About the religions
themselves:
| Name
of the religion: |
Christianity |
Islam |
| Meaning
of the name: |
Believer
in Christ (a Greek word meaning Messiah). |
Submission
to the will of God. |
| Name of
a believer: |
Christian. |
Muslim. |
| Date of
founding: |
circa
30 CE.
1 |
622
CE.
2 |
| Name of
founder(s): |
Yeshua
of Nazareth (aka Jesus Christ, (pbuh) 3
& Paul. |
Most
religious historians credit Muhammad (pbuh) as the
founder. 3 However, Muslims
generally regard Islam as dating back to the time of
creation |
| % of
world's population as followers: |
33%. |
20%. |
| Worldwide
growth rate in numbers of members 4 |
2.3%/year. |
2.9%/yr. |
| Growth
rate: % of world's population: |
About
0.0%. Numbers have been steady for decades. |
Increase
of about 0.6%/yr. |
| Estimated
year when Islam will become the most popular world
religion: |
2023
CE (if above numbers are valid) to beyond 2200 CE
(as estimated by some religious futurists) |
| % of
U.S. population as followers: |
2001
ARIS study estimates 76%, declining about
0.8% a year. |
2001
ARIS study estimates 0.5%; some Muslim groups
estimate 6 million (2%). |
| Internal
divisions: |
Roman
Catholic, Eastern Orthodox, Anglican, Protestant,
and others. |
Shi'ite,
Sunni, Sufi. Sufi is a mystical tradition. |
Beliefs:
| Name
of the religion: |
Christianity |
Islam |
| Concept
of deity: |
Most
believe in the Trinity; three persons in one
Godhead: Father, Son and Holy Spirit. |
God
(Allah) is one and indivisible. They believe in a
strict monotheism. "Allah" means
God in Arabic. |
| Status
of Yeshua of Nazareth (Jesus Christ): |
Generally
considered the Son of God, worshiped as God; part of
the Trinity. |
Very
highly respected as the second-last prophet. |
| Birth of
Yeshua: |
Conservatives:
virgin conception.
Liberals: conventional birth. |
Virgin
conception. |
| Death of
Yeshua: |
Executed
by Roman Army circa 30 CE. |
Was
not killed, crucified, or suffered death. Muslims
believe that he ascended alive into heaven. 2 |
| Yeshua's
location |
Ascended
into Heaven |
Ascended
into Heaven |
| Identity
of "another helper" or
"comforter" * |
Holy
Spirit |
Muhammad |
| Second
coming of Jesus |
Conservatives:
expect in near future. Liberals: varied. |
Anticipate
the second coming in the future. |
| Status
of Adam: |
Disobeyed
God in the Garden of Eden. |
Free
from all major sins and faults. Some regard him as a
prophet. |
| Main
holy book: |
Bible
6 |
Qur'an
7 |
| Original
languages: |
Hebrew,
Aramaic, Greek. |
Arabic. |
| Status
of the holy book: |
Conservatives:
the inerrant Word of God. Liberals: a historical
spiritual document. |
God's
word and final revelation, dictated by angel
Gabriel. |
| Additional
guidance: |
Writings
of the leaders of the early Church. For Roman
Catholics: church tradition. |
The
Hadith -- sayings of Muhammad (pbuh). |
| Ethic of
reciprocity (Golden rule): |
"Therefore
all things whatsoever ye would that men should do to
you, do ye even so to them." Matthew 7:12 |
"Not
one of you is a believer until he loves for his
brother what he loves for himself."
Fourth Hadith of an-Nawawi 13 |
| A baby's
status at birth |
Various
views. One is that a baby is born with a sin nature,
separated from God. God needs to grant grace so that
he may be saved. |
All
babies are a born in a pure state of submission to
Allah. However, as they mature they are often taught
other beliefs by their parents and their culture. |
| Life
after death: |
Either
Heaven or Hell. Catholics believe in Purgatory as a
third state. |
Heaven
or Hell. |
| Basis of
determining destination after death: |
There
is no consensus in Christianity. Different faith
groups hold Various diverse beliefs: trusting Jesus
as Lord and Savior, good works, church sacraments,
baptism, avoiding certain actions. |
Once
they reach puberty, his/her account of deeds is
opened in Paradise. To attain paradise, at death,
their good deeds (helping others, testifying to the
truth of God, leading a virtuous life) must outweigh
their evil deeds. |
| Confessing
sins: |
Roman
Catholic: to God or Jesus, either directly or
through a priest; Others: to God or Jesus |
To
Allah |
| Probably
the most misunderstood term: |
Immaculate
Conception: Roman Catholics believe that the
conception of the Virgin Mary, circa 20 BCE,
was without sin. Many incorrectly relate it to
Yeshua's' conception. |
Jihad:
internal, personal struggle towards the attainment
of a noble goal. Many incorrectly equate it to
"holy war." |
* From
John 14:16: "And I will pray the Father, and he
shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you
for ever."
