OPINION: On Judaism, Christianity and Islam

The Paris terrorism prompts this op-ed, which will address the three monotheistic religions, Judaism, Christianity, and Islam, and try to shed some light on the centuries-old Islamic practice of killing non-Muslims — a practice which has become critical in our time.

Judaism is the oldest of the three. It’s roots are recorded in the Old Testament. Ancient Jews have a similarity with Muslims in that, according to the Old Testament, they conducted open warfare with other nations for the purpose of assuming property. This, according to the Bible, was directed by the Hebrew God YHWH, and some folks may have an issue with that, which is understandable from a secular viewpoint.

The Jews also believed that YHWH had promised a messiah, and the Old Testament has numerous passages known as messianic prophecies, by which the messiah could be recognized when he came. The Jews adhered to the Mosaic Law, recorded in the Old Testament, and which provided for some harsh penalties for certain infractions, often called the “thou-shall-nots.” Some incurred death by stoning, and it’s safe to say anyone who reads the list of rules realizes they want no part of trying to obey such a dictatorial God.

If they read no further, they miss the part about the messiah, Who would, according to prophecy, pay the penalty for their transgressions. When Jesus came along, He started healing people and performing miracles, and He became the topic of all of Judaism, which was under Roman occupation. He fulfilled most of the messianic prophecies, but He wouldn’t overthrow Rome, and most of the Jews rejected Him as a deceiver.

After the Jewish religious leaders had Jesus crucified for claiming to be the messiah, reports of His resurrection, which He predicted, began circulating, and Christianity was born. The Jews revolted in 70 A.D., and the Romans obliterated Jerusalem and sold the surviving Jews into slavery. Modern Jews consist of those who believe in Jesus as the promised messiah and those who adhere to the Torah, inclding the Talmud and the Midrash.

Christianity has its origin with the alleged resurrection of Jesus and the bold preaching of His resurrection and the promise of eternal life despite persecution by the Jewish leaders, which resulted in execution for all of the apostles except John. No one could produce Jesus’ dead body, and the Pharisees would have done so to stop the reports of His resurrection. Christianity is said to have a major blemish in that the Middle Ages crusaders were hardly less butcherous than Islamic extremists. This is supported historically, as Pope Urban II dispatched military “Christians” to Byzantine Emporor Alexios I to answer a Turkish threat.

Jesus and His apostles, particularly Paul and Peter, predicted false Christianity, and that’s where the Crusades may be shelved. True Christians trust in Jesus for their atonement, and anything not supported by New Testament writings is considered by true Christians to be either secular or demonic. Since the Reformation, Christianity has returned to its true doctrine of peace and forgiveness, but most Christians believe in the right of defending themselves in extreme cases.

There are a few Bible verses that say God employed some deceit in isolated instances, but they’re the exception and not the norm, which will come into view in the discussion of Islam, and it can’t be claimed that it makes YHWH a deceiver because if, as Christians believe, the Scriptures are God-authored, then God has owned up to His own “deception,” and thus can’t be assumed not to be truthful. Christianity teaches peace and forgiveness, and nowhere in the Bible are Christians allowed to use violence or deception as a means to some earthly end, including converting others to Christianity.

Islam began in 610 A.D. when Muhammad claimed to have had visitations from the angel Gabriel, and that he was given the mantle of final prophet of God, whom the Muslims name as Allah. Islam differs from Christianity in that Muslims are, according to the Quran, allowed to use deception and violence in certain cases, whereas Christians may only practice peaceful means of proselytizing, up to and including martyrdom. For most of its history, Islam has integrated reasonably well with non-Muslims, but Islamic extremism has increased in our lives, starting with the Iran hostage crisis, and escalating since our retaliatory action to 9/11/01.

It’s safe to say that the Quran permits retaliation to persecution, which may be understandable from a secular viewpoint, but death to anyone who refuses to convert to Islam, and especially death to non-Muslims who pose no threat to Islam whatsoever is nothing short of murder, which the Bible God, YHWH, forbids.

Muslims will say the Bible has been corrupted, which basically says that Allah is either unable to stop the alleged corruption, or is actively deceptive. What’s known is that the biblical scriptures are much older than the Quran, and the Islamic practice of taqiyya or kitman, deception allowed by the Quran, has decidedly been interpreted to allow Muslims to employ it to any length, including appearing to integrate into the various societies for the purpose of gaining the trust of the citizens and then killing them without warning. It could be argued that the Muslim claim of Bible corruption is only another deception.

The fundamental theological difference between Islam and Christianity, with Judaism somewhere in between, is that Allah provides no sure way of eternal life, whereas YHWH provides the sure means of trust in Jesus’ substitutionary atonement, with the resulting improvement in personal behavior.

Knutson is a resident of Dayton.