Christianity and Buddhism Comparison

Christianity and Islamic Comparison

Ideas of the divine in Islamic and Christianity

Traditions and Practices

Key ideas and Beliefs

By Georgia Pazios

List of References

Major Festivals that are important to the religion

Christian

Islam

Christianity has two main festivals. These two being Christmas and Easter. Christmas is the celebration of Christ's birth (Jesus). There is also lent which is the time leading up to Easter where people usually fast or give up something important to them. Easter is the resurrection of Jesus' crucifixion.

Where and when did the religion start?

There are two main holidays in Islam which are Eid Al-Fitr and Eid Al-Adha. Eid Al-Fitr is celebrated at the end of Ramadan (a month of fasting)on this occasions muslims usually give zakat (charity). Eid Al-Adha is where Muslims sacrifice an animal and give its meat to family, friends and the poor.

Christian

Islamic

Similarities

Lent and Ramadan are quite similar as they are time of fasting or giving something up.

Websites

http://christianityinview.com/xncomparison.html 16 November 2013

http://www.evidenceforchristianity.org/where-did-christianity-originater/

16 November 2013

http://www.religionfacts.com/islam/beliefs/afterlife.htm 18 November 2013

http://www.religionfacts.com/islam/beliefs/salvation.htm 18 November 2013

Images

Figure 1 - http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-4gKpO59oSoc/UMoEjJkCP-I/AAAAAAAAAIM/aaB1GmIqC30/s400/islam-god.png

Figure 2 - http://catholicbridge.com/images/church_in_quebec_003.jpg

The religion started in 1BC being the year that Jesus Christ was born. The religion was founded by Jesus Christ, he was born in Bethlehem. Jesus grew up in Nazera. How ever the prophecy demanded he go to Jerusalem. So there are a lot of places where the religion could of been originated.

Islam as a religion was established by Muhammad, peace be wit him, a member of the Arabic Quraish tribe in the region of Mecca. Muhammad is a real person who lived from AD 570-632. He said he received the Qur'an from the angel Gabriel in 610AD, he prmoted monotheism and the belief in Allah.

Are there any Holy Days of the week/month that are important to the religion?

Where and how do they worship?

Christian

Islam

Christian

Islamic

For a muslim there is no specific day of the week that is important. They should worship Allah everyday except Friday. A muslim should worship twice a day for every day of the week except Friday.

During the week for a Christian Sunday is an important day as it is the day of rest and worship. Christians can worship as regularly as they would like during the week. There are no important days of the month.

The people of the Islamic religion will worship in a mosque. They will take their shoes off and enter. They worship by chanting or saying something from the Qur'an (Islamic holy scripture). The main person they worship is Allah

Christians will usually worship in a church. When they enter depending of what type of Christian they are they may light a candle. They worship by saying a phrase that will be directed to God asking for help, readings from the bible will be spoken and hymns will be sung. The main person they worship is God.

Figure 2 - Christian Church

Similarities

Aim in life and after life

Some similarities would be that the both religions have a designated spot to worship. They both worship a important figure in the religion.

Christ

Islam

A muslims aim in life is to live about how Allah would want them to, peaceful and happy. By worshiping twice a day everyday except Fridays. Their aim is to satisfy Allah and live by his ways. The reward for doing this is going to paradise in eternal life, if not, going to hell.

A Christians aim in life is to live righteously and live about God's Will and the Golden Rule. God's Will is a plan that God has made especially for you. The Golden Rule is a rule that stands for almost all religions and runs along the lines of this 'do onto others as you would want others to do onto you'. By doing this the reward is going to heaven and living eternally as one of the father's children. If not you go to hell.

Similarities

Both followers live by their own Gods ways.

What is the holy scripture the religion have?

Islam

Christians

The explanation of the divine between Islamic and Christian religions

What do they believe about sin?

Christian

Islam

The holy scripture for Christianity is the Bible. The bible is made up of many book written by different people. Around half of the Bible was written by people who had experienced Jesus in person and his teachings. The other half was written down from stories of word of mouth.

The holy scripture for islam is the Qur'an. No actual person wrote the Qur'an, it was sent down from Allah by the angel Gabriel. Muhammad, peace be upon him. Muhammad, peace be upon him. memorized it and he would speak it to his companions. .

Islam

Christian

Muslims believe that all humans were born without sin, but weakness in humans leads to sin.

Christians believe we inherit being sinful from Adam as he rebelled against God in the garden. But they believe that Jesus Christ died on the cross to forgive their sins.

Islam is a monotheistic religion meaning believing in one God only. Their God is Allah. Muslims believe that Allah died for them just like Jesus did. They also believe that Gabriel the angel was the messenger of Allah.

Christianity is a monotheistic religion but it is also a trinity as God, Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit all equal God. They believe in GodChristians believe that God made the Earth and that he gave them a life for a reason. They also believe that he put Jesus Christ on the Earth to die for their sins.

Figure 1 - Allah in Arabic

Similarities

What does the religion say about Salvation?

The nature of the followers

Christian

Islam

Allah and God are very similar as they are both the creators of the Earth in their religions eyes. Muhammad, peace be upon him, and Jesus are similar as they both portrayed what their Gods wanted them to and told stories from word of mouth. Gabriel the Angel is also looked at as the Holy Spirit in Christianity. Both monotheistic.

Christians are very kind and caring as they do also follow the Golden Rule as almost all religions do. They are also very faithful and hopeful.

Christian

Muslims are very peaceful and calm. Not only Christianity but also the religion of Islam follows the Golden Rule. Meaning muslims are kind and caring towards others.

Islam

In Christianity the believe that salvation is saving the soul from sin and its consequences

The Muslim belief in salvation is that the unfaithful or the sinners will be condemned doctrine of salvation is that unbelievers and sinners will be condemned.