DOCSLIB.ORG

Allah, Jesus, and Yahweh: the Gods That Failed

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
Allah, Jesus, and Yahweh: the Gods That Failed HDCPVYAYZNYQ < PDF \\ Allah, Jesus, and Yahweh: The Gods That Failed A llah , Jesus, and Y ah weh : Th e Gods Th at Failed Filesize: 2.88 MB Reviews This is basically the best ebook we have study right up until now. it absolutely was writtern very properly and useful. You may like how the blogger write this ebook. (Cecil Zemlak DVM) DISCLAIMER | DMCA S6H33MYVIP56 \ PDF < Allah, Jesus, and Yahweh: The Gods That Failed ALLAH, JESUS, AND YAHWEH: THE GODS THAT FAILED Prometheus Publications, United States, 2013. Paperback. Book Condition: New. 226 x 150 mm. Language: English . Brand New Book ***** Print on Demand *****.Twenty-first century s nightly news can t pass by without running another story on religious conflict or clashes. While these modern- day battles play out for the world to see, the issues that act as a catalyst for them are deeply embedded in ancient texts that claim to contain absolute certainties. An eye-opening and vitally-important new book has burst upon the literary scene called Allah, Jesus, and Yahweh: The Gods That Failed. The author, Gordon Harrison, conducts a definitive expose of the ravages caused by religion and breaks new ground in the world of investigative literature. In this riveting history of three of the world s major religions-Islam, Christianity, and Judaism-this book explores the relationship between belief and the suspension of logic with its consequential suering. Beginning with the September 480 BCE Battle of Marathon, the author traces the spread of Eastern belief systems (and the three major religions in particular) from the Middle East into Europe and the rest of the world. Citing examples of how fanatic elements of each faith have caused war, bloodshed, confusion and suering, Harrison makes his case for reason and freethinking. As the author notes the parlance in vogue for this present invasion is a clash of civilizations-East versus West! But this is not entirely the case. There is a clash, but we have confused the combatants. Many in the West do not intend to fight for the preservation of Christianity; some in the East feel the same about Islam. What we will defend is freedom, democracy, and the values of the Enlightenment versus submission, dictatorship, and the buzz of the hive mind. A colossal clash of ideals is underway between the... Read Allah, Jesus, and Yahweh: The Gods That Failed Online Download PDF Allah, Jesus, and Yahweh: The Gods That Failed OZY1P6VNDG84 # Kindle ^ Allah, Jesus, and Yahweh: The Gods That Failed Relevant PDFs Everything Ser The Everything Green Baby Book From Pregnancy to Babys First Year An Easy and Aordable Guide to Help Moms Care for Their Baby And for the Earth by Jenn Savedge 2009 Paperback Book Condition: Brand New. Book Condition: Brand New. Download PDF » Topsy and Tim: The Big Race - Read it Yourself with Ladybird: Level 2 Penguin Books Ltd. Paperback. Book Condition: new. BRAND NEW, Topsy and Tim: The Big Race - Read it Yourself with Ladybird: Level 2, Jean Adamson, This is an enhanced read-along audio ebook from Ladybird. An... Download PDF » The Case for the Resurrection: A First-Century Investigative Reporter Probes History s Pivotal Event ZONDERVAN, United States, 2010. Paperback. Book Condition: New. 180 x 127 mm. Language: English . Brand New Book. The Case for the Resurrection, a ninety-six-page booklet from bestselling author Lee Strobel, provides new evidence that... Download PDF » Weebies Family Halloween Night English Language: English Language British Full Colour Createspace, United States, 2014. Paperback. Book Condition: New. 229 x 152 mm. Language: English . Brand New Book ***** Print on Demand *****.Children s Weebies Family Halloween Night Book 20 starts to teach Pre-School and... Download PDF » Children s Educational Book: Junior Leonardo Da Vinci: An Introduction to the Art, Science and Inventions of This Great Genius. Age 7 8 9 10 Year-Olds. [Us English] Createspace, United States, 2013. Paperback. Book Condition: New. 254 x 178 mm. Language: English . Brand New Book ***** Print on Demand *****.ABOUT SMART READS for Kids . Love Art, Love Learning Welcome. Designed to... Download PDF » DNXYKYWOZEDH \\ eBook » Allah, Jesus, and Yahweh: The Gods That Failed Oxford Reading Tree Read with Biff, Chip, and Kipper: Phonics: Level 2: The Fizz-buzz (Hardback) Oxford University Press, United Kingdom, 2011. Hardback. Book Condition: New. 174 x 142 mm. Language: English . Brand New Book. Read With Biff, Chip and Kipper is the UK s best-selling home reading series. It Download PDF » Weebies Family Early Reading English Book: Full Colour Illustrations and Short Children s Stories Createspace, United States, 2014. Paperback. Book Condition: New. 229 x 152 mm. Language: English . Brand New Book ***** Print on Demand *****.Children s Weebies Family Early Reading English Language Book 1 starts to teach Download PDF » Johnny Goes to First Grade: Bedtime Stories Book for Children s Age 3-10. (Good Night Bedtime Children s Story Book Collection) Createspace, United States, 2013. Paperback. Book Condition: New. Malgorzata Gudziuk (illustrator). Large Print. 