...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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...Contemporary Issues in Western Religions Nerkeda Bulter, Regina Edwards Lakisha Lewis Sinceria Lewis Religion/134 October 11, 2012 Stephanie Cripps Contemporary Issues in Western Religions This paper will reflect research on contemporary issues in Western Religions. The main objective is to elaborate on Islam, Judaism, and Christianity. The other key focus is to uncover the struggles within its historical and modern times. Islam is an interesting subject because it has plenty history surrounding Islamic cultures, and the contrast between Judaism, and Christianity. Nevertheless, revealing how time has change from than to now also captivate some attention. Exploring the foundation surrounding Islam such as Abraham, and the other forefathers is rewarding when searching the history of these three religions. Historical connections Islam and Judaism share connections starting very early in history with the patriarch Abraham. Abraham had two sons, Ishmael, and Isaac, who eventually went on to lead two different groups of people. Ishmael led the Arabs who later became known as the Muslims and Isaac led the Israelites who later became Jews. These two different groups of religions grew and traditions known today in modern religion. Each religion shares a monotheistic belief and has similar...
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...American Literature Jennifer Barnes Ms. K Meeks March 10, 2011 Islam and Christianity Christianity and Islam are two of the most significant religions in the world today. Both religions are very similar with only some of the beliefs and teachings being different. Christianity started about 2000 years ago in Judea with Jesus Christ and his faithful group of disciples. It has grown into one of the major religions, impacting all other faiths and changing the course of human history. Its sacred scripture is the Bible, particularly the New Testament. Its principal beliefs are that Jesus is the Son of God (the second person of the Holy Trinity), that God’s love for the world is the essential component of his being, and that Jesus died to redeem humankind. Christianity means “one who is crystallized into one.” Islam means "entire submission to the Will of Allah" in Arabic, and a Muslim is one who submits to the will of Allah (God). Islam’s primary significance is the making of peace first within one‘s self, and then for humanity as a whole. The author of Islam is Allah (God). The book of Islam is the Holy Qur’an, and the scriptures that were taught to the prophets. Islam has five beautiful fundamental principles of belief. Belief in Allah and his Apostle, Belief in Zakat (spending in the cause of truth), Belief in Fasting, Belief in Pilgrimage, Belief in Prayer(5 times daily). These beliefs are strictly enforced by each and everyone that prescribes to the title of...
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...A Concise Introduction to Islam: by Richard T. Nolan "ISLAM" is derived from the Arabic root salaama meaning peace, purity, submission and obedience. Islam stands for making peace by submitting to the will of God and obeying His law. Jews and Christians view Islam as the latest of the world's great religions. However, worldwide Muslims (sometimes written "Moslems") understand their universal religion as the "final religion" and the "primal religion." As "final," Islam is God's final revelation of prophetic religion, in fulfillment of all that had preceded. Moses was given the Law; David was given the Psalms; Jesus was given the Gospel. Judaism offers God's message of justice, and Christianity proclaims the love of God. To Mohammed (570-632 A.D.; spelled in a variety of ways) the God of Abraham and Jesus revealed the Qur'an (Arabic for "recital," sometimes written Koran). The Qur'an, written in Arabic, is the Sacred Scripture of Islam, the perfection of all previous divine revelations, and is to be understood literally as the direct words of God. In this sense of scriptural literalism, all Muslims may be called "fundamentalists." However, when referring to the aggressive behaviors of a few, "militants" and "extremists" are better categories. Muslims believe in all prophets of the Bible. The Qur'an itself mentions the Torah and the Gospel as scriptures revealed by God to Moses and Jesus. However, the Qur'an indicates that over time, changes were made to the actual biblical texts...
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...What is the distinctive response of Christianity and Islam regarding peace? Christianity and Islam both have had a distinct response to peace. Peace is the central teaching among both religions and the teaching of inner peace and world peace can be conveyed through sacred texts, principal teachings and organisations. In Christianity, teachings of peace derives from Christ in the New Testament. Peace is at the heart of Jesus’ life and ministry and accordingly it is a foundational element of the the Christian communities that seek to follow him. The New Testament extols peace as a virtue and identifies it as a key element of the reign of God. Jesus himself is known as the “prince of peace” and is regarded as the source of peace, meaning that by adherents living in a close relationship with him, they are allowing themselves to experience the peace in which he brings. The New Testament proclaims “Guide our feet into the way of peace” (Luke 1:79), which emphasises that following in the footsteps of Jesus, is the way to achieving inner peace. Peace is understood as more than merely an absence of violence and conflict. It refers more fully to an overall sense of wellbeing. Ultimately peace is found in union with God. Christians are taught to live at peace with others, both within their own communities and in the wider human family.Throughout the first three centuries of the common era Christians adopted a pacifist position and refused to engage in military service or warfare, leaving...
