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Bible and the Quran Similar?

ZoxsasiZoxsasi
edited December 1969 in Non-Orthodox Inquiries
Hi,

Some friend at work was telling me that both the Bible and the Quran are similar.

Here are the points he mentioned: in both books:

* Killing infidels (non believers ) was allowed
* Killing was allowed by God (in certain circumstances)
* Stoning adulterers etc

I know in the OT, its all wrath, fire and brimstone, etc.. but - the NT is not that at all. However, we still accept the OT.

What would you say to answer such a person?

Also, I feel that a lot of problems in the west are a result of the fact that many westerners hate the Catholic Church's history and how it behaved towards them in the middle ages. Not only have they lost their faith, but it seems to be a mixture of ignorance of their faith, losing their faith, and embarrasement from being Catholic - not that they care about Islam, but they are more sympathetic towards it than their own faith a lot of times.

Anyway, sorry to go off topic.. please could you highlight the differences between the Bible and the Quran.

Thanks

Comments

  • abanoub2000abanoub2000
    one of them is fictional :)
  • George_Mina_Awad
    They are complete opposites.

    Their structures, their authorship, the morals they teach, and their concepts of God. The Bible has 76 books with over 40 authors; The Quran has just one author. Muslims like to almost brag about the poetic structure that the Bible lacks in many areas; but Quranic verses are often structured in an unintelligible or illogical way. Christianity was spread more quickly and much more peacefully than Islam; Islam was spread "by the sword," as is preached by the Quran. The Quran claims to have a loving God, but in Islam, there are no lost sheep. It's stray, and die by the sword. Christ's commandment to "love one another as I loved you" is not merely the more attractive one; it is also the logical one because based on the Christian concept of God's love, God would want is people to be just like him in that sense- he loves us, so he wants us to love each other, and as humans, this is the fairest standard that God can hold us to. The Quran not only rejects Christ's divinity, but also his crucifixion, and that he was a Christ in the first place. They lowered him to the name of "Jesus, son of Mary."

    Muslims love to show any apparent similarities they find between the Bible and the Quran to Christians they are trying to convert. But the truth is, once you get past the fact that we both believe in some almighty God, most similarities end there.
  • gregorytheSinnergregorytheSinner
    The Quran, is a book that was attempting to 'get the story right' as opposed to the Bible's "fallacies" [that Mohammed didn't approve of.]  As a result one will find many similarities between the two, because one was copied from the other i.e. the virginal birth of Christ [who they disregard as being God, but somehow accept and value Mohammed's birth more.]

    Also stoning, killing, and invading was the law of the land back then.  It's how people survived and prospered.  When Christ came, he bought with him a better way, where the main goal of a follower wouldn't be to survive on Earth, but to make to Heaven.
  • ZoxsasiZoxsasi
    [quote author=George_Mina_Awad link=topic=9651.msg118749#msg118749 date=1283174858]
    They are complete opposites.

    Their structures, their authorship, the morals they teach, and their concepts of God. The Bible has 76 books with over 40 authors; The Quran has just one author. Muslims like to almost brag about the poetic structure that the Bible lacks in many areas; but Quranic verses are often structured in an unintelligible or illogical way. Christianity was spread more quickly and much more peacefully than Islam; Islam was spread "by the sword," as is preached by the Quran. The Quran claims to have a loving God, but in Islam, there are no lost sheep. It's stray, and die by the sword. Christ's commandment to "love one another as I loved you" is not merely the more attractive one; it is also the logical one because based on the Christian concept of God's love, God would want is people to be just like him in that sense- he loves us, so he wants us to love each other, and as humans, this is the fairest standard that God can hold us to. The Quran not only rejects Christ's divinity, but also his crucifixion, and that he was a Christ in the first place. They lowered him to the name of "Jesus, son of Mary."

    Muslims love to show any apparent similarities they find between the Bible and the Quran to Christians they are trying to convert. But the truth is, once you get past the fact that we both believe in some almighty God, most similarities end there.


    Thanks George,

    But in particular, we are discussing the Old Testament (OT). In the Bible, there were events / times where God ordered anhilation of an entire population (Midianites) - God ordered that they kill everyone (even the children), and take only the virgin women.

    How would the men know who was a virgin or not to take with them anyway??

    But regardless... How do you, as a Christian, explain that?
  • HezekielHezekiel
    This is like comparing the space shuttle with a mosquito!

