The superiority of Christianity over Islam

Admittedly, the title affirms a conclusion, which may not seem very sensitive in our politically correct world. However, every question, whether controversial or not, begins with some presuppositions. Therefore, there is no shame in beginning this subject with the premise that Christianity is superior to Islam. However, the object of this paper is not limited to the presentation of one more argument to verbally dismantle the religion of Islam. Rather, a brief comparison of these two of the "great religions" of the world, will present Christianity's unique superiority as the answer to all of man's spiritual needs. The fact that the term, "great religions" is used, illustrates the fallacy that is so often expressed, that Christianity is just one of the world's religions; it is not any better nor does it offer anything more than the others. By making a brief analysis of Islam and Christianity, it will be apparent that Christianity's message is one of hope where Islam offers none, that Christianity's Savior reaches out and touches man, while Islam's God is far away. Finally, the myth of "equally valid" religions will be debunked. Indeed, while it is not possible to defeat the institution of Islam here, the grounds for religious pluralism will be destroyed as Islam will be demonstrated to be a weak pretender as an alternative path to God.

The Messages of the Qur’an and of the Bible

Islam's only scriptures are a collection of the words attributed to its only prophet, Mohammad whose ministry spanned a period of 20 - 22 years. His words were passed down orally for nearly 150 years before being compiled into what is known as the Qur’an. Such a large space of time leaves room for considerable error for several reasons:

· There is no record of Muhammad's words being substantiated by witnesses, coworkers, or sources outside the Qur’an such as contemporary Jewish writers or historians. No one witnessed the angel Gabriel speaking to Mohammad.

· There is no claim that the oral tradition used some measure to protect the integrity and accuracy of Mohammad’s sayings.

· Human memories tend to glamorize the better points of the past and to forget the negative and there is no reason to believe Muhammad's followers would be any different.

‘Mohammadian Make-believe’

What Muslims believe today about Mohammad and the Qur’an does not lineup with the historical facts regarding the Arab world, the language used at the time, and the inconsistencies within the Qur’an itself.

…Muhammad's world and the worlds of the historians who subsequently wrote about him were dramatically different. During Islam's first century alone, a provincial band of pagan desert tribesmen became the guardians of a vast international empire of institutional monotheism that teemed with unprecedented literary and scientific activity. Many contemporary historians argue that one cannot expect Islam's stories about its own origins -- particularly given the oral tradition of the early centuries -- to have survived this tremendous social transformation intact. [1]

Monumental Differences

In contrast to the brief period in which the Qur’an could have been written down, the Bible was written over a period of about 1500 years involving more than 40 different authors. Statements within the scriptures themselves declare it to be the Word of God more than 2400 times.[2] The Biblical scriptures represent the contributions from writers from all walks of life, from fishermen to rabbi (Peter and Paul), from poets (David) to political leaders (Moses, David and Daniel)[3]. The Bible also explains how God used these various human instruments so that He could present His written revelation to man. For example, in 2 Peter we read “…that no prophecy of Scripture is a matter of one’s own interpretation, for no prophecy was ever made by an act of human will, but men moved by the Holy Spirit spoke from God." (2 Peter 1:20-21, NASB95)[4]

Structural Differences

It is important to know how the overall structure of the Bible and the Qur’an differ greatly. The Bible is arranged in a chronological/historical sequence, using a logical, plain format, which, declares the work of God's hand and His expanding self-revelation alongside man's own historical development throughout. Additionally, specific subjects or teachings are presented logically and completely without the interruption of unrelated verses, as is often the case in the Qur’an.

