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September 1st, 2013
03:26 AM ET
Do Christians, Muslims and Jews worship the same God?Opinion by Jeffrey Weiss, Special to CNN (CNN) - Pope Francis surprised Israeli and Palestinian leaders last month when he invited them to a special prayer ceremony at the Vatican this Sunday - not least because religion has often been the source, not the salve, of the region's conflicts. Still, Pope Francis offered his "home" - the Vatican - as the perfect place to plea for some divine assistance, and Israeli President Shimon Peres and Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas dutifully agreed to attend. "The Pope has placed it in this perspective: Prayer is like a force for peace,” Vatican Secretary of State Archbishop Pietro Parolin told Vatican Radio. "We hope that there, where human efforts have so far failed, the Lord offers to all the wisdom and fortitude to carry out a real peace plan." But Sunday's special ceremony at the Vatican raises an interesting question: When Francis, Peres and Abbas bow their heads in prayer, will they be talking to the same God? After all, Jews, Christians and Muslims all trace their faiths back to a fellow named Abraham, whom they all claim was chosen for special treatment by the Almighty. Not academic The “same God” question is one theologians have hammered at for as long as there have been enough religions for the query to make sense. The question is hardly academic, though. In fact, a number of politicians, religious leaders and scholars have expressed hope in recent years that a convincing answer on the God question might dampen the violence committed in His name. Yale Divinity School theologian Miroslav Volf recently edited a book titled “Do We Worship the Same God? Jews, Christians, and Muslims in Dialogue.” In the introduction, Volf explained why the title question matters:
On the other hand, there’s CNN Belief Blog contributor and Boston University religion professor Stephen Prothero. His book on this subject is titled “God Is Not One: The Eight Rival Religions That Run The World.” Prothero writes:
In the world of politics, President George W. Bush asserted the unity side of the argument more than once in the years after the 9/11 attacks - often as a way to deflect accusations that America was at war with Islam. Bush told Al Arabiya television, “I believe there is a universal God. I believe the God that the Muslim prays to is the same God that I pray to. After all, we all came from Abraham. I believe in that universality.” Pope Francis invites Israeli, Palestinian leaders to Vatican peace talks Pope John Paul II drew from the same rhetorical well several times. “We believe in the same God, the one God, the living God, the God who created the world and brings his creatures to their perfection,” he first said in a speech to Muslims in Morocco in 1985. Looking for a more recent example? Consider the plight of Vatican envoy to Malaysia. Shortly after he arrived there last year, Archbishop Joseph Marino said that is was fine by him that Christian translations of the Bible into Malay use the word “Allah” for “God.” “Allah” is, of course, the Arabic word for God and is found in the Quran. The Christian translators explained that since most Malaysians are Muslim, it’s the word they’re most comfortable with and therefore the best choice for the translation. But many Muslim authorities in Malaysia were furious. They say Christians are slipping in the familiar word as a way to convert Muslims. And conversion of Muslims is all but illegal in Malaysia. There’s a lawsuit ongoing about the translations. Marino had to apologize for pushing into Malaysian politics. Points of disagreement So what do the “Abrahamic” religions disagree about? Among other things: the purpose of humanity, the relationship of God and humanity, sin, forgiveness, salvation, the afterlife, Jesus, Muhammad, the calendar, and the religious importance of Abraham himself. Plus the nature of God. Any summary will leave out enormous nuance. Internal divisions within religions have fueled some of the worst examples of human violence. Consider the long and frequently bloody history of troubles between Catholics and Protestants or the growing death toll of Muslim-on-Muslim attacks. But there are common elements about God widely accepted in each tradition. Judaism Start with Judaism, since it came first and established roots that carried into the other two. Jewish tradition teaches that there is one and only one God, creator of everything, and He established physical and moral laws. As Judaism’s preeminent prayer says: “The Lord our God, the Lord is one.” This God walks and talks directly with His creations – for a while. Eventually, He chooses one particular nomad (Abraham) to father a mighty nation that God sets up as an example to other nations. This God likes the smell of burning meat and demands other extremely specific physical offerings as evidence of obedience and repentance. And He gives His chosen people a particular set of laws – but doesn’t mind discussion and even argument about those laws. A famous rabbinic