    For starters, the Koran was written by  a Greek Monk who was ex-commnicated and expelled from St Cathrine Monstery at the foot of Mt Sinai. In his early days, Mohamed was an ordinary merchant who travelled through Sinai to Syria and neighbouring countries to do business. He used to stop and lodge at St Catherine on his way from and to arabia.That way, he made a number of friends in the monastery,including the defrocked Greek monk. The Greek monk is said to have been a learned man and in his bid to seek revenge against christanity and christian monks of St Catherine, he started writing the Koran using distorted Gospels and gnostic writings as his source of truth.He moved with Mohamed to Arabia and and promised him that he would finish writing the book within a short period of time. All he needed was a secluded under ground cave . Food and water was lowered down to him. When he finsihed writng the book, he deliverd it to Mohamed and asked to be lifted out of the cave,but Mohammed decided to bury him down there and declared that the Koran was inspired by an angel of God.The cave is still in existance today. It is the same cave that Muslims visit during their hajj and throw stones into the cave and a pillar representing the devil(watch CNN Hajj report next time, you ill see the ritual). I heard the cave never fills. Take this story as you will, it is recounted to me by a serious monk.
     

  • gregorytheSinnergregorytheSinner
    I've actually heard that story as well, it's quite popular amongst the Copts, but nevertheless, it is what it is, a story, with no backing evidence.
  • HezekielHezekiel
    [quote author=gregorytheSinner link=topic=9651.msg118796#msg118796 date=1283281652]
    I've actually heard that story as well, it's quite popular amongst the Copts, but nevertheless, it is what it is, a story, with no backing evidence.


    Yea,but it is easier , at least ,for me to believe this story as credible, than the non-sonse fiction that claims the koran dropped from the sky or that the orginal Koran is in heaven.The god of the Koran is not a God.
  • meanzmeanz
    This video is titled Who Is Allah?
    it explains the foundations of Islam as a pagan religion so it cannot be similar to Christianity.
  • mabsootamabsoota
    i have read them both. i did not find them similar.
    the qu'ran was like a list of things to do and not to do, with lots of contradictions, eg saying you should befriend the 'people of the book' and then in another place that they are destined for slaughter.
    in one place it says 'there is no compulsion in religion' and in another 'kill the unbeliever'.
    this is why some people use the quran to 'prove' the religion is a religion of peace, and others 'prove' it's ok to bomb innocent people.

    an interesting thing about the quran is that the books (except the first) are arranged to get shorter as you go through it, so it feels like you get quicker and quicker and make progress in your reading.
    the disadvantage of this is that the books which were 'later prophecies' are considered the ones you should obey and these over-ride the 'earlier prophecies'. but u have to look in another book to find out which are which.

    there were some nice things, like saying God is mighty and powerful, but i did not find information there about how we, as sinful humans can enjoy fellowship with God.

    in the Bible, on the other hand, there is not only information about how to live but countless rich stories with examples from our ancestors about how they lived and about what things to copy. only in the Bible can u read that God took on human nature, lived with us, suffered and died for us and was raised to life in glory.
    we can take part in that glory through confessing our belief (in Jesus, the Holy Son of God, the almighty Father and the Holy Spirit who is given to us), through baptism, through partaking of the Holy Body and Blood of our Saviour and through obedience to our Lord.

    the Bible is so good i read it several times and so should everyone!
  • aidanaidan
    [quote author=mabsoota link=topic=9651.msg118821#msg118821 date=1283369748]



    in the Bible, on the other hand, there is not only information about how to live but countless rich stories


    Can I vouch, as lover of telling stories to the very young, that Islam has no stories suitable for young children. Our faith is incredibly rich with both New Testament stories to suit the season (Christmas, Easter etc) and gripping Old Testament ones (Joseph and the coat of many colours; Moses and the Exodus). That, to me, is the big difference between the Qu'ran and the Bible.
  • IoannesIoannes
    I get tired of this topic. In the OT it was only permitted in certain instances at the command of God, the unholy Koran states that this is the necessary form of conversion.

    Comparing these two is like comparing Gold to the feces of a rat. There is no comparison.
  • ZoxsasiZoxsasi
    Guys,

    Let's just focus on the topic here. To some ignorant atheist, they only see that in the OT there was killing - and the same in the Koran.

    In the OT, stoning adulterers was allowed, and in the Koran, it is still allowed.

    So, what do you tell these people?
  • peterfarringtonpeterfarrington
    Our Lord Jesus Christ has come as the final revelation of God to man, and He has changed our understanding of God. We no longer live according to the shadows of the Old Testament revelation because the truth has been made known in Christ.

    The fact is that the adulterer DESERVES death. But Christ has come to show us the MERCY of God in an unmistakable manner.

    Father Peter
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