The Qur’an is a single book with 114 chapters (or 116 depending on the version[5] -- as there are more than 20 versions[6]). The Qur’an has an artificial descending arrangement from the largest to smallest. The opening chapter or ‘sura’ has only six verses, then beginning with its second chapter of 286 verses, entitled “The Cow”, the arrangement descends in suranic size for no particular reason, reaching the 114th and smallest chapter. The Qur’an also has very limited style variation and its total length is slightly less than the New Testament. Each chapter may loosely refer to the chapter title’s topic and uses a very random proverb or declarative style, making it very difficult to be read or appreciated by an average reader. Several online English translations can be readily found and its poor readability is confirmed in nearly every chapter. The University of Michigan is one of the better sites to find the Qur’an online: http://www.hti.umich.edu/k/Qur’an/browse.html

Style Differences

To illustrate this point regarding structure and readability, let us consider what the Qur’an itself says about one of its key figures – Abraham. In chapter (sura) 14, Abraham is mentioned in verse [14.35] and the names Abraham, Ishmael and Isaac have been capitalized only to aid their being found in the text, which follows on page 7. Normally it is not necessary to quote such a large section from any reference, but in order to give a more correct view, and to avoid the appearance of taking something out of context, a large section was included:

[14.24] Have you not considered how Allah sets forth a parable of a good word (being) like a good tree, whose root is firm and whose branches are in heaven,
[14.25] Yielding its fruit in every season by the permission of its Lord? And Allah sets forth parables for men that they may be mindful.
[14.26] And the parable of an evil word is as an evil tree pulled up from the earth's surface; it has no stability.
[14.27] Allah confirms those who believe with the sure word in this world's life and in the hereafter, and Allah causes the unjust to go astray, and Allah does what He pleases.
[14.28] Have you not seen those who have changed Allah's favor for ungratefulness and made their people to alight into the abode of perdition
[14.29] (Into j hell? They shall enter into it and an evil place it is to settle in.
[14.30] And they set up equals with Allah that they may lead (people) astray from His path. Say: Enjoy yourselves, for surely your return is to the fire.
[14.31] Say to My servants who believe that they should keep up prayer and spend out of what We have given them secretly and openly before the coming of the day in which there shall be no bartering nor mutual befriending.
[14.32] Allah is He Who created the heavens and the earth and sent down water from the clouds, then brought forth with it fruits as a sustenance for you, and He has made the ships subservient to you, that they might run their course in the sea by His command, and He has made the rivers subservient to you.
[14.33] And He has made subservient to you the sun and the moon pursuing their courses, and He has made subservient to you the night and the day.
[14.34] And He gives you of all that you ask Him; and if you count Allah's favors, you will not be able to number them; most surely man is very unjust, very ungrateful.
[14.35] And when Ibrahim (ABRAHAM) said: My Lord! make this city secure, and save me and my sons from worshipping idols:
[14.36] My Lord! surely they have led many men astray; then whoever follows me, he is surely of me, and whoever disobeys me, Thou surely arc Forgiving, Merciful:
[14.37] O our Lord! surely I have settled a part of my offspring in a valley unproductive of fruit near Thy Sacred House, our Lord! that they may keep up prayer; therefore make the hearts of some people yearn towards them and provide them with fruits; haply they may be grateful:
[14.38] O our Lord! Surely Thou knowest what we hide and what we make public, and nothing in the earth nor any thing in heaven is hidden from Allah:
[14.39] Praise be to Allah, Who has given me in old age Ismail and Ishaq (ISHMAEL and ISAAC); most surely my Lord is the Hearer of prayer:
[14.40] My Lord! make me keep up prayer and from my offspring (too), O our Lord, and accept my prayer:
[14.41] O our Lord! grant me protection and my parents and the believers on the day when the reckoning shall come to pass!
[14.42] And do not think Allah to be heedless of what the unjust do; He only respites them to a day on which the eyes shall be fixedly open,
[14.43] Hastening forward, their heads upraised, their eyes not reverting to them and their hearts vacant.
[14.44] And warn people of the day when the chastisement shall come to them, then those who were unjust will say: O our Lord! respite us to a near term, (so) we shall respond to Thy call and follow the apostles. What! did you not swear before (that) there will be no passing away for you![7]

