Barnes 🇪🇺🇬🇧🇬🇷 :
When comparing Christianity and Islam, it’s important to look at their historical roots and the nature of their central claims.
Jesus: A Historical Figure
Jesus is not just a religious figure, he is a well documented person in history. Christian, Jewish, and Roman sources all mention him, giving us external and non-bias confirmation of his existence.
The heart of Christianity is the resurrection of Jesus. This event is rooted in a specific time and place: Jerusalem, around AD 30. It is attested by multiple independent witnesses, and the apostles had nothing to gain from fabricating it. In fact, most faced persecution, imprisonment, or execution, yet they held firm to their testimony. If the resurrection were a lie, you would expect at least one of them to renounce it under pressure, but none did.
Islam’s Foundations
Islam, in contrast, rests on revelations Muhammad claimed to receive alone. These revelations were compiled into the Quran after his death, and much of Islam’s authority depends on accepting Muhammad as God’s final prophet. Unlike Christianity’s multiple witnesses, Islam’s origins trace back to the testimony of a single man.
Cost vs. Gain
The apostles had no earthly reward for proclaiming Jesus’ resurrection. Instead, they suffered for it. Muhammad, however, rose to become a political leader, military commander, and ruler, leading to him gaining power and influence during his lifetime. This raises the possibility that Islam’s formation may have been shaped, at least in part, by social, political, or personal purposes. Mohammed could easily have invented his “revelation” for his own personal gain and benefit.
Conclusion
Christianity’s central claim, the resurrection, was costly and counterintuitive for its earliest followers. That makes it difficult to dismiss as human invention.
Islam on the other hand, relies on one man’s authority and that brought him worldly power and success. This makes it more plausible that it could have been influenced by human motives.
2025-09-08 15:20:22