In a video for the Emir-Stein Center, a Christian theologian, Professor Miroslav Volf, presents his case for Allah being God.
Volf begins the video with pure irrelevance. He starts by arguing that ‘Allah’ is God in the same way as ‘Bog’, ‘Dieu’ and ‘Gott’ are God in Croatian, French and German. However, simply defining ‘Allah’ as the word for God does nothing to prove Volf’s claim that the Allah of Islam is the same being as the God of Christianity. It only shows that the word Allah means God. That does not necessarily mean that this God is the same God as that of other faiths who use the same word. Volf seems to be using the fallacy of equivocation.
When he moves beyond the lexical to religious, the lines of reality begin to blur even more for Professor Volf. He changes the question, quite rightly, to ‘is the God that Muslims and Christians worship the same?’ This is based on his book ‘Allah: A Christian Response’. Volf goes on to define six things that Muslims and Christians supposedly agree on. They are:
- There is only one God.
- God created everything.
- God is radically different from everything that is not God.
- God is good, merciful and just.
- God commands that we love God with our whole being.
- God commands that we love our neighbors as ourselves.
Before you get ready to sing Kumbaya and hold hands with Muslims, we have some clearing up to do. To cite six ‘agreements’ is a strange approach to the argument. For unless you can show that the Gods are identical, points of agreement are irrelevant. And Volf cannot even cite six correct examples.
The Trinity of Christianity differs from Islamic tauhid, absolute monotheism. Yet in Islam, we find that aside from Allah, Islam has two other additional uncreated, eternal, divine beings. The Qur’an, the word of Allah, is uncreated, eternal, a divine, conscious agent, and cannot be destroyed or ended in any way. Hence it is a second eternal being. The more interesting issue with Islam’s tauhid lies with the Spirit, ‘Rūḥ’ in Arabic. In the Qur’an’s Surah 19:17, while recounting the Spirit descending down to Mary, we read ‘So we sent our spirit (Rūḥ) to her, so he appeared to her a normal human’. So, who exactly is the Rūḥ? There are two possible answers. The obvious one to a layman is that it is Allah’s spirit. However, as we see in Surah 5:116, this is incorrect. While talking about the Islamic portrayal of Jesus, Allah says: ‘You know what is in my soul, and I do not know what is in your soul’, with Allah’s soul, self or spirit being referred to as Nafs.
The mainstream and by far common Islamic argument for the identity of the Rūḥ is the Angel Gabriel, or Jibril. This also fails, however. We read in both Surahs 70:4 and 78:38 that the Rūḥ is separated from the Angels. Surah 70:4 reads: ‘The angels and the spirit ascend to him in a day; its duration was fifty thousand years’, while 70:38 says ‘A day the spirit and the angels stand in ranks’.
The third example is very vague, as Volf does not elaborate on which specific traits he is referring to. The fourth point is the major contention, however, as Volf has used a tricky equivocation fallacy. He appeals to an unknown source of moral values to equate what is ‘good, merciful and just’ in Christianity with what is ‘good, merciful and just’ in Islam. But goodness, mercy and justice are completely different in Islam and Christianity, so the God of the Qur’an is not equally ‘good, merciful and just’ with the God of the Bible. The God of Islam and the Qur’an defines all these terms very differently from how they’re defined in Christianity, so this is not an agreement in the slightest, just a sleight of hand on Volf’s part.
Again in point five, the definitions of love are different in Islam and Christianity. Islam means ‘surrender’. This is very different from the loving relationship between the God of Christianity and his created beings. The last of the six similarities is the most brazen: Volf lies outright about the teachings of Islam. If those neighbours are non-Muslims, there is no such teaching of love for one’s neighbour. My challenge on many occasions must be issued again here, this time to Professor Miroslav Volf. I ask him to show a single verse in the Qur’an that preaches love for an unbeliever. Far from this, the Qur’an teaches Muslims that they must kill those who do not surrender to Allah. We see killing commanded in over seventy verses, for different reasons and with different punishments.
We go on to see Professor Volf discuss Christianity and Islam being among the family of the three monotheistic faiths. While I agree that all three profess to believe in monotheism, as I have already shown, Islam does not purely teach tauhid, as it claims to do. Interestingly, in Surah 5:116, Allah misunderstands what Christians believe of the Trinity when he asks ‘O ‘Isā [Jesus], son of Mary, did you say to the people, ‘Take me and my mother as two gods, other than Allah’?’, believing the Trinity to be the Father, Son and Mary. This is a common belief of Muslims today. One novel defence I hear frequently is that Allah was referring to Catholic beliefs about Mary, but he still neglects to include the Holy Spirit, betraying that this is indeed a legitimate misunderstanding of the Trinity.
Allah also condemns Christians as ‘Kafir’ in Qur’an 5:72-73. In 5:72, Allah says: ‘Infidels, indeed, are those who said, “Surely Allah is the Christ, son of Mary’. 5:73 says: ‘Infidels, indeed, are those who said, “Surely Allah is the third of three.” And there is no god except one god, and if they do not refrain from what they are saying, a painful torment will touch those who became infidels among them.’ The torment here refers to earthly torment, too. Allah commands Muslims to inflict such earthly torment in Surah 9:14: ‘Engage in war with them. Allah will torment them by your hands and put them to shame and give you victory over them and heal chests of a believing people’.
