Christianity, Islam…What’s in a Name?
Don't Judge a Book by its Cover
I recently visited a blog on the Fox News website discussing an episode where the panelists were talking about the Fort Hood killings and Islamic terrorism. Numerous topics came up, but these two interested me: (1) Are Christianity and Islam comparable as religions? (2) Is Islam even a religion in the first place?
Are Christianity and Islam Comparable as Religions?
Rife through the commentary on the blog was the notion that somehow Christianity and Islam are meaningfully different, that to compare the two is to compare “apples to oranges.” I weighed in, but unfortunately no one replied directly to my point. Here was my comment:
Steven Jenks said: “While a fringe or splinter group of Christianity may exist encourageing death to abortion doctors or white supremacy, radical Islam is mainstream” Correction: all religions contain both moderate and violent elements. The relative backwardness of many parts of the Muslim world is a function of culture, not religion, just as the peaceful and “modern” nature of the West is a function of secular cultural developments of the last 500 yrs.
Here’s a comment that appeared after mine:
As a “right wing Christian”, I cringed when Kristen Powers (or any other journalist) compares Muslim Islamic extremists to my faith. It’s the terrorists who are intolerant not the Christians.
Well as a “secularist” let me spell it out for this dimwit: All religions, as I said, have both moderate and extreme components. If the religious can take a step out of their point of view, they will see that this is because people are both moderate and extreme. Many moderate people justify their moderation and peaceful outlook with their religion. Many extreme people justify their extremism and violent outlook with their religion. And any major religion will have ample material supporting both positions. The difference is only which pages of the holy book you choose to read.
Is Islam a Religion?
The most interesting and most idiotic (if that makes sense) notion floating out there is that Islam is, in fact, not really a “religion.” (Geert Wilders, an anti-Islam Dutch parliamentarian, has expressed this idea.) So what is it? Let’s find out from the commentariat:
Americans, even the supposedly “educated elite” on the panel do not know what islam is and is not. In the 1800′s, we called it Muhammadanism because we understood it was not a “religion” but an aggressive political philosophy. Rather than give it credence, we should work to discredit this 1400 year old lie. Test it as Christianity has been tested time and again, and let’s see how “divine” islam is. Studied in it’s historical timeline, it’s clear Mohammed made it up as the situation required.
And another:
Islam is NOT a Religion….The problem with Islam is that it is considered a ‘Religion’ and protected under the First Ammendment. Religion means to ‘Restrain’ acts brought on by our evil nature. Islam, promotes these acts by encouraging their members to ‘kill the infidel’ and their goal of world domination by force, if necessary. The ‘Mafia’, for example, has many of the same goals as Islam but it does not have the protection of the US Constitution.
So there you have it, folks. Call it a political philosophy, call it organized crime, call it whatever you want—just not a religion. Christians have a lock on that one. Let me spell it out for these dimwits: the term “religion” applies to any and every system of belief that relies primarily on faith in claims for which there is no evidence. That’s it. Whether you call it religion, superstition, backward beliefs, forward beliefs, upside down beliefs, whatever—it’s all the same. It follows that there is no meaningful categorical difference between Christianity and Islam, or between Christianity and Buddhism, Hinduism, Shinto, Rastafarianism, animism, shamanism or superstition. It’s all the same, as far as evidence is concerned.
I will say I agree with the first comment’s idea of “discrediting this 1400 year old lie.” Good idea. And while you’re at it, discredit a certain 2000 year old lie and an additional 5000 year old lie. Oh, but I forgot–Christianity has apparently “been tested time and again.” Umm…What?
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Yet another good post. I put in a plug for your blog at mine.
Anyway, I think most people forget the point you are making.
Also, one must remember that Judaism, Christianity, and Islam have the same root: pre-judaic middle-eastern paganism. No, Seriously, the First five books of the Bible. Muslims recognise Jesus as a prophet.
So, what is the differenc between these beliefs anyway if we really get down to it?
Right, there is no essential, meaningful difference. Any “difference” resides purely subjectively in people’s minds, and is rooted in what they want to believe, what was drummed into their head as a child, as well as just plain ignorance.
This is indicated by the ridiculous claim that I quoted that “Religion means to ‘Restrain’ acts brought on by our evil nature.” Yes, of course—in Christianity. What about in other belief systems?
One thing that secularists and humanists need to be constantly vigilant of is the tendency for the religious to elevate their beliefs and worldview to the level of objective reason. It is an extremely subtle, but extremely powerful logical trick, if unnoticed.