What are the Key Theological Differences between Islam and Christianity Regarding Concepts of God

[MonkeyFire]

Islam redeems the fallen angels, including the will of God.

 

[Dawnofhope]

To us Christians that is not an insignificant detail, but the main and the exclusive reason why we exclude a priori that that religion is divinely inspired.
Or that it deals with God

I hear you.

Looking at theological concepts is not too difficult and a safe starting point when comparing Islam and Christianity. I'm deliberating encouraging discussion around biblical and Qur'an concepts for now.

Soon I will start a thread investigating comparing the lives of Muhammad and Jesus. I suspect the arousal of intense emotions for some.

btw - interesting name Pelagianism. I've googled but what's it about for you if you don't mind me asking?

 

[Epic Beard Man]

Islam redeems the fallen angels, including the will of God.

There are no such things as a concept of "fallen angels." Angels do not have freewill. The Djinn and humans are the only ones with freewill. All angels are subservient to God.

 

[wizanda]

There are no such things as a concept of "fallen angels."

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iblis

 

[Epic Beard Man]

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iblis

Ibliss is a Djinn, not an angel. Although he held a status at one point (according to some scholars) similar to angels he was not one...

 

[`mud]

Really... before the throne...Iblis and the angels....really !
Who built the throne, and how did Adam get there.
I know...`Allah built the throne and Adam ascended.
And satan and Jesus watched...
Did anyone mention the virgins ?
OK...I got it...I'm out of here now !

 

[Godobeyer]

Islam and Christianity are the two largest world religions. Both believe in One God therefore being monotheistic. Both believe their respective founders Muhammad and Jesus brought a Revelation from God. Both have books, the Qur'an and Gospels that provide a record of their Founders Teachings. However the two appear to have some significant theological differences in regards their concepts of God. What are those differences and why?

I've made a small list of what appear to be the major differences. Please indicate if you agree with the options provided and feel free to offer any additional points of difference you believe should be added or removed.

Hello.

God in Quran clearly deny that He has son, and said Jesus(pbuh) was just messanger as others.

Jesus(pbuh) never said that he is God,never asked his followers to pray him,and he never wanted to sacrifice himself on cross. that's all about claims/opinion of authors.

I recommand to watch this video about Jesus(pbuh) divin.

 

[1213]

The Kaaba is a central part of the Muslims for all sorts of historic reasons. So while Muslims worship at the Kaaba they do not worship the Kaaba as they worship Allah and have no other God but Him. I suspect you knew that.

Then why bow to Kaaba, after all, shouldn’t God be greater than single spot on earth?

 

[MonkeyFire]

There are no such things as a concept of "fallen angels." Angels do not have freewill. The Djinn and humans are the only ones with freewill. All angels are subservient to God.

Including Lucifer, but not Satan.

 

[paarsurrey]

What are the Key Theological Differences between Islam and Christianity Regarding Concepts of God?

I give a litmus test to know a Christian from a Muslim, if that helps on the issue.

1. There is not a single Muslim in the world who believes that Jesus died on Cross, it is so clearly mentioned in Quran.
2. So, according to Muslims Jesus never needed to be resurrected from the dead as he never died on Cross in the first place. Hence Jesus was never God as per Quran/Islam/Muhammad.
3. There is not a single Christian, in my knowledge, who does not believe that Jesus died a cursed death on Cross for the sinful Christians.
4. Jesus as per the Christian faith Jesus got resurrected to life from the dead, and hence he was God and
5. he sat on the right hand of God, assuming all-power.

This is, to me, the superstitious building blocks of the Christian faith which the Christians have been made to believe by Paul in Rome.

Regards

 

[Dawnofhope]

Then why bow to Kaaba, after all, shouldn’t God be greater than single spot on earth?

It is a good question and relevant to this thread. Have you asked the Muslims? As you know Mecca is the Qibla for Muslims when they pray to God and a place of pilgrimage.

Christians of course have no obligatory prayer and no requirement set down as how often to pray. It is left to the believers although Christians I know would try to pray at least once daily.

In your experience do Christians pray to Jesus, through Jesus to God, or both?

 

[paarsurrey]

Ibliss is a Djinn, not an angel. Although he held a status at one point (according to some scholars) similar to angels he was not one...

I agree, Iblis/Satin was never an angle. It is the Pauline Christianity that make Iblis/Satin an angel, Jesus did not believe it. If yes, then please quote from Jesus in straightforward manner. Right, please?

Regards

 

[`mud]

I'm getting really old here...were angels mentioned in the Old Testament ?
Scholar please !

 

[Dawnofhope]

I'm getting really old here...were angels mentioned in the Old Testament ?
Scholar please !

Hi Mud,
Angels were mentioned in both the OT and NT.

https://www.gotquestions.org/names-of-angels.html

Probably the most well known angel is Gabriel who appeared to the prophet Daniel to explain and in the NT to appear to Zacharias the father of John the Baptist.

 

[Dawnofhope]

What are the Key Theological Differences between Islam and Christianity Regarding Concepts of God?