Volf then illustrates two major differences between the Christian and Muslim God. The first is God’s nature, as a Trinity or tauhid, and he notes that both Jews and Muslims reject the Trinity. While Islamic oneness is certainly claimed by Islam and the Qur’an, I have already demonstrated some theological issues with that. And for the purposes of his video’s comparison, what the Jewish faith believes is irrelevant, and Christians argue the Old Testament is rich with the Trinity.
The second difference Volf presents regards God’s love. While Christians believe God is all-loving and loves all people, Islam refutes the claim quite explicitly, although Volf does not delve too deeply into Allah’s hatred of particular people and his decision to seal some people’s hearts so that they cannot believe (see Qur’an 7:179 and 32:13). Volf appears to think that loving evildoers is a moral issue that Islam resolves in God’s justice and mercy; but loving an evildoer is not equivalent to loving an evil deed. This is another sleight-of-hand insinuation by Professor Volf.
Volf ponders the question ‘do differences in the character mean that their bearer must be a different entity?’ While Volf shies away from an answer, he says that if the characteristics of each deity show that the Gods are different, only one religion could be worshipping the one true God and one must be invented, hence whoever is wrong is also idolatrous. That is not necessarily so, as obviously there is no intention to commit idolatry.
We see in Revelation 12:9 that Satan is called the great deceiver: ‘And the great dragon was cast out, that old serpent, called the Devil, and Satan, which deceiveth the whole world: he was cast out into the earth, and his angels were cast out with him’. In Surah 3:54 and 8:30, Allah is called the best of deceivers. In Surah 3:54, Allah delivers the following through Muhammad; ‘And they deceived, and Allah deceived. And Allah is the best deceiver’. Similarly in Surah 8:30: ‘And when those who became infidels deceive you to detain you or to kill you or to expel you. And they deceive, and Allah deceives. And Allah is the best deceiver’. These verses completely distinguish the Gods of Islam and Christianity.
Volf argues based on the first three similarities he lists that Christians and Muslims must believe in the same God because there isn’t another entity with these three characteristics. Let’s grant, for the sake of argument, that those first three similarities were valid, which they are not, and dig deeper into the fallacies that lie within Volf’s sophistry. Being identical requires complete harmony in character and not one single difference. If there is only one car left in the world, two people are not necessarily thinking of the same car if they claim it has four wheels, four doors and an engine; to be the same, you have to match identically.
Professor Volf finishes on a somewhat agreeable point when answering the question of where these differences leave Muslims and Christians. He concludes: ‘I believe both should vie with one another for the truth about God and they should do so not just with intellectual rigor but also with gentleness, benevolence and forbearance’. Despite the channel he is presenting on and the vast inaccuracies and fallacious arguments filling his video, I will take Volf on good faith that in this statement he does not mean to say that passion is not welcome in spreading the message of truth. This idea should also never be used to argue for masking over uncomfortable truths.
sharonline says
The imams tell us allah promised them the world if they worshiped him. Satan promised Jesus the same thing only Jesus told satan to “Get thee hence!!”.
J Morgan says
Allah is the best deceiver who commands his believers to kill and torment non-believers. He is nothing like the God of the Bible. Praise God!
mortimer says
Miroslav Volf doesn’t understand the deception of Allah. He is trying to gloss over the profound and irreconcilable problems in Islamic theology, especially its supremacism. Islam is non-rationalistic and does not contain the Golden Rule. Those two things are the grounding of Dr. Volf’s theology. I don’t think he can overcome those two problems.
J Morgan says
Unfortunately, Miroslav Volf is part of a trend of spreading deception about Islam, these days. These are dangerous times with much ignorance of the pressing threat of Sharia and Muslim Supremacy
“Islam is non-rationalistic and does not contain the Golden Rule. Those two things are the grounding of Dr. Volf’s theology. I don’t think he can overcome those two problems.”
Mohammed’s mentally disturbed screed known as the Q’uran is not rational and no, Islam has nothing like the Golden Rule, especially towards the non-believer.
I agree Mortimer, those are two major differences between the religions and what God commands vs what Allah commands..
mortimer says
JM, I do not think ‘Mohammed’ wrote the Koran … someone else put words into his mouth. There may have been a Gnostic preacher whose sermon texts were collected and then radically modified to be read in the mosques … Qur’an is an obvious copy of the Syriac word QERYANA (a church lectionary). The Qur’an is the lectionary of the Arabs designed by Hajjaj to indoctrinate them to fight the Byzantine Romans. Until Hajjaj, the Koran was NOT READ in the mosques … it did not yet exist as a text.
J Morgan says
Thank you for your educational correction, Mortimer. You know a lot on this subject. What I do know of quotes attributed to Mohammed, they are mostly paranoid , warlike and not very kind towards others.
gravenimage says
Mortimer, thank you for that information on the Qeryana–you are a font of important knowledge.
Eli says
I believe Jehovah God of the Bible is not the same, as their Allah of the Qu’ran. We believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God, but from what I recall, the Qu’ran says that Jesus is a prophet. Jehovah God of the Bible is pure and Heaven is a holy place. The Muslims believe, those who have died in suicide cases for Allah, are expecting a large number of virgins. That is an appeal to the flesh, and there is nothing pure about that. The documentations of both faiths have little in common. Other religions have appeared to be founded by a human being, and may use aspects of the Christians faith.
mortimer says
Dear Eli, my friend, the Jehovah’s Witnesses have TWO gods: Jehovah and a lesser god Jesus who is ‘a god’ in the JW modified NT (John 1.1). Islam’s god is not like the JW god. He doesn’t have a ‘partner’ as the JW deity does.
