Trinity: Do Christianity and Islam Have the Same God? *

Does it matter if you believe the Bible or the Quran? Don't all paths lead to God?

This would be nice, but neither Christians nor Muslims believe this.
We believe that Jesus is essential to our salvation.

Jesus said,
 “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father, except through me.”
--John 14:6

Paul also says there is no other gospel than what he preached:

But even if we, or an angel from heaven, should preach to you a gospel contrary to what we have preached to you, he is to be accursed!

...

As we have said before, so I say again now, if any man is preaching to you a gospel contrary to what you received, he is to be accursed!
--Gal 1:6-9

These are some of the harshest words in the New Testament.

Shouldn't Christians be suspicious if someone claims he received a different gospel from an angel?  But this is how Allah revealed  the Quran!


Question for Muslims:  If the New Testament strongly warns of a different gospel from angels, shouldn't the Quran at least address this point.  As it is, one would think the author of the Quran had no knowledge at of this.

Do Christians and Muslims have the same God?

Some Muslims may claim that we worship the same God as them.  This makes Islam seem closer to our faith, so less of a change from where we are now.  However, the answer is no, and here is why:

Question for Muslims: Is God your Father?

In these well-known verses, Jesus calls God "Father"

Call no man on the earth your father, for one is your Father, he who is in heaven.
--Matt 23:9

After this manner therefore pray ye: Our Father which art in heaven...
--Matt 6:9 (KJV)

Jesus' preferred description of God is as a father, used, I am told, about 165 times, and it also occurs in the Old Testament several times.  Jesus even taught is disciples to pray to God as "our Father".

You will not be able to get a Muslim to acquiesce to this description of God as "Father".  Their god is not so personal, and more importantly it brings to mind the idea, motivated by some verses in the Quran, that God begat Jesus by a physical union.

Was Jesus begotten?

Luke writes:
The Holy Spirit will come on you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. Therefore also the holy one who is born from you will be called the Son of God.
--Luke 1:35

Even though there has never been any widespread heresy that God "knew" Mary (individuals may believe anything and everything), Muslims have used this verse and "Only begotten" in John 3:16 the KJV to impose this belief into Christianity.  Surprisingly many Muslims believe it,  even those who have lived in the West for many years.