229 x 152 mm. Language: English . Brand New Book ***** Print on Demand *****.Do you want to ease tension preschoolers have Download PDF » Republic 3: The Gods of War Allison & Busby, 2008. Hardcover. Book Condition: New. A new, unread, unused book in perfect condition with no missing or damaged pages. Shipped from UK. Orders will be dispatched within 48 hours of receiving your Download PDF » YJ] New primary school language learning counseling language book of knowledge [Genuine Specials(Chinese Edition) paperback. Book Condition: New. Ship out in 2 business day, And Fast shipping, Free Tracking number will be provided aer the shipment.Paperback. Pub Date :2011-03-01 Pages: 752 Publisher: Jilin University Shop Books All the new Download PDF » .
Load more

Recommended publications
  • God Among the Gods: an Analysis of the Function of Yahweh in the Divine Council of Deuteronomy 32 and Psalm 82
    LIBERTY BAPTIST THEOLOGICAL SEMINARY AND GRADUATE SCHOOL GOD AMONG THE GODS: AN ANALYSIS OF THE FUNCTION OF YAHWEH IN THE DIVINE COUNCIL OF DEUTERONOMY 32 AND PSALM 82 A THESIS SUBMITTED TO THE FACULTY OF THE SCHOOL OF RELIGION IN CANDIDACY FOR THE DEGREE OF MASTER OF ARTS IN RELIGIOUS STUDIES BY DANIEL PORTER LYNCHBURG, VIRGINIA MAY 2010 The views expressed in this thesis do not necessarily represent the views of the institution and/or of the thesis readers. Copyright © 2010 by Daniel Porter All Rights Reserved. ii ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS To my wife, Mariel And My Parents, The Rev. Fred A. Porter and Drenda Porter Special thanks to Dr. Ed Hindson and Dr. Al Fuhr for their direction and advice through the course of this project. iii ABSTRACT The importance of the Ugaritic texts discovered in 1929 to ancient Near Eastern and Biblical Studies is one of constant debate. The Ugaritic texts offer a window into the cosmology that shaped the ancient Near East and Semitic religions. One of the profound concepts is the idea of a divine council and its function in maintaining order in the cosmos. Over this council sits a high god identified as El in the Ugaritic texts whose divine function is to maintain order in the divine realm as well on earth. Due to Ugarit‟s involvement in the ancient world and the text‟s representation of Canaanite cosmology, scholars have argued that the Ugaritic pantheon is evidenced in the Hebrew Bible where Yahweh appears in conjunction with other divine beings. Drawing on imagery from both the Ugaritic and Hebrew texts, scholars argue that Yahweh was not originally the high god of Israel, and the idea of “Yahweh alone” was a progression throughout the biblical record.
    [Show full text]
  • Yahweh Among the Baals: Israel and the Storm Gods
    Chapter 9 Yahweh among the Baals: Israel and the Storm Gods Daniel E. Fleming What would Baal do without Mark Stratton Smith to preserve and respect his memory in a monotheistic world determined to exclude and excoriate him? The very name evokes idolatry, and an alternative to the true God aptly called pagan. Yet Baal is “The Lord,” a perfectly serviceable monotheistic title when rendered by the Hebrew ʾādôn or the Greek kurios. Biblical writers managed to let Yahweh and El “converge” into one, with Elohim (God) the common ex- pression, but Baal could not join the convergence, even if Psalm 29 could have Yahweh thunder as storm god. Mark has had much to say about the religion of Israel and its world, and we need not assume Baal to be his favorite, but per- haps Mark’s deep familiarity with Baal suits an analysis of Israel that embraces what the Bible treats as taboo. For this occasion, it is a privilege to contribute a reflection on God’s “early history” in his footsteps, to honor his work, in ap- preciation of our friendship. In the Ugaritic Baal Cycle, a text so familiar to Mark that visitors may per- haps need his letter of reference for entry, Baal is the special title of Hadad, the young warrior god of rain and tempest (Smith 1994; Smith and Pitard 2009). Although El could converge with Yahweh and Baal could never name him, gen- erations of scholars have identified Yahweh first of all with the storm (van der Toorn 1999; Müller 2008). Yahweh and Haddu, or Hadad, were never one, but where Yahweh could be understood to originate in the lands south of Israel, as in Seir and Edom of Judges 5:4–5, he could be a storm god nonetheless: (4) Yahweh, when you went out from Seir, when you walked from the open country of Edom, the earth quivered, as the heavens dripped, as the clouds dripped water.
