Christian Beliefs: God, Jesus, and Salvation

Key Beliefs (Christianity)

• God is omnipotent, loving, and just, yet evil and suffering exist.
• God is one (monotheism) but also exists as the Trinity: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.
• Christians hold different beliefs about creation, including views on the role of Word (John 1:1-3) and Spirit (Genesis 1:1-3).
• Christian beliefs about the afterlife vary, but generally include resurrection, life after death, judgment, heaven, and hell. These beliefs inform how they live their lives.

Jesus Christ and Salvation (Christianity)

• Christians believe in the incarnation, that Jesus is God in human form and the Son of God.
• Key events in Jesus' life include the crucifixion, resurrection, and ascension.
• Sin exists, including original sin inherited from Adam and Eve.
• Salvation can be achieved through law, grace, and the Holy Spirit.
• Christ's role in salvation includes atonement, reconciling humanity with God through his sacrifice.

Key Terminology (Christianity)

• Ascension: Jesus' return to heaven 40 days after resurrection.
• Atonement: Reconciliation between God and humanity through Jesus' sacrifice.
• Bible: Holy book containing the Old and New Testaments.
• Catholic: Christian tradition led by the Pope.
• Christ: Greek for "Anointed One," the Messiah; Christians believe this is Jesus.
• Creation: God bringing the world into existence.
• Crucifixion: Jesus' death, essential for salvation.
• Evil: Opposite of good, cause of suffering.
• Father: The first person of the Trinity, creator and sustainer.
• Grace: God's unconditional love, essential for salvation.
• Heaven: Eternal state of being with God after death.
• Hell: Eternal suffering or separation from God after death.
• Holy Spirit: The third person of the Trinity, active on Earth.
• Imago Dei: Humans made in God's image with qualities like intelligence and free will.
• Incarnation: God taking human form in Jesus.
• Jesus: Son of God, a first-century Jewish teacher.
• Judgement: God deciding eternal fate based on earthly life.
• Just: Fair treatment, a quality of God.
• Law: Rules for salvation, revealed in the Bible.
• Omnipotent: God is all-powerful.
• Oneness of God: Belief in one singular divine being.
• Original Sin: Flawed human nature, tendency to sin since Adam and Eve.
• Orthodox: A Christian denomination/tradition popular in Eastern Europe.
• Protestant: Christian denominations with authority based on the Bible.
• Purgatory: Catholic belief in purification from sin after death before final judgment.
• Resurrection: Being raised from the dead, refers to Jesus and the afterlife.
• Salvation: Being saved through God's grace, Jesus' death and resurrection, heaven.
• Sin: Behavior against God's laws.
• The Son: The second Person of the Trinity, Jesus.
• Son of God: Title for Jesus, shows the special relationship between Jesus and God.
• Suffering: An effect of evil, experiencing pain and hardship.
• Trinity: God in three persons: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.
• Word: God creating the world through his eternal Word, and connects it with Jesus.

Core Beliefs (Christianity)

• An omnipotent, omniscient, omnibenevolent God created the world and has a plan for creation.
• The greatest commandments are to love God and your neighbor.
• Through Christ's sacrifice, humanity can be saved from sin and enter heaven.

Key Teachings (Christianity)

• God loved the world so much, he gave his only son, so anyone who believe in him shall have eternal life (John 3:16-18)
• From Job: humans should accept both good and hardship from God.
• In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth (Genesis 1:1).
• God created man in his own image (Genesis 1:27).
• God created the world through the Word, who became flesh in Jesus (John 1).
• During Jesus' baptism, the Trinity was present: the Spirit descended, and the Father spoke (Matthew 3).
• Christians should baptize in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit (Matthew 28).
• The Apostles' Creed summarizes Christian beliefs, including the Trinity.

