Comparative and Contrast Essay Christianity and Islam

Comparative and Contrast Christianity and Islam - Essay Example   Jesus is the â€Å"Christ† which means the â€Å"anointed one†.   Jesus is the anointed one from God the Father who came to this world, fulfilled the Old Testament laws and prophecies, died on the cross, and rose from the dead physically (Slick, n.d.). The religion teaches that there is an existence of only one God. According to Christianity, God made the universe, the Earth and created Adam and Eve. Therefore, the best way to answer what Christianity is about is to say that it is a relationship with the true and living God through the person of Jesus Christ by whom we are forgiven of our sins and escape the righteous judgment of God (Slick, n.d.). Islam is regarded as one of the three central Abrahamic faiths along with Judaism and Christianity (Duncan, n.d.). Islam is derived from the word salaam which means â€Å"peace†, â€Å"submission to God†, and â€Å"way to peace†. The followers of Islam are the â€Å"Muslims† or those who â₠¬Å"submit† to God’s will. Duncan (n.d.) described Islam as a universal religion that teaches that God is merciful and compassionate, and that promises the faithful worldly peace and equality and entrance to a sublime eternity. It is a monotheistic religion which believes only in the existence of one God. Comparing and Contrasting Islam and Christianity These are some of the main similarities between Christianity and Islam. Peter Jackson (n.d.) stated that both religions say that there is only One God. This God is the most sovereign and he rules the history. The two religions also believe in Jesus. However, there are quite differences in how they believe him. Another similarity is the existence of Angels. Both religions believe in the existence of angels which are the referred to as the messengers of God. Both religions have Prophets and prophecy which includes many of the same characters such as Abraham, David, Noah and the like (Jackson, n.d.). The two religions also b elieve the concept of Heaven and Hell and God’s future judgment (Jackson, n.d.). Heaven is often portrayed as the holiest place in which people who have died continue to exist in an afterlife. Hell, on the other hand, is a place of suffering and punishment afterlife. God’s judgment will determine whether a person will be sent to heaven or hell after death. Although these two religions are similar in many ways, we can’t deny that they differ in a lot of ideologies and theologies. In both religions God is the creator of everything and he is loving and forgiving (McLean, 2007). One major difference between the beliefs of Christians and Muslims regarding God is that while Christians believe in the Holy Trinity, or three persons in one divine nature, Muslims believe that God is only one person and that the Trinity is the belief in three Gods (McLean, 2007). The two religions differ in their founder. Muhammad is the founder of Islam and believed by Muslims to be perfe ct and sinless. In Christianity, the founder is Jesus. For Muslims, Muhammad was not only a religious leader, but also a political leader, which explains the common practice of integrated church and state in many Muslim countries (McLean, 2007). Both religions recognize Jesus but their beliefs about him vary. Islam and Christianity believe that Jesus was sinless, perfect and born of the Virgin Mary (McLean, 2007). The two religions accept that Jesus performed miracles and was ascended, or raised up, to God. McLean (2007) stated that Muslims see Jesus as a highly regarded prophet, while Christians see Him as God himself.