TruthWFree says
So who is the allah god of Islam? From all my study, the allah god has to be Satan.
FYI says
It seems yet another professor MISSED a few things..and the Emir-Stein lot again {of iffy Theologians}
allah’s koranic teachings are at odds with “the law of Moses and the teachings of all the prophets”:
allah MISSED the Golden Rule{Matthew 7 v 12,defined as being “the MEANING of the law of Moses and the teachings of all the prophets”},MISSED the concept of the Holy Spirit{see allah’s EPIC Theology fail in koran 5:116 where he has MARY in the Trinity:no Holy Spirit},teaches the OPPOSITE of Leviticus 19:18 in koran 5:51 so islam has no concept of ‘Love Thy Neighbor’,allah MISSED Deuteronomy 6:4-9 Chief law #1 which cannot be satisfied in islam as allah permits violations of the Exodus 20 Decalogue{thus defeating the purpose of the TORAH},denies everything about Jesus Christ koran 4:157,koran 4:171{thus defeating the purpose of the Gospel},islam’s classification of Jews and christians as “the WORST of created beings” {koran 98:6}is a denial of Genesis 1 v 27{humans are made in the spiritual image of God},islam gets’s God’s name wrong{it is YHWH,not ‘allah’},the koran dismisses the role of the Jews and denies they are even Jewish,islam has a Doctrine of HATE al walaa wal barra{the Bible teaches LOVE,deut6:4-9,lev19:18,Golden Rule..ALL contradicted in islam}etc
Surely a professor would have figured that all this shows that allah is NOT the Biblical God.
Academics may have knowledge but they appear to have no Wisdom.There IS a difference.
TruthWFree says
So who is the allah god of Islam? From all my study, the allah god has to be Satan.
JimInIndy says
In both Philosophy and Theology, this ‘learned professor’ suffers from ‘culpable ignorance’. He pretends insight he does not possess in a deliberate attempt or inept effort to deceive.
mortimer says
In his haste to ‘build bridges’ with Islam, Volf has ignored certain irreconcilable differences, especially the problem of the Golden Rule which is not in Islam … I can assure him of that after a lengthy study of it. A pseudo-reciprocity rule exists in Islam, but it only applies to jihadists and their fellow-jihadists: they are supposed to wish an equal amount of BOOTY, PLUNDER and SEX SLAVES to be awarded to their jihadist fellows. This would be more a ‘COLLEGIALITY RULE’, rather than the true Golden Rule of reciprocity to all ‘others’ applied universally.
The jihadic ‘COLLEGIALITY RULE’ doesn’t apply to the dirty kufaar who are the worst of beings according to the Koran. The Koran is referring to Trinitarian Christians in that passage which condemns them as polytheists and ‘wrong-worshippers’. Allah hates that the most. The Koran actually condemns almost all the basic doctrines of Christianity.
I think Volf needs to do more study on the differences and stop trying to build bridges to Islam.
The Koran was synthesized, selected and composed in order to condemn and fight Jews and Christians (in particular), as well as other ‘wrong-worshippers’.
Dr. Volf doesn’t realize that the Koran is a troop motivator designed to indoctrinate them to fight and plunder the Roman Empire and absorb it in the empire of the caliphs.
mortimer says
Dr Volf doesn’t realize that most of the quotes about NT figures in the Koran comes from GNOSTIC TEXTS and practically nothing in the Koran comes from the NT! This is an important insight of Dr SVEN KALISCH, a Koranic expert in Frankfurt, Germany.
Dr Volf should consult with Dr KALISCH about the GNOSTIC ORIGINS of ISLAM.
The fact that most of the quotes about Jesus and Mary come from GNOSTIC TEXTS should ring loud ALARM BELLS for a scholar!
The fact that the author of the Koran chose GNOSTIC NON-CANONICAL WRITINGS for his source-subject matter shows that the Koran was deliberately hoaxed.
gravenimage says
Volf wrote “Allah: A Christian Response”, presenting an “argument for a new pluralism between Muslims and Christians”–completely ignoring the Islamic mandate for slaughtering Christians who do not submit to Islam.
Wellington says
Yes, gravenimage, that’s a whopper of ignoring something.
Julie says
It’s also critical to note, in regard to the Trinity, Allah proclaims he has not begotten a son. This is a direct denial if the deity of Jesus Christ. It isn’t Christians who came up with the claim that Jesus is the Son of God — God the Father Himself, proclaimed “this is My beloved Son in whom I am well pleased.” Matt. 3:17
Had he addressed just this point alone, he would have to conclude that GOD and Allah are not the same entity… but then his video would have only been about 2 min long…. a lot of pointless bloviating going on in that video. ?♀️
mortimer says
Yes to ‘Julie’. The Koran hates the doctrine of the Trinity more than anything, because it is the basis and source of the political power of the Byzantine Roman Empire that the Arabs were trying to conquer. Byzantium ruled in the name of the Trinity, therefore the caliphs needed to undermine and demolish the validity of the Byzantine claim of divine authority for the Roman Empire. The Koran is mostly an anti-Christian death warrant aimed at the Byzantine Romans.
‘Allah’ contradicts almost all the teachings in the NT. ‘Allah’ certainly did not know what was in the NT, thus, ‘Allah’ is not all-knowing and could not be the true deity. ‘Allah’ is obviously a 7th-century or 8-th century man putting words into the mouth of ‘Allah’.
