Sometimes, you just need a quick reference sheet to know what are the differences between Christianity & Islam! There are many similarities as well – if you’d like to know more, grab my book “Reaching Muslims” from Amazon!
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Over the years, many have asked for a comparison between Muslims & Mormons. In a wonderful book on apologetics called “Fast Facts on False Teachings.” One of the authors, Ed Decker leads a Christian Ministry and he has published numerous articles on Mormonism. I have included some of the information here in a comparison of Christianity & Mormonism.
Before I start, however, I would like to add a caveat. While there are similarities, there are also GREAT differences!
The Mormons claim a belief in Christianity that is similar to the Judeo-Christian views. However, the differences start right at the book of Genesis.
Mormons believe that the archangel Michael was born on earth as Adam, the first mortal man. In the Mormon version of the creation story, Jesus Christ, who before his birth was called Jehovah of the Hebrew Bible, who created the earth and all things on it at the direction of God the Father. This is a notion very similar to the beliefs of the Jehovah’s Witnesses.[4] Mormons believe that God is immortal and that He was once a man albeit a perfect and exalted man. This is considered to be blasphemy by BOTH Christians and Muslims!
An article from Beliefnet.com states that the fact that would make Christians, Jews and Muslims shudder is the Mormon belief that Jesus is the Son of God in a literal and physical sense. He is the eldest brother of all mortals and the firstborn spirit child of God. They believe that from Mary, a mortal woman, Jesus inherited the capacity to die, and from God, an exalted being, he inherited the capacity to live forever.[5]
Given all these differences, I actually believe that talking about Islam is a great spring-board for discussion and engaging your Mormon friend! What a wonderful way to start a dialogue.
Here are some of the things I would like to point out in what I know of the two religions:
*Muslims: Prophet Mohammad had a revelation by an “Angel of light” – later called “Gabriel”
Mormons: Joseph Smith had a revelation by an “Angel of light” – later called Moroni
NOTE: Paul warned, “For Satan himself transforms himself into an angel of light. Therefore it is no great thing if his ministers also transform themselves into ministers of righteousness, whose end will be according to their works” (2 Corinthians 11:14-15).
*Muslims: Must make a pilgrimage at least once in their lifetime to Mecca, where they must wear white (to equalize out rank/social status, etc) and to show purity
Mormons: Must make a pilgrimage at least once in their lifetime to Utah Mormon Temple, where they must wear white (to equalize out rank/social status, etc) and to show purity
*Muslims: Polygamy acceptable per Islam (up to 4 wives)
Mormons: Polygamy acceptable (per book of Mormon & Joseph Smith’s practices)
NOTE: Some claim that the Bible promotes polygamy in the Old Testament. Where we find polygamy (Abraham, Jacob, Hannah & Peninnah in 1 Samuel, Solomon’s 700 wives, etc), we find trouble, confusion, sin and punishment. God’s original design was one man, one woman in Genesis 2:24 and again reiterated by Jesus in Matthew 19:4-6. Anything apart from that is sin.
*Muslims: Jesus was a man & prophet – nothing more
Mormons: Claim: “Our Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ the Son are two distinct PHYSICAL beings. (Contributions of Joseph Smith)”
*Muslims: No original sin. Adam was a prophet who sinned… no big deal. All children are a blank slate and are held accountable later at puberty for their sins Mormons: No doctrine of original sin from Adam & Eve. Children are not held accountable for sins until age 8
*Muslims: Muhammad was illiterate (but wrote the Koran due to divine inspiration through the angel Gabriel)
Mormons: Joseph Smith was illiterate (education through grade three but wrote the Book of Mormon from divine inspiration through the angel Moroni)
*Muslims: Koran is “mother book” that resides in heaven with God.
Mormons: it is the golden Nephi plates that the angel Moroni took back to heaven.
*Muslims: Complete information for religion comes through Quran, Hadith and Sira of Muhammad Mormons: Complete information for religion comes through Book of Mormon, Doctrines & Covenants, and the Pearl of Great Price
*Both say that they are the ultimate prophet of God
Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God. For many false prophets have gone out into the world. (1 John 4:1)
Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ravenous wolves. (Matthew 7:15)
Interesting… isn’t it?
“Muslims are being spit upon and the number of verbal attacks are increasing.”
