One of the big differences between Christianity and Islam is that Christianity encourages reasoning. God, Himself, said, “Come, let us reason together.” Christianity encourages debate and dialog. It commands us to study to show ourselves approved unto God. Jehovah even challenges us to put Him to the test.
On the other hand, Islam does not permit any questioning or examination. If a Muslim starts asking questions, he is quickly silenced. He is told just to trust the imams and obey what they say. Those who have left Islam have often confirmed this to me. They began to see hypocrisy and contradictions in the texts and in the teachings of Islam. When they began to ask questions they were quickly silenced.
Muslims managed to get UN Resolution 16-19 passed about 13 years ago. It is only a resolution, and not international law, but it keeps getting reaffirmed again and again. It resolves that it is a criminal offense to speak out against Islam. Many European countries have been adopting this into their legal systems. This is why we keep seeing people prosecuted for telling the truth about Islam.
Christians should be allowed to protect our teaching by exposing false teaching. We must be permitted to say Hindus are following a false teaching and their idols are not real gods. We need the right to say why we oppose the teachings of Muhammad, and any other prophet we consider to be false. Interestingly, no one seems to get upset when other religions and anti-religion people criticize Christianity.
The Bible tells us that the Christian faith is exclusive.
Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved. (Acts 4:12)
The Bible tells us very clearly that there is only one God. This God is a triune being, God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit. It tells us that God came to earth in the form of a man, He took on flesh and dwelt among us. He laid down His life as a sacrifice, shedding His blood to pay for the remission of man’s sin. If anyone rejects this teaching, he or she cannot be saved. We are told that those who do not accept the truth are under the wrath of God.
For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who hold the truth in unrighteousness; (Romans 1:18)
For us to suggest that Christ is the only way, not “a” way, is exclusive. The laws that many want to pass will make it more difficult for Christians to practice their faith.
And if Christ be not raised, your faith is vain; ye are yet in your sins. (1 Corinthians 15:17)
Paul is telling us that if Christ has not risen from the grave, how could we have the promise of a resurrection? He says that if Christ has not risen, our faith is vain, or empty. We have no basis for our religion. If Christ has not risen, we have no hope, and we are still in our sins. Our faith, our religion, is built upon the fact that Christ rose from the dead.
For us to claim that Christ’s sacrifice is the only payment for sin makes us critical of Islam because Islam says Christ did not rise from the grave and did not pay the price. We must be allowed to criticize Islam for saying something different from what the Bible says.
Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers: for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? and what communion hath light with darkness? (2 Corinthians 6:14)
I got a call from a listener who was not happy with me. She was polite, and I appreciate that. I had mentioned a Christian man who went to a mosque to pray with Muslims so he could support Muslims by worshiping their god. She thought this was a good thing. She suggested I read a book by Dr. Howard Rosen, “The Parallel Lives of God’s Messengers.” Here is what she quoted to me:
“Religion should be understood as a developmental phenomenon pure in its spiritual origins and emergence, yet humanly corruptible in its maintenance and declining stages.”
“Interreligious unity should be a goal and maybe a planetary culture will emerge at first unconsciously and will rebuild the kingdom of Heaven on Earth.”
“If we could learn how to engage religious pluralism more substantially in our discourse we could improve civic participation and elevate our conversation beyond the narrow categories of self-interest and economic utility.”
“One Universal God but different prophets “
He is saying that religion is a developing phenomenon that is pure in its spiritual origins, but then evolves as it is corrupted by man. He seems to want to merge all religions together. He thinks there is one universal god, but different prophets. It is basically the old story that many roads lead to Heaven. I hate to tell this guy, but there is only one road to Heaven.
As Christians, we are not to be unequally yoked with these unbelievers.
Many of these pious professors sit on their thrones in academia and make me want to quote Festus in the book of Acts; “Much learning doth make thee mad.” They fit the bill of what Paul said in 1 Timothy:
He is proud, knowing nothing, but doting about questions and strifes of words, whereof cometh envy, strife, railings, evil surmisings, Perverse disputings of men of corrupt minds, and destitute of the truth, supposing that gain is godliness: from such withdraw thyself. (1 Timothy 6:4-5)
Not only are these people proud, but they are destitute of the truth. We are to withdraw ourselves from them.
The Bible tells us there is no end to books.
And further, by these, my son, be admonished: of making many books there is no end; and much study is a weariness of the flesh. (Ecclesiastes 12:12)
This has never been truer than in our day. It seems that anyone who is someone has written a book. There is nothing wrong with this if the books are truthful and contribute to our understanding. Of course, I am not talking about fiction books. The problem is, too many of the books concerning spiritual matters are written by people who have no understanding, and who are willing to take things out of context and interpret away their obvious meanings. Like Dr. Rosen, they do not add understanding; they actually add much confusion. We have arrived at a point where everyone has their own interpretation, and everyone is doing that which is right in their own eyes.
Here is what the Bible has to say about these people:
Ever learning, and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth. (2 Timothy 3:7)
They are not able to come to the knowledge of the truth because, either they don’t believe in objective truth, or they filter everything through their preconceived ideas.
The Bible also says that they make fools of themselves.
Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools, (Romans 1:22)
Too many are getting their theology from theology books and commentaries instead of the Holy Scriptures. Theology books and commentaries can be useful, but they are not the final authority. The Bible is the true source of wisdom, not professors in their ivory towers.