CogitoErgoSum says
Yes, the God of the Bible is perfect Truth and cannot and does not EVER lie. The God of the Bible says Jesus is His beloved Son while the god of the Koran, Allah, proclaims that to say and believe such a thing is blasphemous. Christians should see that the god of Islam is a liar and, therefore, a false god. The Muslims’ god, Allah, is NOT the same God in which Christians believe. It’s as simple as that.
islammeanspeace5529 says
There is no god except Allah
Ade Fegan says
but muhammad sure as hell ain’t his prophet
mortimer says
‘Allah’ contradicts himself and Mohammed contradicts himself hundreds of times. The Koran is ungrammatical, factually erroneous and disorganized. The Koran is so scatter-brained, no deity is behind it. Only a self-hypnotized, irrational and amoral person can accept the Koran. The Koran is a hoax and a fraud. Your mullahs lie to you … they deceive you. They know the Koran was not perfectly preserved.
FYI says
shahadah version 2.0
There is no god allah:that is just muhammed’s sock puppet.. and muhammed was a prophet of baal.
gravenimage says
With “islammeanspeace”, even his name is a lie.
In actuality. Islam means “submission”.
traveler2022 says
You may be correct, that there is no god but Allāh; however, there is no GOD but Yahweh.
Wellington says
Prove it.
Tony Naim says
God, maker of the universe, giver of life, present before time existed, is the father, who revealed his nature in the spirit of Jesus Christ, the Jew from Nazareth, rejected by some, followed by others, who left us the choice to adopt his spirit to guide our journey to eternal life. Simple and humble, the God of the trinity, the God of the Bible.
IN sharp contrast with the other Notion of God, the harsh ruler , who commands his subjects by memos, telling them how to eat & drink, what to wear, how to have sex, with whom or what ,and when to kill.
Other than these differences between the God of the Bible and the God of Islam, Allah means God in Arabic.
A Maronite priest went on TV once to address the audience in Lebanon. He mentioned how the Koran introduces the core essence of God as being the “compassionate and merciful”.
He proposed that Muslims should drop any other notion of God that is in sharp contrast with that introduction.Unfortunately, there are many in the Koran.
gravenimage says
Usually “Allah” is called the “Compassionate and Merciful” in the Qur’an right before he does something particularly vicious.
So this is more a talisman with Muslims asking “Allah” not to hurt them than it is a description of his attributes.
mortimer says
The concept of “compassionate and merciful’ is from Yemenite Christians who migrated to northern Arabia and southern Syria before the time of Mohammed. Islam borrowed these phrases from the GHASSANID TRIBE which were allies of Byzantium. The authors of the Koran did not realize that “compassionate and merciful’ comes from the Christian doctrine of ‘GRACE’ (undeserved merit attributed to sinners from the sacrificial death of Jesus on the cross).
The Koran attacks 1) the Christian doctrine of grace 2) the sacrifice of Jesus and 3) his death on the cross. The Koran INTENTIONALLY attacks ESSENTIAL DOCTRINES of Christianity that required for salvation. The motivation of the Koran’s authors is POLITICALLY DRIVEN to undermine the Byzantine Roman theological justification for its rule.
n says
Dr. Volf no doubt is sincere in his desire to ‘build bridges’, but he is not correct to assert that “6.God commands that we love our neighbors as ourselves.”
That is, Allah does not command it, but the reverse. Koran 48:29 is a verse that clearly and unmistakably, perhaps even deliberately, contradicts the Golden Rule:
Koran 48.29 “Muhammad is the messenger of Allah; Those with him are VIOLENT (ashiddaa’) against the disbelievers (kufaar); Compassionate amongst themselves.”
FYI says
The Golden Rule is defined as being “the meaning of the Law of Moses and the teachings of all the prophets”
“Do for others what you want them to do for you.:This is the MEANING of the Law of Moses and the teachings of all the Prophets”
MATTHEW 7 V 12
No Golden Rule implies the author of the koran does not understand “the meaning of the Law of Moses and the teachings of all the prophets”;it seems allah MISSED it.
It is Theologically and Logically impossible that allah can be the same as the Biblical Christian God.
It is Theologically impossible since allah denies Christ was even crucified{koran 4:157}and denies the Trinity{koran 4:171,getting the Doctrine WRONG in koran 5:116 by insisting MARY is in it}
It is Logically impossible because the teachings of the koran permit the violation of the Exodus 20 Decalogue commandments{for example,allah permits muslims to steal from infidels koran 48:20}which defeats the whole purpose of the Torah and YHWH’s teachings of the Law as given to Moses and seen in the 2 chief laws and the Exodus chpt 20 decalogue.
The koran lacks the Wisdom that is found in the Bible:the Bible shows the PRESENCE of the Holy Spirit,the koran shows the ABSENCE of the Holy Spirit.That is why the koran is full of errors{although muslim ‘scholars’ try hard to hide that fact}muslims actually cannot see this:allah does not have any Holy Spirit,no Wisdom source.
If allah was the SAME as the Biblical God..
allah’s name would be YHWH,”the Law of Moses and the teachings of the prophets”{based on 2 chief commandments -‘the WHOLE of the Law of Moses and the teachings of the prophets depend on these 2 commandments’Matthew 22 v 40}would not be disobeyed{which is what the koran actually permits},the Golden Rule would be present{it is MISSING in islam},the Holy Spirit{=the source of prophecy and scripture:MISSING in the koran}and the essential role of the Jews would be understood{John 4 v 22} and not dismissed as the koran teaches.
