Islam and Christianity: Comparisons and Contrasts - Research Paper Example

Islam and Christianity: Comparisons and Contrasts Introduction The following discussion will present a comparison of two of the worlds largest religious traditions, Christianity and Islam. It is estimated that in the world today there are 2.1 billion Christians and 1.5 million Muslims. (“Major Religions of the World Ranked by Adherents”) Initially, the two religions will be introduced and summarized from a doctrinal point of view. Doctrine will be defined as the narrative underpinnings of the two religions, their beliefs on subjects such as life after death and human purpose, and finally the ethics and mores of the two traditions. Then the two religions will be compared and contrasted. This section will compare and contrast the aforementioned doctrines. It will also consider the ways that the religions are practiced (or how their believers behave) in the world today. This section will consider temporal issues such as separation of church and state, extremism and intra-religious diversity. Islam Islam traces its roots to the Judaic tradition. However, its foundation as a monotheistic religion is traced to the life of its final prophet, (Muhammad, circa 570 – June 8, 632 C.E.) a merchant who had revealed to him by Allah the religion we know today as Islam. Muslims believe that these revelations commenced in 610 C.E. They were recorded by his companions and exist today in the Muslim holy book known as the Quran. At its core Islam is monotheistic with six articles of faith and five pillars of belief. The six articles of faith are included in the Sahih Muslim a text of particular importance to Sunni Muslims but one that all believe to be the second holiest text in Islam. "Al-Iman (faith) is to affirm your faith in God, His angels, His Books, His Messengers, and the Last Day, and to believe in the Divine Destiny whether it be good or bad." (Sahih Muslim) The five pillars of faith are related and summarized by the Ahlul Bayt Digital Islamic Library Project as the belief that Allah is one and unique; that divine and temporal justice is based on equity; that God sent prophets – including, Abraham, Jesus and Muhammad - to earth; that religious teachers (Imams) are appointed divinely; and, that each individual will face a final, divine judgment. ( Ahlul Bayt Digital Islamic Library Project) Muslims believe that those who follow these teachings will live in paradise following their death and divine judgment: “As to those who believe and work righteous deeds, they have, for their entertainment, the Gardens of Paradise. (Quran, 018: 107) Christianity Christianity also traces it roots to the Judaic tradition also. However, Christianity traces its origins to the life of Jesus Christ. (circa 0 – 33 C.E.) Christians believe that Jesus Christ was the messiah predicted in the Jewish texts that Christians refer to as The Old Testament of their holy book, the Bible: “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.” (John 3: 16) – John 3:16 Two specific extracts from the Bible summarize Christian beliefs, beyond the divinity of Jesus: The Ten Commandments 1 Do not have any other gods before me. 2 You shall not make for yourself an idol, whether in the form of anything that is in heaven above, or that is on the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth. 3 You shall not make wrongful use of the name of the Lord your God, for the Lord will not acquit anyone who misuses his name. 4 Remember the Sabbath day and keep it holy. 5 Honor your father and your mother, so that your days may be long in the land that the Lord your God is giving you. 6 You shall not kill/murder. 7 You shall not commit adultery. 8 You shall not steal. 9 You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor. 10 You shall not covet your neighbor’s house; you shall not covet your neighbor’s wife, or male or female slave, or ox, or donkey, or anything that belongs to your neighbor. (Exodus 2: 2-17) The Beattitudes Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are they who mourn, for they shall be comforted. Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth. Blessed are they who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied. Blessed are the merciful, for they shall obtain mercy. Blessed are the pure of heart, for they shall see God. Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called children of God. Blessed are they who are persecuted for the sake of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. (Matthew 5: 3-10) These are brief, even minimalist outlines of the two religions doctrines, but they are adequate for a comparison of the two religions. Further, the most important distinctions and similarities are in practice rather than doctrine. Comparing and Contrasting Christianity and Islam Christianity and Islam, both rooted in the Judaic tradition share many doctrinal similarities. Both religions trace their roots to the Judaic tradition and are, consequently monotheistic Also as a result of this both Christianity and Islam believe that the Mosaic revelation of the Ten Commandments (in slightly different forms) are the revealed law of God. They also both share the narrative of the Judaic tradition – divine creation, a great flood, the story of Isaac/Ishmael, for example. However, their narrative tradition and their belief systems diverge once the Common Era is considered. Christians believe that Jesus Christ was the literal son of God. They believe that he did not die but was resurrected from the dead three days after he was crucified and ascended into Heaven where he merged with God the Father. Christians are monotheistic, but believe that God has three parts known as the Trinity – God the Father, Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit or God in the world today. Muslims do not believe that Jesus Christ was the literal son of God, they believe that he was a prophet in a long line of prophets. They believe that Jesus was a prophet on a par with those that preceded him such as Abraham/Ibrahim and Muhammad Muslims also do not believe that Allah is a three part God as Christians do. Believing that Jesus was not the literal son of God they do not believe that holding this belief is doctrinally correct or essential to attaining Paradise/Heaven after one dies. Further, they do not believe that Jesus was the culmination of the Judaic tradition of prophets. They believe that Muhammad was a prophet born seven centuries after Christ. Also, while they do see Muhammad as the culmination of prophetic tradition they definitely do not consider him to be divine himself. As they are practiced in the world today there are also many similarities. Both religions demonstrate considerable intra-religious diversity. Christianity split into three branches in the past. The first church is now known as the Roman Catholic Church. Its leader is the Pope who resides in the Vatican City, a city-state within the Italian capital of Rome. Pope Benedict XVI (Latin: Benedictus PP. XVI), born Joseph Aloisius Ratzinger on 16 April 1927) is the present Pope. He is the 265th Pope and claims to trace a direct lineage to Jesus disciple, Peter: "And I also say to you that you are Peter, and upon this rock I will build My church; and the gates of Hades shall not overpower it." (Matthew, 16:18) In the 5th century C.E. the Orthodox Church separated from the Roman Catholic Church. It shares many similarities with the Roman Catholic Church but follows slightly different traditions and regards the Patriarch in Constantinople, not the Pope as its leader. The Protestant reformation in the 16th century was the second major split in the Christianity. Protestants do not accept the supremacy of the Pope. Most importantly they do not believe that Christianity has a hierarchy or a divinely appointed leader like the Pope or Patriarch. There are many different branches of Protestantism but they all believe that each individual has a relationship with God and it is not mediated by priests or the Pope/Patriarch. Similarly, there are different schools or branches of Islam. The most significant division is between Sunni and Shia. Both accept the Quran but they have different interpretations of theological issues not explicitly outlined in the Quran. Sunni Islam is the largest branch of Islam. Sunni Islam predominates in Africa, Asia and the Middle East with the exceptions of Iraq, Saudi Arabia and southern Iraq. Like the Roman Catholic church the Sunni branch of Islam regards itself as the true version of Islam. The geographic distribution of the two groups is illustrated in the map below. Distribution of Sunni and Shia Islam Source: http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/8/8d/Madhhab_Map2.png Shia diverged from Sunni following the death of Muhammad Sunnis believe Muhammads first successors were the Caliphs. However, Shia Muslims believe that Ali, Muhammads cousin and son-in-law, was the first of the Imams and was the rightful successor to Muhammad. “The defining event of Shiism was the martyrdom of Husayn, his male family members, and many companions at Karbala (Iraq) in 681 by the Umayyads, granting an element of passion and pathos to Shiism. (Oxford Islamic Studies Online) Within these two major divisions there is also a mystical school of Islam known as Sufism and a fundamentalist school known as Wahhabism. Both religions have minority fundamentalist or extremist elements. In the contemporary era. Religious fundamentalism is clearly present in Islam at present as evidenced by Al Quaeda and the Taliban. However, it is also evident amongst some Christian groups in the United States. It is important also to remember that fundamentalism is not necessarily violent. Wahhabism is a fundamentalist form of Islam. According to Global Security, “Wahhabism is a reform movement that began 200 years ago to rid Islamic societies of cultural practices and interpretation that had been acquired over the centuries.” (Global Security) In this sense it is a reform movement that believes Islam must return to its historic traditions. In this sense it represents a fundamentalist