saying implies that every word in Judaism’s sacred texts can be understood in 70 correct (but related) ways. And human reasoning can even trump divine intention. (No kidding. It’s in the Talmud) This God judges His people every year. Tradition says he’s willing to accept imperfection, as long as it comes with repentance. He’s big on obedience, not so much on faith. He’s not nearly as attentive to the behaviors of non-Jews. (There’s a famous Jewish joke with the punch line “Would you mind choosing somebody else once in a while?”) Tradition holds that there’s a World To Come after death where moral accounts will somehow be settled. But this God is vague on details. Christianity The most obvious differences in the Christian God are the traditional teachings about the Trinity and Jesus. God is three separate persons who are also one. How? Christianity says the Trinity is a “mystery” of faith. According to Christian tradition, God begets a son who is somehow also Him but not Him to atone for Original Sin. He sacrifices that son though a brutal death and thus achieves humanity's salvation. But the son, who also is God, rises from the dead. And that sacrifice redeems eternally all who accept and believe in it. Faith, not behavior, is the essential measure of salvation. This God is willing to vastly expand what it means to be among His “chosen people.” He’s also willing to cancel many of the laws that had applied to that chosen group for this expanded membership. Orthodox Jews say that God prohibits them from eating a cheeseburger; Christians say God has no problem with them wolfing down Big Macs. Unlike the Jewish God, whose instructions are almost all about this world, the Christian God is focused more on eternal salvation: heaven and hell. Finally, for this God, much of the Jewish scriptures (which are all God’s word) are actually about foreshadowing Jesus. Including Abraham. Islam The Muslim God is a bit more like the Jewish God. There is no Trinity in Muslim tradition. Jesus was a prophet, but no more divine than other prophets. God has never has had anything like physical attributes and has no gender. (Some Muslim commentators say that the noun “Allah” is masculine, but only in the way that all nouns in some languages include gender.) Muslim tradition holds that God wants one thing from humans: Submission. The word “Islam” is defined as “submission to the will of God.” For Muslims, all true prophets in Jewish and Christian traditions were actually Muslim because they knew to submit correctly to God. Differences between Muslim, Jewish and Christian interpretations of God are due to errors that crept into the other two faiths, Islam teaches. The Muslim God, like the other two, initially demanded that Abraham sacrifice a son. But the Muslim God wanted Abraham’s son Ishmael, not Isaac, who Jewish tradition holds was offered as a the sacrifice. The Muslim God also designated, from before the world began, a perfect man to be his final prophet: Muhammad. God’s perfect truths are found only in the Quran and in the sayings of Muhammad, the hadiths. And the Muslim God, like the Christian God but unlike the Jewish God, will welcome believers to paradise and condemn many non-Muslims - exactly which ones is a matter of much discussion - to eternal torment. Final answer So do Christians Muslims, and Jews, really all worship the same God? In two major volumes on the subject recently published by scholars from various faiths and traditions, including Volf’s, the most inclusive response from these scholars is basically: Yes, and it’s our God. This is not a new way of answering the question. In 1076, Pope Gregory VII wrote this to a Muslim leader: “We believe in and confess one God, admittedly, in a different way…” But like many other religious leaders on all sides of the argument, Gregory insisted that his version of the Almighty is the one whom the others are unknowingly and incompletely worshiping. A less exclusivist set of religions might shrug off the differences. But all three claim to have the only “True Faith.” So do all three faiths actually worship the same deity, whether they call him God or Allah or Adonai? God only knows. Jeffrey Weiss is an award-winning religion reporter in Dallas.The views expressed in this column belong to Weiss. A version of this story first ran in September 2013. CNN's Daniel Burke contributed to this article. soundoff (7,438 Responses)« Previous 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 43 44 45 46 47 48 49 50 51 52 53 54 55 56 57 58 59 60 61 62 63 64 65 66 67 68 69 70 71 72 73 74 75 76 77 78 79 80 Next »
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The CNN Belief Blog covers the faith angles of the day's biggest stories, from breaking news to politics to entertainment, fostering a global conversation about the role of religion and belief in readers' lives. It's edited by CNN's Daniel Burke with contributions from Eric Marrapodi and CNN's worldwide news gathering team.  |
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Yes they do – it's called power and money on Earth. They try and hide it by calling them flying monkeys.