Substance and Message Differences

This passage is typical throughout the entire Qur’an. There are no paragraph breaks in the English translation because nice, tidy paragraphs are difficult to isolate. Solid bodies of thought are rarely linked to the next in order to create a larger picture or message. This passage was taken from the fourteenth chapter entitled "Abraham", yet Abraham's name appears only once in the chapter that bears his name [14.35]. Actually, in the Qur’an there is very little clear biographical information about Abraham, their most important patriarch beyond that he settled in a place that would be called Ka'ba [22.27]. In fact, for Muslims most of the stories about Abraham come from other sources other than the Qur’an.[8]

The passage cited above mentions many things, yet very poorly describes any particular person, place or event. People are mentioned – even some of the most prominent figures of the Qur’an and the Bible, but very little can be understood about these personalities from this text’s content or style. For example, in the first verse [14.24] a reference to "a parable of a good word" is made and it is quite possibly inspired from Psalm 1:2-3, where we learn that the person who delights in the law the Lord “shall be like a tree planted by rivers of water”. If this were the case, the context of verses [14.24-25] would follow more logically with something about David rather than Abraham, or an elaboration on the theme of the benefits of God's Law. In any case, these verses do not have the ring of David's poetry nor of the parables of Jesus (perhaps referring to Luke’s parable of the fig tree, Luke 13:6-9); the text clearly bears the mark of human origin and not that of Divine thought.

Supremacy of Divine Inspiration

More important, is the question regarding the overarching view of these two primary sources of doctrine for Islam and Christianity. The Qur’an does not appear to have a central theme involving restoration of man's broken relationship with God woven throughout as the Bible does. The Bible's message is intertwined throughout the Old and New Testaments over its 3500-year history. This is an extremely strong proof of the Bible's unique superiority over the Qur’an and all other writings that claim divine origin. No other book has such a complexity of historical backdrops, with the diversity of human writers, over such a broad span of time, with a consistent overarching theme. The Bible's contributors generally did not know one another and most were acquainted only with a very limited portion of the Bible's other writings. Added to this, the Bible records hundreds of prophecies concerning events, judgments, and most importantly, the promised Redeemer. In total, there are more than 1800 prophecies in the Old and New Testaments.[9]

How many prophecies does the Qur’an have? This is one of the greatest ironies of Islam is that Mohammad is called a prophet and yet there is no specific prophetic record – that is, the foretelling of any future event, followed by its fulfillment sometime later in history. There are none of the weighty passages speaking of God’s judgment, His righteous anger against Israel’s stubbornness prefaced by the words “Thus says, the Lord.” Such a phrase as: "Thus says, Allah" does not exist in the Qur’an. Apparently, Mohammad was unable to exercise this aspect of his prophetic ministry.

The Bible records more than 300 prophecies alone that are related to the Messiah, the Savior of Israel and the nations. It has been calculated that the chances for anyone to fulfill only eight of the Messianic prophecies is next to impossible. The chances would be 1 in 10 to the 17th power (1 in 100,000,000,000,000,000).[10] Not only so, the accuracy of fulfilled prophecies in the Bible so far has been 100%! It is absolutely impossible that through the exercise of human will, anyone could arrange a text as complex as the Bible’s collaborated by numerous historical events and fulfilled prophecy.

A Comparison of Mohammad and Jesus Christ

Islam makes the claim that Mohammad is the most recent, relevant prophet and Jesus was only one prophet among many. As present day Islam greatly elevates the role of Mohammad, it ignores the abundance of historical evidence regarding the unsurpassable ministry of Jesus. Can there be any comparison between the ministry, the morality, the miracles, and the message of Jesus and the same areas of Mohammad’s life that justifies any equating of them as comparable leaders among the history of the world’s religions?

Ministry of Mohammad: A Limited Message

Let us make a brief comparison. Even if one accepts at face value the positive statements regarding Mohammad's life, his ministry was essentially limited to his teachings regarding the one transcendent but personal God – Allah[11]. Mohammad asserted that God sent prophets to other nations throughout history, but since each of these in turn failed to reform, those nations were destroyed. Mohammad was then sent to proclaim his new message which was later compiled to become what is known as the Qur’an. Mohammad claimed that this was the last revealed book and he himself was last of the prophets -- and a prophet whose message canceled out Judaism and Christianity. The question is, why should the message of hope, forgiveness and salvation through Jesus be tossed out and replaced with the message from the Qur’an? The Qur’an is supposedly an eternal text “written in heaven” and given to Mohammad word for word. It often states that "Allah is great and merciful and willing to forgive" but it never says how he does this our why he should? It seems that Allah of the Qur’an has different standards than Jehovah of the Old Testament.