You cannot ‘Love thy neighbor’ in islam if,according to the koran he is a JEW{=’to be despised and hated’ koran 2 v 65}or a Christian{/Jew} ‘the WORST of created beings’ koran 98:6
Thus Leviticus 19:18 Chief law #2 cannot be satisfied in islam.Neither can Deut 6:4-9 chief law # 1
be satisfied since allah permits the violating of the Exodus 20 Decalogue.
theGolden rule is MISSING in islam
the Holy Spirit is MISSING in islam
the 2 chief laws cannot be satisfied in islam{law #1 Deut 4:6-9,law #2 lev19:18}:islam has no concept of humans made in the spiritual image of God{Genesis 1 v 27}which is WHY we have muslims vs infidels in the koran.
And here is something for the Theologians…
In koran 5:116 allah has MARY in his misunderstanding of the Trinity alongside Jesus and allah
MARY has nothing to do with the Trinity.If allah is all wise and knowing how come he does not understand Christian Theology?
In koran 5:46 allah claims he bestowed on Jesus the Gospel but Jesus of course never had the Gospel and was not in any case responsible for it.
Rod says
A few things seem to be MISSING from the Jihadwatcher bible.
For example
Jesus said: “Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself”.
No, don’t bother to explain to me that you know what Jesus really meant, and that of course I don’t.
FYI says
Your sophistry is absolutely pathetic,predictable and simply hilarious:for you are a known islamic apologist!
Of course you WOULD say that.We know where you are coming from,the land of lies.
What you have said makes no sense:it is the koran that MISSED that and I am asking HOW that is possible.
Twisting the truth is an islamic speciality isn’t it Mr Rod?
You know i’m not wrong:most muslims attack the Bible without realizing that allah actually
CONFIRMS it {koran 3:3} and even tells muslims to consult it {koran 10:94}
The only folk who defend islam are muslims,lefties or Dhimmi christians like these idiotic Theology professors.
Did you know allah CONDEMNS muslims who attack the Gospel {koran 5:46}?
You didn’t know that?So if I am giving you something from the Gospel{a book allah CONFIRMS koran 3:3 and tells muslims to consult koran 10:94} you are in no position to attack it..according to the koran.. or me for telling it to you!
allah condemns you {koran 5:47}:but of course you didn’t know that did you?
You would have to have READ the koran to know that and most muslims have no idea about their ‘holy’ book.
Do you see how seriously dumb that is mr Rod the islamic apologist?
When muslims or islamic apologists attack the Bible they PROVE they don’t know their own koran.And they disobey allah too.See koran 5:46-47
You know neither the koran nor the Bible:thanks for PROVING it!
And you walked right into it…”you can’t handle the truth”
Rod says
Who mentioned Muslims, FYI? Not me. Or the Koran? Not me. Who attacked the Bible, FYI? Not me.
I had hoped for a rational response. Only to be disappointed again. Just the usual melange of semiliterate abuse.
Come on. Can’t somebody tell me how good jihadwatching Christians can follow the teachings of Jesus, while hating so many of their their fellow men?
J Morgan says
I’m a Christian. It is not men I fear, but knowing the evil in their hearts and what they can do that makes me weary and watchful. “Behold, I send you out as sheep in the midst of wolves. Therefore be wise as serpents and harmless as doves.” Matthew 10:16
FYI says
You just quoted MATTHEW 22 V 37 to me.
YOU quoted the Bible so I responded to YOUR quote from the Bible.
islamic apologists like you{and their leftie buddies} are ferocious liars and just love to twist the Truth.
I don’t hate muslims at all {i don’t subscribe to that}.It is islam that is the problem.
I don’t care what muslims do in their own countries either but their murderous cult has invaded our countries.
To be critical of a religion that CURSES Jews and Christians koran 9:30 and says they are ‘the WORST of created beings’ koran 98:6 is perfectly reasonable.
The HATE, mr rod comes from islamic teachings;did you miss that?
If you cannot differentiate between hatred of muslims{which I don’t subscribe to}and legitimate criticism of islam’s hatred towards others{which i do subscribe to}then you are dumber than I realized Mr Rod.Thanks for showing it.
You are the one that is semiliterate Mr Rod:you are clearly not intellectually evolved enough to even get the Irony or the Illogicality of your position.
You quote Matthew 22 v 37 then you think this means one cannot be critical of a religion that teaches the OPPOSITE which you defend!
Perhaps you think that by twisting the truth that you can silence such legitimate dissent.Amazing,simply amazing!
‘rational response’,a ‘melange of semiliterate abuse’..{What abuse?You sound like an islamic snowflake or a bleeding heart lefty}..is something to be associated with your commentary mr rod isn’t it?I doubt if you have the insight to get that.
You are a complete waste of space and a willfully obtuse sophist charlatan as is the norm for islamic apologists.
gravenimage says
What “Rod” is insisting here is that if you love your neighbor as yourself, that you have to want them to rape and murder you as Jihadists do.
This kind of demand is quite common with Muslims.
Rod says
FYI. What abuse? you ask. Well, I interpreted the following terms, and others as abuse:-
pathetic,predictable and simply hilarious; ferocious liar;
a known islamic apologist;
coming from the land of lies.
Twisting the truth; seriously dumb; dumber than I realized; semiliterate; clearly not intellectually evolved; an islamic snowflake or a bleeding heart lefty;
a complete waste of space and a willfully obtuse sophist charlatan.