reform or backward looking reform. Al Quaedas roots in Saudi Arabia – bin Ladens birthplace – are fundamentalist. Further, Al Queada is clearly committed to violent jihad to advance its goals. However, the majority of adherents to Wahhabism are not violent nor do they see jihad as a call to religious combat, but rather an internal war against impure thoughts and impulses. Similarly, there are Christian fundamentalists, both violent and pacific. Mennonites, Hutterites and the Amish are fundamentalist Christian sects. Many reject modern conveniences such as electricity, automobiles and telephones. They are also widely known as pacifists. However, there are also violent fundamentalist Christians. Fundamentalist Christians in the United States have been convicted of bombing abortion clinics and killing doctors who perform abortions. On May 31, 2009 Dr. George Tiller, a doctor who performed abortions was shot to death on a Sunday morning, as he worshiped in his Christian church in Wichita, Kansas. (Slevin, 2009) Clearly, fundamentalism, both violent and non-violent, is an aspect of both Christianity and Islam. Both religious traditions also place great importance on the city of Jerusalem. For Muslims it is the place where Muhammad prayed with the other prophets and the location of the Dome of the Rock. It is regarded as the second most holy site in the Islamic tradition. Christians place an even greater emphasis on Jerusalem. It is very close to Bethlehem, the town where the Christian narrative holds that Jesus was born (to the Virgin Mary). It is also the city where Christians believe Christ was crucified and, three days later, resurrected. The most significant difference between the two traditions in practice is in the area of separation between Church and state. There are no states in the world that are constitutionally Christian or adhere to an explicitly Christian legal system. In the United States the tradition of separation between church and state is enshrined in the Constitution. However, there are Islamic states that adhere to Sharia law, law based explicitly on the Qu ran. Article VI, Section 3 of the U.S. Constitution “excludes the establishment of any particular church or denomination as the national religion.” (“The Constitution of the United States of America”) President Jimmy Carter was a devout Christian. Despite pressure from his fellow believers he refused to reestablish prayer in schools or to invite any ministers or evangelists to the White House. Despite his personal faith he believed that to do so would contradict the spirit of the Constitution. (Carter, 1996) In contrast, Egypt, Saudi Arabia and some other Muslim countries view Sharia (religious) law as the basis of their legal systems. Conclusions Christianity and Islam in both doctrine and practice exhibit both significant similarities and significant differences. Theologically the differences relate to the position of Christ. Islam views Christ as one in a long line of prophets. Moreover, he is not regarded as the ultimate prophet as that position is reserved for Muhammad. Christians, on the other hand, regard Christ as the literal son of God and therefore, as more than a prophet. Further they believe that the arrival of Christ as the Messiah puts an end to the prophetic tradition and that there have been no prophets since Christ. In terms of practice the most significant differences relate to religious texts as the explicit source of the legal system. Many Muslim states explicitly enforce a legal system based on religious law. While the legal systems in other countries are certainly based on Christian traditions and principles there is an explicit division between Church and state. Barring this difference the two religious traditions share many commonalities. Notably, they both have intra-religious differences and different belief systems. Also, fundamentalism, both violent and non-violent, is evident in both religions. References “The Constitution of the United States of America”. Retrieved from http://www.america.gov/media/pdf/books/constitution.pdf Holy Bible (King James Version). Retrieved from http://www.online-literature.com/bible/bible.php. Ahlul Bayt Digital Islamic Library Project. Retrieved from http://www.al-islam.org/. Carter, Jimmy. (1996) Living Faith. New York: Random House. Global Security. “Wahhabism”. Retrieved from http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/world/gulf/wahhabi.htm. Holy Bible (King James Version). Retrieved from http://www.online-literature.com/bible/bible.php. “Major Religions of the World Ranked by Adherents”. Retrieved from http://www.adherents.com/Religions_By_Adherents.html. Oxford Islamic Studies Online. “Shii Islam”. Retrieved from Quran. Retrieved from http://www.usc.edu/schools/college/crcc/engagement/resources/texts/muslim/quran/. Sahih Muslim. Web. Retrieved from http://www.usc.edu/schools/college/crcc/engagement/resources/texts/muslim/hadith/muslim/. Slevin, Peter. (June 2, 2009). “Slaying Raises Fears on Both Sides of Abortion Debate” The Washington Post. Web. Read More