of worship, regarding Jesus as Prophet and son of God by Muslims and Christians respectively. Another difference is in believing on the original sin, where Muslims do not believe in original sin while Christians believe in original sin. The paper also covered wars, fear, as well as mistrust arising due to Muslim-Christian relations. Finally, the paper discussed some of the characteristics or practices that are considered negative when practised by Muslims but are positive when practised by Christians. For instance, the issue of strong spiritual commitment seems negative when practised by Muslims and positive when practised by Christians.
References
The Holy Bible: Containing the Old and New Testaments. (1962). New York: American Bible Society.
Quran: The final testament: authorised English version, with the Arabic text. (2001). Fremont, CA: Universal Unity.
