Introduction
Over the years, religion has frequently been the subject of intense debate and dispute. Analyzing the idea is also no longer exclusively for the religious. Men and women who appear to think that heaven would reward their activities have blown up buildings in the name of God and killed countless people. In this way, individuals have been compelled to admit that religious prejudice still kills in the twenty-first century. Many groups and cultures have been led by religion.
Religious studies are crucial for understanding human nature, overcoming ignorance, and understanding the wider world. Many religions have firm underlying principles that form the basis of their worldview; these principles fundamentally uphold people’s spirituality and religious beliefs. They play a significant role in guiding people through their faith and life. When contrasting the teachings and lived experiences of two ancient religions, Christianity and Islam share many traits. As a result, this evaluation will examine similarities between Christianity and Islam and offer instances to illustrate each religion’s origins, development, and rationale.
Qualifications for a Tradition to be Termed Religion
As a prevalent tradition, religion is a collection of cultural structures, belief systems, and worldviews that connect humans to spirituality and, occasionally, to moral worth. As a result, tradition must typically share traits and components with faith to be referred to as a religion. Both Islam and Christianity believe in the supernatural, rituals, ceremonies, or activities, and moral and ethical standards meant to explain the creation of the cosmos or life, or to give existence its purpose.
Belief in supernatural entities and powers is one of the defining characteristics of religion. They can appear in many different ways, not all of which are present in all religions. The souls or ghosts of ancestors are one unique sort of spirit that may be found in the belief system of most civilizations (Cline, 2021). The widely held concept that people have a minimum of two parts—a physical body and some non-physical spirit or soul—is in line with the existence of ancestral spirits.
Christianity frequently involves accepting the presence of supernatural or transcendent beings, powers, or worlds that exist outside their. They hold that Jesus cured lepers, turned water into wine, resurrected Lazarus from the dead, and that God gave the Israelites manna as food. Furthermore, according to their understanding of Hebrews 2:4, God verified the word of redemption “by signs, wonders, and various miracles, and by gifts of the Holy Spirit distributed according to his will” (Faust, 2019).
Islamic doctrine holds that Jinn are phantom beings on Earth before Adam, the first person, was formed (FTD Facts, 2020a). Allah now made them from a combination of fire and smokeless fire. There are many kinds of Jinn, including those who can fly, shape-shift, and imitate animals. It is stated that while humans are invisible to the Jinn, their pets occasionally can see supernatural beings.
Islam and Christianity regularly use rituals, ceremonies, or customs to demonstrate adoration, worship, or forge a relationship with the divine. Meditation, prayers, sacraments, sacrifices, rites of passage, and other symbolic actions are examples of these rituals. Rituals are ceremonial acts periodically carried out on significant events, intended to reenact a significant event broadly. Christians, for instance, practice baptism as a way to identify with Jesus Christ publicly. As someone is baptized, Christians contend that they are visibly proclaiming the gospel, and as they patiently wait to be baptized in the water, they symbolize Jesus’ death on the cross (Pritchard, 2023).
However, Muslims worldwide commemorate the holy month of Ramadan, the ninth month of the Islamic calendar, a time for fasting, prayer, meditation, and community. Muslims fast from sunrise to sunset for the whole month of Ramadan (FTD Facts, 2020b). Nevertheless, Muslims are urged to avoid bickering, using coarse language, deceiving others, and engaging in fights and violence throughout this holy month, beyond simply forgoing food and drink. Whoever does not abstain from ill speech and deeds does not need to give up food and drink, according to the Prophet Muhammad.
The History and Origin of Christianity and Islam
Early Christianity
With over two billion adherents, Christianity is the most popular religion globally. The name “Christian” comes from the Greek word for “messiah,” combining old Jewish cultural elements with Roman ones. The Jewish Writings (Old Testament) and the New Testament, which contain the gospels, Paul’s writings, and the Book of Revelation, are combined to form the Christian Bible (Denova, 2022).
The religion began rising through Judaism’s beliefs of martyrdom, and martyrs’ instantaneous resurrection to heaven was first introduced during an uprising headed by the Hasmonean family in the first century BCE, when the Jews were subject to the Seleucid Empire. Different Jewish factions reacted differently to the Roman occupation of Judea in 63 BCE. Jesus, a traveling preacher, then attracted disciples and announced the establishment of God’s kingdom. He chose twelve followers, worked miracles, and was hailed as the long-awaited Messiah.
Jesus and Modern Christianity
After Jesus’ crucifixion, his disciples received the Holy Spirit and became missionaries, baptizing converts who were predominantly Gentiles. Once an opponent of the movement, Paul had a vision of Jesus and became an apostle to the Gentiles, emphasizing faith in Christ and rejecting idolatry. His teachings regarding Christ’s divine nature and Gentile inclusion stirred controversy among Jews. The destruction of Jerusalem and the Temple in 70 CE during the Great Jewish Revolt became a significant event for Christians, who saw it as divine punishment for rejecting Jesus as the Messiah (Denova, 2022). Despite the delay in Christ’s return, Christian assemblies became organized institutions, anticipating the kingdom of God in the church.
