Where Islam's Road Diverges

I've decided to repost this as I appear to be now under a concerted attack by adamant Muslims that I have angered when I defended a woman that had the courage to speak out against the inconsistencies of the Islamic religion. These attacks are becoming more frequent and pronounced and are vicious and emotionally charged (as if to prove the point of this post). It is clear they are hammering me for having stated the Truth. Quite frankly, the "flesh" is rearing up in me and I feel a need to re-establish my position on this cult called Islam. This post was originally published last year May 28, 2010--Good day all.

*Disclaimer*

This post:

(1) Is an honest attempt to compare two religions with intent to convert a non-believer of "another faith" to Christianity.
(2) It will appear divisive and very well may be.
(3) Will probably be deemed exclusivist and intolerant.
(4) Just because Christianity IS exclusivist, doesn't make a Christian intolerant.
(5) Will probably set off a firestorm because it will be deemed "hateful"
(6) If I'm attacked, please don't expect a response.


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Below I have quoted the Qur'an in context as accurately as possible from Islamic theological source and tried to use sound hermeneutic principles when reading/quoting it so not to misrepresent what they truly believe in that faith.

I have included a brief primer for Christians to read to better understand what Islam does not believe so that Christians reading this blog have a start point to enter into dialogue with Muslims. I am not trying to win people here as much as I am trying to help Christians discern the differences between faiths and where non-Christians fall short of the Christian idea and/or ideal. I really have little interest in creating a grocery list of things detailing the smaller nuances about Islam that I find disagreeable. It serves no purpose than to reaffirm what most educated Christians should know about the religion and it would have the effect of throwing a stone in a hornets nest on the Islamic side. It would suffice to say that I will now pinpoint the determining factor of their error in understanding God.

Muslims repudiate the the Gospel. The most errant and misguided feature of Islam is that fact that they reject the cross and have "officially" (depending on which sect your are referring) stated that it is incomprehensible and unacceptable that a “major prophet of God” would come to a shameful demise. They miss the point of the Kenosis in Philippians:

“Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus: Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, but made himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself and became obedient to death even death on a cross! Therefore God exalted him to the highest place and gave him the name that is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.” ~Philippians 2:5-11
They also miss the whole idea of “the meek shall inherit the earth”(Matthew 5:5) completely. Their religion does not allow them to be meek to anyone but Allah. All others that do not submit to Allah are to be fought or forced to pay the non-believers tax called the Jizya.


“This warfare was only part of the larger spiritual conflict between Allah and Satan: "Those who believe fight in the cause of Allah, and those who reject faith fight in the cause of evil: so fight ye against the friends of Satan" (Qur'an 4:76)

"Slay the idolaters wherever ye find them, and take them captive, and besiege them, and prepare for them each ambush. But if they repent and establish worship and pay the poor-due, then leave their way free. Lo! Allah is Forgiving, Merciful." (Qur'an 9:5).

The "poor-due" in this verse is “Zakat”, which is one of the Five Pillars of Islam, and regulates religious tithes.

"Fight those who believe not in Allah nor the Last Day, nor hold that forbidden which hath been forbidden by Allah and His Messenger, nor acknowledge the religion of Truth, (even if they are) of the People of the Book, until they pay the Jizya with willing submission, and feel themselves subdued" (Qur'an 9:29). The Jizya was a tax inflicted upon non-believers.”

These are not “meek” verse. Nor are they “humble”. Nor can they be construed in any way other than antagonistic. Please correct me if I am wrong but I don’t remember anywhere in the New Testament where it says, “…if they don’t convert, bonk them on the head until they submit(paraphrase)”. Nope, can’t say I remember reading that anywhere in the Holy Bible. Perhaps it was in one of those new ecumenical versions that has come out recently by the politically correct liberal theology folks?

I digress.

The Qur'an sees no need for an atoning sacrifice or a sin-borne death of a “prophet” or the need for a Savior incarnate (please note Muslims refer to and see Jesus as a Prophet but Christians know he was God incarnate). As a matter of fact the Qu’ran says no less than five times that, “no soul shall bear another’s burden”. Of particular note is Surah 53:38. An-Najm [أَلَّا تَزِرُ وَازِرَةٌ وِزْرَ أُخْرَى]:

“That no bearer of a burden shall bear the burden of another"

From this verse three cardinal principles are derived: (1) That every person is himself responsible for what he does; (2) that the responsibility of one man's act cannot be transferred to another unless he has a share in the commission of the act; and (3) that even if a person wishes he cannot take on himself the responsibility of another man's act, nor can the actual culprit be let off on the ground that another person is willing to suffer the punishment on his behalf. If this is forbidden for man to do it would absolutely be true of a "prophet" in the Muslim mind. If not, we have another contradiction to add to a growing list (Surah 53. An-Najm).

