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(Editor´s Note: This is the conclusion of an article refuting the destructive lie that Christianity and Islam are essentially the same religions.)
Christianity And Islam Dramatically Differ
The failure of white and black Christians to accurately represent Jesus Christ and His teachings do not in any way invalidate who He is or what He taught. Neither does the American Church´s failures entitle groups such as The Nation to create their own religions. The God who reveals Himself in the Bible however, does give all men freedom to accept or reject Him. Those who reject Him are also free to create any kind of religion they want, but will give an account of it (Romans 1:18-2:16).
As this article has shown by briefly sketching the history and teachings of The Nation, it, along with the Islam of the Arab Middle East upon which it is based, dramatically differs from biblical Christianity. On just a few key points of doctrine, note the contrasts. Black Muslims say they are gods who upon death, cease to exist. Arab Muslims believe men are creatures of Allah who will be raised from the dead and judged according to whether their good out weigh their bad deeds. Biblical Christianity teaches men are eternal creatures God made in His own image. Though because of sin, men die, all will be raised from the dead; sinners to condemnation; the righteous by faith in Jesus Christ alone to eternal life (Genesis 1:26-27; John 3:16, 5:24-30; Romans 3:21-31).
The Nation claims to offer blacks restoration through a mental resurrection only. Arab Islam offers the rewards of a heaven filled with worldly pleasure to any converts for a life satisfactorily performing the "Five Pillars of Islam." The Bible teaches Christ came to completely renew whoever believes in Him from among all men (John 3:1-8; Romans 12:2; Titus 3:4-7). This renewal includes a bodily resurrection from the dead like unto His own (John 11:23-27; I Corinthians 15:1-23, 35-57).
The Nation asserts Allah appeared in the person of W. Fard Muhammad in the 1930s from where they are not sure. Arab Muslims do not subscribe to Mr. Fard or any man being Allah. The Bible says the Word, the second Person of the triune God came down from and returned to heaven as Jesus Christ (John 1:1-18, 29-34, 3:11-13, 6:38, 17:1-5; Acts 1:9-11). The claim by all Muslims that Jesus Christ was just a prophet clearly contrasts with the Bible.
The Nation insists it is bringing blacks back to the "natural religion" we had in Africa. However, while the native religions of the tribes of Africa reach back millennia before the time of Christ (as do those of the Arab tribes), Islam was founded by an Arab from Mecca in Arabia named Muhammad only in the 7th century AD. Arab Muslims actually brought their religion to Africa through trade and conquest in the centuries that followed as did professing Christian Europeans. Even so, Christianity had already come peacefully to the Middle East, Asia, East and North Africa as well as Europe 600 years before by way of Jewish evangelists (Acts 2:5-11, 36-47, 8:1-4, 26-39, 11:19-26, 13:1-19:20).
Christ Came To Bring Division
The Bible teaches that God has brought to believers and will one day bring on the earth, peace through Jesus Christ (Ephesians 2:11-22; Isaiah 2:1-4, 9:6-7, 11:1-10)! In the meantime, as a result of the ongoing struggle between God and Satan for the hearts of men, there is no peace on earth. Indeed, the Son of God declares concerning His first coming and the indeterminate period prior to His Second Coming, "Do not think that I came to bring peace on earth. I did not come to bring peace but a sword," (Matthew 10:34, NKJV).
The sword the Lord speaks of refers to its ability to cut or divide by slicing and to cause pain by piercing. Due to the intense opposition of Satan and the demanding loyalty of Christ, individuals who become Christians would and do face division over Him even in their families (Matthew 10:35-39). Such divisions are very painful. If it is like this in one´s family, how much more one´s tribe, race or nation? Thus, not even for racial unity are Christians to bind together with Islam or any other religions to address issues that only the Jesus Christ of the Bible they reject can solve!
In the case of some black Muslims who claim they left Christianity dissatisfied, the apostle John says, "They went out from us, but they were not of us; for if they had been of us, they would have continued with us," (I John 2:19a, NKJV). Others who depart the faith to embrace a religion that denies Jesus is the Christ, Son of the living God, have been deceived by demons and align themselves with the Antichrist and Satan, the destroyer of men (Colossians 2:8-23; II Thessalonians 2:3-12; I Timothy 4:1-5; I John 2:18-23, 4:1-6)!
Choose This Day Whom You Will Serve
In the days after the children of Israel had come up out of bondage and were settled into the Promised Land, Joshua urged them to serve the God who delivered them only. If they would not serve the Lord, he told them to serve whom they would. But as for him and his house, he said, "we will serve the Lord," (Joshua 24:14-15, NKJV). Now, it is not just for any reason that Christianity predominates among us black Americans. The God who brought us to this land in chains for our sins, pride and millennia of worshipping other gods, also delivered us out of slavery in accord with the faithful prayers of our Christian slave forefathers. You have a choice from God. Choose to serve the Lord Jesus Christ and live forever!
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