Islam
Islam is a monotheistic religion founded in the 7th century by the Prophet Muhammad. The word “Islam” means peace and surrender, reflecting the core principles of the faith. Muslims believe in Allah as the one and only God. Muhammad, born in Mecca in 570, received divine revelations starting at 40 (History.com Editors, 2018). He preached the message of monotheism and considered himself the final Prophet in a lineage that included Abraham, Moses, and Jesus.
Despite facing opposition from those who worshipped multiple gods, Muhammad gained followers and was persecuted in Mecca. In 622, he and his followers migrated to Medina (Hijrah), where they could freely practice Islam (History. Com Editors, 2018). The first mosque was built in Medina, and prayers were directed towards Mecca. Battles ensued between the Muslims and the pagans of Mecca, resulting in the Muslims’ victory.
In 629, Muhammad returned to Mecca and established Muslim control (History.com Editors, 2018). Over the next few years, Islam spread throughout the Arabian Peninsula through trade. Muhammad died in 632, leaving a legacy as the leader of Islam and the ruler of Southern Arabia (History.com Editors, 2018). Islam continued to flourish and became one of the world’s major religions.
Evolving and Spreading of Religion
Missionary Work and Conversion
The world’s most prominent religious family has evolved from a small traditional group throughout time. However, a lot of causes have contributed to its growth. For instance, the expansion and development of this tradition over time have been facilitated by the function of missionaries, commerce, and travel. For instance, Christianity is not a religion of the West because it started in what we typically refer to as the “Middle East” on the western edge of Asia (Stanley, 2019).
However, for many centuries, Christianity’s global evangelization efforts were headed from Europe and intertwined with the rise of the major European empires. Today, outside of Europe, where more than two-thirds of the world’s Christians reside, the early church’s unbeliever-dominated region has returned. From the time of the apostle Paul till the present, the Christian Church has sent forth missionaries. Many of them belonged to Catholic religious organizations in the 16th and 17th centuries, which comprised men (and subsequently women) who lived by severe rules and dedicated their lives to evangelization. Currently, missionaries are essential in helping their local churches convert members.
Trade and Travel
The spread of Islam in areas further from the Islamic center was closely related to trade. The most profitable international commerce routes between Asia and Europe eventually came under the control of the Islamic world. Any long-distance transaction had to pass via Muslim territory since, by the middle of the eighth century, Muslims had complete control over the western part of the Silk Road. This made trade a crucial tool in the spread of Islam.
Wherever they went, Muslim merchants brought the message of Islam. This was made feasible by the Muslim practice of “direct” trading, one of Islam’s most amazing inventions. A network of regional traders who only did business in their own countries predated the arrival of the Muslims (Michalopoulos et al., 2018).
On the other hand, Muslims did not rely on intermediaries. They traveled the whole distance themselves, which was essential for spreading the faith along the trade routes and at the final destination. Thus, social contact as a result of trade substantially aided the expansion of Islam.
Conversion through Social Networks
Regarding the propagation of faiths, social networks, family, and friends all have a significant impact. People are frequently exposed to and adopt religious practices and ideas through the influence of people in their immediate circle. Nonetheless, resisting cell phones and social media is challenging because of their pervasiveness. They also modify how individuals follow their respective religions.
According to Phillips, religions utilize web technology to facilitate communication and worship. However, religious people have evolved and been molded by technology. Likely, many individuals in Christian churches who are swiping on their phones are using a Bible app, which has been downloaded more than one million times since its release. Further, downloadable applications for the Torah and the Koran are equally well-liked. Therefore, social networks can serve as a means of spreading religious ideas and aid in expanding religious groups.
Benefits of Practicing Religion
Improving Individual Quality of Life
Since the beginning of time, religion has been a part of the world. Religions of all kinds have contributed significantly to the development of society. A potent cure for many people’s urgent societal issues is the practice of religion. Religions can provide solace because they can combat social evils (Schweiger, 2019).
Numerous studies have found that religious participation improves self-esteem, family cohesion, and overall well-being while reducing issues like sexual permissiveness, teen pregnancies, suicide, drug and alcohol misuse, and, to some extent, deviant and delinquent behavior. In a broader sense, the ability of religion to continue to defend the family against forces that would destroy it. Each religion has benefited humanity since they all contain lessons that benefit everyone.
According to religious doctrine, treat others as you would like to be treated. However, Christianity offers some insights about the divine, charitable giving, and how to live a fervently committed life to God. On the other hand, Islam has demonstrated a magnificent path by which one might become wiser, kinder, and purer.