    [Show full text]
  • Transformation of a Goddess by David Sugimoto
    Orbis Biblicus et Orientalis 263 David T. Sugimoto (ed.) Transformation of a Goddess Ishtar – Astarte – Aphrodite Academic Press Fribourg Vandenhoeck & Ruprecht Göttingen Bibliografische Information der Deutschen Bibliothek Die Deutsche Bibliothek verzeichnet diese Publikation in der Deutschen Nationalbibliografie; detaillierte bibliografische Daten sind im Internet über http://dnb.d-nb.de abrufbar. Publiziert mit freundlicher Unterstützung der PublicationSchweizerischen subsidized Akademie by theder SwissGeistes- Academy und Sozialwissenschaften of Humanities and Social Sciences InternetGesamtkatalog general aufcatalogue: Internet: Academic Press Fribourg: www.paulusedition.ch Vandenhoeck & Ruprecht, Göttingen: www.v-r.de Camera-readyText und Abbildungen text prepared wurden by vomMarcia Autor Bodenmann (University of Zurich). als formatierte PDF-Daten zur Verfügung gestellt. © 2014 by Academic Press Fribourg, Fribourg Switzerland © Vandenhoeck2014 by Academic & Ruprecht Press Fribourg Göttingen Vandenhoeck & Ruprecht Göttingen ISBN: 978-3-7278-1748-9 (Academic Press Fribourg) ISBN:ISBN: 978-3-525-54388-7978-3-7278-1749-6 (Vandenhoeck(Academic Press & Ruprecht)Fribourg) ISSN:ISBN: 1015-1850978-3-525-54389-4 (Orb. biblicus (Vandenhoeck orient.) & Ruprecht) ISSN: 1015-1850 (Orb. biblicus orient.) Contents David T. Sugimoto Preface .................................................................................................... VII List of Contributors ................................................................................ X
    [Show full text]
  • Yahweh As Father: the Mi Age in Ancient Israelite Context and Modern Appropriation Joshua Wayne Lovelace Gardner-Webb University
    Gardner-Webb University Digital Commons @ Gardner-Webb University MA in Religion Theses Department of Religious Studies and Philosophy 2011 Yahweh as Father: The mI age in Ancient Israelite Context and Modern Appropriation Joshua Wayne Lovelace Gardner-Webb University Follow this and additional works at: https://digitalcommons.gardner-webb.edu/religion_etd Part of the Biblical Studies Commons Recommended Citation Lovelace, Joshua Wayne, "Yahweh as Father: The mI age in Ancient Israelite Context and Modern Appropriation" (2011). MA in Religion Theses. 4. https://digitalcommons.gardner-webb.edu/religion_etd/4 This Thesis is brought to you for free and open access by the Department of Religious Studies and Philosophy at Digital Commons @ Gardner-Webb University. It has been accepted for inclusion in MA in Religion Theses by an authorized administrator of Digital Commons @ Gardner-Webb University. For more information, please see Copyright and Publishing Info. YAHWEH AS FATHER: THE IMAGE IN ANCIENT ISRAELITE CONTEXT AND MODERN APPROPRIATION by Joshua Wayne Lovelace A Thesis submitted to the faculty of Gardner-Webb University in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Arts in the Department of Religious Studies and Philosophy Boiling Springs, N.C. 2011 Approved by: _______________________ ______________________ Name (Advisor) Name (MA Coordinator) _______________________ ______________________ Name (Reader) Name (Department Chair) _______________________ Name (Reader) ABSTRACT The goal of this thesis was to appropriate the image of Yahweh as father for modern Christendom in light of feminist critiques of the image. The methods in accomplishing this task were as follows: defining feminism and feminist biblical interpretation, conveying the critiques of Rosemary Radford Ruether and Julia M.
