Freethought & Rationalism Archive

babelfish · 09-06-2002, 05:39 AM

Does the Christian community believe that Allah exists?

I keep hearing on Christian radio how people who claim that God and Allah are the same guy, only with different names, are dead wrong, because Allah was once just the moon god, one of many minor deities associated with the occult.

So if that is the case, I'm just curious, who do Christians think this Allah guy really is? Satan, maybe? Which would be ironic, since Islamic types believe that it's Christians who are the Satan worshippers.

Perhaps Christians believe that Muslims are worshipping a non-existent deity. In which case, I would suggest that Christians try to utilize their feelings about all those foolish people in the Middle East who insist on worshipping nonexistent beings, to try to understand how atheists feel about Christians and the God they worship.

Tom Sawyer · 09-06-2002, 06:24 AM

That is a bit strange, seeing as the Christian god started out as a little mountain God.

The view that Allah and the xian God are the same guy is a Muslim belief, which is that the Bible and Torah are talking about the same guy, but the Koran is the one that gets the real version of him.

The xian belief is that the Bible is the final word on the matter and Muslims are just a bunch of pagans who are going to burn in Hell for their heresy (they tend to think that about a lot of people).

Trying to have xians apply their views of other religions to their own is an exercise in futility.

leonarde · 09-06-2002, 06:56 AM

My observation would be that most believers don't
give it a lot of thought: ask most non-Mormon believers what Joseph Smith really experienced in
upstate New York when he claimed to be visited by
an angel, and (my guess) their likely answers would be:
1) Who's Joseph Smith?

2) When did all this happen?

3) (shrug of shoulders)
etc.

Back to Allah...
My own take is that Allah and the Jewish/Christian
God are one: Yahweh started out as a tribal god
as well so there is no problem in that aspect. The
things that really separate these three religions
are:

1)the weight given by the three to particular
"revelations" (ie through Jesus and the apostles
on one hand, and through Mohammed and his entourage on the other).

2)new rules, practices, sayings and stories associated with the above.

3)the New Testament writings and the Q'uran.

Cheers!

Keith Russell · 09-06-2002, 09:12 AM

Greetings:

Personally, I believe that any given believer probably has an idea of God which is quite different from the concept almost all other believers have. (I mean, there's no objective referent, so how can we say with certainty that any two beilevers are really worshipping the same 'God'?)

I think nearly every theist (whether Christian, Muslim, Hindu, pagan, etc.) is thinking that they worship the same God as others of their faith, when in fact they are probably each thinking of a concept that is different from anyone else's--of any faith--concept.

Think about that...

Keith.

babelfish · 09-06-2002, 09:19 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by Keith Russell:
<strong>Greetings:

Personally, I believe that any given believer probably has an idea of God which is quite different from the concept almost all other believers have. (I mean, there's no objective referent, so how can we say with certainty that any two beilevers are really worshipping the same 'God'?)

I think nearly every theist (whether Christian, Muslim, Hindu, pagan, etc.) is thinking that they worship the same God as others of their faith, when in fact they are probably each thinking of a concept that is different from anyone else's--of any faith--concept.

Think about that...

Keith.</strong>

That's a good point.

But my question is, when Christians get all hot under the collar denying that Allah and God are the same entity, are they denying the very existence of Allah? Or are they saying that he exists, but is another entity entirely?

And if so, who the heck is he?

Plebe · 09-06-2002, 09:29 AM

There is actually a community of Christian/Catholic believers in Malta, off the coast of Spain who use the word "Allah" for God only because one of their languages is Syriac in origin.
Keith Russell has made a valid point complementing Voltaire's quote "There are no sects in Geometry."
Keith Russell
IIDB Regular
User # 7336
posted September 06, 2002 10:12 AM
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Greetings:
Personally, I believe that any given believer probably has an idea of God which is quite different from the concept almost all other believers have. (I mean, there's no objective referent, so how can we say with certainty that any two beilevers are really worshipping the same 'God'?)

