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Comparison of the conception of God in Islam and Christianity (1)

Comparison of the conception of God in Islam and Christianity (1)

The three great religions: Islam, Christianity and Judaism are called: "Abrahamic religions" (because of their attribution to Abraham the Prophet). The followers of these religions worship God and know Him as the Creator of the world and human.

During the history those who believed in God, had many different impressions and conceptions of God. The conceptions are totally different from each other, for example God was imagined to be a creature who created two worlds and then left them away! In this view which is called "natural theism" God is absent in the world and has no effect on its processes.
All the Abrahamic religions believe in God who love His servants and also they love and worship Him.

Abraham's God in the Old Testament and the New Testament

In the Old Testament it is repeatedly said about Abraham's God. In the beginning of Moses' mission, God introduce Himself as God of Abraham: "and said I am God of your father, God of Abraham and Isaac and Jacob" (3.6)

The New Testament neither presents a new God nor a new teaching about God, just it confirms God of Jesus is the same as God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob and all the earlier prophets: "Abraham believed in God therefore he is the father of all who believe in God."

God of Abraham in the Koran

Who is finer in religion than someone who peacefully commends his person to God while he acts kindly and follows the sect of Abraham the Enquirer? God adopted Abraham as a bosom friend. (4/125)

Say: God has spoken truly so follow the sect off Abraham the Seeker; he was no one to associate others with God. (3/95)

Who would shrink from Abraham's sect except someone who fools himself? We selected him during worldly life, while in the Hereafter he will be among the honorable ones. (2/130)

So when his Lord told him: "commit yourself to live in peace"; he said:" I have already committed myself peacefully to the Lord of the Universe!" (2/131)

Abraham commissioned his sons with it [as a legacy] and [so did] Jacob: "my sons, God has selected your religion for you. Do not die unless you are Muslims". (2/132)

Or were you present as death appeared for Jacob, when he said to his sons: "what will you serve after I am gone?" they said: "we shall worship your God and the God of your forefathers Abraham, Ishmael, and Isaac: God Alone! We are committed peacefully to Him" (2/133)

The immaculate aspect of monotheism in Christianity

As it is mentioned in Torah, when Moses was appointed as a prophet, he said to God: "when I go to sons of Israel and I tell them that God of their fathers has sent me to them, then they will ask me about the name of God, what should I do?" God told him: "answer them that I (God) am the One who exist." (3.13-14)

When God introduce Himself as the One who exist, then He is the "Pure Existence".
In the New Testament, it is narrated by Jesus: "God is the Absolute Soul". (Yuhana 4.24)

Discussions on God in Christianity

God's nature in Christianity:
"God is soul." Said Jesus, it means He has a spiritual essence. Four aspects are derived from this subject:

1- God is spiritual and with no body
2- God is invisible
3- God is alive
4- God is a character

God's attributes in Christianity

The characteristics exist in God's essence:
1- the Absolute Presence; God exist in the whole of the Creation but His essence is not restricted to the Creation. He is Superior and Unrestricted.
2- The Absolute Knowledge, God know Himself and also everything about future
3- The Absolute Power; God does whatever corresponds to His Perfection
4- The Unchangeable Essence; there is no change in His nature because He is not composed of soul and body, He is Extensive.

The moral attributes of God:

1- Holiness: God is separated from His servants, He is Superior and is found innocent of any sin
2- Justice
3- Affection
4- Truth; God is the Absolute Truth, He is the Source of all the truths. He is thankful and keep all of His promises

God's essence in Christianity

In Christianity God is Unique, Extensive, Perfect and Unrestricted.

God's will in Christianity

1- God's will is His eternal aim, He had designed His plan before the Creation and it will not change.
2- God's will is based upon His Holy Will. God is the Absolute Learned , He fully know what is good, He does not have evil aim.
3- God's free will is the source of Divine will.
4- God is the Almighty. He is able to do what He wish.
5- There are two kinds of Divine will: the first is done by God, and the second is permitted.
6- Divine will refers to all the events including the past, present and future.

God's acts in Christianity

1- the Creation was formed in two ways:
a- the direct creation: the whole of the world, including the visible and invisible was created at once by God.
b- The indirect creation: nothing is created and just what exists will change.

2- The Absolute:
a- the conservation
b- the management

The related topics:

Comparison of the conception of God in Islam and Christianity (2)
Comparison of the conception of God in Islam and Christianity (3)
Comparison of the existence of God in the sacred Islamic and Christian texts (1)

References:

The collection of the Koran learning (by. M. Mesbah)
Christianity (by H. Khosro Panah)

Categories:
Prophecy < religions="">< divine="" religions="">< christianity="">< the="" criticism="" and="" comparison="" of="" christianity="">


To be continued…

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