E
Even_So
Guest
If this is the Eastern Catholic sub forums, i was kind of dared to post this here by (name removed by moderator). My take is no they are not the same. What says youse?
You are using an out of date browser. It may not display this or other websites correctly.
You should upgrade or use an alternative browser.
You should upgrade or use an alternative browser.
- Status
- Not open for further replies.
B
babochka
Guest
Since Allah is simply the Arabic word for God and all Arabic-speaking Christians refer to God by this name, the answer is “Of course!” You can call him “Dios” or “Deus”, “Gott”, “Gud” or “бог”. He remains the same.If this is the Eastern Catholic sub forums, i was kind of dared to post this here by (name removed by moderator). My take is no they are not the same. What says youse?
The Muslims themselves profess to worship the God of Abraham. I would argue that he is, indeed, the one true God; Muslims just have a serious misunderstanding of his nature. The Catholic Church would seem to agree:
For this quote in fuller context, with some insightful commentary, you can read crisismagazine.com/2012/do-catholics-and-muslims-worship-the-same-godThe plan of salvation also includes those who acknowledge the Creator. In the first place amongst these there are the Mohammedans, who, professing to hold the faith of Abraham, along with us adore the one and merciful God, who on the last day will judge mankind.” (Lumen Gentium 16)
D
dzheremi
Guest
Hmm. I would start out by saying that asking whether or not Islam’s god is the same as the one true God (what the OP asks) is different than saying whether or not we (can) call God “Allah” (what a large amount of Babochka’s reply is about). I am a member of a primarily Arabic-speaking church, so we refer to God as “Allah” very often, but nobody I’ve ever talked to (including our priests and bishop) thinks that the god of Islam and our God is the same. I’ve asked them all point blank, and they all said “no” and were rather offended by the idea (“Of course not! Why would you think that?”, etc.)
This is one place where it seems that the Orthodox and Catholics tend to differ (though I have certainly met my fair share of Catholics – usually from Middle Eastern churches in majority-Muslim societies – who also say that they are not the same, regardless of what the CCC may have to say on the subject; take that as you will), though this is not, as far as I understand it anyway, something that any particular Orthodox church has made a matter of dogmatic pronouncement (probably because the idea that they are the same or should be considered the same strikes everyone as being so obviously wrong that there’s no real need to consider or address it unless someone comes in from outside and asks that question, as I have).
Meh.
This is one place where it seems that the Orthodox and Catholics tend to differ (though I have certainly met my fair share of Catholics – usually from Middle Eastern churches in majority-Muslim societies – who also say that they are not the same, regardless of what the CCC may have to say on the subject; take that as you will), though this is not, as far as I understand it anyway, something that any particular Orthodox church has made a matter of dogmatic pronouncement (probably because the idea that they are the same or should be considered the same strikes everyone as being so obviously wrong that there’s no real need to consider or address it unless someone comes in from outside and asks that question, as I have).
Meh.
J
JamalChristophr
Guest
The shortest answer is:
YES and NO.
YES and NO.
L
losh14
Guest
I do recognize that many Eastern Christians refer to the Father as Allah, which comes through their liturgical language (and predates the usage in Islam).
That said, for a very large number of human beings, if you ask “which religion considers Allah as God” they would say “Islam” not “Both Islam and Christianity”. I personally don’t think of the Lord my God as “Allah” even if it would be technically correct to say so. I don’t pray to Him with that name, I don’t write about Him with that name.
Similarly, I work with a number of Muslims and I’ve taken classes in Arabic (where there are many Muslims as my classmates). I have yet to meet one who simply says “God” instead of “Allah” when referring to the deity he or she worships.
That said, for a very large number of human beings, if you ask “which religion considers Allah as God” they would say “Islam” not “Both Islam and Christianity”. I personally don’t think of the Lord my God as “Allah” even if it would be technically correct to say so. I don’t pray to Him with that name, I don’t write about Him with that name.
Similarly, I work with a number of Muslims and I’ve taken classes in Arabic (where there are many Muslims as my classmates). I have yet to meet one who simply says “God” instead of “Allah” when referring to the deity he or she worships.
