Is the God of Christianity and Islam the Same?

[cmotherofpirl]

[quote name='Revprodeji' date='Dec 5 2005, 06:54 AM']Catechism 841 The Church's relationship with the Muslims. "The plan of salvation also includes those who acknowledge the Creator, in the first place amongst whom are the Muslims; these [i]profess[/i] to hold the faith of Abraham, and together with us they adore the one, merciful God, mankind's judge on the last day."


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The key word above is [i]profess.[/i] They think they are worshipping the same God as the God of Abraham, but their theology is in grevious error concerning the nature of God and Jesus Christ.

[Era Might]

Right. Their vision of God, and of revealed truth in general, is blurred, stunted, and insufficient. Nevertheless, as John Paul II repeated, "We [Christians and Muslims] believe in the same God, the one God, the living God, the God who created the world and brings his creatures to their perfection".

[cmotherofpirl]

They beleive there is only one God and they are correct, so that is a step up from belief in many gods, but if a muslim were to describe their version of God to us, He would be unrecognizable in many ways.
They are not theologically compatable.

[Era Might]

That's true, but the essential understanding communicated through reason is present in the Muslim conception, and this is why we worship the same God. Romans 1 (and also the First Vatican Coucil) note that the essential nature of God, that he is one, eternal, and almighty, can be understood with reason. Thankfully, this much was retained from Jewish and Christian sources, and our dialogue with Islam is not concerned with idolatry, but with the more perfect knowledge in Revelation.

Edited December 5, 2005 by Era Might

[photosynthesis]

are Muslims still waiting for a messiah?

[Didacus]

of course we worship the same God... the CCC syas so!

But my question is do the muslims agree we worship the smae God?

[Aloysius]

the CCC says they profess to belief in the same god. the precise wording of the CCC is important here.

[dspen2005]

how can the God of Christianity and the God of Islam be the same, when Muslims abhor the Trinity. They look upon Christians as being polytheistic.

[Timothy]

Would be great to have a muslims point of view in here.

[Era Might]

[quote][Christians and Muslims] believe in the [b]same[/b] God, the one God, the living God, the God who created the world and brings his creatures to their perfection

--Pope John Paul II[/quote]

I don't know how much more clearer the Holy Father could be.

Edited December 5, 2005 by Era Might

[photosynthesis]

I don't see why Muslims wouldn't be worshipping the same God we believe in. There's only one God... they just don't really have the fullness of understanding of who God is because they don't have the light of Christ and the Church

[cmotherofpirl]

There IS only one God , the muslims [ and the mormons and JWs] have a very flawed understanding of Him, which is not compatable with Christian teaching.

[Era Might]

Islam is not analogus to Mormonism, because Mormonism is polytheistic.

Christians and Muslims share a common basic understanding of who God is, that he is one, that he is eternal, and that he is almighty. We worship the same God, although Muslims, like Jews, do not know him as a trinity of persons, but rather, as a oneness of nature.

[cmotherofpirl]

But do they know Him as all-good and that He has given us free will?

[dspen2005]

[quote name='cmotherofpirl' date='Dec 5 2005, 06:16 PM']There IS only one God , the muslims [ and the mormons and JWs] have a very flawed understanding of Him, which is not compatable with Christian teaching.
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good point

[toledo_jesus]

[quote name='Era Might' date='Dec 5 2005, 02:05 PM']I don't know how [b]much more clearer[/b] the Holy Father could be.
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[Matty_boy]

If the Muslims don't have a standard translation, and there are so many who are against the U.S., a country founded on Christianity, both as terrorists and as religious/political activists (many mullahs), then how do we know they think we worship the same God if they want kill us?

[rkwright]

I like Al's take on it earlier in this thread. Just because they profess belief in the same God does not mean they 'Worship' the same.

btw when did Al get a battle ax as a title? Now I'm scared, the kid that appears drunk wielding a weapon! :

[Nathan]

[quote name='Matty_boy' date='Dec 7 2005, 12:13 PM']...there are so many who are against the U.S., a country founded on Christianity,  both as terrorists and as religious/political activists (many mullahs), then how do we know they think we worship the same God if they want kill us?
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They think we're infidels and heretics.

[Era Might]

[quote name='cmotherofpirl' date='Dec 6 2005, 08:24 PM']But do they know Him as all-good and that He has given us free will?
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Yes, Muslims generally believe God is perfectly holy, and as far as I know, most of them believe in free will.

Their conception of God is "stunted", so to speak, in the image of the Old Testament, and the harshness of Muhammed's Arabia in the 7th century. But this doesn't make them idolaters. They have the correct "object" of worship, as known by reason; what they need is not the knowledge of a "new" or "different" God, but the more perfect and revealed knowledge of the God they already serve. They have the right God, but the wrong prophet.

Edited December 7, 2005 by Era Might