Christianity Vs. Christianity : The Beliefs Of Christianity And Islam

There are some similarities between Christianity and Islam. Christianity and Islam are both religion. Both religion are founded in the Middle East; and they are founded by Prophets of God. They have both impact the course of history. The Christians and Islam each believed that there is only one true God.

Thesis statement: while Christianity and Islam are different religions, they have subtle similarities, inlight of afterlife beliefs and nature of their Gods.

Christianity and Islam are wide spread religions which impact the lives of believers spiritually. Both religions have had substantial impact on the course of history and have formed the basis of many countries laws and are highly recognized by governments. Though Christianity is more widely known, they both pose the same challenges to each other. Considering the similarities and differences of Christianity and Islam, it can be said they are both very different.

Swords clash, bombs explode, and governments disintegrate; the world is at war and God is the Commanding General for both sides? Past, present, and future, there is in fact a Holy War being waged. The combatants are not your typical organized armies, they are bodies of faith. Religious conflict has been a staple of existence since the beginning of time. Ted Hodges, expert in conflicts in history, said “Some of the worst wars, mass murders, and other outbreaks of violence in history have been motivated by religious hatred or revenge. And often the roots of such violence and hatred are found in an event or grievance that occurred hundreds or even thousands of years earlier” (Hodges 48). So why is this? What makes it so necessary for

Towards the end of the eleventh century in Western Europe and Eurasia, a range of social, economical and religious influences collectively influenced the sequence of religious wars which we know as the Crusades. Although the series of holy wars against Islam is typically portrayed as the fault of overzealous popes and belligerent kings; the truth behind the clash between Christianity and Islam is far more elaborate. The direct repercussions following two centuries of prolonged warfare afflicted Christendom with the loss of several millions of lives and immense financial expenditure. On the contrary, the Crusades stimulated the fundamental expansion and the ultimate downfalls of nations in both the Western and Eastern fields.

Christianity and Islam are two of the world’s largest religions. According to Pew Research “there are 2.18 billion Christians of all ages around the world and there are about 1.6 billion Muslims.” The two religions share many similarities. For example both religions teach that “there is One true and only God, the righteous and transcendent Creator of all things in heaven and earth” (34). Both religions have foundational texts, Christianity has the bible and Islam has the Quaran. Although among their similarities the two religions differ in many ways. In this essay I will focus on the two religions origins and geographical locations, key people who fostered the religion, who they appealed to and their empires.

Religion is growing worldwide. Two of the fastest growing faiths are Islam and Christianity. Each of these faiths has a book that expresses their beliefs and gives rules or commandments to live by. Islam has the Quran, and Christians have the Bible. Many people in today’s world would deny that there are any similarities between the two books; however, two figures appear in both texts, Abraham and Jesus. The stories of Abraham and Jesus are incredibly similar but, the theological interpretation of these stories creates differences between the Bible and the Quran.

A belief can be defined as a state or habit of mind in which trust or confidence is placed in some person or thing. (citation) The belief difference between Christianity and Muslim differs from founders, institutional structure and ones rituals. Although these two beliefs are very different they do surprisingly have some similarities.

Sometimes, the Middle Ages are referred to as the Age of Faith because “religion was so pervasive in European society… [in which] villages were organized around local churches, and larger towns would devote generations of labor and resources to build large cathedrals” (Thompson) as well as citizens following God’s words through thoughts and actions. Durning the medieval time, both Christianity and Islam regions follow the concept of faith and God’s orders but each have their own limits and approaches to the idea. From roughly 1000 AD until modern day time, faith has been considered an important element of Christianity and Muslim in which each individual has a specific faith that is unique to them and no one else. The development of faith and the changes that the idea has went through have allowed historians to examined what faith is really about and how one can view their own faith through actions from their Father’s demands.

“Throughout the past, there has been a lack of intimacy, affection, and regard for Islam by Christianity. This, to a large extent, has been due to a lack of knowledge of the great human and spiritual ideals for which Islam and the teachings of Islam stand.”-Aly Khan. The Islam and Christian religions are really not that different. Whereas Islam and Christianity are different as Islam practices the 5 pillars, believes in the Qur'an, their symbol is the crescent, and worships in a mosque, while Christianity follows Jesus, believes in the Bible, their symbol is the cross, and worships in a church; they are also similar as they both monotheistic, believe in the afterlife, have holy books, and have prophetic leaders.

Muslims and Christians share the belief that both God and Jesus exist or have existed. Although the two religions accept this, their view points are quite different. Muslims believe that Jesus was a prophet, while Christians believe Jesus was not only the son of God, but also the messiah. Both religions believe in the same God, but Christians believe that God is part of the holy trinity. Muslims do not accept this as part of their faith. Despite how similar these two religions are, Muslims and Christians continue to argue about their beliefs.

The first religion is Islam. Islam is monotheistic religion which professes that there is only one God, and that Muhammad is the final prophet God sent. It is the second largest religion in the world. The largest religion which is being compared by scripture is Christianity. Christianity is a monotheistic religion which also professes that there is only one God. It is based on the creator and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth, and its beliefs and practices. Christianity is the largest practiced religion in the world. Christianity and Islam scripture share and differ in many ways.

Again, Christianity and Islam differ in some fundamental and significant ways. Another example of these differences is the concept of sin which is not as dominant in Islam as it is in Christianity. In other words, sin is a minor issue in Islam. As an illustration, Muhammad states that if someone does not sin, Allah will wipe out that person and replaced by someone else who will be willing and capable of sinning (Muslim, Vol. 4, Book 37, Hadith No. 6622 & 6621). Thus, it is necessary, even an obligation for Muslims to sin.

Religion can be defined as the “fear or awe one feels in the presence of a spirit or god” or as the “set of beliefs having to do with the gods, through which one is taught a moral system” (Hopfe 4). Philosophy is the “study of the fundamental nature of knowledge, reality, and existence” ("Definition of Philosophy"). Sometimes religion and philosophy overlap and the border between the two becomes blurred as individuals search for meaning and fulfillment in their lives. People around the world believe they have found the answers to life’s questions in the religions of Christianity or Islam, as well as in the philosophy of Buddhism. Although Islam and Christianity have specific beliefs that differ, they are unified by their belief in one God and other basic tenants, while Buddhism sets itself apart with the belief that God is not important to solving life’s problems that man is ultimately in charge of the future.

2) Worship date. The Christians practice their worship on Sundays while the Muslims do it on Fridays.