Exploring Another Ethnicity - Essay Example

I wondered if my friends would identify a mosque as a different place as I thought the church was at that particular time. Having been brought up in a deeply rooted Islamic culture, I had never associated myself with any other religion before but I knew about their existence. My prior knowledge concerning Christianity and the urge to prove what really happens in other religions however helped me to gain some confidence, which could not be sufficient to withstand uneasiness. I thought it unfair to have religious differences such as one religion dominating a particular region of the world.

As an Arab amongst the congregation, I appeared odd and abandoned due to the hijab I was wearing unlike the warmly and familiar feeling I usually have when I attend mosques. In fact, at some point I could hide my face when I realized that someone within the congregation was staring at me. The similarity between the church and the mosque is that the attendees recognize their way of worshipping and religious status as the best compared to others. There is uniformity in the way Christians and Muslims carry out their prayers when they are in their prayer gatherings.

Christians do have a pastor who conducts the prayers as it is in mosques where there are Imams guiding Muslims in worship. Additionally, there are two different holy books used by the two distinctively different religions by their respective followers in worshiping. Interestingly, the two different religions believe in God whom they respect and fear (Stefon, 2010). Quran and Bible share most of the stories especially in the Old Testament such as the stories of Moses and Abraham that really connects the two religions.

I further realized that Christians also believe in continuous prayers at specific times such as in the evening and early mornings just like Muslims. Additionally, both religions do have almost similar believe concerning family issues such as women submitting to their husbands and prohibition of sex before marriage. However, there are numerous beliefs that both religions do not agree on such as the existence of trinity according to Christians’ beliefs and the fact that Jesus is a son of God as claimed by Christians.

Muslims believe that Jesus was a human prophet and not divine as claimed by Christians and that there is only one God who is the creature of the universe. Muslims further believe that God who is referred to, as Allah is the father to everyone and that there is nothing special or divine about Jesus that should make him worshiped directly or indirectly. Muslims also believe in original sin and that Jesus did not die on the cross to save humanity from sin but instead God made it to appear so. Christians strongly believe in salvation in the name of Jesus to cleanse their original sins that Muslims are strongly opposed to (Ra?isa?nen 2010).

My perception towards Christianity is influenced by the Islamic belief that Jesus was not God’s begotten son hence should not be worshiped as Christians do since he was just a prophet and a great teacher. Additionally, Muslims consider that calling Jesus God or son of God is blasphemy and that there is no day God’s word has never existed. Muslims do not believe that Jesus died for our sins as claimed by Christians that all their (Christians) sins were forgiven after the death of Jesus on the cross.

Muslims regard themselves as perfect and the true