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...Judaism, there have been many issues with not only other religions, but also within Judaism. The Jewish people must learn from their past issues to continue to live with other religions and themselves. As one of the oldest established religions, Judaism has had to overcome many obstacles to arrive where it is today. This paper will discuss the historical connections, theological similarities, and contemporary struggles between Judaism, Islam, and Christianity as well as the contemporary struggles within Judaism. Theological Similarities Judaism, much like Christianity and Islam, shares a common belief in one God, believes in sacred time, prophets, angels, Satan, and divine revelation. Jews, Christians, and Muslims worship the same God, but call him by a different name. These three faiths believe in peace. In fact, the three religions have different greetings that wish peace upon others proves their similarities regarding peace. Jews, Christians, and Muslims believe in accountability, moral responsibility, judgment day, eternal punishment, and eternal rewards. The theological similarities shared among the religions do not stop at their common beliefs, but where they get them from. All three faiths are ‘Abrahamic’ (Robert Marquand, 1996). Judaism, Christianity, and Islam were conceived from Abraham. All three faiths emphasize the special covenant with God, for Judaism through Moses, Christianity through Jesus, and Islam through Muhammad (Esposito, 2009). Though founded...
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...Contemporary Issues in Western Religions Islam Struggles within Christianity and Judaism Islam’s nature of sacred reality is monotheistic just as Christianity and Judaism, and is very similar in their religious formation. The theoretical foundations of each belief are historically similar and all saying the same message, that there is only one true God. The Islamic religious structure believes in the same God as Judaism and Christianity, the God of Abraham, but Islam knows him as Allah. There are some differences in the way Islam refer to Allah as God and Christianity and Judaism prefer to say God but theoretically they are referring to the same one true God. The origin of Islamic way of living is to seek to serve Allah only, through the instructions given by Allah to the prophet and first Muslim Muhammad. The history of the Islamic religion is connected to Judaism and Christianity in the same way because they also believe the way of the righteous is to submit to God and instruction on God’s will has been given through prophecy. Only Christianity submission is through the redemption of Jesus Christ by the New Testament and Judaism submission to God is to follow the Laws of the Old Testament. They all began in the Middle East where Islam’s prophet Muhammad was the prophecy of Abraham’s first son Ishmael by Hagar his servant and Judaism and Christianity’s prophecy developed in the Middle East by Abraham’s youngest son Isaac from Sarah Abraham’s wife. Even though each prophecy...
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...World Religions Darlene Lovely Hum/130 August 3, 2011 Charles Hall World Religions Islam is one the largest and fastest growing religions in the world, second only to Christianity. The Islamic faith believes that there is only one God, who is named Allah. The Qur’an is the holy scriptures of Islam, believed by Muslims to be the words of God revealed to the great prophet Muhammad for the purpose of educating Muslims on how to live spiritually, mentally, and physically pure lives. An interview on the religion of Islam was conducted with Lonna al’ Moctar, a thirty-nine-year-old administrative assistant at The Muslim Community Center of Louisville in Louisville, Kentucky. The Muslim Community Center of Louisville is the newest mosque in Louisville and is the “boldest architectural expression of Islam to date in Louisville” (Smith, 2010, para. 2). The Muslim Community Center of Louisville is a mosque “intended as a place of interaction for all faiths” to learn about Islam, and is also home to an adjacent school, the Islamic School of Louisville, for pre-school, elementary, and middle school students (Smith, 2010, para. 7). Not unlike the construction of other mosques across the nation, The Muslim Community Center of Louisville had its share of opposition; however, its neighbors never complained about the construction of the mosque itself. Shortly...
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...Christianity vs. Islam: A Religious Difference Brittnay Howell ENG 121 Professor Anna Crew Christianity vs. Islam: A Religious Difference Have you ever wondered about the differences and similarities between Christianity and Islam? Both Christianity and Islam are monotheistic, meaning they both believe in one God. In both religions God is the creator of everything and is loving and forgiving. He also has a special relationship with humans, and has made covenants with them. However, there is one major difference between the beliefs of Christians and Muslims regarding God. While Christians believe in the Holy Trinity, or three persons in one divine nature, Muslims believe that God is only one person. The trinity mentioned in the Christian religion is the belief in three God’s. The first major difference between these two religions is their founders. Muhammad is the founder of Islam. He, like all other Muslim prophets is believed by Muslims to be infallible and sinless. He was not only a religious leader, but also a political leader, which explains the common practice of integrated church and state in many Muslim countries. The founder of Christianity is Jesus. Although both Muslims and Christians recognize Jesus, their beliefs about him differ greatly. Both believe that Jesus was sinless, infallible, and born of the Virgin Mary. Both religions accept that Jesus preformed miracles, and was ascended, or raised up, to God. But while Muslims see Jesus...