Colin it is funny how you go ahead and believe that Atheists have committed more murders in the world. That is a falsified statement and you know it.
You know how Christians lie in the name of their lord and master. Lying for The Lord is a Mormon tactic too
I guess he doesn't realize that those individuals like Stalin, Lenin, and so on and so forth committed their crimes in the name of Communism not Atheism.
Sorry to butt in, but this seems a silly debate, stalled on a mere failure to acknowledge different historical eras.
Members of the human species have always (or for millennia, anyway) been quite adept at forming power hierarchies and using control over those hierarchies to kill massive numbers of other humans.
Up through the 19th Century, most of the sociopaths (Chiefs, Warrior-Priests, Kings, Popes, Emirs, etc.) leading the hierarchies used "God" or "gods" as the primary psychological control trick to motivate slavery, inquisitions, pogroms and wars.
In the 20th Century, a few clever sociopaths (Stalin, Pol Pot) figured out new ones based on more atheistic belief systems. (Hitler had a mix).
In this Century, we are plagued by both - e.g., the atheistic totalitarian North Korean dynasty, Wahabbist Islam.
So you're both "right", and both "wrong", IMHO.
How about we work towards the elimination of *all* stupid, power-mad mammalian herding behaviors, all demagogs, and all ignorance-based belief systems?
Evangelos I have studied history for many years and I can tell you that Stalin and such committed their actions in the name of Communism not Atheism. Many Atheists fled Communist countries for fear of being killed because they disagreed with the Communist party at the time.
It's funny how you believe Atheists are such peace loving people. Fact is that the vast majority of wars are not fought because of religion at all. In truth, war has ALWAYS been about the acquisition of land, resources, and power plain and simple
think all true Children of God believe in & will go home to our 1 and only Heavenly Father that created this wonderful world we live in. No matter your "earthly religion" it's all about your heart, your faith & your belief! As for you nonbelievers who say God isn't real please please tell me how this world we live in came about... Evolution is a crock because of all my years on this earth I've never seen a monkey turn into a man nor have I seen a man just make something from nothing! The fact is people deny Our Father because they feel as if they don't acknowledge Him then they won't have any "Rules" to follow & they are only worried about their time here on earth. When we die we will all be judged ! What will you nonbelievers do when God reads you your book of life & denies you just like you have denied him? God isn't fake, God is the only true thing we have in this life without a doubt. Who are we to try and define what religion is or isn't correct... I believe in God, I believe that Jesus died for our sins and I believe that you will know a true child of God when you meet one! God gave you the option to also believe these things & he promises us something that's far more beautiful than our earthly eyes have ever seen. For those of you who do not know The Lord I pray for you today that you will find him. Allow him into your heart & your home... It's never to late to call on him... I'd rather live my life for The Lord & die to find out that he isn't real than to just live my life & die to find him waiting in disappointment with a broken heart! Thank you Heavenly Father for allowing me to see this and be able to spread your love & your word and if 1 person opens their heart and accepts you today then today has been a blessed day. In Jesus name.... Amen
..... No ..... Because... http://www.GODisIMAGINARY.com ...
Oh, such yummy word salad.
My invisible pink unicorn needed a snack. Thanks!
I pity you, I really do. Your lack of education isn't your fault, society has failed you. I'm sorry you cannot see the truth, and that you have to rot in your own ignorance day after day. You are the outcome of a greedy, self-absorbed, hypocritical society. Jesus is not the son of god, he did not perform miracles, and he did not rise from the dead. These are all myths to try and make sense of the natural world, but today they are used to manipulate and abuse poor fools like yourself. I cannot believe you actually said evolution is false because you've never seen a monkey become a man. I really feel sorry for you. Maybe if America wasn't so selfish, we would be able to provide adequate educations for all our people. There is no god
If I'm uneducated to you that's fine, but my uneducated self is very happy serving The Lord and praising him daily for my life everything I've been blessed with. If you can't show me an animal that's evolved into a human then yes, evolution is a crock like I said. I feel sorry for you not having faith and meaning beyond the now. Prayer is Power... Maybe you should try it !