M
MarcoPG
Guest
Linguistics would say yes, theology absolutely no.
Allah, since he is supposed to be the one and only God, it would be the same God as ours. However, Allah and the Gospel don’t go together well, even if the Gospel is a book from God.
Allah also misunderstands what the Trinity is, let apart the fact that the Trinity is true or false, God would know what our false doctrine would be, in order to correct us. But Mary was never God.
So there is one God, muslims call it Allah which means God, but it is not the same understanding.
Allah, since he is supposed to be the one and only God, it would be the same God as ours. However, Allah and the Gospel don’t go together well, even if the Gospel is a book from God.
Allah also misunderstands what the Trinity is, let apart the fact that the Trinity is true or false, God would know what our false doctrine would be, in order to correct us. But Mary was never God.
So there is one God, muslims call it Allah which means God, but it is not the same understanding.
J
John_Paul_Jones
Guest
Well let’s put it this way: allah is a god, and the Blessed Trinity is the God.
H
howirenic
Guest
There is only one God, so if a Muslim claims to worship Him, he would be mistaken only in his understanding of God, not in Who he worships.
C
Casilda
Guest
Kind of like a devout Jew would say he worships the God of Abraham, yet denies that Christ is His son. They worship, yet with misunderstanding.There is only one God, so if a Muslim claims to worship Him, he would be mistaken only in his understanding of God, not in Who he worships.
I voted no because a former Muslim who is now a Christian told me their conversion story.
J
JackVk
Guest
Allah may be what Muslims think is the same as the One True God, but they are egregiously mistaken. Muslim theology says that God/Allah can nullify His own words; hypothetically, He could tell us all to worship idols or become Catholic! So why even be Muslim?
It should also be noted that the Quran says Alexander the Great was a Muslim, even though he died almost a thousand years before Muhammad.
It should also be noted that the Quran says Alexander the Great was a Muslim, even though he died almost a thousand years before Muhammad.
C
civilwar
Guest
Since the question is “Is God the same as Allah” the answer becomes less straightforward.
There is God. He is Himself and unchanging. So when a Muslim prays to God (“Allah”), it is God to whom they pray. BUT, their understand of God is very skewed, therefore, God in their understanding is different from God in reality. So, “Allah” is not the SAME as God, theologically. But in reality God is God.
It would a different situation if say, a Hindu was praying to Vishnu. That is an entirely different “god”. In that instance we cannot say that the prayers of the Hindu to Vishnu are heard by God, because they are directed at Vishnu. But the Muslim directs his prayers at God, false though his perception of God may be.
There is God. He is Himself and unchanging. So when a Muslim prays to God (“Allah”), it is God to whom they pray. BUT, their understand of God is very skewed, therefore, God in their understanding is different from God in reality. So, “Allah” is not the SAME as God, theologically. But in reality God is God.
It would a different situation if say, a Hindu was praying to Vishnu. That is an entirely different “god”. In that instance we cannot say that the prayers of the Hindu to Vishnu are heard by God, because they are directed at Vishnu. But the Muslim directs his prayers at God, false though his perception of God may be.
T
Thomas48
Guest
Allah is the simple translation for the word God in Arabic, in this case the God of Abraham, who for us Christians is our God aswell. Even for a Latin Rite Catholic there would be no fault in calling God (the Father) Allah. The term we Syro Malabar Catholics use for God (the father) is very similar, which would be the term Alaha. If one thinks of only the term Allah as a translation, than its very appropriate to use. Christians in the region regularly use Allah to name God the Father.
J
JackVk
Guest
Isn’t “Allah” a contraction of the Arabic words, “ah ilah” (meaning “the god”, “the deity”).Allah is the simple translation for the word God in Arabic, in this case the God of Abraham, who for us Christians is our God aswell. Even for a Latin Rite Catholic there would be no fault in calling God (the Father) Allah. The term we Syro Malabar Catholics use for God (the father) is very similar, which would be the term Alaha. If one thinks of only the term Allah as a translation, than its very appropriate to use. Christians in the region regularly use Allah to name God the Father.
T
Thorns
Guest
Is God the same as Allah? Depends which God you’re talking about. The God of the Old Testament? Maybe.