Religion and Happiness
Religiously unaffiliated persons and inactive members of religious groups tend to be less content and less civically involved than people who actively participate in religious congregations. The uncommitted experience is substantially more psychologically painful than that of religiously dedicated people (Mitchell, 2019). They are a consistently enjoyable company, develop into decent citizens, and learn well.
Happiness and a person’s general feeling of well-being are significantly impacted by religious activity. Most individuals place their religious connection and frequent church attendance close to the top of the list when asked to describe their happiness, and these factors are reliable indicators of who is most likely to feel this way. Regular churchgoers report higher levels of happiness and lower levels of psychological stress.
People actively seeking a personal relationship with God typically have better interpersonal connections. Jesus, for instance, preached in Christianity that pursuing a life with God is more important than seeking hedonistic pleasures. Jesus reportedly fasted for 40 days so that he might commune with God.
In the Middle Ages, his advice to seek after God rather than pleasure underwent some development, leading Christians to think that seeking happiness was ethically wrong (Newman & Graham, 2018). Since the original composition of the Quran, Islam has opposed the pursuit of hedonism (Newman & Graham, 2018). In general, contented individuals are successful and law-abiding.
Religion and Family Stability
People increasingly agree that programs aimed at reviving the family should be pursued. The positive benefits of religious practice on family harmony demonstrate unequivocally that love in the social sphere cannot be readily distinguished from love, including a vertical or divine aspect. According to young people, the essence of life is love, and religion still plays a significant role in influencing their views and judgments.
Religious individuals are more likely to marry, stay married, be very content in their relationships, and have more children. More religious people consistently place more value on the complete spectrum of family and friendship activities. The concept that healthy, loving families improve people’s lives and society as a whole is emphasized in Christianity (Liu, 2018). Islam, on the other hand, encourages people to carry out their family obligations and develop peaceful relationships inside the family, promoting a sense of security, stability, and dependency.
Contemporary challenges and issues facing various religions
Morality
Today’s religion confronts significant obstacles that might lead to its inefficiency. For instance, the question of moral ethics has recently generated a lot of discussion. The LGBTQ+ community, in particular, is redefining marriage and sexuality.
Human rights activists are pressuring religion to modify its doctrinal position on marriage, but religion rejects it since it is against nature. Church leaders assert this goes against God’s natural plan for sexuality, while human rights organizations assert that this is a matter of personal choice and right. Pope Francis, for instance, called criminalizing homosexuality in Christianity “unjust” (Pope Francis, 2023). Pope declares that all of God’s children are loved unconditionally and urges Catholic bishops who support the legislation to accept LGBTQ+ individuals into the church.
Concern regarding LGBTQ+ has arisen in Islam due to the concept of variety in love. Two Muslim women wearing headscarves were shown on the verge of kissing on a billboard distributed in Canada under the sponsorship of a Canadian university (Islam and the LGBT, 2023). There seems to be pressure on religion to modify its scriptural perspective on LGBTQ+.
Scandals and Credibility
Christianity’s reputation has been impacted by religious leaders engaging in scandals or mishandling abuse cases. These problems can erode confidence and threaten the moral authority and credibility of the faith. There have been financial irregularities, poor management, or misappropriation involving Muslim individuals or groups in Israel.
In addition, certain people or organizations that identify as followers of Islam have committed violent and terroristic crimes that have caused significant harm and damaged Islam’s image as a religion of peace. In the same vein, massive scandals involving clergy sexual abuse have rocked Christianity. These abuse incidents, along with charges of cover-ups and improper treatment of abuse claims, have damaged and eroded faith in various religious institutions. Furthermore, doctrinal disputes, arguments over theological interpretations, issues with leadership, and scandals involving moral precepts have all occurred throughout the history of Christianity.
Conclusion
Islam and Christianity have long histories and are deeply ingrained in the lives of their adherents. Both faiths have significantly influenced society, helping to shape moral principles, offer spiritual direction, and strengthen bonds among followers. However, current events have impacted how these religions are practiced and seen. Additionally, it is crucial to promote peace and harmony for various faith communities in a society that is becoming more varied and multicultural. Nevertheless, millions of people find comfort, direction, and a sense of purpose in Christianity and Islam, which offer moral frameworks.
References
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Denova, R. (2022). Christianity. World History Encyclopedia. Web.
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FTD Facts. (2020b). 10 Surprising Islamic traditions [Video]. YouTube. Web.
Faust, D. (2019). We believe in the Supernatural. Christian Standard. Web.
History. Com Editors (2018) Islam. History. Web.
Islam and the LGBT Question: Reframing the Narrative (2021). Yaqeen Institute for Islamic Research. Web.
Michalopoulos, S., Naghavi, A., & Prarolo, G. (2018). Trade and geography in the spread of Islam. The Economic Journal, 128(616), 3210-3241. Web.