The Afterlife and Salvation (Christianity)

• God gave his only Son so that whoever believes in him will have eternal life (John 3:16-18).
• The ground was cursed because of Adam's sin, which is why humans will eventually return to dust (Genesis 3).
• Resurrection from the dead comes through Jesus (1 Corinthians 15).
• Jesus asked God to forgive those who crucified him because they didn't know what they were doing (Luke 23).
• Jesus said that he is the resurrection and the life, and whoever believes in him will never die (John 11).
• Ten Commandments: guidance from God, including honoring God, parents, and prohibitions against murder, adultery, stealing, etc. (Exodus 20).
• Salvation is by grace through faith, not by works (Ephesians 2).
• Greatest commandments: Love God and love your neighbor as yourself (Matthew 22).
• The parable of the good Samaritan: everyone counts as your 'neighbor' (Luke 10).
• The parable of the sheep and the goats: being saved depends on helping those in need (Matthew 25).

Key Beliefs (Islam)

• Sunni Islam: Six articles of faith.
• Shi'a Islam: Five roots of ‘Usul ad-Din’.
• Tawhid: The oneness of God (Qur'an 112).
• God is omnipotent, beneficent, merciful, fair, and just (Adalat in Shi’a Islam).
• God's relationship with the world: immanence (close) and transcendence (beyond).
• Belief in angels, especially Jibril and Mika’il.
• Belief in predestination and human freedom.
• Belief in Akhirah (life after death), judgment, resurrection, heaven, and hell.

Authority (Islam)

• Risalah (Prophethood) including the role and importance of Adam, Ibrahim and Muhammad.
• Qur’an: revelation and authority.
• Torah, Psalms, Gospel, Scrolls of Abraham.
• The imamate in Shi'a Islam: its role and significance.

Core Beliefs (Islam)

• There is no God but Allah, and Muhammad is His messenger (The Shahadah).
• The Quran contains the direct word of God.
• To be a Muslim is to submit to Allah's will.
• Muhammad’s words and deeds (the Sunnah, recorded in the Hadith) are a model of how to do this.

Key Terminology (Islam)

• Adalat/justice: God's fairness in Shi’a Islam.
• Adam: Prophet, father of humankind, builder of the Ka’aba.
• Akhirah: Life after death, heaven (jannah) or hell (jahannam).
• Angels: Spiritual beings giving messages and watching over humans.
• Authority: Power, status.
• Barzakh: Time between death and judgment day.
• Beneficence: Doing good, Allah's generosity.
• Day of Judgement: Allah decides on reward or punishment.
• Fairness: God treats all humans equally.
• Five roots of Usul ad-Din: Key beliefs in Shi’a Islam: Tawhid, Adalat, prophethood, imamate, resurrection.
• The Gospel: Holy book about Isa (Jesus), a prophet of Islam.
• Heaven: Paradise, Allah’s reward.
• Hell: Suffering for those who reject the Qur’an.
• Human accountability: Responsibility for actions, questioned on Judgment Day.
• Human freedom: Control over thoughts, feelings and actions.
• Human responsibility: Accountability due to free will.
• Ibrahim: Prophet, rebuilt the Ka’aba.
• Imamate: Successors of Muhammad in Shia Islam.
• Immanence: God is close to humanity.
• Jibril: Angel who dictated the Qur’an to Muhammad.
• Mercy: God's willingness to forgive sins.
• Mika’il: Angel who helps humans and weighs deeds on Judgment Day.
• Muhammad: Last and greatest prophet, received the Qur’an.
• Omnipotence: God is all-powerful.
• Predestination: Allah has decided everything already (Sunni Islam).
• The Psalms: Prayers and poems by King Dawud (David).
• The Qur’an: Final revelation of God to humankind.
• Resurrection: Raised from the dead for judgment.
• Revelation: God showing his nature and will through the Qur’an.
• Risalah (Prophethood): Prophets sent by God.
• The Scrolls of Abraham: Individual revelations to Ibrahim.
• Shi’a Islam: Believes in the Imamate, successorship of Ali.
• Six articles of faith: Key beliefs in Sunni Islam: Tawhid, Angels, Holy Books, Prophethood, Akhirah, Predestination.
• Sunni Islam: Believes in the successorship of Abu Bakr, Umar, Uthman and Ali.
• Tawhid (the Oneness of God): The oneness and unity of Allah.
• The Torah: Given to Musa (Moses) on Mount Sinai.
• Transcendence: Being beyond space and time.
• He is Allah and there is none comparable to him (Qur’an 112)

Key Teachings (Islam)

