Introduction 6 Position of this Study 7

Conclusion

There is so much more that I could say about life under Sharia law, but to enter into such long and detailed analysis is not the goal of this study. In this chapter, I wanted to present to you an overview of Muslims and Islam around the world as it exists today. I have refrained from discussing many of the more violent and extremist aspects, but just tried to present this subject largely as I have experienced it for myself.

It may be that you think I have portrayed Islam in a very negative light, especially as I have not spoken of anything good about the subject. There is a good reason for that. As a Westerner, being brought up in Britain, I experience everything about Islam to be highly restrictive and domineering. I have lived my life in relative freedom, still following the laws of my country, yet feeling a general sense of fairness, with the right to express my opinions and engage in whatever activities I wished.

Within Islam, even as a man, I feel that overwhelming sense of doom. I must comply or there will be some harsh punishment for me around the corner. The sense of my own ability to speak and to choose must conform to those of the people around me. I cannot be what I want or who I want to be.

Under Islam and Sharia those who do not conform end up dead. To prove that point, in one week in 2015, the Saudi Government executed by beheading, 46 people, with over 150 people beheaded in that whole year. (Aljazeera, 2015)

Chapter 2: Salvation – Comparing Christianity and Islam

At this point in our study of Islam we come to the most important part, and that is, how Islam stacks up against the Word of God.

It should be obvious by now that the attitudes and behavior found in Islam are radically different from that of Christianity. Making a comparison between Islam and Christianity can only be fairly done if the comparison is “like for like”. In other words, we must use the scriptural basis for each faith as the comparative texts.

It is a favourite ploy of the Muslim apologist to attempt to paint a picture of Islam in the most favourable of lights, but we need to be aware that the Muslim you are talking to at the time has either been brought up to believe the positively painted propaganda and is utterly convinced that his beliefs are correct, or he has actually read and studied the Islamic texts, knows the details and basically lies or misdirects you to avoid the difficult parts. I have personally experienced this in my own dealings with Muslims.

So we will avoid theological discussion of doctrinal beliefs and just take the texts we see at face value, but within the context of the surrounding scripture (as always) in order not to distort the meanings of the contents.

In this chapter we will look at some of the most important areas for comparison. So let us begin.

Islam Teaches Another Gospel

Let us begin by being sure of the meaning of the word “Gospel”:

• 
  From New Testament Greek, euaggelizo or euaggelion meaning “good message” or “good news” (Strongs 2097/2098).
  
• 
  From Old English “Good” (meaning is obvious) and “Spel” (meaning news, story).
  
• 
  From Latin, “bonus nuntius evangelium” meaning “good news”
  

Beginning with the original Greek, there is no doubt that the contents of the New Testament is the telling of Good News, and is referred to as such 103 times in the New Testament with the use of the word “Gospel”.

The word Gospel can be written in English in a few different ways, which provide the same meaning. So for example Good news can be “Glad tidings”.
The word “Gospel” is often used to refer to the whole of the New Testament scripture. However, in its correct context, and the context used when the Gospel is referred to in the words of writers such as the Apostles Paul and Peter, they are merely speaking of the good news of the coming of the Christ (Jesus), his death, resurrection and ascension to Heaven. In other words, they are referring to the fulfillment of the Old Testament prophecies of the coming Messiah and all His works.

We need to keep this in mind as we read the various scriptures quoted below.

There is but One Gospel

1 Corinthians 1: 1-8

Moreover, brethren, I declare unto you the gospel which I preached unto you, which also ye have received, and wherein ye stand; By which also ye are saved, if ye keep in memory what I preached unto you, unless ye have believed in vain.
For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures; And that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures: And that he was seen of Cephas, then of the twelve: After that, he was seen of above five hundred brethren at once; of whom the greater part remain unto this present, but some are fallen asleep. After that, he was seen of James; then of all the apostles. And last of all he was seen of me also, as of one born out of due time.

In this quote from 1 Corinthians, Paul tells us firstly that it is through the Gospel that we are saved. He goes on to say something of what that Gospel actually is, “how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures; And that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures”.

In Galatians Paul also says:

Galatians 1:6-9

I marvel that ye are so soon removed from him that called you into the grace of Christ unto another gospel: Which is not another; but there be some that trouble you, and would pervert the gospel of Christ. But though we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel unto you than that which we have preached unto you, let him be accursed. As we said before, so say I now again, If any man preach any other gospel unto you than that ye have received, let him be accursed.
As you can see in this passage, Paul even goes so far as to say should anyone, even “…. an angel from heaven” preach any other Gospel than that which Paul has passed, then they will be accursed. It’s interesting that Paul mentions “even an angel” as we shall see as we continue in this study.

Even in those days, so soon after the events on Calvary, men are seen and heard to be distorting the truth of the Gospel. Paul says very clearly, that there is but one Gospel of Christ. Many have witnessed the truth of it so there are those who can testify to the events. He is amazed how easy it is for people to be persuaded and deceived into belief of a story other than the truth of the Gospel.

Those false teachings are not however all complete fabrications, not a completely different book as we see here:

Acts 15:1

And certain men which came down from Judaea taught the brethren, and said, Except ye be circumcised after the manner of Moses, ye cannot be saved. When therefore Paul and Barnabas had no small dissension and disputation with them, they determined that Paul and Barnabas, and certain other of them, should go up to Jerusalem unto the apostles and elders about this question.
You can read more of what happened after this for yourself. We are more concerned here with the fact that it is obvious that men were hearing the good news of Christ, but were placing their own interpretations on it.

In this case the error (or deliberate deception) was in assuming that the act of circumcision was the act that provides salvation, which is a complete distortion of everything taught in the Gospel. However, what it does do, is to assert the authority of the Torah and Judaic Law over the Gospel, because in the Old Covenant, circumcision was just one of the requirements of membership into the family of the Chosen People of God. In other words, these beliefs become another version of the Gospel, which is in part truth and also part deception.

It is well that we are aware that many such deceptions have occurred over the centuries since then. Men have sought to distort the truth by altering the Word of God by both omission and addition. They have even tried to reduce the Bible to a secondary or even worthless position of authority, in favour of their own books, and the most notable of these is the Quran of Islam.