    [Show full text]
  • The Names Of
    THE NAMES OF GOD Adonai Avinu – The LORD Our Father (Isaiah 64:8) Yahweh Tsidkenu – The Lord Our Righteousness Names for God the Father (Jeremiah 23:5-6) Elohim – The Creator God (Genesis 1:1) Yahweh Shamma – The Lord is There (Ezekiel 48:35) Yahweh – The LORD God (Genesis 2:4) El Elyon – Most High God (Daniel 4:34-35) Adonai El Elyon – The LORD Most High God (Genesis Attiyq Youm – Ancient of Days (Daniel 7:9) 14:22) El-Channun – The Gracious God (Jonah 4:2) Adonai – Lord (Genesis 15:2) Ruler of Israel (Micah 5:2) El Roi – The God Who Sees (Genesis 16:13) El Echad – The One God (Malachi 2:10) El Shaddai – God almighty (Genesis 17:1) Abba – Daddy (Mark 14:36) El Olam – The Everlasting God (Genesis 21:33) Father of Mercies (2 Corinthians 1:3-4) Jehovah-Jireh – The Lord Who Provides (Genesis 22:14) Majesty (Hebrews 8:1) The Shiloh – The Peacemaker (Genesis 49:10) The God of Abraham (Exodus 3:2) Names for Jesus Ehyeh asher Ehyeh – I Am That I Am (Exodus 3:14) Emmanuel – God With Us (Isaiah 7:14) Jehovah-Rapha – The Lord Who Heals (Exodus 15:26) El Gibbor – The Mighty God (Isaiah 9:6) Jehovah-Nissi – The Lord Our Banner (Exodus 17:15) Everlasting Father (Isaiah 9:6) El-Kanno – The Jealous God (Exodus 20:5) Wonderful Counselor (Isaiah 9:6) Adonai Mekaddishkhem – The LORD Your Sanctifier Prince of Peace (Isaiah 9:6) (Exodus 31:13) My Righteous Servant (Isaiah 53:11) Go’el – Kinsman redeemer (Leviticus 25:26) Beloved Son of God (Matthew 3:17) El Rachum – The God Of Compassion (Deuteronomy Bridegroom (Matthew 9:15) 4:31) Son of the Most High (Luke
    [Show full text]
  • Jewish Monotheism: the Exclusivity of Yahweh in Persian Period Yehud (539-333 Bce)
    JEWISH MONOTHEISM: THE EXCLUSIVITY OF YAHWEH IN PERSIAN PERIOD YEHUD (539-333 BCE) by Abel S. Sitali A THESIS SUBMITTED IN PARTIAL FULFILLMENT OF THE REQUIREMENTS FOR THE DEGREE OF MASTER OF ARTS in THE FACULTY OF GRADUATE STUDIES Master of Arts in Biblical Studies We accept this thesis as conforming to the required standard Kent Clarke, PhD ............................................................................... Thesis Supervisor Dirk Buchner, D.Litt. ................................................................................ Second Reader TRINITY WESTERN UNIVERSITY Date (March, 2014) © Abel S. Sitali Table of Contents Introduction (i) Previous History of the Origin of Monotheism ---------------------------------------------------------------1 (ii) Thesis Overview -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------7 CHAPTER ONE POLYTHEISM IN THE ANCIENT NEAR EASTERN WORLD 1.1 Polytheism in the Ancient Near Eastern World---------------------------------------------------------------9 1.1.1 Polytheism in Canaanite Religion-----------------------------------------------------------------10 1.1.2 The Divine Council in the Ugaritic Texts--------------------------------------------------------11 1.2 Polytheism in Pre-exilic Israelite Religion------------------------------------------------------------------13 1.2.1 Israelite Religion in Light of its Canaanite Heritage--------------------------------------------13 1.2.2 Israelite Religion as Canaanite Religion—Identification Between El
    [Show full text]
  • El Elyon and Yahweh Shalom FINAL
    “El Elyon and Yahweh Shalom” START If you could make one impossibility possible, what would it be? Why? When was a time in your life or in the life of someone close to you that God did the impossible? How has that impacted your faith? As children, we imagined taking flight like Superman. We had “One of the benefits of daydreams of visiting the far away worlds we read about in knowing God’s names is books. We dreamed of the impossible - and this is a practice that having greater follows us into adulthood. Although, as adults, dreams may look a confidence in Him and little different. Against impossible odds we dream of seeing greater trust.” people rescued from their circumstances, we dream of seeing relationships reconciled, we dream of seeing the world turned -Paul Coleman around. El Elyon and Yahweh Shalom, the Most High God and God is Peace, are names that represent God’s ability to rule and bring a peace that passes all understanding to this life. His dreams are far greater than our own, and the limitations of what’s possible have no hold on Him. READ GENESIS 14:17-24 (CONTEXT v.8-24) After Abram returned from defeating Chedorlaomer and the kings who were with him, the king of Sodom went out to meet him in the Shaveh Valley (that is, the King’s Valley). 18 Melchizedek, king of Salem brought out bread and wine; he was a priest to God Most High. 19 He blessed him and said: Abram is blessed by God Most High, Creator of heaven and earth, 20 and blessed be God Most High who has handed over your enemies to you.
