The god of Islam or the living God of Christianity

[Gary]

The god of Islam (Allah) does not have the same attributes as the living God we read about in the Bible and know from experience.

Reading the Quran (which I have studied for 4+ years now) and comparing the attributes of the god of Islam (Allah) to the living God described in the Bible and known by His Holy Spirit, I have to conclude that they are NOT the same.

Do not be misled.

Westernised Muslims (living in Europe, the UK and the USA) will mislead you by saying that they worship the same God. They will tell you that even in the Arabic Bible, God is referred to as Allah.

That is an unfortunate fact. Yes, God IS referred to as Allah in the Arabic Bible. However, the God of the Bible and the god described in the Quran have different attributes. God wants to you have a personal relationship with Him. We can call God "Abba". How wonderful!

The god of Islam is totally different. He is the author of evil. He wants you to submit to him. You cannot have a personal relationship with Allah.

Let me try to explain it in an analogy. Let us say that my father is James. I personally know James as I can remember how he brought me up, taught me, helped me and loved me, even when I went off the rails.... he welcomed me home with open arms. I KNOW James... I know how much he loves me and I know how our relationship has matured and become deeper and deeper so that I love calling him "Dad". I know Dad's attributes.

Along comes Fred. He is a Muslim and he starts telling me about James. He bows down to James, he "submits" to James. He performs daily rituals by which he hopes to gain merit with James. He never knows how James will take this all but he thinks that if he MURDERS for James while "defending" James (Jihad) that James will give him paradise.

When Fred starts telling me stories about James, they seem somewhat familiar BUT I REALISE THAT HE DOES NOT REALLY KNOW JAMES.... because the attributes he describes about my Dad are NOT the same attributes that I know Dad has.

I therefore declare that Fred is "worshipping" a false image of my Dad..... and that image is flawed and does not exist. He may try and fool me by calling my Dad "James" but I know he is not describing the man I know and love.

If the Muslim, Fred, really wants to know my Dad, he has to come to me.... and in this analogy, I would be Jesus. "No one comes to the Father except through Me" is what Jesus taught.

I know that it is a long story, but I hope it helps.

Also have a look at the links below... they may help if you need in-depth knowledge.

Kind regards
Gary

http://www.answering-islam.org/Shamoun/god.htm

 

[Quath]

By this same reasoning, the Christian God is not the same as the Jewish God since the two religions don't agree on His character. So I use the following analogy:

The Muslim God is to the Christian God as the Christian God is to the Jewish God.

Quath

 

[SyntaxVorlon]

All you Abrahamists look the same to me.

 

[Featherbop]

My opinion is that they follow, worship, genocide for a false understanding, concept, beleif, idea of the real God.

Noone would have come up with false gods if not given an example to distort.

 

[Heidi]

Jesus said; "because you are unable to understand what i say, your father is the devil, the father of lies. He was a murderer from the beginning." Jesus makes it clear that those without the Holy Spirit are coming from the ruler of the desires of the flesh which is the devil. Mohammed's behavior showed this to be true because he was a murderer. Jesus was not. "For out of the overflow of the heart, the mouth speaks." God is a God of love. The devil begets hatred and murder. "A good tree cannot produce bad fruit and a bad tree cannot produce good fruit." If you want to know who the Muslims worship, then "by their fruit you will know them." Mohammed's actions alone shows what was in his heart. Love and murder are mutually exclusive.

 

[Soma-Sight]

In the sense that the OT is used they could be the same....

But takinf into account the NT vs Koran they could be different! :bday:

 

[Guest]

Couldn't one make a similar argument about the OT versus the NT, that the God depicted in one is totally different from the God depicted in the other?

 

[BradtheImpaler]

My opinion is that they follow, worship, genocide for a false understanding, concept, beleif, idea of the real God.

No one would have come up with false gods if not given an example to distort.

