Comparing Christianity and Islam

Christianity, Judaism, and Islam all have similar origins, development, beliefs, and sacred texts. Contrary to popular belief all three of these religions share more common ground than one would think. The differences are present of course, but the similarities help one understand where all three were derived from and why. All of the religions share the common ground as to the knowledge of Jesus Christ, the belief of monotheism, and “ethical standards required social justice for individuals and for the community” (144). Judaism is the oldest religion out of the three, then falls Christianity, and lastly Islam.

Analyse using sacred scripture and a variety of sources the principle teachings about peace in Judaism and Christianity and how these teachings impact on the life of each adherent’s tradition, as a means of achieving inner peace.

The bible, Quran and Hadith are respected texts and are regarded as the books of truth. Believers take these sacred texts as the revealed message from God – the truth. As such, they are used as a guide to life in the pursuit of peace between people and also between people and God. Jesus and Muhammad had a role in spreading the teaching of peace. To understand how the Muslims and Christians view peace it is imperative to first understand what peace means. Most people would refer to peace as freedom of war, disagreements, conflict and calmness of mind. To understand the roles of Christianity and Islam in the teaching of peace the concepts of inner peace, world and society peace has to be addressed, for both Christians and Muslims, inner peace refers to the state of calmness and tranquility experienced by the individual. It is often understood to be associated with the spiritual peace with God/Jesus for Christians and spiritual peace with Allah who desires peace for Muslims. Muslims believe that it is through complete submission to Allah also called the Greater Jihad that an individual may achieve inner peace. The Quran states clearly that in order to achieve world peace, all people must submit to Allah as they believe all people of the Muslim community around the world are one community. They believe that there can be no world/universal peace or the lesser Jihad without the greater Jihad which is misunderstood by many Islamic and non-Islamic people.

Throughout the whole world there are world leaders that lead their respected countries into a peaceful era. Presidents, dictators, tsars, monarchs, Kings and queens have been some political leaders that people tend to elect and also look up to for advice and even protection. Even though these figures are known to be very influential in everyday lives, by making decisions that change the face of the world, there are also others that have been known to bring peace to places that others couldn’t do. These are religious leaders such as the Pope, the Dalai Lama, and also God figures have been known throughout history to be the solution of problems where the military, and money cannot solve. This essay will go through some of the similarities and differences between the religions,

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.

This is the mission that the Church is sent into the world for, to proclaim the message of God reconciling the world to Himself. The peaceable order therefore, identifies that the kingdom of God is one of peace. It is the kingdom is God’s communal people embracing the rest of creation. In addition, the nature of peace is identified in Christ. It was announced at his birth by the angels “peace on earth.” Also Jesus is given the title “Prince of Peace,” thus, his kingdom is one of peace.

The peace of this world is always uncertain, unless men keep the peace of God.

The message of peace is a fundamental universal concern which is relevant throughout our world today. Peace is not merely the ‘absence of war’, but a state of mind in which a sense of tranquillity comes from actively working towards right relationships with individuals and God. To understand the way in which Muslims and Christians view peace it is imperative to understand the source of the teachings for each religion. The principles teachings of peace for Both Christianity and Islam are primarily found in the sacred texts of both religious traditions. Christianity looks to the bible and specifically the New Testament for teachings about peace, whereas Islam focuses’ on the Qur’an and Hadith to guide their beliefs of peace. These sacred

Peace is a complex, multifaceted concept that is immensely central to every religious community. Peace is the essence of all religions, the reason being that the objectives of religion can never be fulfilled without peace. Each religion shares a similar purpose, to guide their adherents to achieving peace through spiritual development and growth, allowing enlightenment among individuals and creation.

As of today, the world’s two largest religions Christianity and Islam share an estimated 3.6 billion members, more than half of the world’s population. On the surface, they appear to have almost nothing in common, however, as one goes beyond the surface and examines the other factors such as the rituals, beliefs, ethics, founders, and convictions, the two religions share many similarities. However, in order to truly see and understand these similarities and differences, one must date back to the rise and birth of Christianity and Islam.

Conflict resolution is a key tenet of most of the world’s major religions. Each of the religions addresses the subject: whether directly, indirectly, or symbolically. Amongst the examples in many of the religious texts include the ending of wars, resolving oppression and the making of peace amongst many people. What also makes conflict resolution a key facet of religion is that it can lead to order from chaotic conditions, allowing for the unification of many people in the absence of other means of effective governance and in perpetuating a group of people’s survival for resources. However, it is long known that there is a constant struggle and conflict between the religions in various regions throughout the world. Conflict resolution within the five major religions has allowed for the expansion of individual religions but has placed it into conflict with other major religions.

The concept of peace in Islam can be determined from the fact that while two Muslims meet they say which means “peace be unto you” in the response it is answered that

“These three religions, Judaism, Christianity and, Islam, all support a peaceful world and advocate peace in their main teachings and sacred texts.” (Mt Alvernia Task sheet) There are more than three religions in the world but these three religions are some of the main religions that profoundly support this statement. The Islamic religion is often portrayed by the Western media as a violent religion that does not teach or believe in interfaith or world peace, however through an interfaith understanding it can be seen that the Islamic religion does in fact believe in interfaith peace. Through comprehensive examination of the Islamic teachings and beliefs, it can be seen that the Islamic religion advocates interfaith understanding and peace.

The word ‘Islam’ in Arabic is used for peace. Islam has come forward to present humanity. God has invited all the peoples to accept moral teachings of Quran as a model, where mercy , forgiveness and peace can be experienced all over the world by using or by acting upon Quran’s teachings.

The trials and tribulations the world brings can bring individuals into a state of disarray. The oft asked question is simply, “Why?”. Why must these tragedies happen and why must society have to suffer. No one is immune from this question. Even David wrote in the 13th chapter of Psalms, How long, O Lord? Will You forget me forever? How long will You hide Your face from me?” (New King James Version, Ps. 13.1). Observing “Peace”, it is evident that Gerard Manley Hopkins is having a short period of questioning. Yet, in “Peace”, Hopkins brings the reader through his theologically ramified dialogue with Peace, which at first characterized by confusion of its work, eventually becomes characterized with comfort and assurance as he recognizes that he has developed Patience in his wait and Peace still cares for and transforms the believer.