B
babochka
Guest
But there is only one God. The God of the Old Testament, the God of Abraham, is one and the same as the triune God of Christianity.Is God the same as Allah? Depends which God you’re talking about. The God of the Old Testament? Maybe.
T
Thorns
Guest
The God of the Old Testament was wrathful and commanded killings. The God that we are taught about today is merciful and commands to love our enemies. Sounds like a different God to me.But there is only one God. The God of the Old Testament, the God of Abraham, is one and the same as the triune God of Christianity.
S
smichhertz
Guest
Since Allah is simply the Arabic word for God and all Arabic-speaking Christians refer to God by this name, the answer is “Of course!” You can call him “Dios” or “Deus”, “Gott”, “Gud” or “бог”. He remains the same.
The Muslims themselves profess to worship the God of Abraham. I would argue that he is, indeed, the one true God; Muslims just have a serious misunderstanding of his nature. The Catholic Church would seem to agree:
^^ Says it all right there. Yes, Allah is the same God that we as Catholics worship.The plan of salvation also includes those who acknowledge the Creator. In the first place amongst these there are the Mohammedans, who, professing to hold the faith of Abraham, along with us adore the one and merciful God
J
josie_L
Guest
The God of the Old Testament is not wrathful, He is slow to anger, i.e., the evils that were perpetrated in those days were so grotesque I’m surprised humanity survived. Moreover, it was not so much that God commanded killings as He was seeking to protect His people from being killed. I must add that God is not just a God of mercy but of justice, i.e., He has the power (knowledge) to judge the living and the dead.The God of the Old Testament was wrathful and commanded killings. The God that we are taught about today is merciful and commands to love our enemies. Sounds like a different God to me.
God bless!
D
dzheremi
Guest
Not sure if I’ve posted this before, but here is a podcast from Ancient Faith Radio (Eastern Orthodox radio program) featuring an interview with Antiochian Orthodox priest Fr. Patrick Reardon on the idea of “popular monotheism”, which I see many (even someone claiming to be Orthodox…) advancing in threads like this: namely that as there is only one God in the first place, we’re basically all referring to the same God, but by different names.
This is wrong, wrong, wrong. I’m very glad to report that even though we OO are not in communion with the Antiochian Orthodox (or any of the Chalcedonian Orthodox), I’ve heard very similar ideas and arguments from my own bishops and priests, thank God (the true one).
I invite you all to listen to the podcast and gain a different perspective on the OP’s question. I personally don’t necessarily agree with everything Fr. Reardon says in this interview, though the overall point is correct from where I’m sitting in the Orthodox Church.
This is wrong, wrong, wrong. I’m very glad to report that even though we OO are not in communion with the Antiochian Orthodox (or any of the Chalcedonian Orthodox), I’ve heard very similar ideas and arguments from my own bishops and priests, thank God (the true one).
I invite you all to listen to the podcast and gain a different perspective on the OP’s question. I personally don’t necessarily agree with everything Fr. Reardon says in this interview, though the overall point is correct from where I’m sitting in the Orthodox Church.
J
josie_L
Guest
It’s not just about there being one God, but that the God Muslims profess to worship is the God of Abraham, thus even though their understanding of who He is is false, their belief that He is the one and only God is true.Not sure if I’ve posted this before, but here is a podcast from Ancient Faith Radio (Eastern Orthodox radio program) featuring an interview with Antiochian Orthodox priest Fr. Patrick Reardon on the idea of “popular monotheism”, which I see many (even someone claiming to be Orthodox…) advancing in threads like this: namely that as there is only one God in the first place, we’re basically all referring to the same God, but by different names.
This is wrong, wrong, wrong. I’m very glad to report that even though we OO are not in communion with the Antiochian Orthodox (or any of the Chalcedonian Orthodox), I’ve heard very similar ideas and arguments from my own bishops and priests, thank God (the true one).
I invite you all to listen to the podcast and gain a different perspective on the OP’s question. I personally don’t necessarily agree with everything Fr. Reardon says in this interview, though the overall point is correct from where I’m sitting in the Orthodox Church.
- Status
- Not open for further replies.