Relating Christianity to other world faiths

An outsider may look at the world’s religions and conclude that they’re all pretty much the same. But those who profess faith in one of these religions would beg to differ. Keep reading to find out how Christianity relates to the other dominant world faiths: 

Judaism: Christianity is most closely tied to Judaism. In fact, Christians share a common legacy and heritage with Jews (check out Chapter 10 for the lowdown). Moreover, Jesus – the very reason the Christian faith exists – was a Jew. 

Both Jews and Christians believe in the Old Testament teachings of the Bible (Jews call this part the Hebrew Bible or the Tanakh) and proclaim people like Noah, Abraham, Moses, and David as pillars of their faith. Their paths split, however, with Jesus Christ. Throughout the Old Testament, the authors refer to and prophesy of a coming Messiah (meaning Saviour) that will save the Jews (and non-Jews as well). Christians believe that Jesus was this Saviour, while Jews believe that their Messiah hasn’t yet come. 

Islam: Islam is the other major monotheistic (believing in one God) religion in the world. Muslims (believers of Islam) say that Allah is the same God as that of Jews and Christians. However, unlike Christians, Muslims don’t believe in a Trinity (see Chapter 7). Instead of Jesus being the Son of God like the Christians believe, Muslims say that he was just a prophet and wasn’t crucified (Qur’an 4:157). They also believe that the prophet Muhammad, who lived in the seventh century, was the greatest prophet sent by Allah. 

Islam says that people gain salvation by observing the Five Pillars of Islam: professing the statement of belief, praying daily while facing Mecca (the most holy city of Islam), giving to the poor, fasting during Ramadan (the holy month), and making a pilgrimage to Mecca. 

Hinduism and Buddhism: Chances are that if you encounter someone who claims to be a Hindu or a Buddhist in the West, he or she practices a pantheistic religion. Instead of having the belief in God as Creator and distinct from the world, pantheistic religions, while different from each other in their own right, claim that the world is actually identical with God. In Hinduism, for example, God is really Brahman, or the ultimate power underlying the universe. Everything comes from Brahman and everything eventually returns to it. 

The differences in belief between Christianity and pantheistic religions are great. For example, if God is in everything, then it follows that God is in both good and evil, rather than separate from it. Therefore, “good” and “evil” become relative, even illusionary terms. Additionally, while Judaism, Christianity, and Islam focus on a written Word of God given to man, pantheistic religions tend to focus on private mystical experiences instead. 

Christian-related religions: A final group of religions is made up of Christian-related faiths that differ from historical and biblical Christianity. These groups include Mormons (the Church of Latter Day Saints), Jehovah’s Witnesses, and Christian Scientists. Although non-Christians sometimes consider them part of the Christian Church, most Christians stress the major differences in belief between these groups and traditional historical Christianity. 

Table 1-1 shows a summary of beliefs of these various religions. 

Faith Group: Christianity

Who Is Jesus? Fully human, fully God

What Is God’s Nature: Trinity (one God in three persons)

What Is God’s Written Word? Bible (Old and New Testaments)

Problem of Man: Sin

How Is One Saved? Accepting God’s grace 

 

Judaism

Just a man

One God

Hebrew Bible or Tanakh (same as Christianity’s Old Testament)

Sin

Observance of the law

 

 

Islam

Just a man, a prophet

One God (Allah)

Qur’an

Sin

Following Five Pillars of Islam

Hinduism

Just a man

Brahman (part of the world)

N/A

Ignorance

Goal isn’t heaven, but to be absorbed into Brahman

 

Buddhism

Just a man

No personal God exists

N/A

Suffering

Enlightenment is needed, not salvation

 

Mormonism

Fully human, fully God

Three Gods and three distinct personalities

Book of Mormon, Doctrine and Covenants, Pearl of Great Price, Bible

Sin

Good works and merit

 

Jehovah’s Witnesses

A man

One God (not a Trinity)

Bible and additional teachings

Sin

144,000 Jehovah’s Witnesses are specifically anointed in heaven, the rest of Jehovah’s Witnesses earn eternal life on earth (no belief in hell for non-members)

 

Christian Science

God, but not a real man

One God (not a Trinity)

Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures by Mary Baker Eddy, miscellaneous writings, Manual of the Mother Church

Sin

Everyone will be saved; no final judgment