In light of recent world events including the rise of ISIS, and the ongoing slaughter of Christians, many people are still confused about the differences between the teachings of Islam compared to Christianity. The first obvious contrast is Jesus taught love and forgiveness; the prophet Muhammad was a violent warrior who promoted conquest, and killed Jews and Christians.
Here in America, there are over 3.5 million Muslims, but the problem is with a minority of the overall Muslim population that has blended into our society with the goal of implementing acts of takeover or terror. Estimates suggest there are about 250,000 radicals who are patiently working and waiting for the call to jihad. Another problem is very few “moderate” Muslims publicly renounce acts of terror taking place around the world. One cannot help but wonder exactly where they stand.
It is no secret the Obama administration has openly supported Islam since the president’s 2009 speech in Cairo. Ever since the “Arab Spring” in early 2011, Sharia Law was implemented in Islamic countries and the persecution of Christians has reached record levels. Few media outlets reported one year after President Obama released Abu Bakr al Baghdadi from an Iraqi jail, Baghdadi formed ISIS and they have been on a bloody rampage of terror, death, and evil ever since. Where should Americans stand?
The following is a book excerpt from ERADICATE: BLOTTING OUT GOD IN AMERICA, chapter 13, “Counterfeit Christianity”)
Both Christianity and Islam promote a standard of morality and doing good works, but the god of Islam is not the same as the living God of the Holy Bible. The Muslim holy book is called the Quran, which is an Arabic word that literally means “the recitation.” The Quran considers Jesus a prophet, but not the Son of God or Savior. Muslims do not believe Jesus died on the cross, but that he was assumed to heaven by Allah.
“Jesus is like Adam in the sight of Allah. Allah created him of dust and then said to him: ‘Be,’ and he was” (Quran 3:55, 58). In other words, [to Muslims] Jesus was a created being like us with no divine attributes. The Bible however, teaches:
In the beginning … The Word was with God … He [Jesus] was with God in the beginning; all things were created by Him and for Him (John 1:1; Colossians 1:16).
In the Muslim teachings of the end times, Jesus appears before Allah and is asked if He ever claimed to be Allah’s son; Jesus says no. Jesus then gets angry and helps the Muslim Messiah kill every remaining Jew and Christian. The Trinity is also not supported by Allah.
The Bible was written by at least forty different authors over a period of at least 1,500 years, and its unity and continuity are still apparent and cohesive. The Prophet Muhammad is said to have received divine revelation (recitations) from Allah over a period of twenty-three years. Since Muhammad could not read or write, he “recited” the contents of his revelation to fellow companions. They in turn memorized and recited it to the next generation. The companions eventually wrote down what was recited to them on animal skins and bones, large stones, and on big palm leaves.
There are contradictions in the Quran; at times Allah commands Muslims to love Jews and Christians and at other times calls for their death, if they do not convert to Islam. Because there are verses that teach peace, you may hear Islam referred to as a religion of peace. However, other instructions in the Quran order Muslims to kill all unbelievers, especially the more recent verses relating to Jews and Christians. What does a follower of Islam do when two instructions seem to contradict each other? This word is a pivotal key to unlocking the answer: abrogation.
Abrogation is a recurring theme whenever apparent conflicting verses of the Quran are discussed. It means to cancel, repeal, or officially revoke something. In this situation, the later or more recent verses calling for Holy War override earlier verses counseling tolerance or peace.
Committed followers of Islam will settle for nothing short of universal conversion and eventual death to all infidels.
“I will cast terror into the hearts of those who disbelieved, so strike [them] upon the necks and strike from them every finger¬tip” (Quran 8:12). And, “Strike off the heads of the unbelievers, and after making a wide slaughter among them, carefully tie up the remaining captives” (Quran 47:4).
One may argue our God commands violence just like Allah does. We must distinguish between commands given to nations and instructions to individuals. In addition, killing while under command and submission to an army is very different than murdering someone as a private citizen. Though there were wars and plenty of violence in the Old Testament, God warned enemies of Israel about his holiness, his covenant, and he used people as his instrument of judgment in the world at the time. Jehovah God even put to death some of his own people who violated their covenant with him, but he never commands us to take our own revenge.
You shall not take vengeance, nor bear any grudge against the sons of your people, but you shall love your neighbor as yourself; I am the LORD (Leviticus 19:18).
Bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you… If you love those who love you, what credit is that to you? Even ‘sinners’ love those who love them (Luke 6:28, 32).
“And fight them until there is no fitnah [tumult, disorder, trial, test, unbelief] and until the religion, all of it, is for Allah. And if they cease – then indeed, Allah is Seeing of what they do” (Quran 8:39).
Islam is completely incompatible with a society such as America that values religious freedom. Islam will accept no other religions, no competing economic or political views and no legal system except Sharia Law which would outlaw Christianity. Islam teaches that good Muslims should lie to their enemies to win their confidence. Allah himself lies, and the teachings of the prophet Muhammad accuse Jesus of lying.
This may explain how Muslims have broken every peace treaty they have ever signed with Israel and other nations.
God is not a man that he should lie (Numbers 23:19).
Since many liberals, media, and progressives are hostile toward Christianity, they have blind support for Islam. They are either deceived, or they are part of the agenda to blot out the Judeo-Christian God from America. Islamic Law calls for potential death sentences for adulterers and homosexuals. Where are the gay protests of Muslims? Christianity teaches us to forgive, to love all men, and preach the gospel. We are to confront sin, but not hate the sinner. Islam also allows the treatment of women as property while Christianity teaches respect.Where are the feminist protests of Muslim women being oppressed or stoned?
