(April 27, 2013 at 5:03 pm)Dawud Wrote: Allah and God- same thing or different.
In Arab countries its not the case: Christians. Mislims, Atheists, Jews etc. use the Arabic word for God: "Allah" (literally the God). Hence why the Arabic bibles use the word God in Arabic "Allah" and some use the Quranic phrase "Bismillahir Rahmanir Rahim": In the name if God The Most Gracious The Most Mercuful.
Allah was used by Christians since well before Muhammad was born too...
In this language some people try to do two things:
1. Say that because Muslims have differing opinions on The Creator that it is "a different God". Differing opinions on the attributes of God are held by Muslims and Christians sometimes (though the vast majority are the same). Does saying God has a son and God doesn't have a son really mean you are talking about two different things?
No - these are two opinions are on the same thing: the creator of the universe... If we both see a man with a jacket on and you say it is blue and I say it is purple: we are talking about the same jacket. Also loads of Christians differ about God: Catholics saying that God becomes flesh and blood in each and every bread and wine sacrament - Protestants mostly deny this. They are not now praying to 2 different 'gods' if they differ.
Some Christians might say: "But to believe in God you have to believe he has a son who he killed to forgive sins.." and give this as an essential attribute: well first of all- the same argument stands as Christians believe that there is one thing that is God. Second of all, Jews have never believed this and Christians wouldn't really say that Jews have some different God (well some did but surely Christians believe there is one God?). Jews pray to God - The creator etc...
Some might say - well it's the God that the prophets of the bible referred to: likewise Muslims call in the God of Abraham etc.
Jews generally do not have this exclusivist claim to God and really there is no serious difference between Jewish and Muslim co cents of God (hence the cooperation between Muslim and Jewish theologians throughout history).
Christians and Muslims have also lived side by side for centuries understanding that just because people have different ideas about the God of Abraham and Jesus etc. it doesn't mean that there are different gods... only one.
It's a non-starter in Arabic cos people don't have this polythesit idea that there are loads if gods out there (sun gods, moon gods etc.) when a Muslim calls on God: I say that its God they call on too - no matter the name.
Sorry about phone autocorrect typing...
meh...
Same God different God what does it matter? Do you really think religious branding has anything to do with being found righteous before God? Isn't That Judgement upto God/Jesus
Himself?
