A Comparative Perspective of Christianity and Islam - Research Paper Example

A comparative Perspective of Christianity and Islam s Introduction Religion has raised controversies form many peopleparticularly the aspect understanding which religion is true. People believe that certain forms of religion are true. Therefore, such people hold strongly to that position. Each religion is unique and offers specific teachings, beliefs and values to the followers. Religions e.g. Christianity and Islam provide a sense of belonging and community to followers. Religions also preach brotherhood and universal values that help shape a society and make people yearn to get salvation. Paradoxically, a group of believers in a particular religion may earn a form of collective identity at the expense of other people outside the religious group. It is possible for members of a particular religion to identify and define themselves against other people who are not in that religion. The dilemma arising in this case is how outsider may be connected to the salvation offered by that particular religion. Does the religion’s purview of salvation include or exclude people outside that religion? Different authors and scholars may suggest different answers to this question. In an attempt to seek both individual and collective salvation, different religious arguments arise to explain differences between one religion and another. Inclusivist, exclusivist and universal pluralism are common positions explaining difference between Christianity and Islam. Inclusivist position From an inclusivist perspective, both Christianity and Islam have teachings and beliefs that are true. Though Christians believes that their faith is true, inclusivists believe that other religions are partially true. As an absolute religion, Christianity does recognize that other religions can provide salvation. It only tells of the unique word of God, incarnate in Death of Jesus on the cross and provide a social context for salvation. It teaches that to accomplish salvation God assesses people behaviors on earth. God applies results of the death of Jesus and resurrection to everyone regardless of the religion. Therefore, God makes it possible for anyone to earn salvation including people from other religions. This opinion is not accepted by everyone especially the conservative and evangelical Christians who believe that religious inclusivism contradicts the teachings of the bible. These critics find support from Acts 4:12 that emphasizes on the point that salvation is for no one else other than Christians. Is there any form of inclusivism in Islam? According to Hick (2005), the concept of people of the book has some elements of inclusivism. The concept argues that the final truth comes with Islam. Nevertheless, the Jews and Christians are close to the truth in relation to Buddhism and Hinduism (p.11). (Hick, 2005) In the current world filled with acts of war, crime, sin and other vices inclusivist thoughts in Christianity may help strengthen universal values among people. The fact that inclusivist position can accommodate outsiders can help bring more people to the right track which is towards salvation. Many religions today practice a modified form of exclusivism in which a particular religion recognizes the legitimacy of other religions to be as holy as the true religion and faith. Exclusivist position Exclusivists hold a different opinion regarding Christianity and Islam. Both Christian and Islamic exclusivists believe that their religions and believes will earn them salvation while people outside these religions will not share the same privileges and blessings that come with such a state. As Safehian (2013) describes, exclusivism is both evident in Christianity and Islam (p. 3865). In Christianity, exclusivism is evident in the teachings of most denominations that believe that only Christians will go to heaven while the non-Christians will go to hell. According to Christian teachings, the only way to God is through Jesus. Exclusivists use various verses from the bible such as Romans 6:23, Acts 4:12 and John 14:6 to support the argument that only those who believe in Christian faith will go heaven. Similarly, there is also exclusivism in Islam. The history of Islam began with an exclusivist attitude especially towards pagan religions. These followers believe that all non-Muslim people are pagans and, therefore, will not go to heaven. Religious exclusivism can cause religious conflicts especially among people of different religions. The current world is full of with religiously-inspired violence and terrorist activities. As such, it is important for Christians and Muslims of the current age to form dialogs and cooperation if attempts to curb international terrorism are to be successful (Smith, 2007). Even as the technology is growing, exchange of cultures are increasing, and religions are increasingly accepting each other, exclusivism and triumphalism are central to many religions Universal position According to pluralism, both Christianity and Islam are the same in guiding followers to the paths to salvation and heaven. Everyone despite the religion will share blessings from God. The universal position in explaining the religions and salvation hold to the thought that there is a possibility of the co-existence of more than one belief system. Pluralists believe that no single religion can hold to the claim that it has the authority to teach the absolute truth. Most religious texts are a combination and compilation of human observations documented over time. These texts are open to interpretation meaning that no single religion can claim to be teaching the truth. The baseline to the Universal argument is that all people are using religion to find the same truths but utilize different ways. In order for the world to live in harmony, people must adopt some extent of religious pluralism. With many religious-perpetuated wars and conflicts in various places in the world, adopting a faith whereby everyone is seeking the same truth may act as a unifying factor for people. For people to reduce conflicts between Christians and Muslims, it is imperative for people to understand that all religions have the same goals of finding the truth. In the end, all religions seek to help their followers earn salvation both at a personal and collective level. Both Muslims and Christians must come together for dialogue and work together to discuss issues such as pluralism, preaching efforts thus, ensuring peace between them (Mohammed, 2009). Conclusion Understanding the different religious positions to the path to salvation is crucial for people practicing different religions. Understanding both Christianity and Islam on the basis of exclusivism, inclusivism and universalism can be helpful in helping people make the right choices. This information can help individual make religious decisions and believes regarding preparation to eternal life. For people to avoid many religious perpetrated acts of violence and wars, it is important for various religions to sit down and cooperate with each other. To achieved world peace and cooperation, it is imperative for people to be aware and sensitive to inclusive, exclusive and universal tendencies in religion. List of references Hick, J. (2005). Religious Pluralism and Islam. Tehran: The Institute for Islamic Culture and Thought. Mohammed, A. (2009). Peace-Building by, between, and beyond Muslims and Evangelical Christians. Lanham: The Rowland & Littlefield Publishing Group, Inc. Safehian, M. (2013). Salvation and Redemption in the Exclusivist and Inclusivist Views and Islamic Thought. International Research Journal of Applied and Basic Sciences, 4(12), 3863-3869. Smith, J. (2007). Christians, and the Challenge of Interfaith Dialogue. New York: Oxford University Press. Read More