What are the Differences between the Abrahamic Faiths?

[Quahom1]

Originally Posted by Terrence

Is this one of those "Christian" forums that use conjecture and spurious teachings to understand what God has written in Scripture? Hey listen, the Bible is obvious about God and who He knows. God, from the foundation of the world knows His. Wether they have come to Him or not yet isnt the question. Those whom God foreknew will come because they were called. Thsoe who are called are justified and those who are justified are glorified. God knows them...they're His. Jesus knows His sheep. His Sheep knows Jesus and they will hear His voice and in due time come. Those outside of Christ (who is the ONLY way to God), do not know God. They know of God (the reality of God is made plain in creation and in the conscience) but they dont know Him. Also, This I am not saying that God does not know them (those outside of Christ). He does, in the sense that He knows ALL. But, He does not know them as His own...that is to say, as His children and those who He will have an intimate relationship with.

On a side note. There is no such thing as a godly man; especially outside of Christ. We are all desperetely wicked sinners from birth and then molded by sin. Sin causes our wills and desires to be in direction oppossition from God. We hate God from brith. None has kept his laws. None has put Him first. None seek Him. None want Him. But, because we know He Is, we all try to appease Him. Many create a god in there own image and worship that god as if it is God, but its not, its idolotry and an offense of infinite proportion against God. The Cross of Christ is evidence of how depraved mankind is. God in His amazing grace saves people like us. None of us deserve anything good from God!

This isn't the Christianity Forum. It is the Abrahamic Faiths forum. I'm certain that God does know who His sheep are, that is His job, not ours.

It doesn't matter whether one claims Christ as their savior or not. Only Christ knows the truth of the individual heart (some claim Christ, but Christ knows them not). Some people have never heard of Christ, yet by their fruits we witness Christ in them.

There are lots of Godly people out there, not on their own merit, but by the Grace of God (even non-Christians).

If we who are evil know how to give good things to our children, how much more so will our Father in heaven give to us...

I think that there a a big difference in humility and humiliation. One is knowing one's self, flaws, weaknesses and acknowledging one's limitations before God. The other is to be ground into the dirt until nothing is left.

Humility is a gift from God, wherein humiliation is an weapon of man.

[Postmaster]

This isn't the Christianity Forum. It is the Abrahamic Faiths forum. I'm certain that God does know who His sheep are, that is His job, not ours.

It doesn't matter whether one claims Christ as their savior or not. Only Christ knows the truth of the individual heart (some claim Christ, but Christ knows them not). Some people have never heard of Christ, yet by their fruits we witness Christ in them.

There are lots of Godly people out there, not on their own merit, but by the Grace of God (even non-Christians).

If we who are evil know how to give good things to our children, how much more so will our Father in heaven give to us...

I think that there a a big difference in humility and humiliation. One is knowing one's self, flaws, weaknesses and acknowledging one's limitations before God. The other is to be ground into the dirt until nothing is left.

Humility is a gift from God, wherein humiliation is an weapon of man.

Thats what being a Christian is all about! I agree with that.

[BlaznFattyz]

we all have many different fates and circumstances. those that are fortunate to know the truth should spread it out of love that none should perish, and god will deal with those that denied the truth. there are those that are born into a distant version of the truth, and they desire not the shortcomings and contradictions of the religion, but love god with all their heart and love all his creations and have a personal and deep relationship with him. i believe god knows their hearts and takes into account their fate and circumstances and their love for god and others. god also takes into account what you know to be true yet deny it anyway.

[Postmaster]

hmm

[Dondi]

Let Scripture speak for itself:

"For as I passed by, and beheld your devotions, I found an altar with this inscription, TO THE UNKNOWN GOD. Whom therefore ye ignorantly worship, him declare I unto you.
God that made the world and all things therein, seeing that he is Lord of heaven and earth, dwelleth not in temples made with hands;
Neither is worshipped with men's hands, as though he needed any thing, seeing he giveth to all life, and breath, and all things;
And hath made of one blood all nations of men for to dwell on all the face of the earth, and hath determined the times before appointed, and the bounds of their habitation;
That they should seek the Lord, if haply they might feel after him, and find him, though he be not far from every one of us: For in him we live, and move, and have our being; as certain also of your own poets have said, For we are also his offspring." - Acts 17:23-28

[wil]

Namaste Dondi, soooo interesting...