    [Show full text]
  • Getting Ready to Hear (Chapter 1)
    Getting Ready to Hear (Chapter 1) The united kingdom of David and Solomon split apart in 922 BC (the exact date is debated). The Northern Kingdom became known as Israel; the Southern Kingdom as Judah. Sa- maria was the capital of Israel; Jerusalem the capital of Judah. Israel fell to the Assyrians in 722 BC. Worship of the pagan fertility deity Baal—who took differ- ent names and forms in the ancient Near East—was a constant threat to both kingdoms. Baal worship was an essential part of the more sophisticated culture the seminomadic Israelites had encountered upon entering Canaan in the thirteenth century BC. Archaeological excavations show that early Israelite life was crude when compared to the sophisticated, aristocratic culture of Canaan. The subtle and powerful attraction of the Baal fertility cult— especially in the North initially—can hardly be overstated. The mythical stories and practices associated with Baal explained and guaranteed the fertility required for successfully growing crops, raising livestock, and producing human offspring. Baal worship revolved around the cycles of nature. As we shall see, it intimately involved those devoted to it. One of its most prominent supporters was Jezebel, wife of King Ahab, who reigned over Israel from approximately 869 to 850 BC. During Ahab’s reign, the prophet Elijah battled the erosion of Israel’s faith brought on by Baal worship. While wor- shipping Baal, the people also “worshipped” Yahweh. The con- 16 The Troubler flict between Elijah and the priests of Baal reached its climax on top of Mount Carmel. At stake in that contest was the very center of Hebraic faith.
    [Show full text]
  • Names of God in Hebrew Bible
    www.prshockley.org NAMES OF GOD IN HEBREW BIBLE: www.prshockley.org SHARED BELIEFS: Carefully systematize all the statements, declarations, and inferences In his book, Israelis, Jews and Jesus, regarding the God of the Bible, we come to discover that this infinite and Jewish author, Pinchas Lapide, personal God is the sum-total of His infinite perfections. God is portrayed observes that while significant as personal rather an impersonal, active rather passive towards his differences exist in both belief and dealings with creation, people, and events. practice, Judaism & Christianity share many common beliefs. He Many scholars discuss God’s perfections using a two-fold classification in writes: an effort to better understand how the Judeo-Christian theology of God is We Jews and Christians are joined in disclosed in biblical literature: (1) incommunicable attributes and (2) brotherhood at the deepest level, so communicable attributes. Incommunicable attributes are attributes that deep the fact that we have overlooked it and missed the forest belong to Him alone (e.g., infinity; simplicity) whereas communicable of brotherhood for the trees of attributes are attributes that people may possess in various degrees (e.g., theology. We have an intellectual holiness; justice; love). and spiritual kinship which goes deeper than dogmatics, We also have several others ways to examine and reflect upon the nature hermeneutics, and exegesis. We are of God as understood in Hebrew Bible. For example, we can examine the brothers in a manifold ‘elective affinity’ personhood (e.g., interactive relationships with Israel) by carefully examine the historical context-background with a wide array of tools: - In the belief in one God our Father, archeology, grammar, history, and literary analysis.