Where are the Ten Commandments in the Qur’an? Some Islamic apologists attempt to say the Qur’an affirms the Commandments through some of its scattered references[12]. Nevertheless, they are not plentiful, nor does the Qur’an anywhere say in so many words that it supports, confirms, fulfills the Law (see Appendix 1), much less, does it set a higher standard, thereby giving ground that it replaces the Law and the rest of the canon of Judaic scripture. The record of sin and failure throughout all of human history testifies to the need of a concise statement of God's holy standard; it is stated as such and found in an orderly, understandable fashion -- just as it was given to Moses (Exodus 12: 1-17 & Deuteronomy 5: 6-21). The Lord Jesus was extremely clear -- he said that he both supported the Law and fulfilled it: “Do not think that I came to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I did not come to abolish but to fulfill. “For truly I say to you, until heaven and earth pass away, not the smallest letter or stroke shall pass from the Law until all is accomplished. " (Matt. 5:17-18, NASB). Furthermore, the phrase, "The Law and the Prophets” linked to the word, “fulfill” is very significant as pointed out by John McArthur:

The phrase, " "The Law and the Prophets" speaks of the entirety of the Old Testament scriptures, not the rabbinical interpretations of them." Further, Christ was declaring, "that He is the fulfillment of the Law in all its aspects. He fulfilled the moral law by keeping it perfectly. He fulfilled the ceremonial Law by being the embodiment of everything that the Law's types and symbols pointed to. And He fulfilled the judicial law by personified in God's perfect justice."

Today’s Muslims are now producing very professional web sites with well-written biographies of Mohammad's life. This is not to say that they are accurate representations regarding the life of Mohammad – but certainly they are much easier reading than any information one can gather from the Qur’an or extra-Qur’anic sources such as the Hadith. The sample below sounds much more to be a description of Jesus than Mohammad:

Prophet Muhammad (s.a.w.) is the finest example of a perfect man in every sense of the term. He was a paragon of virtue and is the best exemplar for the human race. The Almighty distinguished him from all and sundry by instilling embling (original spelling) in his sublime personality such fine qualities as modesty, truthfulness, kindness, patience, loyalty, honesty, courage, bravery, generosity, magnanimity, wisdom and the like. By studying his lofty character and the amazingly simple life he led with his household, companions, wives and others. We are apt to learn valuable lessons from his conduct and accordingly mould our own life-style.[13]

Typical of the scanty references to Mohammad in the Qur’an would be verses such as this: "Certainly you have in the Messenger of Allah an excellent exemplar for him who hopes in Allah and the latter day and remembers Allah much." [33: 21][14]

Ministry of Jesus: A Living Message

Jesus on the other hand, claimed to be the Son of God, He claimed to be Yahweh, the "I AM" who existed before Abraham (John 8:58). While Mohammad's death was like the death of every ordinary man, after two weeks of illness at the age of 62, Christ’s death was the culmination of his earthly ministry and included the promise of resurrection. Although some within the circles of Islam halfway recognize the historicity of Christ's death (it is considered a failure on the part of the prophet Jesus), the Qur’an itself teaches that Christ was not crucified: "They declared 'we have put to death the Messiah, Jesus, the son of Mary, the apostle of God'. They did not kill him, nor did they crucify him, but they had only his likeness." [4:157][15]

While Jesus was still ministering and teaching His disciples, Jesus spoke to them concerning His death, He said that was for this purpose He came into the world (John 12:27). In addition to predicting His death, Jesus predicted His resurrection -- and that He would rise on the third day. “The Son of Man must suffer many things and be rejected by the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed and be raised up on the third day.” " (Luke 9:22, NAS) [16]