Lines 24-28 seem a great interfaith piece.... we are all G-d's children... but then if lines 23 and 29 are added it becomes a my way or the the hi-way you guys are all wrong piece...

The sandwich does not appeal...I'll take the meat without the carbs.

[Dondi]

Originally Posted by wil

Namaste Dondi, soooo interesting...

Lines 24-28 seem a great interfaith piece.... we are all G-d's children... but then if lines 23 and 29 are added it becomes a my way or the the hi-way you guys are all wrong piece...

The sandwich does not appeal...I'll take the meat without the carbs.

From "Wiki" - "Unknown God":

"In addition to the twelve main Gods and the innumerable lesser deities, ancient Greeks used to worship an Unknown God (spelled Agnostos Theos in Greek). In Athens, there was a temple specifically dedicated to that God and very often Athenians used to swear "in the name of the Unknown God" (Νή τόν Άγνωστον). Apollodorus, Philostratus and Pausanias wrote about that God as well.
According to the Bible, when the Apostle Paul visited Athens, he saw an altar with an inscription dedicated to that god, so when he gave his speech on the Areopagos, he told the crowd that he was there to talk about that same Unknown God. However, the Unknown God was not so much a specific deity, but a placeholder, for whatever god or gods actually existed but were not known about, especially if they are actually important ones."

It seems to me that the Athenians were hedging their bets, ensuring they didn't leave out any "gods". I don't think Paul was being flippant, in vs 23, when he told them that they are worshipping this "Unknown God" ignorantly. That just happened to be a fact.

But in verse 29, Paul reaches above the level of what was even known to the Greeks in that this unknown God need not be worshipped with idols of graven images, rather that this God is boundless to the material world. Paul was elevating God above anything man could imagine Him to be. That they can be free to worship God apart from what they were used to. The confirmation of this is in the Risen Lord, which brings hope of a future resurrection of the body.

For Grecians, immortality lie in the rememberance of the loved one who died:

"The Greeks believed that at the moment of death the psyche, or spirit of the dead, left the body as a little breath or puff of wind. The deceased was then prepared for burial according to the time-honored rituals. Ancient literary sources emphasize the necessity of a proper burial and refer to the omission of burial rites as an insult to human dignity (Iliad, 23.71). Relatives of the deceased, primarily women, conducted the elaborate burial rituals that were customarily of three parts: the prothesis (laying out of the body), the ekphora (funeral procession), and the interment of the body or cremated remains of the deceased. After being washed and anointed with oil, the body was dressed and placed on a high bed within the house. During the prothesis, relatives and friends came to mourn and pay their respects. Lamentation of the dead is featured in early Greek art at least as early as the Geometric period, when vases were decorated with scenes portraying the deceased surrounded by mourners. Following the prothesis, the deceased was brought to the cemetery in a procession, the ekphora, which usually took place just before dawn. Very few objects were actually placed in the grave, but monumental earth mounds, rectangular built tombs, and elaborate marble stelai and statues were often erected to mark the grave and to ensure that the deceased would not be forgotten. Immortality lay in the continued remembrance of the dead by the living."

Source: http://www.metmuseum.org/toah/hd/dbag/hd_dbag.htm

But there were a few Greek Philosophers who believed in reincarnation, among them Plato and Pythagoras.

Thus the mixed reaction from the Athenians concerning the resurrection of the dead in vs. 32:

"And when they heard of the resurrection of the dead, some mocked: and others said, We will hear thee again of this matter."

