What Is The Churchs' Stance On Other Religions *

[superblue]

* Islam

 

  Okay so if anyone knows of a quick history link on Islam and how it came about that is easy to read on the web I wouldn't mind taking a look at it. Then my question is in general, is Islam worshipping the same God that Judaism and Catholics do and  does the Catholic Church acknowledge that both are worshiping the same God as we do ( excluding Christ ).*Then towards Judaism, and Islam, and Buddhism, and Mormons ,  what is the Churchs' stance on them gaining entrance into heaven , if we believe that one must accept and believe the Holy Trinity.  *Then if the truth is one must accept and believe in Christ at the very very least to reach Heaven, or be baptized Catholic or gain full entrance through the sacraments into the Church, who's responsibility is it, to bring other religions other people to the Catholic Church ?

 

Does the Church engage in evangelizing other religions any more, or is the Church merely engaging in keeping peace between everyone ?

 

And shouldn't Mormons and Wiccans be considered as paganism if not, why.

 

 

[Luigi]

That's a who' lotta questions!

 

I can't answer all of them. But I can tell you that Islam is an Abrahamic, monotheistic religion that worships the same God as Judaism, the person Christians call God the Father. Muslims trace their ancestry back to Abraham through Ishmael. The story in Genesis is: Sarah couldn't have children; she encouraged Abraham to have a child with her servant Hannah; Abraham did; that was Ishmael; eventually Abraham led Hannah and Ismael into the desert, left them some food, but abandoned them. God took care of them, though, and they didn't die of hunger & thirst.  

 

The Catholic Church does acknowledge that all three religions are worshiping the same God (the Father). 

 

 

I'll let other experts answer the remaining questions. 

 

But there's probably a book about just this kind of thing at Catholic bookstores. If you have any Daughters of St. Paul near you, ask one of the sisters about a Catholic book on comparative religion or something like that. 

Edited July 14, 2014 by Luigi

[Guest]

Mormons are cool and don't blow things up yet they seem to be out of luck.

Edited July 14, 2014 by Guest

[Perigrina]

The Vatican II document called Nostra Aetate answers these questions: http://www.vatican.va/archive/hist_councils/ii_vatican_council/documents/vat-ii_decl_19651028_nostra-aetate_en.html

 

The Church regards with esteem also the Moslems. They adore the one God, living and subsisting in Himself; merciful and all- powerful, the Creator of heaven and earth,(5) who has spoken to men; they take pains to submit wholeheartedly to even His inscrutable decrees, just as Abraham, with whom the faith of Islam takes pleasure in linking itself, submitted to God. Though they do not acknowledge Jesus as God, they revere Him as a prophet. They also honor Mary, His virgin Mother; at times they even call on her with devotion. In addition, they await the day of judgment when God will render their deserts to all those who have been raised up from the dead. Finally, they value the moral life and worship God especially through prayer, almsgiving and fasting.

Since in the course of centuries not a few quarrels and hostilities have arisen between Christians and Moslems, this sacred synod urges all to forget the past and to work sincerely for mutual understanding and to preserve as well as to promote together for the benefit of all mankind social justice and moral welfare, as well as peace and freedom.

 

There is also a section about this in the Catechism:

 

841 The Church's relationship with the Muslims. "The plan of salvation also includes those who acknowledge the Creator, in the first place amongst whom are the Muslims; these profess to hold the faith of Abraham, and together with us they adore the one, merciful God, mankind's judge on the last day."³³⁰

842 The Church's bond with non-Christian religions is in the first place the common origin and end of the human race:All nations form but one community. This is so because all stem from the one stock which God created to people the entire earth, and also because all share a common destiny, namely God. His providence, evident goodness, and saving designs extend to all against the day when the elect are gathered together in the holy city. . .³³¹

843 The Catholic Church recognizes in other religions that search, among shadows and images, for the God who is unknown yet near since he gives life and breath and all things and wants all men to be saved. Thus, the Church considers all goodness and truth found in these religions as "a preparation for the Gospel and given by him who enlightens all men that they may at length have life."³³²

844 In their religious behavior, however, men also display the limits and errors that disfigure the image of God in them:  Very often, deceived by the Evil One, men have become vain in their reasonings, and have exchanged the truth of God for a lie, and served the creature rather than the Creator. Or else, living and dying in this world without God, they are exposed to ultimate despair.³³³

845 To reunite all his children, scattered and led astray by sin, the Father willed to call the whole of humanity together into his Son's Church. The Church is the place where humanity must rediscover its unity and salvation. The Church is "the world reconciled." She is that bark which "in the full sail of the Lord's cross, by the breath of the Holy Spirit, navigates safely in this world." According to another image dear to the Church Fathers, she is prefigured by Noah's ark, which alone saves from the flood.

[arfink]

* Islam

 

  Okay so if anyone knows of a quick history link on Islam and how it came about that is easy to read on the web I wouldn't mind taking a look at it. Then my question is in general, is Islam worshipping the same God that Judaism and Catholics do and  does the Catholic Church acknowledge that both are worshiping the same God as we do ( excluding Christ ).*Then towards Judaism, and Islam, and Buddhism, and Mormons ,  what is the Churchs' stance on them gaining entrance into heaven , if we believe that one must accept and believe the Holy Trinity.  *Then if the truth is one must accept and believe in Christ at the very very least to reach Heaven, or be baptized Catholic or gain full entrance through the sacraments into the Church, who's responsibility is it, to bring other religions other people to the Catholic Church ?