Practices:
| Name
of the religion: |
Christianity |
Islam |
| Current
interpretation of the Holy Book: |
Ranges
from statements of the Pope in Roman Catholicism to
resolutions at conventions among Protestants. |
Learned
scholars in various countries. There is no single
spokesperson or authoritative group. |
| Name of
worship center: |
Church,
cathedral. |
Mosque. |
| Main
worship: |
Sunday;
Saturday for some. |
Friday. |
| Church
and state: |
Largely
considered separate. Most Christian countries are
democracies |
Integrated.
Most Muslim countries are dictatorships with
restricted human rights. |
| Law |
Generally
restricted to legal matters. |
Covers
both moral and legal matters. |
| Legislation |
Prerogative
of the people |
Prerogative
of God |
| Use of
statues: |
Common
in some denominations |
Absolutely
forbidden. Considered a very serious form of
idolatry. |
| Main
holy days: |
Most
Christians celebrate at least Christmas, Easter, and
associated holy days. |
Ashura;
Mawlid; lunar month of Ramadan; Eid al-Fitr; Eid al-Adha. |
| Status
of women: |
Variable.
Conservatives & liberals differ greatly. |
Strongly
affected by cultural traditions. Severely oppressed
in some countries. |
| Marriages
forbidden: |
Inter-faith
marriages, in the Eastern Orthodox church. Marriages
between conservative Christians and others, within
conservative Christianity. |
A
Muslim woman may not be married (or remained
married) to a non-Muslim man. |
| Racism: |
Promoted
by the LDS church until 1978. Still supported by
Christian Identity, KKK, and other Christian fringe
groups. Officially rejected by almost all other
denominations. but remains widespread. |
Officially
rejected by all Islamic movements. 5 |
| Reaction
to apostasy (leaving the faith due to religious
conversion): |
Prior
to 1792, the end of the "burning times,"
execution was possible. |
Traditionally,
death to the apostate. Rarely practiced in the 21st
century. |
| Historical
treatment of Jewish people (Prior to World War 1): |
Prolonged
and widespread anti-Judaism, anti-semitism,
oppression, and mass murder. |
Additional
taxation, but otherwise general tolerance. |
| Recent
treatment of Jewish people: |
Lessening
of anti-semitism from historical levels, and gradual
support of Israel, particularly since World War II. |
Massive
opposition and physical attacks since the creation
of the State of Israel in 1948 and the occupation of
Palestine. |
| Relations
with state of Israel since 1948 |
Widespread
support for Israel among religious conservatives.
Criticism among liberals. Abandonment of historical
anti-semitism. |
Widespread
rejection of Israel. Discrimination, suicide
bombing, etc. practiced. |
| Basis of
calendar: |
Gregorian
solar calendar. 1 CE
occurred about four to seven years after birth of
Jesus. |
Islamic
lunar calendar. 1 AH occurred in 622 CE, the year
of the Hegira when Muhammad traveled from Mecca
to Medina. |
| Most
misunderstood practice: |
The
sacrifice of the Mass, a Roman Catholic ritual. Some
Native Americans and others interpreted it as a form
of ritual cannibalism. |
Female
genital mutilation. This is often considered a
religious requirement of Islam. Actually it is
cultural tradition common in some countries of
Northern Africa. It is unknown in many Muslim
countries. |
Overview:
CE
stands for "Common Era." It is a relatively
new term that is experiencing increased usage and is
expected to eventually replace AD. The latter is an
abbreviation for "Anno Domini" in Latin or
"the year of the Lord" in English. The
latter refers to the approximate birth year of Yeshua of
Nazareth (a.k.a. Jesus Christ). CE and AD have the same and
value. 2004 CE = 2004 AD. The word "common"
simply means that it is based on the most frequently used
calendar system: the Gregorian Calendar. .
BCE stands for
"Before the common era." It is expected to
eventually replace BC, which means "Before
Christ," or "Before the Messiah."
BC and BCE are also identical in value. Most theologians and
religious historians believe that the approximate birth date
of Yeshua of Nazareth (Jesus) was in the fall, sometime
between 7 and 4 BCE, although we have seen estimates as late
as 4 CE and as early as the second century BCE.
Of course, one can always
interpret the letter "C" in CE and BCE as
referring to "Christian" or "Christ's."
The Abbreviations Dictionary does exactly this. 1
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