Jews--Christians--Muslims...same God?

[Little_Star_1]

You are right, I think it is written that is was Gabriel. But, you know, the important thing is that Mohammed believed it was Gabriel. If he did not come from a place where the Jewish tradition was known and believed, he would not have even conceived that it was Gabriel and that was my point. I wasn’t there and therefore re frame from making any judgments regarding it. I know Christ and that is what matters to me. I allow others the freedom of choice God gave us and choose not to form any judgments on them for what they see as Truth. I mean, come one, how can one condemn someone for their beliefs as they relate to God, truly? That is above my pay grade. I concentrate on Christ moving in me and in my life and that means, I accept them for loving God as they see Him and that is it. The idea that loving God means that we should condemn others in our hearts is foreign to the Christian faith and to their’s too. It does not come from God according to the tenants of either faith. That is my point. Do you remember when one of the Disciples came to Jesus and told him that someone was healing people in His name but was not one of His followers? He wanted to stop him. Jesus said to leave the guy alone and to let him continue. He also said that he who is not against you is for you. So, if some Muslims think they have to destroy all in the mane of Allah, they are not acting according to God’s law and we aren’t either when we preach against their faith as if all Muslims are our enemy. It is nuts and it isn’t Christian.

 

[Reuben_J]

You are right, I think it is written that is was Gabriel. But, you know, the important thing is that Mohammed believed it was Gabriel. If he did not come from a place where the Jewish tradition was known and believed, he would not have even conceived that it was Gabriel and that was my point. I wasn’t there and therefore re frame from making any judgments regarding it. I know Christ and that is what matters to me. I allow others the freedom of choice God gave us and choose not to form any judgments on them for what they see as Truth. I mean, come one, how can one condemn someone for their beliefs as they relate to God, truly? That is above my pay grade. I concentrate on Christ moving in me and in my life and that means, I accept them for loving God as they see Him and that is it. The idea that loving God means that we should condemn others in our hearts is foreign to the Christian faith and to their’s too. It does not come from God according to the tenants of either faith. That is my point. Do you remember when one of the Disciples came to Jesus and told him that someone was healing people in His name but was not one of His followers? He wanted to stop him. Jesus said to leave the guy alone and to let him continue. He also said that he who is not against you is for you. So, if some Muslims think they have to destroy all in the mane of Allah, they are not acting according to God’s law and we aren’t either when we preach against their faith as if all Muslims are our enemy. It is nuts and it isn’t Christian.

Fair enough, Little Star, we allow others the freedom of their belief as long as we have Christ and believe in him. However for talking point, as Christians we should make a stand. I hope that it would not be confused as condemning others who do not share our value and belief. Cheers.

 

[jakasaki]

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They believe Mohammad was visited by the Archangel Daniel (remember him, same Daniel) and was told to rewrite the Bible as the Christian and Jewish faith had changed it so much that the Truth had been lost.

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Anyway, just like us, they believe he is coming back. Did anyone notice that the head of Iran stated Jesus was coming back?
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.1 ) I need to correct you. Islam claims it was Archangel Gabriel.

.2 ) The Isa/Jesus of Quran, when he returns, it is written in Islamic books that Isa will break the cross and destroy Christianity, and make Islam the worlds religion. Besides what I just wrote, Isa will do other things as well.

 

[aidanbradypop]

.2 ) The Isa/Jesus of Quran, when he returns, it is written in Islamic books that Isa will break the cross and destroy Christianity, and make Islam the worlds religion. Besides what I just wrote, Isa will do other things as well.

Right. Muslims see Christ as a prophet in Islam and not the Son of God as the Christians believe. If I am correct in my thinking. Jews believe the Messiah will come to restore the Jewish faith and Temple on earth (please correct me if I am wrong) and Muslims believe He will come again to spread Islam to all nations and people.(again correct me if I am wrong)

 

[Shamati]

First of all we must always remember that each and any human being is created in the image and likeness of God. This gives all living humans a certain dignity and it makes them our brothers and sisters, regardless of race or creed.