Didn't the "real God" have the Hebrews practice genocide on the people that happened to inhabit the Promised Land ahead of them? What about the flood of Noah? Only one family short of total genocide. Maybe the Moslems have more "spiritual" insight than you realize?

 

[Stejaka]

I voted that it was the same God. I've got a Muslim friend. We've talked about our religious views, and I'm convinced that he's just as faithful to God as I am, and for good reason. There was a lot about the Islam faith I didn't know or understand, because it had been so twisted and changed by non-Muslims. I'm grateful for his friendship and his faithful example. You guys are so convinced on this forum that Mohammed brings about the anti-Christ. It's sickening to read the staggering amount of hate on this forum for Muslims. Too bad loving your enemy doesn't apply here.

 

[Solo]

I voted that it was the same God. I've got a Muslim friend. We've talked about our religious views, and I'm convinced that he's just as faithful to God as I am, and for good reason. There was a lot about the Islam faith I didn't know or understand, because it had been so twisted and changed by non-Muslims. I'm grateful for his friendship and his faithful example. You guys are so convinced on this forum that Mohammed brings about the anti-Christ. It's sickening to read the staggering amount of hate on this forum for Muslims. Too bad loving your enemy doesn't apply here.

Who do the Muslims say that Jesus is? Do they regard Jesus as being Allah?

 

[Stejaka]

Nope, Jesus is not Allah, as Jesus is not God. The Muslims believe that Jesus was a great prophet, who taught many good things, but that was all he was - a prophet.

 

[Solo]

Nope, Jesus is not Allah, as Jesus is not God. The Muslims believe that Jesus was a great prophet, who taught many good things, but that was all he was - a prophet.

That is why Allah is not the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. Jesus is God.

Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Before Abraham was, I am. John 8:58

1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 The same was in the beginning with God. 3 All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made. 4 In him was life; and the life was the light of men. 5 And the light shineth in darkness; and the darkness comprehended it not. 6 There was a man sent from God, whose name was John. 7 The same came for a witness, to bear witness of the Light, that all men through him might believe. 8 He was not that Light, but was sent to bear witness of that Light. 9 That was the true Light, which lighteth every man that cometh into the world. 10 He was in the world, and the world was made by him, and the world knew him not. 11 He came unto his own, and his own received him not. 12 But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name: 13 Which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God. 14 And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth. John 1:1-14

 

[Orthodox Christian]

It is untrue to say that the God of the OT is "totally different" than the God of the NT. A close examination of the late Jewish scriptures reveals an unfolding understanding of God divergent from the earlier, oral tradition. From the time of David forward, YHWH was described in terms that seem nearly as much at odds with the early Jewish scriptures as does the NT.

For example, this psalm, from the time of David (or perhaps from David)

Bless the LORD, O my soul: and all that is within me, [bless] his holy name. Bless the LORD, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits: Who forgiveth all thine iniquities; who healeth all thy diseases; Who redeemeth thy life from destruction; who crowneth thee with lovingkindness and tender mercies;

Tender mercies, healing, and forgiveness- hardly the vindictive type. But it continues

The LORD [is] merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and plenteous in mercy. He will not always chide: neither will he keep [his anger] for ever. He hath not dealt with us after our sins; nor rewarded us according to our iniquities. For as the heaven is high above the earth, [so] great is his mercy toward them that fear him. As far as the east is from the west, [so] far hath he removed our transgressions from us. Like as a father pitieth [his] children, [so] the LORD pitieth them that fear him. For he knoweth our frame; he remembereth that we [are] dust.

There are difficulties to reconcile from the OT, but the best apologetic I have ever heard on the matter was by Thomas Cahill, "the Gifts of the Jews." His premise is that the revelation of God to and through the Jews was progressive, wherein the revelation of God to Avram was incomplet; greater to Moses; greater still to David and the prophets; completed in Christ.

This reconciles OT with NT, and reconciles OT with OT.

Therefore:
The revelation from OT to NT was progressive,, and the revelation of Islam was a regression, de-personalized and militarized.

