Bryan Fischer Host of "Focal Point"As I have written before, there is a clear, straightforward answer to this question
Wheaton College, the leading evangelical institution of higher learning in the United States, has been embroiled in a recent controversy over a hijab-wearing associate professor of political science. Dr. Larycia Hawkins, who also happens to be a fan of the whole Black Lives Matter movement, is wearing a hijab during the Christmas season in “solidarity” with her Muslim “brothers and sisters,” because Christians and Muslims “worship the same God.”
Wheaton has suspended Dr. Hawkins, certainly the minimum it could do, pending a further investigation. The College has issued a mushily-worded statement defending the school’s evangelical statement of faith, but avoiding dealing directly with the question at issue.
The school criticizes Dr. Hawkins for a lack of “theological clarity,” and refers vaguely to differences of opinion about “the nature of God” between Islam and Christianity, but does not answer the question Dr. Hawkins has raised: do Christians and Muslims worship the same God?
As I have written before, there is a clear, straightforward answer to this question:
Do Christians and Muslims worship the same God? The answer is an unequivocal and unambiguous “No.” Muslims themselves will confirm this to you if you know the questions to ask.
We can stipulate that “Allah” is the generic word for “God” in Arabic, just as “El” and “Elohim” are in Hebrew and “theos” is in Greek. Thus there are many Christians in the Arabic speaking world who refer to the God of the Bible as “Allah,” and who use it in phrases such as “Inshallah,” which means “God willing.”
(It’s worth noting in passing that the highest court in Malaysia recently ruled that Muslims and Muslims alone are permitted to use the word “Allah.”)
But generic words for God, because they are generic, can be used to refer to a multiplicity of gods. So the term must be narrowed down. If someone uses a generic word for “God,” the follow-up question must be asked, “Which ‘god’ are you referring to?”
In New Testament times, where Greek was the lingua franca of the civilized world, there was a virtually unlimited pantheon of both Greek and Roman “gods,” all of whom were identified using the generic term “theos.” (As you might guess, we get our word “theology” from this word.)
So when the apostles needed to make sure their readers knew which God they were talking about when they used the word “theos,” and that they were referring to none of the Roman and Greek gods, they added a clear qualifier. They referred to the true and living God as “the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ” ( Ephesians 1:3 ; 2 Corinthians 1:3 ; Colossians 1:3 ; 2 Peter 1:3 ).
It was their way of saying, “Look, the God I am referring to here is not Zeus, or Jupiter, or Hermes, or Mercury, or Neptune, or Diana or Aphrodite. The God I am talking about is the God who is the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.”
Jesus, according to the New Testament, is the unique, one and only begotten Son of God. (We can become sons of God by adoption, but he is the Son of God by his very nature.)
Here is the point. The God of the Bible has a Son. The god of Islam does not.
In fact, Muslims in 2008 hung a large banner in front of the Basilica of the Annunciation in Nazareth stating flatly that Allah has no son, and quoting a passage from the Qur’an as proof: “ He begetteth not, nor is begotten , and there is none like unto him” (Surah 112:1-4).
Contrast this with this declaration from the gospel of John: “And the Word became flesh, and dwelt among us, and we saw His glory, glory as of the only begotten from the Father, full of grace and truth” ( John 1:14, NASB ).
And again we read in John 3:16 , "For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life.”
The plain declaration of Christianity, then, is that Jesus is the eternally begotten Son of the true and living God. There never was a time, not even in eternity past, when he was not the Son of God.
But Islam, on the other hand, flatly denies that Allah has a son at all. “He begetteth not, nor is begotten.” In fact, believing that God has a begotten Son will get you stoned to death in many parts of the Muslim world.
On top of all this, and of particular offense to orthodox Muslims, is the fact that Christians worship Jesus himself as God as the second member of the Trinity. “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God” ( John 1:3 ). Muslims are horrified at the thought that Jesus could be worshipped as God and consider such a belief as blasphemy worthy of death.
So, do Christians and Muslims worship the same God? Absolutely and unequivocally not. If you doubt me, ask a Muslim.
If we define God as THE Supreme Being, there is only one God. Therefore anyone and everyone who claims to worship a monotheistic God is worshipping the same entity. Since both Christianity and Islam are monotheistic, they MUST worship the same God. No other explanation is possible.
You can drive a truck through the holes in that logic.