[Muslimah]

With the name of ALLAH ( God Almighty ) -The Bestower Of Unlimited Mercy, The Continuously Merciful


Assalamu Alaikum Wa Rahmatullahi Wa Barakatuh (May the peace, mercy and blessings of Allah be upon you)

Listen to the holy Quran---the Final Testament

Recitation of Sura Fathiha by Shiekh Saad Al-Ghamdhi of Saudi Arabia


http://www.islamworld.net/fathiha.au



&&&

Originally Posted by Quahom1

I'm gonna keep it simple. Y'all fill in the blanks.

There is One and only One God.

Judeasm "Yes"
Christianity "Yes"
Islam "Yes

There is a "Messiah"

Judeasm "Yes"
Christianity "Yes"
Islam "Yes"

Scripture is:

Judeasm "Complete with the OT"
Christianity "Complete with the NT"
Islam "Corrupt? requiring a rewrite IAW the last Prophet?"

What part of this is in error?

Muslims believe in One God only & don't worship any human being or angel as god. Chrsitians worship 3 dieties God, human being & angel. Thus make it very complicated ......they claim that God is One but they associate partners with Him.

I m not sure about Jews....most probable , they believe in One God but used to believe that God had a son ...Prophet Uzair ( not sure about spelling...sorry ).

Muslims respects all Prophets ( pbut ). Jews hate Jesus (p) ; both the Jews & Christians don't respect the last Prophet (p).

I think, one participants suggested an imp point.....let's discuss about the similarities. I request all to watch free vedioes of Dr. Zakir Naik . These are
' similarities between Islam & Christianity, concept of God in major religions, Universal brotherhood etc

[Muslimah]

Salaam/peace;

some more

Muslims believe that all the holy books came from one source---God Almighty. But later Torah , Jabur ( Psalam ). Injeel ( bible) were corrupted. So, God sent the Last holy book to the last Prophet (p) & promised that God will protect it from corruption. So, we get the holy Quran as it was recited /read during the time of Prophet Muhammed (p).


to know more about the difference between Bible and Quran , u may visit this link. It's creted by an ex-Chrsitian missionary.

Quran or Bible: What is The Difference?

Islam Always - Quran or Bible: What is The Difference?

[dauer]

Mulimah,

Jews neither used to believe God had a son (I looked up Uzair on google really quickly and found it's the same as Ezra if you'd like to do your own research on what Jews believe on the matter), nor do we hate Jesus. Jesus simply does not factor into our belief system. That would be like saying Christians hate Joseph Smith (the founder of Mormonism) which is also not true. He's just not a part of their belief system.

As a Jew, I can also say I don't disrespect Muhammad. He's simply not a part of my belief system, just like Krishna, Buddha, and Baha'ulah.

You make a good point though about discussing similarities. I don't think it's necessary that we all watch a video by a Muslim scholar in order to discuss similarities. Clearly there are many similarities, for example, between Islam and Judaism. Our beliefs about God are often very similar and even practice is similar, in that religion is more of a way of life, something that through daily ritual extends into all of one's life.

Dauer

[Saltmeister]

Originally Posted by Muslimah

Chrsitians worship 3 dieties God, human being & angel. Thus make it very complicated ......they claim that God is One but they associate partners with Him.

Correction. There is no angel in the concept of Trinity. The Holy Spirit is an angel in Islam but not in Christianity.

I think the point that's often missed is that the Trinity is not exactly a "concept of God" but how He expressed and revealed Himself to humanity. Father, Son and Holy Spirit all have the same identity. The Holy Spirit is not seen by all Christians as a separate entity. To some He/It is merely Spirit, which relates to the idea that God is Spirit. In a sense, then, the three names refer to concepts of three things that share the same identity.

As Christians we often emphasise a "threeness in the number of entities" but I think it's really a "threeness in terminology." If the Holy Spirit isn't a separate entity -- that God is Spirit, then God isn't essentially three. The Trinity could therefore be just a way of expressing our relationship with God.

Jesus may be seen by some be a part of God, but may be seen by others as one who shared His identity. By sharing God's identity, Jesus made it possible for people to encounter "God" in a place where God wouldn't normally be experienced. But perhaps what was most important was Jesus' role. Jesus lived in a time of judgmental legalism. It was a time when people were making religion impersonal and dehumanising.

