This is the latest blog written by my dear Iranian friend Mehnoush. Mehnoush is a human rights activist from Iran currently living in Sweden awaiting a decision for her residency. Mehnoush writes powerful articles about the struggles of Iranians for freedom and democracy. In this new article she contrasts the major differences between Christianity and Islam. I have made some corrections with her English and sentence structures but what you are about to read is still in her own words.
"The Difference between Islam and
Christianity"
Christianity is not a religion, but instead it is a love relationship with God
through Jesus Christ. In comparison to Islam, Christianity is not a religious
duty filled with man made rituals and endless laws that must be followed to the
letter, but instead it is a passionate experience and encounter with the God of the
universe who has revealed himself in Christ.
The Christian God is a god of love and his followers do not curse unbelievers
or spread death and violence upon other nations. Instead Christians trust in
Christ alone and pray that he will turn hopelessness into hope, failure into
success, sadness into happiness, war into peace, curses into blessings,
captivity into freedom, hatred into kindness
Christians have a settled peace in their hearts from trusting in Christ
alone who has fully paid for all of their sins, forgiving their guilt and shame.
However, Muslims don’t have the same assurance that Christians have that their
sins are forgiven. Instead they are relying on their perfect obedience in
fasting, praying, and almsgiving to measure up to the standard Allah has
prescribed for them. They struggle to perfect themselves through the principles of Islam by following the straight path and have no peace. Instead of having a
love relationship as children of God, they view themselves as slaves of Allah
who commands perfect obedience.
In Christianity, we all reach an inner peace and knowledge of God
experimentally. However, followers of Islam are only supposed to obey Islamic
rules and principles and they never get to know God; a Muslim will always stay
a slave and is asked to bow down before God. While we Christian people are not
slaves; we are all God’s children.
Muslims claim that Islam is a
religion of peace but history tells a very different story. There have been
centuries of violence and bloodshed where unbelievers are told to convert or die.
In contrast, Jesus never conquered by the sword but instead invited his
followers to come and find rest in him. “Come to me, you who are weary and
carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest,” (Matthew 11:28). There is a
huge difference between the invitation to salvation as found in Christianity
and “convert or die,” that is practiced in Islam.
If there is one verse in the Bible that perfectly sums up the major
differences between Islam and Christianity, it is the most well-known and beloved
verse that most ever Christian can recite by heart.
“For God so loved the world, that he gave his one and only son, that whosoever
believes in him shall not perish, but have everlasting life.” (John 3:16)
God stepped out of heaven and came down to us giving us mercy instead of
judgment. He didn’t come to bring a new religion, but instead he came to give
us life and a new relationship. This is the greatest difference between Christianity
and Islam.