LOL.
Not at all.
Logic is not your strong suit :
Dr. Larycia Hawkins ... is wearing a hijab during the Christmas season in “solidarity” with her Muslim “brothers and sisters
....
Wheaton has suspended Dr. Hawkins, certainly the minimum it could do, pending a further investigation.
In France , the western country with the highest %age muslims , they found it necessary to outlaw wearing hijabs in public schools . That's because wearing a hijab is not strictly an expression of faith . It is a political act . Islam has a LARGE component of politics in its "religion" .
Petey,
In France , the western country with the highest %age muslims , they found it necessary to outlaw wearing hijabs in public schools .
Not quite right... and I have made the same mistake, lately. "Hijab" means just "covering", so a simple headscarf is a "hijab". The head-to-toe garment is the "niqab". That is what was banned in public in France. It was banned as a "public safety" measure, since it is impossible to identify the person.
The political debate went much further, with many evoking the political element, as you mention.
Personally, I see the niqab as both the means and the symbol of repression of women.
Thanks for the clarification Bob . I expect that even a hijab would make a great disguise to wear during a bank robbery ...
Petey, your comment has absolutely NOTHING to do with what I am discussing. Other people can answer for themselves.
Can't you read the words from the article ? If not I guess you are illiterate ...
BTW in order to discuss you need to be able to think with logic , even fuzzy logic . But you don't use either one of those .
" Islam has a LARGE component of politics in its "religion" ."
And Christianity doesn't?!
No, it doesn't. Islam is a firm of secular government. Jesus specifically indicated Christianity was not. Simple.
You're suggesting that being Christian is irrelevant in American politics? Wow.
I assume you are just pretending to be ignorant. Every belief or opinion informs politics. However, Christianity is not a firm of government today while sharia and the caliphate are. I suggest you do some research. It may enrich you.
What reality are you living in? There are states, municipalities, etc. in the U.S. that actually have laws on the books denying atheists the right to serve in public office. Atheists are the most hated demographic among Christians, and they sure aren't crazy about Muslims either.
There are states, municipalities, etc. in the U.S. that actually have laws on the books denying atheists the right to serve in public office.
But these geographies are in the minority . By contrast anywhere in the Arab middle east one MUST be muslim or expect to be persecuted . See the difference ? I didn't think you would . You would do well to join your muslim brethren while they are still in the minority . When they get to be the majority it will be too late to switch ...
You're saying that because fewer states, municipalities, etc. have laws against atheist serving in public office that those who don't, then it's clear that a Christian an an atheist have an equal shot in American politics? That's simply not reality, Petey. If an oplenly atheist candidate were to run for office, that would be the main focus of their Christian opponent in attack ads. You know this, and more than once here on NT you've implied with certainty that Americans don't trust atheists.
you've implied with certainty that Americans don't trust atheists.
We all have our cross to bear ...
Bad logic. Just because both are monotheistic does not mean they worship the same god. That should be obvious a priori.
It's not bad logic at all it's just beyond your meager understanding.
John does not know what a priori means . Don't use such BIG WORDS !
Ted, I am warning you in advance. Off topic comments will be removed. Anything about your toes, your mom, your pee pee, your weight, your diarrhea, your soiled underwear, ladyboys, eating boogers, Michelle Obama, you having the dribbles, your security guard job, etc are all off topic.
Many Biblical scholars say Muslims and Christians do worship the same god. In saying so the thought comes to mind what makes the difference. We know the New testament was morphed by a King not by only pure religious documentation.
It must be comforting to be privy to the ultimate truths and realities of the Universe.
"He who thinks he knows … doesn't know … he who thinks he doesn't know … knows." _ Joseph Campbell
1 Corinthians 8:2
IRONIC!
Religionists ought to first learn what they believe in, that prior to telling other people what they should believe in.
Religionists ? Yeah they're all the same :
The Vatican has already stated that one of the priests made a Mistake about Mary Madeline. Mary came from a family with money and position. Not what the new testament portrays. By golly the new testament cannot be the word of God as God would make no mistakes. The Constitution and Bill of rights ensure religious rights not to Christians only but all religions. Terrorists like Trump and others who aren't even Christians a Christian would never sleep with Mein Kompf by their bedside. The religious terrorist in this country portray themselves as Christians but better depict Satonic members not Religious at all. Unless ya'll consider Satan a religious figure.
