Why would Isalm speak that Christ is just a prophet?

Question

Christ is the son of God, according to Him. But accordong to muslim faith, he is just a prophet like Muhammed. Doesn't this mean that the religion Islam is speaking that Christ lied and offended God because he spoke and preached and CLAIMED that He was a Son of God, but He's not!? Why is it that Muslims react by threatening the world of Holy war when their faith is being challenged? Did any christian reacted in a harsh manner like that?

Answer 1

If Islam was to admit that Jesus is the Son of God, then they must admit that Mohamed, and their whole religious structure, is predicated on lies.

Christians, true Christians, do not react in the same way to threats against our faith.

(Yes, I know someone will bring out the old, tired saw about the Crusades, but they miss some salient points when they do.

1. It was the Catholic church, not Christianity, that fought against the Muslims during the Crusades.

2. In a large part, the first wars were in response to Ottoman aggression that dated back to the 7th century.)

Answer 2

Islam actually bears some resemblance to some earlier Eastern versions of Christianity, which assigned Christ a subordinate role. The West, meanwhile, was extremely determined that Christ be considered the equal of God the Father. A lengthy and nasty controversy over these views arose around the time that Constantine eliminated persecutions of Christians and elevated Christianity to a somewhat favored position in the Roman Empire. His attempt to settle the theological questions by convening a Council at Nicaea was not a complete success; the issue remained in doubt until Theodosius intervened on the Western or Nicene side againsts the subordinatists ("Arians").

This process resulted in at least two major changes in Christianity: (1) the doctrine of the Trinity evolved; and (2) Christian pogroms against Arians, Jews, and pagans became frequent.

The evolution and selection of New Testament scripture was another ugly process that leaves plenty of room for divergent views.

Muhammed regarded Jesus as a prophet, but apparently had considerable suspicions about the reliability of the Christian scriptural selections, and probably found the Trinitarian doctrine close to incomprehensible. That's not a unique reaction; a Christian religious studies major of my acquaintance one told me that every time he thought he really understood the Trinity, he discovered he had simply re-invented another old heresy.

At any rate, Muhammed emphasized the monotheistic roots of Judaism and repudiated the confusion introduced by the Trinity in the easiest way: he simply rejected the notion that Jesus was God. I don't agree, but I certainly find it understandable.

Christian harsh behavior toward others, as I mentioned above, became very noticeable during and after the Arian controversy. Among the highlights are a pogrom in North Africa that included the murder of Hypatia, a famous peripatetic philosopher; the Crusades in the Middle East and also in parts of Europe (against the Cathars and northern Slavic groups, among others); the Spanish Inquisition; the religious justifications for enslaving and exterminating indigenous peoples in the Western hemisphere; and considerable nasty behaviours toward non-Christians and toward Christians of differing views which continue in the United States at present.

Answer 3

We as Muslims don't say that Christ(may peace be unto him) lied, we believe that the bible was manipulated or changed by certain people who made other people think that Christ was the son of god, Jesus never claimed to be the son of god, he is a prophet like all prophets.
and about the HOLY WAR I have to say two things,
1) Muslims are not threatening to wage holy war on the war,
only some extremists and terrorists who use Islam as an excuse to kill people.
2)Christians in medieval times said that the crusades were holy wars to protect their religion and hundred of thousands died because of that , wasn't that harsh?

Answer 4

Here is what might be unpopular answer....

As a Christian, I'm not entirely convinced we as a group truly understand what Christ was saying about the Path or about Himself. But, I'm not convinced any other group has it all figured out either.

And I'd have to agree with another answerer.... "The Crusades", "The Inquisition", Salem witch trials.... And if you want more modern references, consider how some more recent self-proclaimed Christians have acted when topics such as evolution and abortion are involved. Acts of persecution and physical violence all in the name of Christian ideals.

I don't think we should be casting stones at other religions as you have done with your question.

The whole purpose of any religion, theology, or philosophy is to transcend our personal ego to come closer to the Divine. To become better as individuals and as a culture.

And It isn't the religions that cause Holy Wars. It's the sins of pride and arrogance that cause them.

Answer 5

Face it. Their are tons of religious beliefs out there. Not just yours. Not everyone believes that Jesus is their saviour.

"Why is it that Muslims react by threatening the world of Holy war when their faith is being challenged? Did any christian reacted in a harsh manner like that?"

What about the Crusades and the Inquisition? And don't get me wrong, I am not defending the Muslim faith, nor am I defending any other faith. Just pointing out the facts.

Edit:
To Lawrence R :
Are Catholics not Christians? You both believe in Jesus Christ do you not?

Answer 6

(John 17:11) Jesus said, "I will remain in the world no longer, but they are still in the world, and I am coming to you. Holy Father, protect them by the power of your name—the name you gave me—so that they may be one as we are one."

The meaning should be pretty clear. The relationship that Jesus had with God is NO DIFFERENT than the relationship ANY man might have with God. ANY time Jesus speaks of being God, he means it in the same sense in which YOU might be God. Stand a little closer to your Bible and it will become much clearer to you.

Answer 7

Mohammed's first wife was very influential in the religion of Islam. She bankrolled him, since she was wealthy, she also gave him some religious ideas.
She was of a strange sect of Christians, and what she said rubbed off on him to varying degrees.

The Muslim religion claims to hold to both the writings of the Jews and some of the Christian writings. Her influence on him let him incorporate those other religions into the one he was making. Muslims claim Moses, the prophets of Israel, and even Jesus as part of their religion.

The Muslims would claim that the words of Jesus were coming from God and that Jesus either messed up some of what He said, or that Christians twisted what Jesus said in order to make their own religion.

As far as the last parts of your question:
Mohammed gained his religions dominance in the area it ruled by conquest. His followers attacked and forced people to convert or die. He taught that as part of his religion so that he could gain more power. They still follow that practice in many ways.
No true Christian has ever done anything like that. There are lots of those that call themselves Christians that did (the Catholic church in the Dark Ages did it a lot), but that contradicts so many teachings of Jesus that its pretty obvious they don't really follow Jesus.

Answer 8

Yes, Christ claimed that he was the son of God, but Muslims not only say that he is not, but also say he never said he was.
They don't stand on the Bible to claim that Christ is not God/son of God, they stand on the Koran.


On Christ the solid rock I stand, all other ground is sinking sand.

Answer 9

They do not hold him as a diety because he became a deity only through a political vote forced by Constantine. They also hold Abraham in the same esteem, and place Mohammed in the line of thinking that defines the 3 of them as having the same philosophy of god.
To Muslims, only Allah is a deity.

Answer 10

I don't think they think Christ lied, i think they think Christian people just got the wrong end of the stick. Like when he said 'I am the Son of God' he was just speaking figuratively, like we are all children of god blah blah but some people took it a little too literally... lol.