Because Islam denies the deity of Jesus Christ, according to 1 John 4:1-3, it is a religion of antichrist. So, if the founder of Islam, Muham¬mad, was actually a false prophet who did not hear from the one true living God, then those who follow him are deceived. Furthermore, in the Quran it states they [Jews and Christians] are deluded and “may Allah destroy them” in Surah 9:30. This proves that to compare Islam to Christianity is like comparing oil and water.
Jesus did not come to earth to bring world peace (Matt. 10:34), and yet there are religious leaders in America preaching common ground with Islam hoping to unify all religions. Nowhere in the Bible does God encourage joining with other religions. On the contrary, He warns against it. It’s not that we shouldn’t evangelize people of other faiths, but typically the faith that bends and compromises is Christianity, leaving a diluted gospel. This doesn’t stop some from attempting to mix Christianity and Islam.
CHRISLAM?
“Chrislam” is the idea that Muslims and Christians worship the same God and that there are similarities to unite around. We’ve already established this is impossible and that Allah is not the same as Jehovah God, YHWH. Though both Christianity and Islam have Abrahamic roots, and both religions promote morality, the similarities pretty much stop there. Teachings that line up with Chrislam gain popularity because tolerance has trumped truth in our modern culture. This is a small movement, but don’t be surprised if it gains popularity.
We are to separate ourselves from unbelievers and those who worship other gods:
Do not be bound together with unbelievers; for what partner¬ship have righteousness and lawlessness, or what fellowship has light with darkness? …or what has a believer in common with an unbeliever? (2 Corinthians 6:14-15).
Islam allows for lying and deception in order to advance their quest for world domination, so how can we work side by side with those who subscribe to what is called “Kitman,” the practice of deceiving infidels with half-truths? In countries not yet dominated by Islam, it only coexists with other religions because they have not been fully converted to Islam yet. We, however, believe salvation is by faith in Christ alone. Islam rejects this teaching.
I don’t care what evangelical leader backs this common ground movement. Conservative Christians must be loyal and obedient to the truth and the gospel of Jesus Christ and not be concerned with the approval of man. This does not mean we can’t love them and have a heart for the lost. It means we must be cautious about a religion that teaches Jesus was an apostle of Allah and not the only Son of God. John MacArthur explains:
“Islam today is the most powerful system on earth for the destruction of biblical truth and Christianity – thousands of Christians are dying under Islamic persecution, especially in the Middle East, Africa, Indonesia, and other parts of Asia. Clearly, Islam and Christianity are mutually exclusive. Both claim to be the only true way to God, but both cannot be right. There is no atonement in Islam, no forgiveness, no savior, and no assurance of eternal life.”
UNCOMMON GROUND
In October 2007, leaders of Islam came up with an open letter to leaders of the Christian faith in America called A Common Word Between Us and You calling for peace between Muslims and Christians and an understanding among both religions. They sought to emphasize two of the Ten Commandments; the love of god and the love of our neighbor. What’s wrong with that? Islamic leaders stated, “The future of the world depends on peace between Muslims and Christians.”
Not only is the world’s future in God’s hands, but the Bible teaches a very different future than other religions believe. Jesus warned about false prophets, wars, and nation rising against nation in the end times. It should also be noted that Islam means absolute “submission.” The Islamic model of the relationship between Allah and his followers is that of a master and servant. Christianity teaches that we are children of God and are privileged to call him our Father.
What did our best and brightest leaders do? Scholars from Yale Divinity School decided to respond to the letter from Islamic leaders by publishing a full page advertisement in the New York Times titled, “Loving God and Neighbor Together: A Christian Response to A Common Word Between Us and You.” They promised to “work diligently together to reshape relations between our communities and our nations.”
The response includes Christian repentance over the mistreatment of Muslims and, yet, does not include any mention of differences between Allah and Yahweh! This leaves us with one of two conclusions: either these liberal evangelicals and scholars are confused and deceived about the teachings of Islam or they are complicit in the goal of a one-world government and the minimizing of Christianity. Muslims are taught that if they are a minority in any country or region, they may smile at the infidel, but never love him in their heart. Could the letter from Islamic leaders be just another way to try to win the trust of America?
The document’s signatories include many well-known church leaders as Leigh Anderson (President of the National Association of Evangelicals), Bill Hybels (Founder and Pastor of Willow Creek Community Church), Tony Jones (Emergent Village), Brian McLaren (Author, Speaker and Activist), Robert Schuller (The Crystal Cathedral), Rick Warren (Saddleback Church), and Jim Wallis (Sojourners, Red Letter Christians).
Having open dialogue about peace and love is fine, but Muslims seem to be fighting with just about every nation they have not conquered or dominated. They are killing one another in the Middle East, and they attack and kill non-Muslims across the globe. Since Ishmael, Abraham’s first son, was born outside of God’s perfect will to Abraham’s servant Hagar, the Lord said the birthright and inheritance would go to Isaac, the son of Abraham’s wife, Sarah. Muslims believe Abraham’s first son Ishmael deserved the inheritance which explains the constant fighting and strife in Islamic nations fulfilling God’s prophecy over Ishmael:
He will be a wild donkey of a man; his hand will be against everyone and everyone’s hand against him. And he will live in hostility toward all his brothers (Genesis 16:12).
In the previous chapter in Genesis, God spoke to Abraham regarding his sons Ishmael and Isaac:
Then behold, the word of the Lord came to him, saying, “This man will not be your heir; but one who will come forth from your own body, he shall be your heir (Genesis 15:4).
To focus on a few common teachings without looking seriously at major doctrines that are diametrically opposed to one another is misguided.
Our real enemy is Satan, our struggle is a spiritual one, and we need to pray for enemies of God to be saved. If this were impossible, Jesus would not have instructed us to “pray for those who persecute you. (Matthew 5:44).” Lord, help us to be more discerning and never be ashamed of the true gospel of Jesus Christ – “the way, the truth, and the life.”