“If a laden soul cries out for help, not even a near relation shall share its burden", The Qu’ran continues, “Each man shall reap the fruits of his own deeds, even though Allah is merciful and forgives those who repent and do good”.

**I’m pretty sure we are flirting dangerously close to a contradiction**.

After denying the need for the cross and what it represents it then blasphemously goes on to state the Jews “uttered a monstrous falsehood” when they declared that, “we have put to death the Messiah Jesus, the son of Mary, the Apostle of Allah.”

**Here I am pretty sure they totally got the story wrong**.

The Jews didn’t even believe Jesus Christ was the Messiah. So Muslims either misquoted, made things up or “misspoke” which appears to be the latest buzzword for lying. The Jews supposedly only thought they they killed him. Muslim theologians have interpreted this passage in different ways. The most commonly held belief is that God “cast a spell” on the enemies of Jesus (Spell? Wait, isn’t that necromancy?) so Jesus could be rescued from a shameful end of crucifixion and either Judas Iscariot or Simon of Cyrene was substituted at the very last minute to avoid a riot in Jerusalem. Yikes, talk about borrowing a story a getting it totally wrong. Not surprising considering most scholars believe Mohammad was probably illiterate except for limited business terminologies and trade information. This fact alone puts the whole legitimacy of the Qu’ran in question unless he had someone similar to an amanuensis or a secretary

As late as the 19th Century, Ahmadiya Muslims borrowed the swooned theory from Liberal Christianity indicating that Jesus wasn’t really dead but rather “fainted” or swooned later to be revived at the tomb. From there he subsequently traveled to India to teach and later died there. They now claim to be the guardians of Christ’s tomb in Kashmir.

We must remember what history teaches us about the Apostles and please notice there were many Apostles of Christ. No just one man having a dream that God spoke to them (as in Mohammad). The Apostles and early believers knew that those who had crucified Jesus and subjected Him to a public disgrace and for Christ to have endured the cross, He had to humble himself to the cross' scorn and the shame being placed on it produced. What was the most shameful and nasty to its detractors is exactly what draws the Christian believer (and the mindset behind this draw). What others see as the most revolting believers (including the Apostles) found the most glorious. The lesson of all lessons "The Master is greater than the servant not necessarily because of rightful position but because He humbles himself". Through the cross we also learn that "Suffering and pain" is the path to glory, suffering IS glory (Stott). Allow the world to rip you down and God will exalt you. This...THIS is the reason the Apostles walked almost without resistance to martyr's deaths as have thousands (perhaps millions) since.

The enemies of the Gospel do not adhere to this philosophy. Allowing yourself to be humbled in order to allow God to exalt you. The is especially true of Islam and it is quite sad. There is no greater shame to Muslims than to allow you to dishonor their god or dishonor them as representatives of their religion via proxy. There is no greater a distinction between these to faiths than at this divergence point. If you are going to show where the two faiths diverge the worst it is here. This is the place to begin a conversation with those of Islam. If you can hurdle this barrier you are three-quarters of the way to converting them.

The bottom-line is that Muslims and other religions in general find the cross of Christ to be a stumbling block as it has been for all non-believers down through history. Where believers see glory, grace and mercy, those of the world and other religions only see disgrace. The Bible made it clear this would be the case too. Denying that Jesus died on the cross to atone for the sins of man is by far the worst digression or detour that other religions take away from God and Jesus Christ. All religions do not lead to God, that is universalism and is illogical when dealing with a just God that must judge sin. The other false teaching of other religions are barely adequate and insufficient to explain much of the phenomena in life but the teaching that there is no need for atone is for me, untenable and the most unpalatable.

"For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God. For it is written: "I will destroy the wisdom of the wise; the intelligence of the intelligent I will frustrate. Jews demand miraculous signs and Greeks look for wisdom, but we preach Christ crucified: a stumbling block to Jews and foolishness to Gentiles, but to those whom God has called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God. For the foolishness of God is wiser than man's wisdom, and the weakness of God is stronger than man's strength." 1 Corinthians 1:18-25**
**Note: Please note in the Scripture above that when Paul says Greeks he is also referring to Gentiles or those of the world.

"Surah 53. An-Najm." English Quran Audio MP3 With Translation, The Meaning of Quran, English Hadith & Quranic or Islamic Lectures & Books, All Free Downloads - Quranenglish