God is not love...people believing in 'god' in one form or another have butchered millions of people in places like Kosovo, Serbia, Rwanda, Iraq, Iran and now Syria and Egypt. Give us a break with your simpleton beliefs....you're free to go waste your time waving your hands in the air and singing praises to the invisible sky fairy.....just don't waste our time.
Something I said must have upset in way that you felt the need to waste your own time to reply... You're right about 1 thing our time here is valuable too bad you are wasting yours with hate towards those of use who believe in a higher power !
Learn to punctuate properly; your post makes no sense. You've further wasted everyones time with your un-lettered response.
get an education before you try to understand evolution. monkey into a man hahahah.
you are blinded by lack of education added to an indoctrinated belief in a myth.
When you have found the worldwide association that obeys the counsel at John 13: 35, you have found the true God.
..... No ..... Because... http://www.GODisIMAGINARY.com ...
The name of my GOD is called LOVE. If accidentally the GODs of Christians, Muslims and Jews is also called LOVE then they are worshipping the same GOD!
..... No ..... Because... http://www.GODisIMAGINARY.com ...
Your god does not love, he is a violent and jealous god. he commanded people to kill one another in the old testament. he commanded nations to kill all those who don't believe in him. you are ignorant and i pity you
I ain't a Christian, a Muslim, a Jew or whatever you assumed.
there are thousands of gods and they are all real and more than happy to offer you life after death if you just give them a $5 donation!!!
Adherents of the Abrahamic religions worship their own mental images of "God"; their own mental constructs.
Which is to say, they really worship their own egos, their own self-righteousness and the power over others, and over their own fears, that their religion gives them.
Hence they also project their own qualities onto the "God" of their mental image. (Which is why so many Muslims and Christians have historically portrayed God as bigoted, wrathful, thin-skinned in the face of "insults"/"blasphemy", etc.)
This is not to to say there is no God. There may well be a superior intelligence that pre-dates or transcends the known physical universe. (Nobody knows for sure, despite the smug assurance of fundamentalists and atheists that they do know for sure.)
There is, however, no real evidence that such a transcendant being, if it exists, is anything like the capricious, spiteful, war-loving psychopath portrayed by the Abrahamic religions.
Smug? Your certainty that there is some sort of "god" seems pretty smug to me.
Atheist essentially means "lack of belief". Atheists don't prove anything; they simply await proof, and thus far any proof of any god does not exist. This is not smugness, it is common sense.
Some got to believe in god cause they're too simple minded to believe reality when it's smacking them in the face.
I said there "may well be". Didn't say "is", didn't say "isn't". That's your game, your political football - militant atheists vs. fundamentalists. Blue Team vs. Red Team, Fight Team FIght! Enjoy, but I don't have a dog in that fight.
(As a practicing scientist (before I diverged into biotech startups), I certainly acknowledge the explanatory power and practical value of *methodological* materialism. *Epistemological* materlialism, on the other hand, is just another unproven axiom. Which is fine. Go with it if you like.)
every person who believes in a god has their own god.. lots of gods. all different and lots of make believe.
I really don't know.
I feel so sorry for all the lost souls on here...
..... No lost souls here ..... Because... http://www.GODisIMAGINARY.com ...
There is no god, and I am as certain as ever about that. I'm not lost, I actually live a great life and have had so many success, not in the name of god, but because of myself. I am great, god is not
We feel equally sorry for people that have spent their life lying to themselves.You have completely abandoned evidence as a basis for your reality.You had better hope(and pray if you wish),that you are worshiping the correct god.If you are not,you will spend eternity with the non-believers,and in that world,the atheists will set the rules.Have a nice Sunday!
what if i could show you that souls dont exhist. would you care to know?
They can't all be right, but they can all be wrong.
My invisible pink unicorn is the one true god.
Your first statement is quite true
The fight extremist Muslims put up is threatening several countries and societies, and not targeted at just the Christians or Jews, such as toward the United States. And the American Christians are not fighting against Islam. So there is no Muslim vs. Jew vs. Christian cause for these conflicts around the world. I.E., Christians are not causing these conflicts with Muslim extremists. (Perhaps Jeffrey Weiss has his own agenda.)