The pre-incarnate Logos (word, reason) has been for eternity and its truth has manifested itself in worship around the worlds different cultures throughout the history of civilization. “And God said: Let there be Light!” - Genesis

But we who are faithful christians believe that only christianity holds the fullness of Truth. For truth itself incarnate instructed the Holy apostles in the faith and philosophy which has been handed down to us today. Regarding developments of philosophies originating in pagan cultures who can be used in gaining a better understanding of the Body of Knowledge that is the Christian faith St Basil the Great has said that “we must be as bee’s and only extract the honey from the flower”.

At the same time we understand that the christian human beings body is the “Temple” in which the spirit of God dwells and as such must be protected from being defiled by foreign “Gods”.

 

[Daniel1Catholic]

God transcends all of our attempts at definition. We as Catholics believe we are closest to the truth, but so do Jews and Muslims.

To answer the question, yes I believe we all worship the same God, just understood differently.

Yet they are incapable of connecting with God unless they accept Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior as he is “They way the truth and the life, and no man shall come to the father but by me” Christ himself tells us that he alone the method of salvation. Allah, allthough translates directly to “The God”, means no more that they worship God than Jehovah Witnesses witness Jehovah because they call themselves that name. Hindus also call their “gods” as God, and so do sikhs, yet a simple word does not mean that they worship the true God. The term “allah”, prior and during the time of muhhamad, refered to the moon god, who was the highest god in that pagan culture. To pray to the moon god, the pagans turned towards the kabba. This is why their is a crecent moon ontop of mosques, this is why the Muslim “holy” month of ramadan starts at the sighting of a new crescent moon.

 

[famdigy]

The term “allah”, prior and during the time of muhhamad, refered to the moon god, who was the highest god in that pagan culture. To pray to the moon god, the pagans turned towards the kabba. This is why their is a crecent moon ontop of mosques, this is why the Muslim “holy” month of ramadan starts at the sighting of a new crescent moon.

I think we should aim to judge the other faiths by what they profess to believe and not attribute false claims to them. Muslims don’t believe in or worship a moon god. We worship the God of Abraham so in that sense you can say we worship the same God as Christians and Jews.

Quran 2:135 They say, “Be Jews or Christians [so] you will be guided.” Say, “Rather, [we follow] the religion of Abraham, inclining toward truth, and he was not of the polytheists.”

Quran 16:123 Then We revealed to you, [O Muhammad], to follow the religion of Abraham, inclining toward truth; and he was not of those who associate with Allah .

 

[MartinJordan]

I think we should aim to judge the other faiths by what they profess to believe and not attribute false claims to them. Muslims don’t believe in or worship a moon god. We worship the God of Abraham so in that sense you can say we worship the same God as Christians and Jews.

This is fair and just

Quran 2:135 They say, “Be Jews or Christians [so] you will be guided.” Say, “Rather, [we follow] the religion of Abraham, inclining toward truth, and he was not of the polytheists.”

Famdigy, Can I ask who is “they”?

Quran 16:123 Then We revealed to you, [O Muhammad], to follow the religion of Abraham, inclining toward truth; and he was not of those who associate with Allah .

I don’t get this. Can you elucidate what this Surah is defining?

Thanks in advance for some clarifications.

MJ

 

[joe370]

So a friend of mine mentioned that Muslims do not believe in the same God as we Christians and Jews. Does anyone else have that belief and if so why? I posted this in the Non-Catholic forum because my friend is a Protestant. I am interested to hear if this is a universal belief within Protestantism or just his personal belief. Thanks

It seems reasonable to conclude that they worship the Father only, as opposed to the Trinitarian God. They just won’t give Jesus and the Holy Spirit their due…Whatchya gonna do…

 

[hn160]

LC-MS response for Islam and the response for Judaism would be similar:
A Lutheran Response
In the present pluralistic context, many people may have the mistaken impression that Christians and Muslims worship the same God—especially since Christianity and Islam are both monotheistic religions. They may also think that the religions are more similar than dissimilar in other beliefs and practices. However, the response given below will show, from a Lutheran perspective, the sharp contrast between Christian teaching and the teachings of Islam as found in the Qur’ān. This evaluation will focus on three key doctrinal areas—God, the person of Jesus Christ, and God’s work of salvation in Christ.
God. Lutherans confess the historic Christian teaching that the true God has revealed Himself to be the Triune God, one God but three distinct persons—Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. This doctrine is confessed in the historic ecumenical creeds of the Christian faith: Apostles’, Nicene, and Athanasian Creeds. These creedal formulas sum up God’s self-revelation in the divinely inspired Scriptures of the Old and New Testaments. In these Scriptures God has revealed Himself as the one and only true God (Deut. 6:4; 1 Cor. 8:4) who is three persons in one divine essence: Father (Mal. 2:10; 2 Cor. 1:2-3), Son (Matt. 3:17; John 20:31), and Holy Spirit (Is. 63:10-14; Acts 5:3-4). (See also Matt. 28:19; 2 Cor. 13:4; Eph. 4:4-6).