What prophecies did Mohammad make? Did Mohammad speak concerning his death and resurrection? For those who claim that Jesus’ body was simply stolen, this question has been so adequately treated both in the scriptures and with extra biblical evidence, that the resurrection of Christ is considered one of the most established and well-documented events of human history. The fact that Jesus rose is one of the great catalysts of the Christian faith. Jesus didn’t merely die for us, but conquered death for us. The empty tomb is the message that He lives! Josh McDowell citing Professor E.H. Day writes:

"In that empty tomb Christendom as always discerned an important witness to the reasonableness of belief. Christians have never doubted that as a matter of fact it was found empty on the third day; the Gospel narratives agree in emphasizing it; it (the burden of proof)... rests not on those who hold the tradition, but upon those who either deny that the tomb was found empty, or explain the absence of the Lord's body by some rationalistic theory."[17]

Jesus, the only begotten Son of God held the unique ministry as the Lamb of God, to take away the sins of the world. He is also the High Priest – His ministry was the complete answer to man's need, satisfying God's standard of righteousness. Mohammad was not qualified to be considered a prophet based on the standards of the Old Testament; his teachings as they have been recorded in the Qur’an are difficult to understand and at best, they represent the culture and concepts of the Arab community of his day.[18] Mohammad died just like every other man and saved no one.

Morality of Mohammad

If we could find some extraordinarily pious life in the example of Mohammad, perhaps there would be some redeeming aspect of his biography that would make his life more significant and relevant as an example for us to follow. However, there is nothing recorded in history regarding his life nor in the Qur’an to indicate an exemplary and holy life, much less, one worthy of comparing to the life of Christ Jesus.

According to the Qur’an, a Muslim man is permitted to marry up to four wives not counting concubines [Qur’an 4:3]. However, Mohammad certainly married more often than this. Some biographies refer to him having nine wives while others refer to thirteen wives (not counting concubines). Conveniently, the Qur’an seems to open an exception for the prophet in [33:50] where the matter is left quite open as to the number of wives he could have. Once, Mohammad took Mary, the Coptic slave girl to bed while Hafsa, one of Mohammad's other wives was away. This angered all the wives creating a very unpleasant situation, where he had to endure the harshest words from his much loved, Aisha and ended up staying with the ‘Christian’ slave girl for an entire month. This resulted in Mohammad receiving a vision that was recorded in sura 66:1, "O Prophet, why forbiddest thou what God has made lawful to thee, seeking the good pleasure of thy wives…?"[19] Even so, it is difficult to understand how Muslims can reconcile the actions of their prophet when the Qur’an also refers to the commandment to not commit adultery [17:33] (see Appendix 1). Reportedly, his preferred wife was Aisha, with whom a marriage contract was made when she was only seven years old, "and she was taken to his house as a bride when she was nine, along with her dolls."[20] Aisha was 44 years younger than Mohammad, and when he died she was only 18.

Morality of Jesus

Obviously then, it is rather unnecessary to make a comparison between Jesus and Mohammad in terms of their respective morality, but this is what the followers of Islam and those who defend religious pluralism claim to have done. The world is asked to accept the doctrine that Jesus is “just a good man”, “one of the great prophets sent by God”, but one is not really asked to examine the lives of these false heroes in a side-by-side comparison with the irreproachable life of Jesus.

Those who refuse to acknowledge the divinity of Christ, attempt to do so by making a case for His humanity. They say that Jesus was tempted, that He was capable of sinning, and that He actually did -- just like every other man. However, there is no document of any historical value that has ever supported such a claim. The Bible makes a different claim. In both the Old and New Testaments, it is clear that Jesus was the sinless Lamb of God. In Isaiah chapter 53, we find one of the great messianic passages of the Old Testament referring to the suffering of our Lord in the crucifixion on account of the man’s sins:

"Surely our griefs He Himself bore, And our sorrows He carried; Yet we ourselves esteemed Him stricken, Smitten of God, and afflicted. But He was pierced through for our transgressions, He was crushed for our iniquities; The chastening for our well-being fell upon Him, And by His scourging we are healed. All of us like sheep have gone astray, Each of us has turned to his own way; But the Lord has caused the iniquity of us all To fall on Him. He was oppressed and He was afflicted, Yet He did not open His mouth; Like a lamb that is led to slaughter, And like a sheep that is silent before its shearers, So He did not open His mouth. By oppression and judgment He was taken away; And as for His generation, who considered That He was cut off out of the land of the living For the transgression of my people, to whom the stroke was due? His grave was assigned with wicked men, Yet He was with a rich man in His death, Because He had done no violence, Nor was there any deceit in His mouth. " (Isaiah 53:4-9, NASB95) [21]

Could Isaiah have known that he was referring to the future Messiah nearly 700 years before the His birth? How could he have imagined or thought of any person who could suffer under such circumstances and yet not open his mouth? The very minimum any man would do under such intense suffering would be to sin with his mouth, but with Jesus not even this was the case. Again, we see such profound evidence pointing to the great superiority of both Christianity’s central figure, the person of Jesus, and the Scriptures that prophesied concerning Him.

Apparently, the apostle Peter was also deeply touched by the verses of Isaiah. He saw firsthand how Jesus was brought before Pontius Pilate, how He was humiliated and scourged, and then endured the agony of crucifixion. No doubt, Peter also remembered with profound sadness how it was with his own mouth that he denied the Lord three times just as Jesus had predicted. Thus, we find in the New Testament, scriptures that refer to the fulfillment of Isaiah's prophecy:

"Who did no sin, neither was guile found in his mouth: Who, when he was reviled, reviled not again; when he suffered, he threatened not; but committed himself to him that judgeth righteously: Who his own self bare our sins in his own body on the tree, that we, being dead to sins, should live unto righteousness: by whose stripes ye were healed. " (1 Peter 2:22-24, KJV) [22]

Moreover, was it not Isaiah himself who said: "Woe is me, for I am undone! Because I am a man of unclean lips... For my eyes have seen the King, the Lord of hosts "? (Isaiah 6:5)

These passages are cited to illustrate the highest standard morality that was expressed in Jesus Christ. These verses also eloquently serve to show how the Old the New Testament scriptures speak of things that cannot spring forth from the imagination of a man but must be revealed by God's Holy Spirit (2 Peter 1:20-21). With the mouth various kinds of sin are so easily committed -- unrighteous anger, blasphemy, lies etc. yet Jesus was not guilty of the slightest faux pas. Furthermore, it would seem that sins of this nature would be the easiest to accuse Jesus of by those who are interested in creating trumped charges, especially when there were so many of the Jews looking for an opportunity to trap him (Matthew 22:15). Apparently, it was difficult even to create plausible lies with which to accuse him. Dr. Charles C. Ryrie, in his chapter, "The Sinlessness of Christ", makes an excellent case pointing out that Jesus was acknowledged as innocent eleven times by various persons, including Pontius Pilate, Herod Antipas, the repentant thief, and the Roman centurion. Especially interesting to note, "there is no record that our Lord ever offered a single sacrifice, though He frequented the temple. This silence speaks of the fact that He did not need to do so since He was without sin."[23]

Miracles of Mohammad

Regarding Mohammed’s miracles, it is reasonable to say that he performed none because this is the record of the Qur’an, and in Mohammed's own words, he states that he is an ordinary man, who was not able to do so. The Qur’an refers to some dialogues between Mohammed and unbelievers where miraculous signs are sought so that they could believe in him:
"They (also) said: "Allah took our promise not to believe in a messenger unless He showed us a sacrifice consumed by Fire (From heaven)." Say: "There came to you messengers before me, with clear Signs and even with what ye ask for: why then did ye slay them, if ye speak the truth?" if you are truthful?" [3:138].[24]

In a dialogue somewhat reminiscent of Moses and the children of Israel, we find another instance where Mohammed refers to his inability to perform miracles: "They say: ‘We shall not believe in thee, until thou cause a spring to gush forth for us from the earth’ " [17: 90][25]. In response to this Mohammed exclaimed: "Glory to my Lord! Am I aught but a man - a messenger?" [17: 93][26].

