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HolyCrusader007
Guest
Hi Littlefield,Growing up Catholic, I was taught that Muslims do not worship the true God. And this has always made sense to me. “Allah” is so vastly different (directly opposed in some ways) from the Trinitarian God as revealed to the Church, that he/it cannot be the same thing. It seems the Church traditionally viewed Islam as a heresy. The Church (and her martyrs) fought to the death to defend the true definition of God as Trinity and Christ as God.
But a Catholic friend of mine said the Catechism was “updated” to include this statement:
#841 “The plan of salvation also includes those who acknowledge the Creator, in the first place amongst whom are the Muslims; these profess to hold the faith of Abraham, and together with us they adore the one, merciful God, mankind’s judge on the last day.”
The being they worship cannot be the one God, so is this an instance of the ordinary Magisterium making a statement that could be invalidated if the facts prove otherwise?
Because:
Muslims are monotheists, true. But so are Bahai and the Mormons.
- Koran teaches that believing int he crucifixion and resurrection of Christ is false (Sura 4:157-159).
- Muslims are told to fight against Christians and those who disagree with Islam (Sura 9:29)
- Koran teaches that to believe in the divinity of Jesus is blasphemous (Sura 5:72)
- To believe in Jesus as God’s son is false (Sura 19:35; 10:68)
841 may be based on things like Saint Francis of Assisi outreach to the Sultan of Egypt during the Crusades,
saintandthesultan.com/about.htmlan outreach which results in the Sultan peacefully ceding Jerusalem back to Christian control, the same lands that our Catholic ancestors risked and in many cases gave their lives for. Additionally, during the after math of the 1st Crusade when the Holy Land of Jerusalem was back to its original Christian ways…there were reports of local Arab Jews and Muslims becoming friends with the newly arrived European Christians.
The Koran teaches that Jews and Christians are people of the book. The treaty of Medina, the Achtatime of Muhammad and other treaties that Muhammad arranged with Christians and Jews and others show that all non Muslims are to be treated as Equals. Christians and Jews may have very well fight with Muhammad, not alawys against. The tribes who did fight against Muhammad broke treates that were made with the Muslims. Sura 19:45, (Sura 4:157-159) and (Sura 9:29) do not show that Islam is an intolerate or violent religion. Islam is based on the entire Quran the Sunnah, and the Hadiths. I am also reminded that in Judaism, King David was a warrior. It is true that Muhammad may have been a general, some say Muhammad led battles, others say Muhammad was a master swordsmen who trained the Muslims. What is a fact though, Muhammad killed one person in his life. And what strikes me about David the warrior is that Muhammad captured the very sword that David took from Goliath. On this sword includes an Arabic inscription of a # of the Prophets in Islam which also includes Isa or what we know as Jesus Christ.
usna.edu/Users/humss/bwheeler/swords/batar.html
Also in Islam, the Muslims honor Jesus and Mary. See Sura 19. Muslims additionally honor Jesus as a prophet capable of performing miracles, many other religions view Jesus as a simple man. There is an interesting bond between Muslims and Christians when it comes to Jesus.
What stands out to me the most about Islam is that the early Muslims who were persecuted by Meccan Pagan tribes sought protection from a legendary King…the Christian King of Abyssinia. This Christian King provided refuge to early Muslims.
In a well known historical incident during the early days of Islam, some Muslims fled the persecution in Mecca and sought shelter in the neighboring Christian nation of Abyssinia. As Meccan authorities pursued to apprehend the party, they appealed to the King of Abyssinia who summoned the Muslim refugees to his court. However, upon listening to one of the refugee recite verses 19:19-21 of the Holy Quran in honor of Mary and Jesus, he felt unable to release the party to their persecutors even at risk of severing diplomatic ties.*
faithstreet.com/onfaith/2015/09/02/5-similarities-between-muslims-and-christians-we-should-celebrate/37728
There are additional similarities between Islam and Christianity according to this Muslim
*
5. The Return of Jesus in the End of Days
Perhaps the most fascinating commonality between the two religions is the belief that Jesus Christ will return during the End Times. Both religions share prophecies that his return will be in part to address immorality, conflict, and injustices during the final epoch of human history. And both religions share a messianic creed that the Messiah will put an end to religious conflict and usher an era of world peace.*
faithstreet.com/onfaith/2015/09/02/5-similarities-between-muslims-and-christians-we-should-celebrate/37728