 

[MartinJordan]

It seems reasonable to conclude that they worship the Father only, as opposed to the Trinitarian God. They just won’t give Jesus and the Holy Spirit their due…Whatchya gonna do…

Pray for them. It is the only thing you can do. Also show by our example the fruits of the Holy Spirit

MJ

 

[hn160]

The rest of the LC-MS Lutheran article can be read at:
lcms.org/Document.fdoc?src=lcm&id=382

 

[joe370]

Pray for them. It is the only thing you can do. Also show by our example the fruits of the Holy Spirit

MJ

Amen to that Martin…

 

[Little_Star_1]

Pray for them. It is the only thing you can do. Also show by our example the fruits of the Holy Spirit

MJ

NO ONE except God has the right to make comment on the truth or falsity of the faith of another. As its origins are with Abraham, their faith is from the same seed as Christianity. There are stark differences between the accepted practices of the Catholic faith and that of the Protestant faith, are they both truly Christian? Even within the Protestant faith some denominations use Bibles containing different books than others. Who is right? Do you really want to say?

When asked “who is my brother?” Jesus said “Whoever does God’s will is my brother and sister and mother.” He did not specify that this person must be Jewish or one of his follower’s. At the time of Abraham, there was no thought of the Trinity. As descendants from Ishmael, they are heirs according to God’s promise to Abraham. “As for Ishmael, I have heard you; behold, I have blessed him and will make him fruitful and multiply him greatly. He shall father twelve princes, and I will make him into a great nation.” And so we have the nation of Islam.

As Christians, we are to follow the eleventh commandment, "Love one another’. When we take the time to make proclamations and judgments regarding another’s faith, we are in violation of this command. Saying something like “pray for them it is all you can do” denies their humanity and their right to stand before God clean. It is as if you really think you make the decisions for God on the state of another’s soul, or even your own.

All the following of theology and debates over if this religion is right or wrong wont get you into Heaven if you don’t follow the command to love one another. Given that God has made of them a nation, do you really want to be in front of Him and debate the subject? I don’t. I leave what is God’s to God and do what he has put in front of me to do, worry about where I stand with Him as far as He sees it. For the rest, I give my love as best as I can. This one, the subject of another’s faith, that is an easy one. I love them as they are my brothers and sisters. How they see His will taking shape in their lives is between them and the Father.

 

[Little_Star_1]

Indeed:

Luke 18:10-14
English Standard Version (ESV)
10 “Two men went up into the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. 11 The Pharisee, standing by himself, prayed[a] thus: ‘God, I thank you that I am not like other men, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even like this tax collector. 12 I fast twice a week; I give tithes of all that I get.’ 13 But the tax collector, standing far off, would not even lift up his eyes to heaven, but beat his breast, saying, ‘God, be merciful to me, a sinner!’ 14 I tell you, this man went down to his house justified, rather than the other. For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, but the one who humbles himself will be exalted.”

Be as Christ.

 

[Little_Star_1]

Father forgive me, I did as I criticized others for doing when I discussed how I feel on the subject. What I do and feel is not relevant to the actions of others except in how I treat them. I should not have set myself up as an example. I am sorry.

 

[Daniel1Catholic]

That kind of rhetoric is sure to keep hatred alive between our faiths.

God is still God, no matter who among us claims the best definition or levels inflamatory statements.

I would rather preach the truth and cause hatred then preach falsehood for peace my friend. I hope you would do the same. For in this world, the ones who speak the truth will never be loved but hated.

Pax

 

[MissyB786]

Muslims believe in Allah who is a different God than Yahweh. That’s how I understand it. I used to teach Western Civilization and religion was a big part of that class.

