What most people dont want to listen to is that Muslims and Islams are almost the same faith as the Jews and Christians. The prophet Mohammad told how the angel Gabriel came to him and told him he would be a prophet of the Lord---like many who were before him.First off, there's a big difference between "almost", brother. Secondly, Judaism and Christianity are not the same religion. All three semitic faiths tie themselves in some way to Abraham, but anyone can say that they worship the True God, until their theology and praxis say otherwise. Pharisaic/Rabbinic legalism is not the way, neither is Jihadism or the point and tally system in Islam. Neither is the Lutheran doctrine of justification by faith alone.
Mohammad accepted Jews and Christians alike, saying that they like himself was revealed to the truth and awaited the same fate.Muhammad killed the Jews who were in the way, and spared only the ones who caused him no problems. The only Christians he knew were more than likely Nestorians, and if "The People of The Book" were supposed to be respected, I recommend you study the history of Islam more closely. I think you might be surprised.
Mohammad has been portrayed as almost a demi-god, which that was not his calling---the Lord called him to be a prophet. And like Jesus' teachings, Mohammad's words from God were perversed and altered throughout time to suit everyone else' needs.Actually I differ in opinion on this as well. Good Muslims do not revere Muhammed as a demi-god. He's a very well-respected man, but that's it, he's still just a man. Of course, the Ayatollah was just a man too, and just because you're not God doesn't mean people won't listen to you (especially if you claim to be THE prophet). Muslims also believe that the Qur'an has not been altered whatsoever (which isn't hard to believe since it's not as old as the Bible and was fiercely preserved...that doesn't mean it's a superior book), and actually argue that one of Christianity's flaws is the alleged contamination of doctrine throughout history. But I'll get to that soon enough.
The Christians persecuted the Jews and had the Crusades to force people into Christainity---when Christ said that no man can force a man to believe in all truthfulness. The Jews were blamed for Christ' death, when in fact whether anyone likes it or not it was all of us who nailed him to the cross.The Christians persecuted the Jews, and the Jews persecuted the Christians, too (SEE Saul who became Paul, the Pharisees, etc). The Crusades were about more than just forcing people into Christianity. A lot of people like to blame the start of it on the Pope, but in all fairness, it was the Egyptian Caliphate that burned down the Church of The Resurrection in Jerusalem that lit the fuse. You're right, we can't blame the Jews for Christ's death on The Cross. It would be like blaming all Romans for killing Caesar because the senators who conspired and murdered him were Romans. Chirst was killed by his peers (in accordance with The Scriptures), and His peers were Jewish (and so was He, and His Holy Mother, and most of the Holy Apostles, too). Sometimes those Holy Covenants can really have repercussions
It is funny how nobody tries to see the good in people and misinterpret everything a person says or does. Christians say to the Muslims "Our God is bigger than Allah." What a stupid and ironic statement when the word "Allah" in Muslim tounge means "God"!I'll double check, but I'm pretty sure that if I ask some of my Arab Christian professors, they'll say that their God is not the same as a Muslim's.
Somewhere along the lines the Jews, the Christains and the Muslims are all rightI hope that you're not Orthodox my friend, because this statement is unquestionably heretical, being something akin to either ecuminism or unitarianism.
Christ spoke of unity, but there are nearly 38,000 denominations!38,000
Protestant denominations
It's not about doctrine and ceremonies, that's not what Christ was about---Christ was a simple man and far more simpler in his teachings and yet we've made them all so complicated!Christ was indeed a man. And he is also (now and forever) The Living God. And God is entitled to the best that his Royal Priesthood and His Church has to offer in terms of worship.
I was raised Baptist myself, but I have found no fault in the Lutherans, Methodists, Pentecostals etc. because we all are to be as one and as long as we have the Lord we all are alright in the end.It would be hard to find fault in other Protestant denominations if you're Baptist in your upringing, since the doctrine is fairly similar throughout. It'd also be pretty easy to see welcoming theological trends in Islam, since Protestantism and Islam are very similar in many respects (individual interpretation of the books, instant salvation...although in Islam works are important, hellfire and damnation in a very visual sense, a wrathful angry God, etc.), the absence of liturgical emphasis...
The Lord is long suffering, and he will never be whole until we all are whole.The Orthodox Church is One, Holy, Catholic and Apostolic, friend. Come and see.