Miracles of Jesus

With Jesus, the question of miracles is entirely different. Jesus’ ministry included many great miracles and there is a total absence of sources contemporary to Christ refuting the facts of His miracles. Indeed, John concludes his gospel by saying: "There are also many other things that Jesus did, which, if they were written one by one… the world itself could not contain the books that could be written" (John 21:25).

In a sense, there is some legitimacy to the question of the unbelievers in Mohammed's day. As the Old Testament often illustrated, miracles were a very strong proof that a man was a prophet sent by God. The miracles of Jesus do more than that. They showed His deity in that they showed His power over all things. For example, Jesus showed His omnipotence by demonstrating His power over the elements of nature by calming the storm (John 6:16-21). On another occasion, when He healed the nobleman's son from a distance (John 4:46-54), Jesus showed us His omnipresence and power over space. Jesus demonstrated His power over ‘incurable’ physical conditions when He healed the man who had been blind since birth (John 9:1-41), and His power over death by raising Lazarus (John 11:1-44). Thus, with these last two miracles, Jesus shows that He has the power over life and death which only the Creator would have.

Once again, the superiority of Christianity is demonstrated through the powerful testimony of the Bible. In the matter of miracles, Jesus fulfilled many Old Testament prophecies and His miracles played an important role demonstrating who He is and the validity of the scriptures. For example, a brief glance at only two miracles recorded in Matthew 9: 5-7 of the paralytic, and the two blind men 9:27-30 as foretold in Isaiah, shows how they were powerfully fulfilled by Jesus and clearly indicate His divine power:

· "In that day the deaf will hear the words of the scroll, and out of gloom and darkness the eyes of the blind will see." Isaiah 29:18

· Then will the eyes of the blind be opened and the ears of the deaf unstopped. Then will the lame leap like a deer, and the mute tongue shout for joy. Isaiah 35: 5, 6

Why Religious Pluralism is a Fraud

Thus far, it has been demonstrated that Islam’s Scriptures are inferior in historical accuracy as well as in structure, style, and substance, It was shown that Islam’s messenger, Mohammed had an extremely limited ministry in terms of the content of his message and its scope. His personal life did not match the standard of holiness exemplified by the Bible’s prophets. The research here also revealed that his life and ministry lacked the evidence of a true prophet because he did not bring a prophetic message or display the empowered anointing often associated with Old Testament prophets. If one examines the real substance of the Islamic religion, it may be concluded that it is a faith without a method; yet, it expresses the hope that somehow by following the prophet one can earn the approval of Allah. Yet even in terms of methodology and practice, it not easy to understand from the Qur’an “what a man must do” to find favor with the Creator thereby guaranteeing eternal life.

Therefore, religious pluralism is a fraudulent idea. It is illogical to put these two religions next to each other and to come to the conclusion that “I can follow Mohammad or Christ, and it doesn’t make any difference; I’ll get to the same place!” Even to a Muslim this is an insult to his intelligence as Islam also claims to be exclusively the right way – the only way to Allah. It is precisely this claim and Islam’s recent aims to expand throughout the world, that have brought much media attention and the analysis of this paper. The results of the research have been staggering. It is absolutely incredible that Islam ever gained such a foothold in the first place. It is a religion that has been sold by the value of its title and cover, but no one has read the book.

If an agnostic, or an unbeliever were to consider the comparison of these two religions made thus far, it would be illogical for him to conclude that Islam and Christianity are equal. Through this one comparison alone, the entire concept of religious pluralism cannot logically stand up. In terms of options, one must concede the logical possibility of complete rejection of the Messiah, the scriptures that foretold of His coming, and the record of His life and ministry. Nevertheless, this cannot logically lead to the conclusion that both are valid. One might be tempted to say: “Both are invalid” as an intellectual game to justify rejecting Christ, but such a position does not negate the historical and textual superiority of the Scriptures, as well as the content of its greater message of redemption through faith in the unique Savior, Christ Jesus. Nor does it negate the unique claims of Christianity’s “founder”. Jesus fulfilled what was prophesied about Him. He did what He said He would do – even He rose from the dead – and He was uniquely able to do so because He is Who he said He is.
----

[1] Lester, Toby, What Is the Qu’ran? (Part 3 "For People Who Understand") Executive editor, Atlantic Unbound, the Atlantic Monthly Web site http://www.derafsh-kaviyani.com.