    [Show full text]
  • Trends of the Portrayal of Yahweh in the Hebrew Bible
    Best Integrated Writing Volume 1 Article 2 2014 Trends of the Portrayal of Yahweh in the Hebrew Bible Kenneth Price Wright State University Follow this and additional works at: https://corescholar.libraries.wright.edu/biw Part of the American Literature Commons, Ancient, Medieval, Renaissance and Baroque Art and Architecture Commons, Applied Behavior Analysis Commons, Business Commons, Classical Archaeology and Art History Commons, Comparative Literature Commons, English Language and Literature Commons, Gender and Sexuality Commons, International and Area Studies Commons, Medicine and Health Sciences Commons, Modern Literature Commons, Nutrition Commons, Race, Ethnicity and Post-Colonial Studies Commons, Religion Commons, and the Women's Studies Commons Recommended Citation Price, K. (2014). Trends of the Portrayal of Yahweh in the Hebrew Bible, Best Integrated Writing, 1. This Article is brought to you for free and open access by CORE Scholar. It has been accepted for inclusion in Best Integrated Writing by an authorized editor of CORE Scholar. For more information, please contact library- [email protected]. KENNETH PRICE REL 2040 Best Integrated Writing: Journal of Excellence in Integrated Writing Courses at Wright State Fall 2014 (Volume 1) Article #1 Trends of the Portrayal of Yahweh in the Hebrew Bible KENNETH PRICE REL 2040-01: Great Books: Bible and Western Culture Fall 2013 Dr. Heidi Wendt Dr. Wendt notes that Kenneth’s paper examines alternating depictions of Yahweh (the god of the Israelites) in a variety of biblical texts. The quantity of primary evidence that he considers is impressive in its own right, but he also controls and explicates these examples masterfully. His exegetical skills and appreciation of more technical interpretive issues are evident throughout the paper, as is his facility with the academic approach to biblical literature that was emphasized throughout the course.
    [Show full text]
  • Yahweh Vs. Baal
    Brigham Young University BYU ScholarsArchive Faculty Publications 2003-01-01 Who Controls the Water? Yahweh vs. Baal Fred E. Woods [email protected] Follow this and additional works at: https://scholarsarchive.byu.edu/facpub Part of the Biblical Studies Commons, and the History of Christianity Commons BYU ScholarsArchive Citation Woods, Fred E., "Who Controls the Water? Yahweh vs. Baal" (2003). Faculty Publications. 1064. https://scholarsarchive.byu.edu/facpub/1064 This Peer-Reviewed Article is brought to you for free and open access by BYU ScholarsArchive. It has been accepted for inclusion in Faculty Publications by an authorized administrator of BYU ScholarsArchive. For more information, please contact [email protected], [email protected]. W C W Y . B Fred E. Woods As the Israelites settled in the land of water and storm language in the Deuteronomic Canaan, clashes over religious beliefs and prac- History (hereaer referred to as DH).¹ e DH tices developed with other inhabitants of the consists of the book of Deuteronomy as well as land. Baalism, the belief in the Canaanite god what is referred to in the Hebrew Bible as the of water and storm, became a threat to the true Former Prophets (Joshua, Judges, Samuel, and belief in Yahweh (Jehovah). is paper is an Kings).² Many passages in the Deuteronomic investigation of the implicit polemical usage of corpus instructed Israel that Yahweh, not Baal, 1. is paper is a distillation of my dissertation, Water and Storm Polemics against Baalism in the Deu- teronomic History, American University Studies; Series VII, eology and Religion (New York: Peter Lange Publishing, 1994).
    [Show full text]
  • Johnson 1 the Love Above Allah
    Johnson 1 The Love above Allah: The Gap between Trinitarian Love and the Love of Allah “[God is] the Love that moves the sun and all the other stars.” –Dante, Paradiso Introduction Given the recent horrifying images of beheaded, burned, and murdered Christians by the hand of ISIS and other Muslim groups, one wonders how drastic is the divide between these two faiths. The violence by Middle Eastern Muslims, motivated no doubt by a complex web of religious devotion, hatred against the West, and the influence of powerful Muslim leaders, cannot help but instill within the mind of Westerners that Islam is not a religion of love and peace. Christians persecuted by Muslim groups and governments in the East no doubt feel an even greater skepticism to the claim of many Muslims that, given the similarities between faiths, Christians and Muslims can live in peace. In an attempt to stave off further anger and bitterness between Christians and Muslims, a group of 138 Islamic leaders and thinkers joined together in 2007 to bridge the gap between Christianity and Islam, emphasizing the shared values of both faiths.1 What came to be the “A Common Word between Us and You” Initiative (ACW) posited that Christianity and Islam are founded upon the same three basic principles: the oneness of God, love for God, and love for neighbor.2 Indeed, on the surface this claim seems to ring true. As the Qur’an states, “He is God the One, God the Eternal. He begot no one, nor was He begotten. No one is comparable to Him.”3 And given His unity, everyone is called to “devote” themselves “wholeheartedly to 1 A Common Word Between Us and You.
    [Show full text]