I think nearly every theist (whether Christian, Muslim, Hindu, pagan, etc.) is thinking that they worship the same God as others of their faith, when in fact they are probably each thinking of a concept that is different from anyone else's--of any faith--concept.

Think about that...

Keith.

09-06-2002, 05:39 AM	#1
babelfish Veteran Member Join Date: Oct 2001 Location: Augusta, Maine, USA Posts: 2,046	So, what about Allah? Does the Christian community believe that Allah exists? I keep hearing on Christian radio how people who claim that God and Allah are the same guy, only with different names, are dead wrong, because Allah was once just the moon god, one of many minor deities associated with the occult. So if that is the case, I'm just curious, who do Christians think this Allah guy really is? Satan, maybe? Which would be ironic, since Islamic types believe that it's Christians who are the Satan worshippers. Perhaps Christians believe that Muslims are worshipping a non-existent deity. In which case, I would suggest that Christians try to utilize their feelings about all those foolish people in the Middle East who insist on worshipping nonexistent beings, to try to understand how atheists feel about Christians and the God they worship.

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09-06-2002, 06:24 AM	#2
Tom Sawyer Talk Freethought Staff Join Date: Jun 2002 Location: Toronto, eh Posts: 42,293	That is a bit strange, seeing as the Christian god started out as a little mountain God. The view that Allah and the xian God are the same guy is a Muslim belief, which is that the Bible and Torah are talking about the same guy, but the Koran is the one that gets the real version of him. The xian belief is that the Bible is the final word on the matter and Muslims are just a bunch of pagans who are going to burn in Hell for their heresy (they tend to think that about a lot of people). Trying to have xians apply their views of other religions to their own is an exercise in futility.

09-06-2002, 06:56 AM	#3
leonarde Veteran Member Join Date: Mar 2002 Location: North America Posts: 1,603	My observation would be that most believers don't give it a lot of thought: ask most non-Mormon believers what Joseph Smith really experienced in upstate New York when he claimed to be visited by an angel, and (my guess) their likely answers would be: 1) Who's Joseph Smith? 2) When did all this happen? 3) (shrug of shoulders) etc. Back to Allah... My own take is that Allah and the Jewish/Christian God are one: Yahweh started out as a tribal god as well so there is no problem in that aspect. The things that really separate these three religions are: 1)the weight given by the three to particular "revelations" (ie through Jesus and the apostles on one hand, and through Mohammed and his entourage on the other). 2)new rules, practices, sayings and stories associated with the above. 3)the New Testament writings and the Q'uran. Cheers!

09-06-2002, 09:12 AM	#4
Keith Russell Veteran Member Join Date: Jul 2002 Location: Overland Park, Kansas Posts: 1,336	Greetings: Personally, I believe that any given believer probably has an idea of God which is quite different from the concept almost all other believers have. (I mean, there's no objective referent, so how can we say with certainty that any two beilevers are really worshipping the same 'God'?) I think nearly every theist (whether Christian, Muslim, Hindu, pagan, etc.) is thinking that they worship the same God as others of their faith, when in fact they are probably each thinking of a concept that is different from anyone else's--of any faith--concept. Think about that... Keith.

09-06-2002, 09:29 AM	#6
Plebe Regular Member Join Date: Aug 2002 Location: Contra Costa County Posts: 168	There is actually a community of Christian/Catholic believers in Malta, off the coast of Spain who use the word "Allah" for God only because one of their languages is Syriac in origin. Keith Russell has made a valid point complementing Voltaire's quote "There are no sects in Geometry." Keith Russell IIDB Regular User # 7336 posted September 06, 2002 10:12 AM -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Greetings: Personally, I believe that any given believer probably has an idea of God which is quite different from the concept almost all other believers have. (I mean, there's no objective referent, so how can we say with certainty that any two beilevers are really worshipping the same 'God'?) I think nearly every theist (whether Christian, Muslim, Hindu, pagan, etc.) is thinking that they worship the same God as others of their faith, when in fact they are probably each thinking of a concept that is different from anyone else's--of any faith--concept. Think about that... Keith.

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