From a Jewish perspective, however, it would probably be understood that Christianity was a departure from Judaism, and Islam from Christianity.

All a matter of perspective.

 

[Lonelyguide]

Wovon man nicht sprechen kann, darüber muss man schweigen. -Wittgenstein

Great signature line, SyntaxVorlon. It embraces within one circumference many things which are being expressed in these threads. But then Wittgenstein did make a lot of sense in many ways, did he not? Perhaps, however, we should rephrase it somewhat. How about ... "Dasjenige warüber man sich überhaupt keine Vorstellung machen kann, darüber muss man entweder schweigen oder diejenigen ans Wort lassen die es können."

 

[Lonelyguide]

Hi OrthodoxChristian,

Loved your post. I agree ... all a matter of perspective ... as everything is in this world of perceptions. If only we could bear that in mind whenever ego, our false self, and its thought system makes us forget that the "other" is as much a son of God as we are.

 

[bibleberean]

A better signature line would be...

Psalm 14:1 Ein Psalm Davids, vorzusingen. Die Toren sprechen in ihrem Herzen: Es ist kein Gott. Sie taugen nichts und sind ein Greuel mit ihrem Wesen; da ist keiner, der Gutes tue.

Good post Orthodox Christian.

Jesus came as a prophet. He is now a priest and will return as King.

A Prophet

Matthew 21:9-11 And the multitudes that went before, and that followed, cried, saying, Hosanna to the Son of David: Blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord; Hosanna in the highest. And when he was come into Jerusalem, all the city was moved, saying, Who is this? And the multitude said, This is Jesus the prophet of Nazareth of Galilee.

Mark 6:4 But Jesus said unto them, A prophet is not without honour, but in his own country, and among his own kin, and in his own house.

A Priest

Hebrews 4:14 Seeing then that we have a great high priest, that is passed into the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our profession.

A King

John 18:37 Pilate therefore said unto him, Art thou a king then? Jesus answered, Thou sayest that I am a king. To this end was I born, and for this cause came I into the world, that I should bear witness unto the truth. Every one that is of the truth heareth my voice.

1 Timothy 6:14-15 That thou keep this commandment without spot, unrebukeable, until the appearing of our Lord Jesus Christ: Which in his times he shall shew, who is the blessed and only Potentate, the King of kings, and Lord of lords;

Jesus was God manifest in the flesh

1 Timothy 3:16 And without controversy great is the mystery of godliness: God was manifest in the flesh, justified in the Spirit, seen of angels, preached unto the Gentiles, believed on in the world, received up into glory.

John 1:1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.

John 1:14 And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth.

 

[Shinto]

I read the bible, I read the Koran, both make my heart overflow.

I don't know a great many complex things. I don't know about the chemistry and biology of water and taste.

I know the taste of the ocean, whether it is in this harbor or that.

 

[Gary]

I read the bible, I read the Koran, both make my heart overflow.

I don't know a great many complex things. I don't know about the chemistry and biology of water and taste.

I know the taste of the ocean, whether it is in this harbor or that.

The question is: Is the god of Islam the same as the living God of the Bible? I "taste" the Living Word revealed through the Bible and His Holy Spirit.... it is the bread of life.

I taste the Quran. I smells and tastes of death.

:-?

 

[Shinto]

I read the bible, I read the Koran, both make my heart overflow.

I don't know a great many complex things. I don't know about the chemistry and biology of water and taste.

I know the taste of the ocean, whether it is in this harbor or that.

The question is: Is the god of Islam the same as the living God of the Bible? I "taste" the Living Word revealed through the Bible and His Holy Spirit.... it is the bread of life.

I taste the Quran. I smells and tastes of death.

:-?

Well, if we all had the same inclination in spiritual matters I very much doubt that the world would be as it is today. :

 

[Gary]

The difference is that my observation is supported by facts. Yours are not. The terrorism in the world today is caused by those who follow the teachings of the Quran and follow Muhammad's example.

.