If you don’t recognise this as abuse, you can’t expect me to take seriously your claim that you “don’t hate Muslims”. Or anything else that you say. Or anything that your colleagues in this cesspool of hatred say every day.
As for gravy’s claim that I or somebody wants somebody “to rape and murder you”,
a lot of idiotic nonsense can be found on this site, but this is about as pointlessly unintelligibly useless as any of it.
Do you people have nothing better to do that read, write and earnestly discuss such drivel?
PS it’s indicative of the intellectual level of contributors to this site that so many conclude that anybody disgusted by your poisonous utterings must be “an islamic apologist”. Can’t imagine any other explanation? Make an effort!
gravenimage says
Spot on, n.
Ade Fegan says
Sure Allah is a word for God
(but muhammad sure ain’t his prophet !)
traveler2022 says
Do Muslims & Christians Worship The Same God?
Every language has its word for “God” which is used in translation of Scripture and for proclaiming the gospel within any particular culture and language. Allah is the Arabic word for the English “God” just as “Dios” is in Spanish. It is the word that has been used for centuries by Jews and Christians in the Middle East and actually pre-dates the founding of Islam in the seventh century. Bibles translated in predominantly Muslim countries into local languages such as Indonesian, Malay and Bengali use Allah as the biblical reference to the sovereign creator God.
However, when “Dios” in Spanish is used, it is in reference to the Christian God, whereas, when the word “Allah” is used, it is not the same God. If it were, we would all believe the same, worship the same, and read the same scripture. Islam has made a change, not unlike other groups that have moved away from traditional Christianity and use other books besides or in place of the Bible.
Revelation 22: 18-19 makes it clear:
“I warn everyone who hears the words of the prophecy of this book: if anyone adds to them, God will add to him the plagues described in this book, and if anyone takes away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God will take away his share in the tree of life and in the holy city, which are described in this book.”
I do not use the word “God” when referring to the deity worshiped by Muslims. Muslims worship a deity named Allah, and Allah is the name used to refer to their deity.
Perhaps it is only a matter of semantics to some, but I believe it’s more than that – much, much more. Islam teaches that the scriptures used by the Christians and Jews has been corrupted and Allah has introduced the Qur’an in order to make things right.
Muslims believe that the use of Allah in Muslim literature refers to the God who created Adam and Eve and the world. He is the God who brought the flood and was the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob (and Ishmael), as well as David, Isaiah and other prophets known in common.
The distinction in the concept of God worshipped by Christians and Muslims is one of theology, just as with Mormons and Jehovah Witnesses, who do not share an identical concept of God with that of evangelical and mainstream Christians.
While we must not confuse the cultural and linguistic bridges of communication in seeking to transcend diverse worldviews, we must be clear about who we worship, who we pray to, who we seek forgiveness from and much more. When Paul proclaimed to the people of Athens that he was there to introduce the God represented by their temple to an unknown god, it is doubtful that they were consistent with what Paul declared as revealed in Jesus Christ. But Paul was able to establish a point of identity with their worldview that he might introduce them to the true and living God.
Jews worship the true and living God and seek to live according to His laws, but do they fully understand the nature and character of God as revealed in Jesus Christ? Paul declared in Romans 10:2 that they have a zeal for God but not according to knowledge. There is no question that Muslims have a zeal for god (Allah), but not according to knowledge of His true nature and character.
It has been an intriguing question as to whether or not Muslims and Christians worship the same God. Is there more than one God? No, there is only one God, and He can be known only through knowing Jesus Christ. How compelling it should be for us to declare to Muslim friends, devout in their faith, as Paul did in Athens, “what you worship as impersonal and unknown I proclaim to you.” And we should be confident that when one comes in genuine repentance and faith to Jesus Christ that God is able to reveal Himself in spirit and truth to a new believer.
There are two separate divine beings worshipped respectively by Christians and Muslims, and there are very distinct theological concepts of this all-powerful, creator God of the universe. There is only one true God and He can be known only through Jesus Christ.
Do not be fooled by thinking Islam is like Judaism and Christianity, Peoples’ of the Book, an Abrahamic religion. If they were a true people of the Book, they would follow the Book, which is the Bible, not the Qur’an. Islam worships a false god, a deity named Allah. A zebra may claim to be a horse, but that doesn’t make it so.
1 – Jews believe and follow the Bible (OT) and it’s inerrancy;
2 – Christians follow the Bible (OT, NT) and it’s inerrancy;
3 – Islam follows the Qur’an, finding the Bible to be at fault and in error.
I know of no Christian theologian who would call Mormons or Jehovah Witnesses “People of the Book,” and I do not think Muslims should have that distinction either.
gravenimage says
Is Allah God? A Rebuttal of Professor Miroslav Volf
…………..
Clearly these are not the same figures.
Arabic-speaking Christians using the word for “God” does not mean this is the same figure as the vicious deity of the Qur’an, any more than “Gott” in German used for the Christian God is the same as the barbaric Teutonic gods.
Another fine piece by Isaac Marshall. I look forward to others in this series.
Wellington says
No informed Christian can have any respect for Islam (or by extension, Allah) because Islam denies the Crucifixion, denies the divinity of Jesus, denies the Resurrection and denies the Trinity. Islam also denies a true Golden Rule for all and denies love for non-believers, also contra Christianity.
Show me a Christian who respects Islam and I will show you a Christian who does not know their own religion.
mortimer says
Dear Wellington, I think Dr Volf knows Christianity (his specialty), but he has not grasped that over 60% of the Koran is dedicated to the rant that kafirs worship Allah incorrectly and therefore, Allah wishes Muslims to subjugate them, enslave them and steal their money.
mortimer says
Addendum: Dr Volf would not be able to find a version of the universal Golden Rule (of reciprocity) in the Koran, because Allah omitted it.