“The terrorists don’t represent what Islam teaches.”
“We cannot blame this attack on the entire Muslim community.”
These are the types of things that are now being reported all over the internet. The comments are cliche and don’t leave the Manchester or other communities (like New York) that have been threatened over the last week. It brings to mind the bombing of the night club in Orlando. Westerners who don’t understand Islam are asking “Why did this happen and what can we do about this?”
What the Muslim community does not tell the public is simple. Jihad is the only 100% way to get to heaven according to Islam. Jihad means “to strive or struggle.” Muslims will tell you that it does not mean “Holy War” but refers to an internal struggle, but that is NOT what Islamic teaching says. Let me start at the beginning.
For Islam, there are two worlds: Dar al Islam (Arabic:House of Islam) and Dar al Harb (Arabic: House of War). If you don’t belong to the House of Islam… you automatically belong to the House of War. The Quran (Surah Al-An’am 6:127 and Surah Yunus 10:25) goes further to call the House of Islam the House of Peace (versus war). This is where Muslims have publicized that they follow a religion of peace. It is peaceful as long as you follow the laws of Islam within the House of Islam. If you do not follow the rules and law of Islam (Sharia), there is no peace for you because you belong to the world of the infidel or Kafir (literally one who rejects Islam). Muslims will not tell you that there is most definitely war. Many Friday prayers at the local mosque will remind Muslims weekly that they are all united in war against the infidels.
For the Muslim, there is a checklist to follow in order to be a good Muslim and fulfill their faith requirements. These are called the Five Pillars of Faith. I have written about these in a previous blog. For the average, cultural Muslim. These are very difficult to achieve on a daily basis. I know – I tried and failed miserably when I was a Muslim, both as a teenager and as an adult. I simply could not get it right. There are many Muslims who feel this way. Their works cannot justify them, so they count on Allah’s mercy to get them to Heaven. There is no assurance for ANY MUSLIM that they will get to Heaven. Allah (through angels on your shoulder) is keeping an account daily of their good and bad deeds. Furthermore, Muslims believe that Allah can change his mind. Even if you’ve been a “good Muslim,” Allah can change his mind at the last minute and deny you entrance into Paradise.
Here enters JIHAD… the shining knight that can save a Muslim from all his or her troubles. Jihad is the only 100% guaranteed way to get into Paradise for a Muslim.
Here’s excellent information (supported with research) from the website Answering Islam:
9:33 It is He Who has sent His Messenger (Muhammad) with guidance and the religion of truth, to make it superior over all religions, though the Mushrikûn (polytheists, pagans, idolaters, disbelievers in the Oneness of Allah) hate (it). (Hilali and Khan, The Noble Qur’an, Riyadh: Darussalam, 1996, 2002; parenthetical notes are theirs).
This verse is repeated two more times, word for word, in Suras 61:9 and 48:28. Muhammad means business.
The Arabic word for “to make it superior” comes from the root z-h-r, which means “to become distinct, obvious, conspicuous, or manifest; to ascend or to mount; to have the upper hand.” It can also mean “triumph” or “victorious” or “prevail.”
Seekers and the curious about Islam must understand this brute fact as they read the Quran: in the ten years that Muhammad lived in Medina (AD 622-632), he either sent out or went out on seventy-four small assassination hit squads, raids, expeditions, small battles, or full-scale wars like the Tabuk Crusade in AD 630, in which Muhammad led 30,000 soldiers north to invade the Byzantine empire. Sometimes the conflicts did not end in violence, but too many times they did. All verses (and there are not many) in the Medinan suras that seem to speak of peace and tolerance must be read in light of this violent historical context. Not far from the few tolerant verses the reader will find intolerant and violent verses.
Sura 9:33, simply put, predicts the conquest of Islam over all religions. Islam must dominate the world through jihad.
9:29 Fight [q-t-l] against those who believe not in Allah, nor in the Last Day, nor forbid that which has been forbidden by Allah and His Messenger (Muhammad) and those who acknowledge not the religion of truth (i.e. Islam) among the people of the Scripture (Jews and Christians) until they pay the Jizya with willing submission, and feel themselves subdued. (Hilali and Khan)
What happens to martyrs in jihad?