Where on the NT is Mary referred to otherwise?
Semantics. Is it the same God? The answer depends on how you define God.
It is the most absurd sort of nonsense to even ask such a question unless the definition of God is agreed.
IMNAAHO, a Christian believes that "God is Love". Does a Muslim agree?
I personally find the Trinity to be a useless distraction from Jesus's message. Along with the virgin birth, and any number of other trinkets. But I believe the one should love one's neighbor.
If a Muslim believes that one should love lone's neighbor...
If there is a God, there is only one God. There cannot be more than one "Supreme Being"
Who created God? He was created in mans imagination and he can imagine many different Gods.
It's all explained right here, Dean.
What is your definition of "god", John? Why must it be "a supreme being"? Why not "manifestation of non-physical phenomena"? Then a lake could have its god, the Sun... and so on.
Why? There can't be a supreme duopoly or triune god? Of course there can be. Ask the Catholics.
For all anyone knows, there is a god and it put us here for one purpose - to take care of its most valued and prized creation, the plant world. There is just as much evidence for this as there is for any other god scenario, or for a Flying Spaghetti Monster. In fact, this would explain why prayer doesn't work at all, and why humans endure so much suffering. Maybe that god couldn't care less whether a percentage of us live or die, as long as some are there to manage the world of plant growth.
Maybe that god couldn't care less whether a percentage of us live or die, as long as some are there to manage the world of plant growth.
Plants grow better when they gets lots of CO2 in the air . Apparently climatologists are ungodly or even anti-godly .
"Plants grow better when they gets lots of CO2 in the air"
And humans exhale CO2 - eureka! I was right! We were created to provide them with CO2!
Dinosaurs produce even more CO2 . Think about it ...
You have small g god and big g God. big g God is THE Supreme Being. What else is there to say ? THE Supreme Being means the one and only Supreme Being.
"God : the perfect and all-powerful spirit or being that is worshipped especially by Christians, Jews, and Muslims as the one who created and rules the universe"
God | Definition of God by Merriam-Webster
The Merriam Webster definition , by the way, affirms that Muslims and Christians worship the same God.
Merriam Webster is not the final authority on anything. Lol.
Religions that are monotheistic and believe there is only one God have to be worshiping the same God whether they realize it or not. Maybe that is a tough concept for some people to understand but it is true.
Continue with the next part of the definition, John:
a spirit or being that has great power, strength, knowledge, etc., and that can affect nature and the lives of people : one of various spirits or beings worshipped in some religions
Christianity and Islam are different. Their gods are different. Obviously. Saying otherwise is simply propaganda.
Christianity and Islam are different. Their gods are different. Obviously. Saying otherwise is simply propaganda.
As religions yes. In their belief in the same god no. When Abraham took his first son, that he had with the Ishmael and his mother Hagar out of his home, (Sarah, Abraham's wife was jealous for her son, Isaac), God promised Abraham, that Ishmael would also lead a people, which are arabs/Muslims.
Muslims, Christians, and Jews all believe in the same God. The Koran, verse 3:84 (and elsewhere), states " we believe in Allah (God) and what has been revealed to us, and what was revealed to Ibrahim (Abraham) and Ismail (Ishmael) and Ishaq (Isaac) and Yaquob (Jacob) and the tribes (of Israel), and what was given to Musa (Moses) and to Isa (Jesus) and to the prophets from their Lord, we do not make any distinctions between any of them, and to Him do we submit." The Koran makes clear that Muslims believe in the five Books of Moses (comprising the Old Testament) and the New Testament. To Muslims, these are the first two books of God and the Koran, as revealed to Mohammad, is the third. Anyone who accepts all three is, under Islam, a Muslim. Muslims expressly accept Jesus as a prophet but do not accept him as the literal son of God and certainly don't accept him as indistinguishable from God himself. But Jews also do not accept Jesus as the son of God nor is he even considered a prophet. Based on the reasoning of this article, Jews and Christians would not be worshiping the same God because, to Jews, equating Jesus to God would be just as blasphemous under Judaism as it is under Islam. The article unravels itself.
But John Russell used "logic" to "prove" his point . Didn't you read his feeble thought processes ?
But John Russell used "logic" to "prove" his point . Didn't you read his feeble thought processes ?
His philosophical answer is interesting but the Koran, itself, answers the factual question.