Do Christians and muslims worship the same God?

[Staffan]

I'm more interested in a slightly different questions: Do the several Abrahamic faiths believe, either as canon, or as a commonly held belief (I'm presenting those as distinct questions) that they believe in the same God?

It is definitely canon for Islam that Jews and Christians believe in the same God, except they got a bunch of stuff wrong. They basically see themselves as Monotheism v3.0.

It is currently the opinion of the Catholic Church that Muslims believe in the same God they do, except they're getting a bunch of stuff wrong. They also hold that Jews believe in the same God they do, but now God has changed his mind on some things and the Jews refuse to acknowledge that.

I'm not sure how Judaism and other Christian churches see things. It probably varies a bunch.

 

[Hussar]

As far as I can tell, that's an artefact of the development of the language, and not an inability to distinguish the two colours - colour-blindness appears to be no more prevalent in Japan than elsewhere.

And that actually goes to support the point I made all those pages ago: although a quirk of language may lead to two different things being given the same label, that doesn't make those two things the same. The "blue light" in Japanese traffic lights, removed from the context of a traffic light, is green.

By the same token, a trinitarian and a unitarian both put the same label on the being that they worship (God). But if the traits that they ascribe to that being are significantly different, there comes a point at which it's hard to say it's the same being.

A group playing 3e and a group playing 4e are both playing D&D. But they're not playing the same D&D. Are they playing the same game?

What about a group playing d6 Star Wars, one playing d20 Star Wars, and one playing FFG Star Wars? They're all playing Star Wars, clearly, but are they playing the same game?

No, it really isn't. It's blue because they say it's blue. Blueness is not an inherent quality. It's only green because you grew up calling it green. Has nothing to do with color blindness at all. It's not like there's some mistranslation going one. It's aka shinto red light, kiiro shinto yellow light, ao shingo blue light.

And, if you look at a new green light, one with LED's, it looks pretty darn blue.

 

[WayneLigon]

I gotta ask: How does the answer to this question help us? What utility is there in the answer?

Also, don't all the Abrahamic faiths have as a core belief that the is only one God? Then either, the several faiths worship the same God, or, several of the faiths have empty beliefs.

I'm more interested in a slightly different questions: Do the several Abrahamic faiths believe, either as canon, or as a commonly held belief (I'm presenting those as distinct questions) that they believe in the same God?

Thx!
TomB

I saw some stuff about this very question the other day. The hard-line Protestant answer is, apparently, heck no. The addition of Jesus forms the triune God (that crucial bit where Jesus is both Jesus and God at the same time, along with the Holy Ghost) that is quite a bit different from God 1.0.

 

[tomBitonti]

It is definitely canon for Islam that Jews and Christians believe in the same God, except they got a bunch of stuff wrong. They basically see themselves as Monotheism v3.0.

It is currently the opinion of the Catholic Church that Muslims believe in the same God they do, except they're getting a bunch of stuff wrong. They also hold that Jews believe in the same God they do, but now God has changed his mind on some things and the Jews refuse to acknowledge that.

I'm not sure how Judaism and other Christian churches see things. It probably varies a bunch.

Thanks!

For the other half of the question: Do you think that everyday members of the several faiths think that they worship the same God as the other faiths?

Also: (This may seem too twisty, but bear with it.) Do any of the faiths think that the other faiths are worshiping the God that the other faiths think that they are worshiping? That is, does each faith consider that the God, as envisioned by the other faith, exists?

When does this all fall into semantic goo? If I imagine a God that provides salvation through faith, and you imagine a god that requires good works to go along with faith, but otherwise the gods that we imagine are the same, are we worshiping the same god? Does it matter?

Thx!
TomB

 

[Hussar]

Thanks!

For the other half of the question: Do you think that everyday members of the several faiths think that they worship the same God as the other faiths?

Most of the time I would say yes they do. It's somewhat an outlier to say that the three Book Faith's are worshipping a different God

Also: (This may seem too twisty, but bear with it.) Do any of the faiths think that the other faiths are worshiping the God that the other faiths think that they are worshiping? That is, does each faith consider that the God, as envisioned by the other faith, exists?

When does this all fall into semantic goo? If I imagine a God that provides salvation through faith, and you imagine a god that requires good works to go along with faith, but otherwise the gods that we imagine are the same, are we worshiping the same god? Does it matter?

Thx!
TomB

Well, it matters to those that think their particular God is the right one. For the most part though, no this isn't really a major bone of contention.

There are all sorts of things that are major issues though.

 

[delericho]

It's not like there's some mistranslation going one. It's aka shinto red light, kiiro shinto yellow light, ao shingo blue light.

I'll bow to your superior knowledge of Japanese. However...

And, if you look at a new green light, one with LED's, it looks pretty darn blue.

You said previously it was the same bulb. If it's not, it's hardly surprising it looks different.

 

[Staffan]

Thanks!

For the other half of the question: Do you think that everyday members of the several faiths think that they worship the same God as the other faiths?

No idea. As someone who thinks the whole idea is rather silly, I haven't delved that much into what lay members believe.

 

[Bedrockgames]

A professor at Wheaton College, a private Evangelical Protestant college, was suspended for saying that Christians and Muslims worship the same God.
She also wore a hijab.

It's interesting as I never heard that there was a questions regarding whether or not Christians and Muslims worshipped the same God. I've heard people of various religions claiming that other religions are wrong, and that they are worshipping God incorrectly, or whatever, but not that they worshipped another God.

That is like asking whether Jews and Christians worship the same God. They consider themselves to be within the same tradition as Judaism and Christianity, just like Christians consider themselves to be within the same tradition as Judaism. Muhammad is simply the last in the line of prophets for them, and the Quran is viewed as the most up to date and perfect rendering of god's message (it contains many characters from the New Testament for example, but the details are different. Allah simply means The God.

I think within that people can still debate how similar the characterization of the God is among these three faiths. They all three clearly share common roots, but there are definite differences in how God is presented, and what is focused on. I wouldn't say that constitutes a different God, but they certainly have different interpretations of the same figure. And there are still very different notions of what one must do to be in good standing with God from one faith to another (but that is even true among different Christian sects).

 

[Tonguez]

Thanks!

For the other half of the question: Do you think that everyday members of the several faiths think that they worship the same God as the other faiths?

Also: (This may seem too twisty, but bear with it.) Do any of the faiths think that the other faiths are worshiping the God that the other faiths think that they are worshiping? That is, does each faith consider that the God, as envisioned by the other faith, exists?

When does this all fall into semantic goo? If I imagine a God that provides salvation through faith, and you imagine a god that requires good works to go along with faith, but otherwise the gods that we imagine are the same, are we worshiping the same god? Does it matter?

Thx!
TomB

1. Muslims believe that the Jews worship the same God but broke the covenant and rejected Mohammad as prophet and for this they were 'cursed'
2. Muslims believe that Christians worship the same God but are idolators who elevated a prophet (Jesus) to be a partner with Allah, thus they are cursed

1. Christians believe that the Jews worship the same God but rejected the son of God however they are the chosen people and in the last days will accept the Messiah
2 Christians believe that the Muslims worship a moon god and that Mohammad is not a prophet

1. Jews believe that the Christians worship the same God but are also idolators worshiping a man (who was a false prophet)
2. Jews believe that the Muslims worship the same God but are heretical and reject Muhammad as prophet

 

[Dannyalcatraz]

And ultimately, until/unless He reveals Himself, all is conjecture.