Martyrs are guaranteed a fast track to Islamic paradise. Their deaths are depicted in economic terms. If they expend their lives as a living currency, Allah will exchange them for heavenly Islamic gardens.
61:10 You who believe, shall I show you a bargain that will save you from painful punishment? 11 Have faith in God and His Messenger and struggle [j-h-d] for His cause with your possessions and your persons—that is better for you, if only you knew—12 and He will forgive your sins, admit you into Gardens graced with flowing streams, into pleasant dwellings in the Gardens of Eternity. That is the supreme triumph. (Haleem)
Muslims who struggle (j-h-d) in Allah’s cause will either win the battle and live to see another day, so that they can collect some spoils of war, or they will die and have their sins forgiven and be admitted into Islamic heaven.
Sura 9:111 carries on the economic bargain.
9:111 God has purchased the persons and possessions of the believers for the Garden—they fight [q-t-l] in God’s way: they kill [q-t-l] and are killed [q-t-l]—this is a true promise given by Him in the Torah, the Gospel, and the Qur’an. Who could be more faithful to his promise than God? So be happy with the bargain you have made: that is the supreme triumph. (Haleem)
Two things should be noticed here. First, the root q-t-l is used three times in this short verse. Qital or qatala, as noted in the section “What are some rules of jihad?” means killing, warring, and slaughtering and is therefore less ambiguous or has a more restricted meaning than jihad, though this latter word can mean those same bloody acts.
Okay… so, Martyrs who fight in Jihad get the equivalent of the Disney Fast Pass to Paradise. What’s waiting for them? Men get it all! They get a place of extreme physical pleasure with 72 eternal virgins (Houris), wine, food, etc. Women simply get a couch by rivers of milk and honey… oh wait, they also get the same husband they had on earth (whether they want him or not).
Getting back to the Manchester situation. It is an ATROCITY. Is this what England gets for agreeing to have Sharia-enforced areas in their country? They have been bending over backwards to allow Muslim demands to filter into their schools, politics and courts. When a terrorist strikes in the name of Allah, please understand that this truly is what Islam teaches.
Quran Surah 8:12 Then your Lord spoke to His angels and said, “I will be with you. Give strength to the believers. I will send terror into the Kafirs’ hearts, cut off their heads and even the tips of their finger
What Islam teaches and what many Muslims believe may be two different things ONLY because over 80% of the Muslim world cannot read Arabic and the Quranic teachings are in Arabic. They are ignorant of what the teachings are, so you will find Muslims who say “Oh, this is not what I believe.” In order to be a true Muslim, you HAVE TO BELIEVE 100% of your book. If this is not what you believe as a Muslim, then according to your own religion, you are not a Muslim (Quran Surah Al-Baqarah 2:208 & Quran Surah Ali ‘Imran 3:7). In Quran Surah As-Sajda (32:22) it goes further to say –
So, if you are a Muslim who questions Quranic verses or worse turns away (like I did = apostate), there will be retribution, for I am a criminal in Islam’s eyes.
This is your religion of peace. This is why people fear Islam for what it is and what it tells Muslims to do in order to behave. This is not a “phobia” (which is defined as “an extreme or irrational fear of or aversion to something.”). This is not IRRATIONAL, but is a RATIONAL, logical fear people have. As long as we make excuses as a nation and remain politically correct about what Islam is and what it teaches, we will remain in the dark.
Let LIGHT and TRUTH shine in!
The Bible in Ephesians 6:12-14 says “For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this world’s darkness, and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. Therefore take up the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you will be able to stand your ground, and having done everything, to stand. Stand firm then, with the belt of truth fastened around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness arrayed…”
As Christians, we do not fight the Muslim people. We fight against the spiritual forces that do not tell the truth and take evil actions against innocents. We need to join together in prayer and share the Gospel of Christ in love. We do not need to take it upon ourselves to retaliate in anger, but to wrap ourselves in the truth of Christ’s teachings. To pray for your enemy and to answer evil with love.
If you have any questions about what I wrote – contact me. I am happy to answer or find the answer for you. The Lord gave you an incredible mind. Don’t take statements like “Islam is peace” or “Terrorists don’t represent Islam’s teachings” at face value. Question it. Research it. May the Lord shine His beautiful light into your life.