Comparative Religion Essay; Islam and Christianity
Imran is a Muslim who traces his ancestry to Oman. I have a different religious identity from Imran because I practice Christianity. The two religions, Christianity and Islam, are the most widely practiced religions of the world. Islam and Christianity cover a religious affiliation of more than half of the global population. However, although the two religions are the most dominant in the world, they are different from each other. A conversation with Imran revealed that most Islamic theological beliefs and religious practices differ from Christianity.
Islam and Christianity hold different material expressions of their traditions. In Islam, the star and the crescent are used to symbolize the Islam religion. Most Islamic countries have the star and the crescent on their flags to indicate that they are Islamic countries. Also, the color green is the official Islamic color. The color green symbolizes life and the theory of paradise present in the Quran. Also, the Kaaba is considered the most sacred place in Islam. The Kaaba is a mosque in Mecca, Saudi Arabia in the shape of a cube. Muslims who pay pilgrimage to the Kaaba walk around it in prayer.
Christianity holds a different set of material expressions from Islam. Christians have different denominations which have different material expressions. Among Christians, the cross is the most sacred symbol. The cross symbolizes salvation which was received when Jesus was crucified. Also, the Bible believed to be the word of God. Also referred to as the Good News, the Bible is the primary point of reference for Christians of all denominations. Although Christianity has different denominations, the cross and the Bible are common material possessions across the Christian religion.
Imran does not see any conflict between the stated beliefs of their tradition and his own beliefs. Imran holds integrity, morality, and kindness as his values. Furthermore, Imran considers Islam not only as a religion but as a way of living. Since Islam is embedded in morality, Imran finds it easy to live as per his faith. Also, ImranImran believes in nourishing his soul rather than his physical body. Therefore, Imran upholds all Islamic practices and beliefs that satisfy his intellectual as well as nourish his soul.
The naturalistic theory of the origin of religion aligns with the Islamic faith. The naturalistic theory argues that only natural law and forces operate the world (Stausberg, 2009). The naturalistic approach also tries to explain why people in most societies believe in the existence of an invisible supernatural being who influences human life. Also, people develop elaborate and demanding rituals concerning their religion. In line with Pyysiainen et al. (2010), at some point during evolution, humans must have developed moral ideas which governed their behaviors as well as beliefs. In Islam, although the Muslims cannot prove the existence of Allah, they believe in the Quran and perform rituals that align with their ideas.
Imran believes that some Islamic religious traditions face challenges in the modern world. Islam expects each Muslim to go on a pilgrimage to Mecca at least once in their lifetime. Mecca is considered to be the holy city of Islam with the Kabba as the most sacred place in Islam. The pilgrimage, which is a holy religious journey, is perceived differently by the modern world. With the rising toll of terrorism, the contemporary world views Mecca as the place where terrorists go to plan their attacks. Furthermore, most terrorists claim to execute innocents as part of a holy war. However, Imran notes that there is not part of the Holy Quran that justifies murder and violence. Islam, by a whole, is a religion governed by morality and humanity. Also, the social structures among Muslims have weakened because of the dynamics of the modern world. Some rituals and beliefs have been modernized to fit the contemporary world as well as the Islamic faith.
According to Imran, the Islamic faith is struggling to respond to the modern world in areas where Islam is not the dominant religion. In Islamic countries such as Oman, the Islamic religion has managed to remain rooted in its beliefs despite the numerous changes in the modern world. However, in places where a few people only practice Islam, religion is not responding positively to the contemporary world. As stated earlier, Islam is associated with terrorists because most terrorists profess Islam as their religion. Therefore, in areas where Islam is not the dominant religion, Muslims face discrimination and victimization. Due to societal pressure, some Muslims decide to denounce the Islamic faith to live up to societal expectations. However, in Islamic countries, Muslims can stay united in the knowledge that the Islamic faith condemns violence against innocent people. Imran notes that Islamic faith would respond positively to the challenges in the modern worlds if people were open to understanding the Islamic faith without preconception.
The Islamic religion is focused on behavior more than belief. Although belief is an essential part of the Islamic faith, the action is the expression of the Islamic faith. The few rituals in Islam are significant, and they follow the five pillars of Islam. The first pillar is the confession of faith. All Muslims must profess Allah as the only God and Mohammed as the prophet of Allah. The second pillar ritual prayer, which is performed five times a day. The third pillar is almsgiving, where Muslims donate to the poor. The fourth pillar fasting during Ramadan, and the fifth pillar is the pilgrimage to Mecca. Therefore Islam insists more on behavior that depicts belief rather than belief unaccompanied by actions. In addition to the five pillars of Islam, Muslims are expected to lead moral lives guided by the Quran. Imran states the orthopraxis nature of Islam aligns with his own beliefs, which make it easy for him to live according to Islam.
Islam and Christianity differ in theology and ideology. Christians believe that Jesus is the son of God, who was sent to die and save humans from sins. On the other hand, although Muslims acknowledge that Jesus existed and that he was born on a virgin, Muslims believe that Jesus was one of the prophets sent by Allah. According to Christians, Jesus is part of the holy trinity, but according to Muslims, Jesus is a prophet like Noah, Abraham, and Moses. Also, Muslims believe that Mohammed is the final messenger sent by Allah and that he was supreme to all prophets, including Jesus. Christians, however, do not believe in any prophet called Mohammed. Therefore, although Muslims and Christians believe in prophets sent by Allah and God, they differ in their identity.
Muslims do not believe that Jesus was crucified and died on the cross. According to Christianity, Jesus was crucified on the cross and died; on the third day, Jesus rose from the dead and broke the chains of sin. Therefore, Christians consider the death and resurrection of Jesus as salvation from sin. Muslims, on the other hand, believe the Allah spared Mohammed from death and took him up to Himself. The Islamic faith states that every person must bear the consequences of their sins. Thus, it is unjust to Muslims that Jesus suffered death by crucifixion for the sins of others. Christians, on the other hand, believe that human beings cannot atone for their sins, thus the need for Jesus to die on the cross.
In conclusion, although Islam and Christianity are different from each other, the two religions share some common grounds. Both faiths hold morality and righteousness essential beliefs. Both religions teach the importance of helping the needy and practicing a righteous life. Besides, Islam and Christianity have holy books that are used to guide lifestyles. Therefore, although Islam and Christianity are different, Muslims and Christians can coexist peacefully.
References
Pyysiäinen, I., & Hauser, M. (2010). The origins of religion: evolved adaptation or by-product?. Trends in cognitive sciences, 14(3), 104-109.
Stausberg, M. (Ed.). (2009). Contemporary theories of religion: a critical companion. Routledge.