I give a litmus test to know a Christian from a Muslim, if that helps on the issue.

1. There is not a single Muslim in the world who believes that Jesus died on Cross, it is so clearly mentioned in Quran.
2. So, according to Muslims Jesus never needed to be resurrected from the dead as he never died on Cross in the first place. Hence Jesus was never God as per Quran/Islam/Muhammad.
3. There is not a single Christian, in my knowledge, who does not believe that Jesus died a cursed death on Cross for the sinful Christians.
4. Jesus as per the Christian faith Jesus got resurrected to life from the dead, and hence he was God and
5. he sat on the right hand of God, assuming all-power.

This is, to me, the superstitious building blocks of the Christian faith which the Christians have been made to believe by Paul in Rome.

Regards

Hi @paarsurrey
Thank you for dropping by. We discussed Christ's crucifixion before. its useful for us to know that Muslims don't believe Jesus was crucified as they taken a verse in the Qur'an very literally.

All Christians believe He was crucified as you say.

 

[Trailblazer]

Hi @paarsurrey
its useful for us to know that Muslims don't believe Jesus was crucified as they taken a verse in the Qur'an very literally.

Do you know what that verse is?
Other than that one belief, the Muslims seem to be on the same page as the Baha'is.

 

[Dawnofhope]

Do you know what that verse is?
Other than that one belief, the Muslims seem to be on the same page as the Baha'is.

And [for] their saying, "Indeed, we have killed the Messiah, Jesus, the son of Mary, the messenger of Allah ." And they did not kill him, nor did they crucify him; but [another] was made to resemble him to them. And indeed, those who differ over it are in doubt about it. They have no knowledge of it except the following of assumption. And they did not kill him, for certain.
Surah 4:157

The major problem with the Muslims is they see the gospels as totally corrupted.

Baha'u'llah addresses this problem in the Kitab-i-Iqan:

We have also heard a number of the foolish of the earth assert that the genuine text of the heavenly Gospel doth not exist amongst the Christians, that it hath ascended unto heaven. How grievously they have erred! How oblivious of the fact that such a statement imputeth the gravest injustice and tyranny to a gracious and loving Providence! How could God, when once the Day-star of the beauty of Jesus had disappeared from the sight of His people, and ascended unto the fourth heaven, cause His holy Book, His most great testimony amongst His creatures, to disappear also? What would be left to that people to cling to from the setting of the day-star of Jesus until the rise of the sun of the Muḥammadan Dispensation? What law could be their stay and guide? How could such people be made the victims of the avenging wrath of God, the omnipotent Avenger? How could they be afflicted with the scourge of chastisement by the heavenly King? Above all, how could the flow of the grace of the All-Bountiful be stayed? How could the ocean of His tender mercies be stilled? We take refuge with God, from that which His creatures have fancied about Him! Exalted is He above their comprehension!

http://reference.bahai.org/en/t/b/KI/ki-3.html

 

[Trailblazer]

Hello.

God in Quran clearly deny that He has son, and said Jesus(pbuh) was just messanger as others.

Jesus(pbuh) never said that he is God,never asked his followers to pray him,and he never wanted to sacrifice himself on cross. that's all about claims/opinion of authors.

I recommand to watch this video about Jesus(pbuh) divin.

Thanks so much for posting that video.
I did not know much about Islam but now I have an appreciation for Muslim beliefs, especially their beliefs about God and Jesus, which are exactly the same as Bahai beliefs. The only difference regarding Jesus is that Baha'is believe that Jesus was crucified.

One thing on the video was incorrect is when they said that Islam is the only other religion that requires belief in Jesus. The Bahai Faith requires the wholehearted and unqualified acceptance of the divine origin of both Islám and Christianity, and of the Prophetic functions of both Muḥammad and Jesus Christ. In the passage below where it says Divinity of Jesus Christ that does not mean we believe that Jesus was God. We believe that Jesus was a Messenger of God, a Prophet.

“As to the position of Christianity, let it be stated without any hesitation or equivocation that its divine origin is unconditionally acknowledged, that the Sonship and Divinity of Jesus Christ are fearlessly asserted, that the divine inspiration of the Gospel is fully recognized, that the reality of the mystery of the Immaculacy of the Virgin Mary is confessed, and the primacy of Peter, the Prince of the Apostles, is upheld and defended. The Founder of the Christian Faith is designated by Bahá’u’lláh as the “Spirit of God,” is proclaimed as the One Who “appeared out of the breath of the Holy Ghost,” and is even extolled as the “Essence of the Spirit.” His mother is described as “that veiled and immortal, that most beauteous, countenance,” and the station of her Son eulogized as a “station which hath been exalted above the imaginings of all that dwell on earth,” whilst Peter is recognized as one whom God has caused “the mysteries of wisdom and of utterance to flow out of his mouth......