[2] Foos, Harold D and Patterson, L. Paige, The Revelation, Inspiration, and Inerrancy of the Bible, p. 98, The Fundamentals For The Twenty-First Century, Kregel Publications, Mal Couch, General Editor.

[3], Josh McDowell. Evidence that Demands a Verdict, (Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson Publishers), p. 16.

[4] New American Standard Bible : 1995 Update. LaHabra, CA: The Lockman Foundation, 1995.

[5] Al-Fadl b. Shadhan is said to have seen a copy of Ubayy's 116 suras (rather than the 114 of Uthman's) in a village near Basra in the middle of the 3rd century A.H. (10th century C.E.).

[6] "Islam: Truth or Myth" web site. http://www.bible.ca/islam/islam-Qu’ran-bible.htm article entitled "The Bible Is Vastly Superior To The Qu’ran"

[7] The Holy Qur'an, translated by M.H. Shakir and published by Tahrike Tarsile Qur'an, Inc., in 1983 URL:http://www.hti.umich.edu/k/Qu’ran/browse.html

[8] Kjeilen, Tore "Abraham / Ibrahim" article in the Encyclopaedia of the Orient, Oslo, Norway. First published Dec 4, 2001. Last modified Sep. 11, 2004. URL: http://lexicorient.com/cgi-bin/eo-direct.pl?abraham.htm

[9] Payne, J. Barton, Encyclopedia of Biblical Prophecy (New York: Harper & Row, 1973).

[10] Messianic Prophecies, http://www.thewhyman.jesusanswers.com/custom3.html

[12] Holy Qur'an Resources on the Internet: The Ten Commandments in the Qur'an URL http://www.quran.org.uk/ieb_quran_10commandments.htm

[13] "Islamic Occasions Network" Web Page entitled, "Truth, Wisdom and Justice" URL: http://www.ezsoftech.com/islamic/infallible1e.asp#03

[14] The Holy Qur'an, translated by M.H. Shakir

[15] ibid.

[16] New American Standard Bible : 1995 Update.

[17] McDowell, Josh. Evidence That Demands a Verdict. Volume I. San Bernardino, CA. Here's Life Publishers, Inc. 1979 Campus Crusade for Christ, Inc. pg 226

[18] For an example of the prevalent worldview of Mohammed's day, the Qu’ran teaches that men were turned into apes because they broke the Sabbath. This was a popular legend at that time (Qu’ran 2:65; 7:163-166). (Islam: Truth or Myth" web site. http://www.bible.ca/islam/islam-Qu’ran-bible.htm)

[19] Smith, Joseph. Mohammed. Apologetic paper-May 1995, referring to sources from Mizanu'l Haqq, pg. 330 and Mishkat II, pgs.680-681).

[20] Smith, Joseph. Mohammed. Citing Sahih Muslim (pg.716).

[21] New American Standard Bible : 1995 Update. LaHabra, CA: The Lockman Foundation, 1995.

[22] The Holy Bible : King James Version. Electronic edition of the 1769 edition of the 1611 Authorized Version. Oak Harbor, WA: Logos Research Systems, Inc., 1995.

[23] Ryrie, Charles C. Basic Theology. Chicago, Moody Press. Chapter 45, The Sinlessness of Christ, pg. 305

[24] The Holy Qur'an, translated by M.H. Shakir

[25] ibid.

[26] ibid.

Introduction

Sermon text with italics and bold and John 3:16 and v. 20.

Heading 2

Text with an outline.

Level 1

Level 2
Level 2

Level 3

The Superiority of Christianity over Islam