Because religions represent God, and there has always been the possibility that religion could be made into something impersonal and dehumanising, they could infer that God Himself was impersonal -- that human existence could be degraded into a life where we have to follow rules to be accepted by God.

I'm thinking that most importantly, it is not separate teachings in a religion that conceptualise God. The whole, entire religion conceptualises God. A religion that has a concept of God is itself a concept of God. Even teachings that don't have anything directly to do with God still contribute to a concept of God. Anything that explains or defines the purpose of what God created is itself conceptualising God because it has something to say about God.

A lot of people may wonder about the purpose of a religion like Christianity. We're all speculating and coming up with theories. Christianity, I believe, was a declaration by God that He is indeed personal. In Christianity, Jesus was a demonstration of what a personal God was like. Christianity, then, is about a pursuit of a personal relationship with God.

Three deities?

The Holy Spirit, as I said, is not necessarily a separate entity, it merely may suggest that God is Spirit. So the Holy Spirit is not a separate deity.

Is Jesus a Deity? If Jesus had God's identity, then in a sense Jesus was inheriting the qualities of a Deity. You could say it was like God handing Jesus a Torch. That Torch could be seen as God's light in this world. The planets orbiting the sun don't shine with their own light. They reflect the sun's light. A Deity is like a star. God is like a star that shines light on the planets orbiting it. These planets reflect that star's light. You could say then that Jesus therefore inherits the identity of a Deity, but is not himself a Deity in his own right.

In that sense there's only one Deity in Christianity -- God, which Christianity calls the Father.

Our faith is often accused of dividing God into three, but I think that's a misunderstanding of Christianity. The problem is how we're often taught to approach Christianity, not Christianity itself.

There are, actually, two "Trinities" in "Christianity." There is the "Doctrine of the Trinity" that was formulated several centuries after Christ and there is the "Trinity" expressed in the New Testament. The "Doctrine of the Trinity" defines a "God in three." The "Trinity in the NT" does not define a "God in three." It does not even say anything about God being three in one. There is, certainly, a "Trinity" in the New Testament, but not one with which we are familiar. This "Trinity" was a Trinity of terminology -- the Father, Son and Holy Spirit.

But perhaps the point I'd like to say is that, "threeness in terminology in a concept of God" does not imply "threeness in God." It does, however, suggest that the terms used in that terminology are closely related to the concept of God.

At least for now, I could say that Father, Son and Holy Spirit are indeed One, but not in the number of entities involved. They are one in identity. By "one in identity" I do not mean "one in purpose," but "one" as in all those entities sharing the same essential qualities of character that they are essentially the same person appearing in multiple entities.

I think Christianity's reasoning is the idea that God putting His own identity in another being was to declare that a relationship with God is ultimately personal, that one can approach such a relationship in the same way as we do with other human beings. The idea is not to assign "human qualities" to God, but to declare that God is compatible with human beings and capable of making Himself understood in human terms.

So perhaps Jesus wasn't about "making God human" as some suggest, but declaring that "humans beings can understand God" and that "God is personable."

[Karimarie]

Which parts are wrong? Islam doesn't have a 'Messiah' as far as I know, and Judaism's canon comprises a lot more than the Tanakh.

[Seeker_of_truth]

Originally Posted by Terrence

I dont know about that. God only has a relationship with those who come to him His way, and thats through His Son, Jesus. You dont have Jesus, you dont have God.

Wouldn't it be more correct to say if you don't have Christ you don't have God?

[wil]

One difference seems to be that Jews quietly live their faith. Celebrating the glory of G-d with family and friends. Christians and Muslims spend an inordinate amount of time telling each other and anyone that will listen (and some who won't) that the only way to heaven is their way.

[Quahom1]

Originally Posted by wil

One difference seems to be that Jews quietly live their faith. Celebrating the glory of G-d with family and friends. Christians and Muslims spend an inordinate amount of time telling each other and anyone that will listen (and some who won't) that the only way to heaven is their way.

Now that is a stereotypical statement if I ever read one, and quite surprising coming from you.