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...Contemporary Issues in Western Religions Harry Potter REL/134 November 20, 2011 UoP Instructor 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...
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...Religion and Peace 22 indicative hours ___________________________________________________________________________________________________________ The focus of this study is the distinctive response of religious traditions to the issue of peace. Syllabus Outcomes: H1 explains aspects of religion and belief systems H2 describes and analyses the influence of religion and belief systems on individuals and society H5 evaluates the influence of religious traditions in the life of adherents H6 organises, analyses and synthesises relevant information about religion from a variety of sources, considering usefulness, validity and bias H7 conducts effective research about religion and evaluates the findings from the research H8 applies appropriate terminology and concepts related to religion and belief systems H9 coherently and effectively communicates complex information, ideas and issues using appropriate written, oral and graphic forms. Incorporating a Catholic emphasis: In approaching the teaching of this unit within the context of a Catholic Religious Education program it is expected that: 1. Each lesson would begin with prayer that is meaningful for students and pertinent to current local...
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...Blasphemy (Response of Islam & Other Religion ) Agha Zuhaib Khan Outline Introduction Understudying Blasphemy Causes of Blasphemy Blasphemy Causes destabilization of world peace Blasphemy and major world religions Islam Prohibits Insulting other religions Major World Religion’s Laws against Blasphemy Different Countries Laws against Blasphemy Need of Global Anti-Blasphemy Laws How Muslism Ummah can Reply? Introduction The act or offense of speaking sacrilegiously about God or sacred things. Blasphemy is the act of insulting or showing contempt or lack of reverence for a religious deity or the irreverence towards religious or holy persons or things. Blasphemy in Islam is any irreverent behavior toward holy personages, religious artifacts, customs, and beliefs that Muslims revere. It is taken as a gigantic nature of crime with the capital punishment Blasphemy Causes destabilization of world peace Blasphemy in different religions All major religions such as Islam, Christianity, Judaism and Hinduism does not allow Blasphemy at all. Along with different religions different countries have made some Blasphemy laws to control it on some aspects. All the major religions books taught us not to go against any religious god, thing, holy personality or Prophet. But we face different cases of Blasphemy, not only interreligious but even in intra-religiously. Causes of...
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...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 his temptations and spirits. Muslims...
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...Comparing and Contrasting Judaism, Christianity, and Islam “Strength lies in differences, not in similarities.” This was said by Stephen R. Covey and it means that similarities relate people to each other but differences cause them to become stronger by making them stand alone. Though they are similar in ways such as having multiple denominations, holy locations, and being linked to Abraham, Judaism, Christianity, and Islam are different. They are unique in how they live their daily life, the way they worship, and their ages. Judaism, Christianity, and Islam share many similarities but also many differences. Judaism, Islam, and Christianity have many things in common. For example, they all have multiple denominations within their religion....
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...can never obtain peace in the outer world until we make peace within ourselves.” The sole focus of an individual is dynamic fulfillment that derives from ones inner sphere signifying outer peace. Peace within one’s self is gained through sacred meaning, and the diminishing of inner turmoil that restricts inner peace in which individuals require in order to achieve external peace within the world .Internal strife and peace will lead the restoration of peace in the outer world. In both Christianity and Islam, sacred texts are vital sources of information on all aspects of peace. They demonstrate principal teachings about peace, and teachings on inner peace as well as supporting the ultimate aim of world peace. Although man is unable to avoid conflict, they can teach themselves to respond in ways that avoid negative outcomes. The scriptural text, the New Testament is used as a sacred text among Christians as it is the key principal and foundational element of teaching. Peace is an underlying value that has been conveyed through the form of a message conveyed to Christian believers. Peace is at the heart of Jesus’ life and ministry. The New Testament expresses peace as virtue as it a key element of the reign of God. Jesus himself is known as the “prince of peace”. Peace being a common notion throughout Christian scriptural literature emphasize’ the importance of peace, combating conflict in which derives away from peace. The New Testament encounters inner peace as it an imperative...
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