Also, the article is flawed from its beginning premise.
He writes: "To ask: ‘Do we have a common God?’ is, among other things, to worry: ‘Can we live together?’
This is childish to assert this. I am Christian. I believe that the only way to God is through Jesus Christ. I am bound by my beliefs to also fully respect all other religious beliefs and believers, and non-believers. To think that I do not have a common God with a Muslim or a Buddhist in no way whatsoever causes me to think we cannot live together. To me this is very superficial. What is Weiss thinking? Is this petty and shallow analysis really what we expect from CNN?
"petty and shallow analysis" is what enables people to believe in imaginary beings and ancient fairy tales.
I am bound by my beliefs to call each and every one of you delusional zealots out on the bullshyte you believe. For the sake of all of us, evolve.
Jesus and Mohamed had the same Scam – READ BOTH STORIES .. its the same thing – they were fast talkers Both of them, it was what was HOT 2000 years ago.
Mike, remember one thing: On the Day of Judgment, you will have to prove before God what his scam was. Mohammad probably had his issues but to say that Jesus Christ, the God who came to our world through a virgin, crucified for our sin, died, and rose and ascended into haven had a scam is a blasphemy against the Holy Spirit.
Here is what prophet Isaiah says about him: Isaiah 9:6: For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counselor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace.
On the miracles Christ performed, there were witnesses.
When he died on the cross, people witnessed that.
When he rose from the dead, there were witnesses.
When he ascended to heaven, there were witnesses also.
So, what scam are you talking about?
Mike: I feel very sorry for you and pray that you will take back your comment and ask Christ for forgiveness today. Please do that today.
threats, lies and old stories about stories is not a pathway to truth. we are not children to be indoctrinated. we are adults.
The Christian God is a god of peace, hope, and love. The biggest difference among the three is that every other religion says you can earn your way to heaven (i.e. through good works, living a good life, etc.) Christianity, however, says: There is nothing mankind can do to earn their way to heaven. It has already been done through God's amazing love through Christ, who died so that we (sinners) do not have to be eternally separated from God (hell). We just have to accept that gift.
This is why true Christians, while not perfect, are so loving/giving.
" This is why true Christians, while not perfect, are so loving/giving. "
So you have the power to discern who is a true Christian and who is not ??
Pretty much, yes, I can discern when people are true believers.
Chapter and verse, please, Jason.
John 3:16 of course says you have to be born again.
And here we have the "logic" of the typical believer...unable to actually find a verse that supports his arrogant claim, he defaults to a verse that says nothing regarding his ability to "discern" whether one is a believer or not
Don't think you even understand the word, Jason.
And, for someone who is supposed to be in an intimate relationship with the "Word" made flesh, you sure as hell don't know the Word.
But thanks for confirming for all here the failed capacity of the Body of Christ for coherent thought.
With all your discernment, you should consider starting a Psychic Hotline, bud.
CHRISTIANS ARE SO LOVING AND GIVING!!????? YOU CAN'T POSSIBLY BE SERIOUS! IS THAT WHY THEY WON'T LET GAYS BE MARRIED, BECAUSE THEY ARE SO KIND AND GENEROUS? PLEASE TELL ME YOU ARE JOKING! RELIGION IS A POISON TO MANKIND
Christians are the most loving for sure. They are usually the first to respond to tragedies, bringing aid to those in need. Other do this too of course, but nowhere near to the extent Christians do. Every day you see them effectively bringing medical care to those in need, providing food, clothing, shelter. Again, while others might do this, it is Christians by far that do.
I can't believe how selfish you are, isn't that a sin?
That's because by assisting people, they hope to convert people.
Jason: Do not waste your time with these people. Your points are well understood!
You call people uneducated and make fun of their faith... I guess I wouldn't afraid of death either if I was taking up my ass every night !
An illiterate true believer. How surprising.
After what happened in North America, South America, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, India etc etc in the name of Bible. Christian God "God of Peace". God of Bullkrap
Is acceptance of this gift absent of dedication (works). Can you simply accept yet not work? The heart, which only God can see, is the most important. Works are the result of a pure heart. While one can not happen without the other, the religions in question apply or highlight different ends of the spectrum. You will find good hearts that are dedicated to God in every religion or part of the world. Simply stating your understanding of God does not deny another human their ability to understand God from their background, culture or religion.
