Islam celebrates the festival of sacrifice these days as part of the Hajj. A highlight of the festivities. Picked up by the Christian media, but either not mentioning the “subtle differences” to Christianity or describing them as an alternative. Abraham therefore wanted to sacrifice Ishmael and not Isaac. But what does that matter? After all, it “is” ecumenism.
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The Mecca pilgrimage is followed by the festival of sacrifice
When the pilgrimage season to Mecca has begun in Islam, the festival of sacrifice is not far away. The sacrificial ceremony “Eid ul-Adha” is considered the culmination of the Mecca pilgrimage “Hajj” and also one of the most important occasions in Islam (Source).
Since the differences between Islam and Christianity have some “subtle” differences, it is not surprising that a special feature can also be noted in the background of the festival of sacrifice. However, this doesn’t bother the “ecumenists” in the least, who lump Christianity, Islam and Judaism into the unity pot of the “Abrahamic faith” because of the common figure of Abraham.
Ishmael was to be sacrificed instead of Isaac
The reason for the Islamic festival of sacrifice is Abraham’s willingness to sacrifice his son. As far as reported in the Bible (Torah) or in Genesis 22:1-19. The “small difference” between the Bible’s account and the Qur’an’s accounts lies with Isaac and Ishmael. Isaac was the second born of Abraham and his wife Sarah. A son promised by God, for whom Abraham and Sarah had to wait a long time and could no longer believe that a son could still be possible in old age. Sarah had not yet borne any children to Abraham. God made it possible anyway. Ishmael, Abraham’s older son, did not have Sarah as his mother, but Hagar, Sarah’s servant.
The Bible shows that God asked Abraham to sacrifice Isaac. So the only beloved son, since he was also Sarah’s son. However, the Koran says that Abraham was supposed to sacrifice the older son, Ishmael. This is partly the reason why Islam fundamentally claims its descent from Abraham through Ishmael.
The annual motto set for 2023 was: “You are a God who sees me!”. This was a saying from Hagar, the mother of Ishmael, when she fled from Sarah with her young son and was saved by God from almost dying of thirst in the desert. One is almost inclined to think that this slogan was deliberately chosen for the ecumenical approach to Islam.
A theological problem
The ram provided by God for the sacrifice instead of the son is described in the Koran as well as in the Bible.
Islam celebrates the festival of sacrifice because Abraham (in Islam Ibrahim) demonstrated his willingness to sacrifice and is therefore considered a shining example for everyone.
At this point, too, fundamental differences appear between the Gospel and the Koran. The Bible describes the requested sacrifice of the beloved son, Isaac. A type for the sacrifice of Jesus Christ. While God only hinted at the saving work of Jesus Christ to Abraham by encouraging the sacrifice of his son Isaac, God truly sacrificed His son. While the Koran emphasizes Abraham’s willingness to sacrifice, the Bible describes Abraham’s faith as the reason for his justification before God (Hebrews 11:8-12).
Thus, the Abraham of the Bible provides a very good example of the salvation principle of grace based on faith, made possible through the sacrifice of Jesus Christ. The Koran relies here on “great deeds”, i.e. the bottom line is on works-based righteousness. This means that Islam is in line with the Roman Catholic Church anyway. If one sticks to considering the type of this constellation, then it must be mentioned that Hagar, the mother of Ishmael and thus the ancestral mother of Islam, was an Egyptian. Egypt, the “original source” of paganism, which is still predominantly represented in the Roman Catholic Church today.
Even more striking deviations
Further striking differences between the Bible reports and the Koran stories also concern Moses. According to the Bible, Moses was found as an infant by Pharaoh’s daughter. The Quran tells about the Pharaoh’s wife. But by far the most important difference concerns Jesus Christ himself.
Jesus Christ was crucified, died and rose again on the third day. In the Koran, however, a “double” was crucified, while the Prophet Isa (Jesus) himself was able to escape. Thus, according to Islam, Jesus did not die for our sins and consequently did not rise from the dead. “Allah” also has no son. Nevertheless, numerous “theologians” postulate that “Allah” and the God of the Bible are one and the same God (Info).
Chief shepherds equate God of the Bible and Allah
One of the most prominent representatives who claim that the God of the Bible and “Allah” are the same God is Pope John Paul II. In a peace message to the Middle East, the pontiff claimed that Christians and Muslims worship the same God. Pope Benedict XVI canceled parts of this address by saying that “salvation comes from Christ alone.” The only question that arose here was which “Christ” (“anointed one”) Benedict actually meant (Info).
In 2003, the Catholic German Bishops’ Conference (DBK) declared as part of the “Working Aid for Christians and Muslims” that Christianity and Islam represent two different approaches to the same God.
If you had asked John Paul II and Benedict XVI whether they considered themselves Christians, the answer would certainly have been yes.
Priest and sociologist Tomas Halik from the Czech Republic represents a very strange logic. All three major religions with Abraham as the common denominator worship God. Therefore, it must be the same God, says Halik. Otherwise, he would be a “tribal god with limited competence and not the creator of heaven and earth.” But all three religions confess that he is. Therefore, it must be the same God (Source).
The Christian holds a euro in his hand, the Jew a shekel and the Arab a riyal. All three rightly claim that they are holding a coin in their hand. All three claim to be able to purchase something with this coin, be it food, drink, an item or a service. Are the euros, shekels and riyals identical, with the same inscription, the same image and the same purchasing power? Hardly likely.
Equally nonsensical is the explanation of the Czech priest, for whom it is logical that if everyone speaks of a God with the same properties, then the God must automatically be identical. Furthermore, it was just a targeted selection of the same properties. The Catholic priest probably deliberately excluded the “great rest”, especially as it relates to the sonship of Jesus Christ and the path to salvation. One question still remains unanswered: Do some representatives of their churches actually consider the sheep to be so stupid that they can represent such theses in public, like the Catholic priest?
Denial of Jesus Christ
Like Catholicism, Islam relies entirely on works-based righteousness and completely denies the saving work of Jesus Christ. Both religions essentially describe an arbitrary God who weighs “good deeds” against sins at his own discretion. Where exactly the scale is and what it looks like remains completely open here. The Gospel, on the other hand, describes a razor-sharp, clear edge. Break the law, yes or no? That’s it. If the law is violated, the only punishment is death. If the sinner repents, confesses the sin, and refrains from committing it in the future, he can hope for the grace of Jesus Christ.
It was precisely for this right to allow grace to prevail despite justice that Jesus Christ himself died as a representative of sinners. Anyone who rejects or denies this self-sacrifice of Jesus Christ cannot hope for His grace, because what remains is God’s justice, which is hardly mentioned today (Info).
However, sins remain attached to man. The final consequence is (final) death. And God’s adversary wants to see as many people as possible in precisely this condition. The adversary’s most powerful tool is ecumenism. A device in which people rebel hand in hand against God in an inoculated love intoxication of superficialities without actually understanding it (Info).
Ecumenical wrong path
It is obvious that those who insist on the “Abrahamic faith” as the common and ultimately remaining denominator cannot do anything with the Gospel, God’s way of salvation for man. They may pretend to be Christians because they talk about “a” Jesus. But Jesus Christ announced in advance his answer, provided that the (pseudo) Christians do not return to the path given in the Gospel:
Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven. Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works? And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity.
Matthew 7:21-23
Bible verses from King James Version
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