Finding the Common Ground

Christians and Muslims throughout history have been pitted against each other due to seemingly irreconcilable differences and general mistrust on both sides. This is largely thanks to several historical events, examples being the Crusades in which the Christians attacked and occupied the Holy Land and modern-day Muslim attacks on Christians in Nigeria. Many believe that the underlying reasoning for this violence and mistrust between the two religions stems from Islam and Christianity’s lack of common ground. While the two religions are mutually exclusive, they share surprising similarities such as afterlife and belief in the existence of Jesus Christ.

Both Muslims and Christians believe that ‘Judgement Day’ will come and that all men and women will be judged according to their deeds. On this day, these religions concur that the universe will end and that God will select those who are loyal and good, and banish those whom lack belief. Islam’s sacred text, the Qur’an, states that “those who believe and do good deeds, they are the dwellers of Paradise, they dwell therein forever” (2); Christianity’s Holy Bible similarly reads: “we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each one may receive what is due for what he has done in the body, whether good or evil” (1). While the specific events of Judgement Day vary between the religions, such as Christians believing the Earth “shall be burned up” (1) and Muslims believing the day will follow a schedule of events known as Qiyama, both centralize on the idea of good versus evil.

Christianity and Islam also interestingly share a belief in the existence of Jesus Christ. To Christians, Jesus is the central figure of the religion and his life and death provide the key to forgiveness and salvation. Christians believe that Jesus Christ is the “word of God who became flesh” (1) and is therefore both human and divine. According to Christian tradition, Jesus was born of a virgin mother, performed miracles, was crucified, and his second coming will bring the end of time. Muslims also hold Jesus as a special figure in their faith and believe that he was the second greatest of all prophets, next to Muhammad. The Quran gives details about Jesus’s miraculous birth, wise teaches, and miracles. However, Muslims believe that Jesus “was no more than a messenger” (2) and he is therefore not the son of God or divine.

Despite the similarities stated above, Islam and Christianity are indeed mutually exclusive. One cannot believe in both Christianity and Islam, for the two religions diverge in essential areas. In the example of Judgement Day, Muslims would believe that Christians would be sent to Hell and vice versa. Additionally, as stated previously, Christianity centralizes around the belief that Jesus is God and Islam outright rejects this. While both religions share fascinating similarities and cross paths on certain values, they are fundamentally different. These differences do not mean, however, that conflicts between the two religions should continue. It rather invokes the need for Islam and Christianity to focus on their shared beliefs and respect their divergences.

Lauren McDonnell

Word Count: 518

Sources:

1. The Holy Bible: King James Version. Iowa Falls, Iowa: World Bible Publishers, 2001.
2. The Holy Qur’an. https://quran.com/ (accessed 25 March 2019).