Nope its the same God in Christianity and Judaism, so Yahweh in Judiasm and the Father in Christianity(not the son).

But we do not make any partners with him and worship him directly, don’t need any intermediaries as God is merciful and will listen to you.

And

Allah if you go back in history was the god of the moon, before Muhammad started preaching about him being the only god. The angel that appear to him was satan so don’t believe a word he says

No we don’t worship the Moon, we have a story about Abraham(PBUH) that we was questioning about God and he thought initially it was the Sun, but then the Sun set, then he thought it was the Moon but then the moon set so he then realised God Almighty is everywhere, he neither rises nor sets and is not finite in time but Infinite in time and space.

I’m just paraphrasing the story but the point is, we all follow Abrahamic religion, and if Abraham(PBUH) rejected the moon why shud Muslims start worshiping the moon?

We have great respect for all the Prophets hence if we are to utter their names we have to follow it with may God grant them with peace including Abraham(PBUH), Moses(PBUH) and Jesus(PBUH).

Allah just means God in arabic, and arabic is the closest language to aramaic in which the bible was originally written in, so u will find similar names for God in aramaic and arabic.

 

[MissyB786]

BTW it is permissible in Islam to marry people of the book, as we are all considered people of the book (Torah, Bible, Quran) followers of a monotheistic God.

Not allowed to marry ne1 else ie Hinduism because they are a polytheistic faith.

I know when I pray, I asking God for help, not the Moon.

 

[Little_Star_1]

I would rather preach the truth and cause hatred then preach falsehood for peace my friend. I hope you would do the same. For in this world, the ones who speak the truth will never be loved but hated.

Pax

The Truth can be preached without condemning the beliefs of others. Why even consider the beliefs of others in what you preach? The point is, there are so many “Christians” that appear to believe that one cannot be a Christian without condemning others. This is the opposite of his teaching of the Truth. Anyone that does this is acting in the flesh and not of the spirit. Let your walk be your testament. Be the Gospel. If you follow Christ, you do not pay attention to the faith of others or seek to make comment upon it. You reach out and you love.

Luke 10:25-37 (New International Version)

On one occasion an expert in the law stood up to test Jesus. “Teacher,” he asked, “what must I do to inherit eternal life?”

26 “What is written in the Law?” he replied. “How do you read it?”

27 He answered, “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind’[a]; and, ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’**”

28 “You have answered correctly,” Jesus replied. “Do this and you will live.”

29 But he wanted to justify himself, so he asked Jesus, “And who is my neighbor?”

30 In reply Jesus said: “A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho, when he was attacked by robbers. They stripped him of his clothes, beat him and went away, leaving him half dead. 31 A priest happened to be going down the same road, and when he saw the man, he passed by on the other side. 32 So too, a Levite, when he came to the place and saw him, passed by on the other side. 33 But a Samaritan, as he traveled, came where the man was; and when he saw him, he took pity on him. 34 He went to him and bandaged his wounds, pouring on oil and wine. Then he put the man on his own donkey, brought him to an inn and took care of him. 35 The next day he took out two denarii[c] and gave them to the innkeeper. ‘Look after him,’ he said, ‘and when I return, I will reimburse you for any extra expense you may have.’

36 “Which of these three do you think was a neighbor to the man who fell into the hands of robbers?”

37 The expert in the law replied, “The one who had mercy on him.”

Jesus told him, “Go and do likewise.”

Why did Jesus reference the Samaritans so often?

“That the Samaritans were separated from and looked down upon by the Jews makes them important in the New Testament. Jesus indicated a new attitude must be taken toward the Samaritans when he passed through their towns instead of crossing the Jordan to avoid them (Jn 4:4-5), when he spoke with a Samaritan woman, contrary to Jewish custom (Jn 4:9), and when he said a time would come when worshiping in Jerusalem or on Mount Gerazim would not be important (Jn 4:21-24). When asked whom to regard as our neighbor, Jesus told the story of the Good Samaritan precisely because Samaritans were despised.”

From catholic.com/quickquestions/who-were-the-samaritans-and-why-were-they-important

So, you think that by sowing seeds of hate by preaching Muslims do not worship the same God as Christians and Jews, you are serving our Father? Again, are you really going to debate this with the Father given he made them heirs through Abraham?**