Indeed, the essential prerequisites of admittance into the Bahá’í fold of Jews, Zoroastrians, Hindus, Buddhists, and the followers of other ancient faiths, as well as of agnostics and even atheists, is the wholehearted and unqualified acceptance by them all of the divine origin of both Islám and Christianity, of the Prophetic functions of both Muḥammad and Jesus Christ, of the legitimacy of the institution of the Imamate, and of the primacy of St. Peter, the Prince of the Apostles. Such are the central, the solid, the incontrovertible principles that constitute the bedrock of Bahá’í belief, which the Faith of Bahá’u’lláh is proud to acknowledge, which its teachers proclaim, which its apologists defend, which its literature disseminates, which its summer schools expound, and which the rank and file of its followers attest by both word and deed.”
The Promised Day is Come, pp. 109-110

 

[Trailblazer]

And [for] their saying, "Indeed, we have killed the Messiah, Jesus, the son of Mary, the messenger of Allah ." And they did not kill him, nor did they crucify him; but [another] was made to resemble him to them. And indeed, those who differ over it are in doubt about it. They have no knowledge of it except the following of assumption. And they did not kill him, for certain.
Surah 4:157

The major problem with the Muslims is they see the gospels as totally corrupted.

Baha'u'llah addresses this problem in the Kitab-i-Iqan:

We have also heard a number of the foolish of the earth assert that the genuine text of the heavenly Gospel doth not exist amongst the Christians, that it hath ascended unto heaven. How grievously they have erred! How oblivious of the fact that such a statement imputeth the gravest injustice and tyranny to a gracious and loving Providence! How could God, when once the Day-star of the beauty of Jesus had disappeared from the sight of His people, and ascended unto the fourth heaven, cause His holy Book, His most great testimony amongst His creatures, to disappear also? What would be left to that people to cling to from the setting of the day-star of Jesus until the rise of the sun of the Muḥammadan Dispensation? What law could be their stay and guide? How could such people be made the victims of the avenging wrath of God, the omnipotent Avenger? How could they be afflicted with the scourge of chastisement by the heavenly King? Above all, how could the flow of the grace of the All-Bountiful be stayed? How could the ocean of His tender mercies be stilled? We take refuge with God, from that which His creatures have fancied about Him! Exalted is He above their comprehension!

http://reference.bahai.org/en/t/b/KI/ki-3.html

Thanks. I know that passage in The Kitab-i-Iqan very well.
How do you explain the passage in the Qur'an as being incorrect? Has the Qur'an been corrupted?

 

[Dawnofhope]

Thanks so much for posting that video.
I did not know much about Islam but now I have an appreciation for Muslim beliefs, especially their beliefs about God and Jesus, which are exactly the same as Bahai beliefs. The only difference regarding Jesus is that Baha'is believe that Jesus was crucified.

One thing on the video was incorrect is when they said that Islam is the only other religion that requires belief in Jesus. The Bahai Faith requires the wholehearted and unqualified acceptance of the divine origin of both Islám and Christianity, and of the Prophetic functions of both Muḥammad and Jesus Christ. In the passage below where it says Divinity of Jesus Christ that does not mean we believe that Jesus was God. We believe that Jesus was a Messenger of God, a Prophet.

“As to the position of Christianity, let it be stated without any hesitation or equivocation that its divine origin is unconditionally acknowledged, that the Sonship and Divinity of Jesus Christ are fearlessly asserted, that the divine inspiration of the Gospel is fully recognized, that the reality of the mystery of the Immaculacy of the Virgin Mary is confessed, and the primacy of Peter, the Prince of the Apostles, is upheld and defended. The Founder of the Christian Faith is designated by Bahá’u’lláh as the “Spirit of God,” is proclaimed as the One Who “appeared out of the breath of the Holy Ghost,” and is even extolled as the “Essence of the Spirit.” His mother is described as “that veiled and immortal, that most beauteous, countenance,” and the station of her Son eulogized as a “station which hath been exalted above the imaginings of all that dwell on earth,” whilst Peter is recognized as one whom God has caused “the mysteries of wisdom and of utterance to flow out of his mouth......

Indeed, the essential prerequisites of admittance into the Bahá’í fold of Jews, Zoroastrians, Hindus, Buddhists, and the followers of other ancient faiths, as well as of agnostics and even atheists, is the wholehearted and unqualified acceptance by them all of the divine origin of both Islám and Christianity, of the Prophetic functions of both Muḥammad and Jesus Christ, of the legitimacy of the institution of the Imamate, and of the primacy of St. Peter, the Prince of the Apostles. Such are the central, the solid, the incontrovertible principles that constitute the bedrock of Bahá’í belief, which the Faith of Bahá’u’lláh is proud to acknowledge, which its teachers proclaim, which its apologists defend, which its literature disseminates, which its summer schools expound, and which the rank and file of its followers attest by both word and deed.”
The Promised Day is Come, pp. 109-110

Muslims often see the Baha'i Faith as an apostasy or false as they consider Muhammad was the last prophet.

https://www.quora.com/What-is-the-Muslim-view-of-the-Bahá’í-Faith