• The Quran is the word of God.
• To be a Muslim means submitting to the will of Allah.
• Allah loves those who repent and purify themselves (Qur’an 2:222).
• Muslims believe in what was revealed to Abraham, Ishmael, Isaac, Jacob, Moses, and Jesus (Qur’an 2:136).
• God will punish non-believers (Qur’an 2:6-7).
• Allah will not change a people's condition unless they change themselves (Qur’an 13:11).
• Allah bears witness that there is no god but Him, the angels, and those who have knowledge, he upholds Justice (Qur’an 3:18).
• Allah has the power to bring the dead back to life (Qur’an 46:33).
• God gave Moses the Scripture, followed by messengers like Jesus, but people rejected some of them (Qur’an 2:87).
• Jibril revealed the Qur'an, confirming previous scriptures and providing guidance (Qur’an 2:97).
• The Lord has created and balanced all things and has fixed their destinies and guided them (Qur’an 87:2-3).
• An angel is sent to an unborn child to announce four decrees; provision, lifespan deeds (Hadith).
• Heaven contains rivers of wine and honey, with every fruit and forgiveness, while hell is a fire for those who deviate.

Relationships and Family (Both Christianity and Islam)

• God/Allah created humanity with a plan for relationships and families involving love, respect, and commitment.
• Marriage is the ideal expression of this plan.
• Men and women are both created in God's image and are essential to God's plans.

Key Terminology

• Annulment: Catholic Church declares marriage invalid (different from divorce).
• Cohabitation: Living together without marriage.
• Compassion: Sympathy for others' suffering.
• Contraception: Preventing pregnancy.
• Divorce: Legal ending of marriage (not recognized by Catholics).
• Extended family: Includes grandparents, cousins, etc.
• Family planning: Deciding when and how big to have a family.
• Gender discrimination: Acting on gender prejudices.
• Gender equality: Belief in equal status and value of genders.
• Gender prejudice: Negative beliefs about a person based on gender.
• Heterosexuality: Attracted to the opposite gender.
• Homosexuality: Attracted to the same gender.
• Nuclear family: Two parents and their child(ren).
• Polygamy: Having multiple spouses.
• Procreation: Having children.
• Remarriage: Marrying again after divorce.
• Vows: Promises made during marriage.

Christian Teachings

• Love your neighboor as you love yourself (Matthew 22)
• Love is patient and kind; it always protects, trusts, hopes, and perseveres’ (Corinthians 13:4-7)
• God created mankind as male and female so that they can increase in numbers (Genesis 1:27-28)
• What God has joined together, let no one separate (Mark 10:9)
• Love and compassion is essential.
• Educating children is essential.
• Start children off on the way they should go, and even when they are old they will not turn from it (Proverbs 22:6)
• You shall not commit adultery (Exodus 20:14)

Islamic teachings

• He created for you, mates that you may find tranquillity in them. He placed between you affection (Qur’an 30:21)
• The most detestable of the lawful acts to Allah is divorce (Hadith of Sunan Abi Dawud 12:2173)
• Be good to your parents; and should both or any one of them attain old age with you… neither chide them,but speak to them with respect (Quran 17:23)

Religion, Peace and Conflict

• Peace: Harmony in society.
• Justice: Restoring fairness.
• Forgiveness: Letting go of blame.
• Reconciliation: Rebuilding relationships.
• Violence: Physical force to harm.
• Terrorism: Violence to intimidate for political purposes.
• Greed, self-defense, and retaliation are reasons for war
• Nuclear weapons and nuclear deterrence: Weapons with mass destruction.
• Pacifism: The belief that all violence is wrong
• Conflict: Dispute between two sides

Key Teachings

• Love your neighbour as yourself (Matthew 22)
• Do not take life which Allah as made sacred (Qur’an 6:151)
• Whoever kills a soul, except as punishment for murder or corruption, is as though he had killed all mankind, and whoever saves a life is as though he had saved all mankind (Quran 7:189)
• Thou shalt not commit murder" (Exodus 20)
• Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called children of God (Matthew 5)
• If they incline to peace, then incline to it also (Qur’an 8:61)
• Fight in the way of Allah those who attack you, but do not transgress limits (Qur’an 2:190)