S-3B Viking: You are proving my point – your spiteful comments are not something you'd generally see in a true believer. You are obviously not a believer, so there: I have discerned. There's your proof.
The difference between me and your god is if I saw a child being ra.ped I would try to stop it
You cannot stop yourself.
Wow, the real Colin must have touched a nerve with you.
How many Colins do you think there are in the world?
a) one
b) more than one
c) none
d)all of the above
the you call us devils, we save you over and over again, we are fed up with your religions, that includes the Jews as well.
all religions are interpretations of the same thing, and even Atheism can be included.
there is a line in the human brain which believers have crossed and Atheists haven't.
other than that, it's all the same. there is only one world !!
Are you grasping at some pseudo-intellectual straw?
Atheists stay on the reason side of the line, not cross to the fantasy side
Religion is the biggest hoax ever perpetrated on mankind.
Santa Claus is for children, God is for adults.
Religion: Together we can find the cure.
Your "cure" has resulted in more suffering and death than anything that has ever been unleashed on earth.
Well, if the past 10,000 years is any indication...and how would you know? You've never been in a world without religion, Colin.
Just try and think past yourself, son.
Really? more suffering and death than the crusades, shunni vs shiite wars, wars of ancient greece, and all other "holy wars?" you are dumb
My opinion is YES. Different representations & interpretations of the same concept. And not just those 3 religions, several more as well.
Your opinion is wrong, allah is and has always been an idol.
Yeah similar to you believing God and Jesus Christ are idols. Go ahead and deny it but that is the truth.
I'm assuming you're being facetious. Unfortunately, too many people believing they are doing God's work, whether they are an Ultra Orthodox Jewish settler in the West Bank, an Islamic militant who blows himself up in a nightclub or flies an airplane into a building, or a Christian fundamentalist who shoots up a Planned Parenthood clinic, are the true cause for much of the pain and suffering in the world.
Nope. Muslims worship El-Ah – the Babylonian moon god. That god and religion pre-dates Islam. They merely adapted the name of the ancient Babylonian god and tried to Hebrew-ize, Christian-ize and Muslim-ize him. But there are dead giveaways, like the crescent moon on the top of every mosque. The red crescent instead of the red cross. Marching around a meteorite sent as a gift from the moon god. - Stephanie Dalley (1989), Myths from Mesopotamia: Creation, the Flood, Gilgamesh, and Others, Oxford University Press, Pages: 3-10. While it is a nice fantasy to say they are all the same god, theologically – the middle eastern Islamic "scholars" diverted from ancient texts and tried to make Ishmael instead of Isaac the legitimate line of Abraham. By so doing, they diverged from Hebrew and Christian teaching and made up their own religion based on heresy and lies.
Everyone uses the Tree of Life. El is the light of God at the top right of the tree. You might be interested to know that the top two power centers on the right are 4 and 2. Ever wonder what 42 was all about? Or where the name Jorel (Jah-El) from Superman comes from? This is also where Jupiter resides on the tree, and potentially the origin of Zeus. Learn the tree of life, just research the heck out of the thing and you will learn a great deal about all the faiths, their interplay, the way that they balance each other.
All religions are crap but Abrahamic religions are the worst. These are the most voilent and responsible for almost all genocides. Abraham was a f pig for creating such garbage.
In the last 100 years atheists have brutally tortured and murdered more innocent people than were killed in all previous centuries.
Get a clue. This is a false statement and you know it troll. Stop hiding behind a stolen profile name.
No hiding involved and it is an easily shown historical fact that socialist,communist atheists have been involved in hundreds of millions of murders in the last 100 years alone.
Colin that is false and you know it.
Read the text of some of Hitler's speeches.They are all peppered with references to his belief in god and divine providence.All his soldiers swore before god to do Hitler's bidding.They wore belt buckles that read-GOD IS WITH US.Say what you want,but they greatest criminal of all times was Christian.Get your facts together.
You just THINK they're innocent.