Christianity And Islam
Christianity and Islam
9/11 is just about time to think about the differences between Christianity and Islam. Not that we can solve all the current world problems, or even touch on them in some reasonable depth within the modest frame work of this essay, but we can at least point out some interesting facts. We generally believe that all religions have at least some common denominator. Joseph Campbell in his life long work documented how ancient tribal myths survived throughout the ages and influenced all forms of religion. Some of the greatest minds of humankind, such as Mahatma Gandhi, expressed a belief that all religions are basically the same, and there is a "rock bottom unity" among all religions (Datta 53). The fear of darkness and the unknown, specifically the ultimate unknown, might be undoubtedly the common source for all fundamental principles of all major religions. But humankind had plenty of time to cultivate these differences that might contribute to the views that lead to conflicts.
In both religions we can find many similarities. Christians believe in God, Muslims in Allah, which is translated as the same as a God, and there are many other similarities. Both Christians and Muslims expect a second coming of Jesus, and both believe that there is Heaven or Hell after death. Christians have their book of books – the Bible; Muslims have theirs - called the Koran. Both religions consider their books the one and only, and all include the eternal word of God. (Psalms 119:89; Luke 21:33) And similarly the Koran says: "It (the Koran) is invincible. Falsehood does not invade it neither from before it nor from behind it, a revelation from the Al Mighty, Praised" (Koran 41:41,42).
Both the Bible and the Koran, in their original form and their early days, were actually a codex of ethical behavior, and proper rules and laws to guide people's daily life. Both evolved as various forms of civil and criminal law as...
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