The GR is counterproductive for the purpose of Islam’s supremacist takeover and enslavement of captive populations. There is no example of an Islamic country implementing political pluralism. The default position of Islam has always been the discriminatory ‘Pact of Omar’.
I hope Dr. Volf informs himself about the PACT OF OMAR
https://www.bible.ca/islam/islam-kills-pact-of-umar.htm
Wellington says
Respectfully disagree, mortimer. To make excuses for Islam as a Christian is indicative of ignorance so extensive that it effectively betrays one’s Christian faith, which betrayal is not in keeping with truly knowing Christianity. Ditto for Christian excuse makers for, let’s see here, the KKK, Nazism and Marxism.
Knowing Christianity well entails knowing those wide-spread belief systems that are antithetical to basic Christian teachings. Might as well be a believer in democracy, knowing its basic tenets, but at the same time making excuses for Nazism or Marxism.
gravenimage says
Here’s a good review of Volf’s book, “Allah: A Christian Response”:
“Miroslav Volf: Duped Christian, Shallow Theologian, Different Gods”
It includes this passage, which is key:
The book is well written and the Christian theological work fine, but his Islamic work proves he was incapable of making a strong argument based on the Islamic source materials. Much of his argument is based on a document written in 2007 by a group of “Islamic scholars” called “A Common Word.” They wrote it ostensibly to build a bridge of understanding between Christians and Muslims. However, they also wrote it for a naïve and ignorant Western audience as a way to ameliorate their fears and doubts about Islam and to present Islam in a more humane light. Events since its writing in 2007 continue to undermine their claim that Islam is a religion of peace and love. It is also notable that since 2007 there are fewer Muslim “scholars” attempting to write such deceptive documents.
https://www.answeringislam.info/authors/silas/miroslav_volf.html
This article is from a Christian perspective, but is well worth reading for anyone interested in the glaring differences between Christianity and Islam.
James Lincoln says
Wellington says,
“Show me a Christian who respects Islam and I will show you a Christian who does not know their own religion.”
That is a 100% correct statement.
This, of course, includes the leader of the Roman Catholic Church, Pope Francis. In regards to islam, I know more about how this relates to Christianity than the Pope…
Rod says
Well, after that brilliant elucidation, all that remains now is for Mr Marshall to tell us, at last, how many angels can dance on the tip of a needle. (Christian angels, of course).
FYI says
And those islamic ‘angels’ like jibreel ‘The ENEMY of the Jews”{Sahih Bukhari vol 4 bk 60 no 3329}?
‘an antisemitic angel’?
How can an angel be antisemitic?an ‘angel’ who is the enemy of Jews?
Why that sounds.. demonic.
Such a bias would preclude the possibility of being associated with the Biblical JEWISH God YHWH.
So such an ‘angel’ must come from somewhere else,someplace EVIL like muhammed the ‘prophet’ who received his ‘revelations’ {in a cave with conveniently no witnesses} from said ‘angel’ jibreel.
Tell us how an angel with an antisemitic bias can possibly be an angel of YHWH.
gravenimage says
The idea that noting that the conception of God for Christians and Muslims is profoundly different is of no more import than saying how many angels can dance on the head of a pin is of course ludicrous.
Even if one has no belief in any faith, pretending that it makes no difference to follow a loving god or one who demands the slaughter of unbelievers is obvious claptrap.
ronyvo says
Muslim advocates in the West are trying very hard to justify the legitimateness of Islam as a peaceful ‘religion’, especially after 9/11/01.
Out of desperation they use lies (deception) and double talk, which is allowed in Islam, al taqiya.
They use money, sex, race and terror (fear) to lure Americans to Islam, or at least get their sympathy.
Their god (Allah) is a god of hate. He instructs and encourages them to instill terror in the heart of non-Muslims and kill them (Surah 8:13-17 & many others). The Koran is full with “fight” and ”kill”.
One must acknowledge that Allah is not in harmony with our God.
Before Mohammad ’cleansed’ the Kabba of many idols, it was in fact a pagan temple dedicated by Hindus (although they weren’t called Hindus yet). The tribe of Mohammad followed a primary idol known as Durga, the moon god Al-llat who was represented by the crescent moon to the Arabs and the Hindus. Even before Mohammad claimed prophetic visions he wanted to be a Hebrew (obviously people he admired for their intelligence and beauty) and so he began emulating the Hebrews and their monotheism, but the Jews could not accept him.
Mohammad became angry with the Jews and Christians and began having his visions of his own god in his own way.
God ceased to be called Ar-Rhaman and Mohammad began using the word
Al-Llah to describe his god. This was never the Christian or Hebrew Yahweh (Elohei Avraham the (God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob), but the pagan Arab-Hindu Al-Lat of the Qurashi tribe. (Al meant ‘the’ and ilah meant ‘goddess’, not God.
Jesus taught, “Love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you and persecute you.” Math 5:44
Ironically, they call the Christians INFIDELS because they believe (ignorantly) that Christians worship 3 gods (the Holy Trinity). Mohammad fails to understand monotheism. However, it is not enough to say there is only one God if you point at the wrong God.
The Muslims however, give Mohammad an equal position as Allah if not more importance.