 

Does the Church engage in evangelizing other religions any more, or is the Church merely engaging in keeping peace between everyone ?

 

And shouldn't Mormons and Wiccans be considered as paganism if not, why.

 

I won't bother answering about Islam, except to say that early on it was regarded as a heresy, and called Mohammedanism, which would indicate that the Church did not view them as pagans but as heretics, which is a very different thing. To be very brief, you can't be a heretic if you didn't start out worshiping the same God.

 

Anyways, as for Mormonism, the Church does not recognize their baptisms as valid even though they actually do use a trinitarian formula that is essentially identical to ours. This is because they do not actually believe in the Trinity as we understand it, nor do they exactly understand Jesus to be God in the same sense that we do. They acknowledge him as divine, but the problem with this is that they also believe any (male) human can attain exactly the same status as Jesus, and that Jesus was not always divine but started out as a normal man. So they aren't exactly Christian in any of the usual meanings of that word, but at the same time I do not believe the Church claims they are pagans either.

Edited July 15, 2014 by arfink

[Benedictus]

How do we know Muslims are worshipping the same God simply because they apparently have some vague ancestoral link in the Bible and claim to do so? If it's the same God then why do their scriptures deny the divinity of Christ, tell muslims to abtain from alcohol (no communion in the traditional sense people) and to convert all to their interpretation. If it's the same spirit of God then why are they in so much error and teaching things that undermine the Gospel? Wouldn't it be equally possible the religion was set up by bad forces to distract from the work of Jesus Christ? This very point is why ecumenical dialogue has failed withmany Christians for decades. But, as I've been told many times, the Catholic church seems more interested in appeasing elements of Islam because of it's size and influence. It's also been pointed out, rather cynically, that the Catholic church gives concessions to imagine Muslims in heaven whilst holding to rules that hold back Catholics on a daily basis. Now the church may say that with fuller truth comes greater responsibility. But it's not exactly the idea most modern people have of evangelizing good news -  sign up for a hard life where a sin takes you to hell but a Muslim has the chance to get to heaven (despite rejecting Christs divinity). Sounds messed up.

Edited July 15, 2014 by Benedictus

[arfink]

I think it also needs to be pointed out that despite what some alarmists will claim, the Church still asks us to go out and evangelize. The truths contained completely in the deposit of faith are still as valuable as they ever have been. The fact that the Church admits to the possibility of someone who does not have them being capable of attaining salvation does not in any way reduce their incredible value, nor should it reduce our desire to share these riches with others. It should also be pointed out that long before Vatican II the Church has been willing to admit that salvation is in fact possible for non-Catholics, so this idea in itself can hardly be blamed upon the council.

[The Hierophant]

Islam has always been a religion that legitimizes aggressive warfare against non-adherents.  In many schools of Sunni jurisprudence, aggressive warfare is mandatory, and in all it is permissible (source was a book I read for Western religions in college, don't have it on me, but should be readily confirmable).  So let's suppose that they do worship God - that is, the only God that there is, our God.  Given that most Muslims have these attitudes, how can such worship do anything but fall on deaf ears?  Wiccans are pagans, but at least they aren't violent.

 

Lest I seem xenophobic, I know very well that not all Muslims are like this; I've even befriended one.  Nonetheless, the ones who are not aggressive are unorthodox Muslims, and that is a critical point that cannot be ignored.  I'm afraid that Europe might one day find out.

[arfink]

Islam has always been a religion that legitimizes aggressive warfare against non-adherents.  In many schools of Sunni jurisprudence, aggressive warfare is mandatory, and in all it is permissible (source was a book I read for Western religions in college, don't have it on me, but should be readily confirmable).  So let's suppose that they do worship God - that is, the only God that there is, our God.  Given that most Muslims have these attitudes, how can such worship do anything but fall on deaf ears?  Wiccans are pagans, but at least they aren't violent.

 

Lest I seem xenophobic, I know very well that not all Muslims are like this; I've even befriended one.  Nonetheless, the ones who are not aggressive are unorthodox Muslims, and that is a critical point that cannot be ignored.  I'm afraid that Europe might one day find out.

 

Well, if you read the Church's documents, it's clear that they are not sanctioning this violence. But, at the risk of pointing out the obvious, I think they would have gotten in much hot water if they pointed out that the possibility of salvation for Muslims was for the unorthodox ones who aren't into mandatory religious blood feuds. ;)

[PhuturePriest]

But there's probably a book about just this kind of thing at Catholic bookstores. If you have any Daughters of St. Paul near you, ask one of the sisters about a Catholic book on comparative religion or something like that. 

 

Why yes, there is a book. I believe it's called the Catechism.

[superblue]

Thanks for the input on Islam thus far, now I do know that Islam reveres the Blessed Mother to some degree, what puzzles me is, why would Islam go as far to revere the Blessed Mother, but not believe that Christ is the Son of the same God we all worship.

 

 

Arfink hit on something I had thought about bringing up, which is evangelization ,  Is the major evangelizing between these other religions, Islam and Judaism left to the Church itself, the Pope, and certain priests/religious orders, as I figure they have the practice and or understanding of different cultures and how to interact in a manner that is very delicate as to not start WWIII. ? 

 

as for the rest of us, exactly how are we expected to reach out to others and evangelize who are atheists , wiccans, and etc....

 

The only thing I can rationalize is such an endeavor takes patience, and relationship building, not lecturing and quoting the catechist and Vatican 1 & 2,    WHICH sheesh, if ya do manage to get someones attention now ya have to explain VI&II or ya tell em to learn about it on their own ?