In order to be a Muslim you have to say the shehada “there is no god but Allah, and Mohammad is his messenger”. If one cite the first part only, he cannot be a Muslim, he must cite the second part pertaining Mohammad.
Christians’ God, the Lord Jesus Christ is a God of love, peace and mercy.
Jesus forbade his followers from using the sword (Mathew 26:52).
When He was on earth He cured the sick healed the blind. Mohammad didn’t.
Jesus came to save lives (Luke 9:56). Mohammed came to destroy lives (Surah 48:16….).
There is much more to be said to prove that our God has nothing to do with Allah.
No way those 2 Gods are the same. Allah, the crescent moon, is one of the 360 gods, al ellat (the most popular), used to be worshiped by the Arabs, which Mohammad chose to avoid the tribes resentment.
Besides; Jesus (Whom the Koran claims that He is a prophet) warned:
“Watch out for false prophets. They come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ferocious wolves. BY THEIR FRUIT YOU WILL RECOGNISE THEM” Mat. 7:15-16.
“..and many false prophets will appear and deceive many people” Mat. 24:11
Mr K.Wade says
Excellent article! Will use all of it. I’ve always considered the Arabs Allah god to be originally the moon goddess, the word altered to serve their non religion. There was an article in the New Statesman comparing the major religions with one another that concluded Islam is not a religion but an ideology.
Thaddeus Irvine says
Hi Robert,
Would you ever think about writing a book on the Trinity versus Tawhid?
Thanks,
Thad
gravenimage says
Thaddeus, this book of his touches on that point, although it is not the main focus “Religion of Peace?: Why Christianity Is and Islam Isn’t”
TruthWFree says
Here’s my take after studying Islam since 9/11/2001, read the Quran, read Roberts books The Truth About Muhammad and a couple of other plus some 30 books on Islam many by apostates who leave at the risk of death. It boils down to this: The allah god is supposed to have revealed the Quran to Muhammad. The allah god says the Jesus did not die on the cross and also denies Jesus divinity. Jesus says in the eye witnessed Gospels that He and the Father are ONE and also Jesus says, “you have seen me, you have seen the Father”. Someone is lying. Jesus says that Satan is the father of all lies in John 8:44. Just based on these differences, the allah god cannot be the “same God”. Now Muhammad had NO witnesses to his claimed revelations from the allah god. Jesus had eye witnesses Matthew, Mark and John hear his words and saw his miracles. Muhammad performed no miracles. Also Muhammad thought he was possessed by a demon on his first encounter with the being in the cave in 610 AD. In any normal court of law, one man’s un witnessed testimony would have no standing against 3 eye witnesses. I submit that the allah god is Satan….or if Muhammad made it all up, that would make him the greatest LIAR in all history. Considering that over 1 billion Muslims have been fooled by the Greatest of Deceivers, I tend to go with the allah god being Satan.
Maria says
Allah is a philosophical account of God which fails to be God. St Augustine said, if it was necessary for God to choose to do otherwise in order to be free, then God would not be God. Islam holds that God must be free to do otherwise, a voluntarist notion of Divine Freedom.
No Muzzies Here says
There can be only 1 God.
Anyone who worships God worships the same God. The name assigned to God makes no difference at all.
When people ask “Do Muslims and Christians worship the same God” what they are actually asking is “Is the Muslim concept of God the same as that of Christians.” Obviously, anyone who worships God worships the same God. (There is only one…)
In any discussion of this subject it is extremely important to make this clear.
So, Muslims and Christians worship the same God, but the attributes they assign to God are different, and not mutually compatible.
Do Muslims and Christians worship the same God? Yes.
Do Muslims and Christians have totally different concepts of the nature of God? Yes.
Are these concepts so different as to be mutually exclusive? Yes.
traveler2022 says
Your “theology” is a bit confused. Muslims and Christians fo not worship the same God.
Revelation 22: 18-19 makes it clear:
“I warn everyone who hears the words of the prophecy of this book: if anyone adds to them, God will add to him the plagues described in this book, and if anyone takes away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God will take away his share in the tree of life and in the holy city, which are described in this book.”
Islam has added to what Revelation 22 just said shall not be. One cannot believe in the Bible and the Qur’an at the same time. Islam says the Bible is corrupt and Islam was sent to correct the Bible.
Jews worship the true and living God and seek to live according to His laws, but do they fully understand the nature and character of God as revealed in Jesus Christ? Paul declared in Romans 10:2 that they have a zeal for God but not according to knowledge. There is no question that Muslims have a zeal for god (Allah), but not according to knowledge of His true nature and character.
Do not be fooled by thinking Islam is like Judaism and Christianity, Peoples’ of the Book, an Abrahamic religion. If they were a true people of the Book, they would follow the Book, which is the Bible, not the Qur’an. Islam worships a false god, a deity named Allah. A zebra may claim to be a horse, but that doesn’t make it so.
1 – Jews believe and follow the Bible (OT) and it’s inerrancy;
2 – Christians follow the Bible (OT, NT) and it’s inerrancy;
3 – Islam follows the Qur’an, finding the Bible to be at fault and in error.
I know of no Christian theologian who would call Mormons or Jehovah Witnesses “People of the Book,” and I do not think Muslims should have that distinction either.
According to your statement, “ Anyone who worships God worships the same God. The name assigned to God makes no difference at all,” would mean, that Buddhists, Hindus and all other religions all worship the same God. Christianity says there is only one God, and Jesus Christ is the ONLY way to God. Islam, Hindu, etc., and not and do not worship the. Christian God.