# Christians, Muslims, & Jews: do adherents of the other faiths worship the same God that you do? **URL:** \ **Category:** Great Debates\ **Created:** [December 21, 2011, 9:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/christians-muslims-jews-do-adherents-of-the-other-faiths-worship-the-same-god-that-you-do/607000 "2011-12-21T21:47:41Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![carnivorousplant](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnivorousplant/32/3563_2.png) [@carnivorousplant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnivorousplant)\ **Post date:** [December 22, 2011, 3:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/christians-muslims-jews-do-adherents-of-the-other-faiths-worship-the-same-god-that-you-do/607000/21 "2011-12-22T15:41:19Z")
> [@FinnAgain](#): > > Thanks. To be fair, I shamelessly stole it. As the three religions we discuss do from each other. šŸ™‚ ---
**Author:** ![Malthus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/85f322/32.png) [@Malthus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Malthus)\ **Post date:** [December 22, 2011, 3:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/christians-muslims-jews-do-adherents-of-the-other-faiths-worship-the-same-god-that-you-do/607000/22 "2011-12-22T15:42:09Z")
Same god, but differently understood. ---
**Author:** ![hadzo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/3d9bf3/32.png) [@hadzo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hadzo)\ **Post date:** [December 22, 2011, 4:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/christians-muslims-jews-do-adherents-of-the-other-faiths-worship-the-same-god-that-you-do/607000/23 "2011-12-22T16:02:22Z")
First post here, hello ever one šŸ™‚ I am a born Muslim, not much of religious man now. I donā€™t think that we all worship the same God. The reason I say this is simple, all religions have a set of rules to follow, so to speakā€¦ given this than Iā€™d say they worship Gods that demand much different from one another so therefore how can they be the same God? I get that itā€™s all Abrahamic thing, but look at it this wayā€¦ Hitler (I know poor example) was a ā€œmanā€ followed by, more or less worshiped by many people, right - right. Say you ask one of his followers "hey man why not follow Bob over here, he is just as ā€˜humanā€™ as Hitlerā€ get the point. Saying ā€œIā€™m a Muslim and I worship the same god as Christians but in a different wayā€ well than I guess I am not worshiping the same God. I think each religion does not just PR their God but has an interpretation of what the God is. Therefore, IMO, if you are not following the strict set of rules such as say Islam has than you are not worshiping the God as intended and most importantly not the same God intended. Each will tell you that their way is the right way when push comes to shove. To those that deny this - Let me ask why not just mix it up a little then? ā€“ Be a Muslim or Christian or Jewish for a dayā€¦ ---
**Author:** ![robert\_columbia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e79b87/32.png) [@robert\_columbia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/robert_columbia)\ **Post date:** [December 22, 2011, 4:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/christians-muslims-jews-do-adherents-of-the-other-faiths-worship-the-same-god-that-you-do/607000/24 "2011-12-22T16:12:20Z")
Christian (Protestant) here. Jews are certainly worshiping the same God. Iā€™m not quite so sure about Islam. There are some Christians who claim that the Allah of Islam is actually the Jewish/Christian Satan/Devil. ---
**Author:** ![Skald\_the\_Rhymer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ecccb3/32.png) [@Skald\_the\_Rhymer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skald_the_Rhymer)\ **Post date:** [December 22, 2011, 4:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/christians-muslims-jews-do-adherents-of-the-other-faiths-worship-the-same-god-that-you-do/607000/25 "2011-12-22T16:14:50Z")
> [@Oakminster](#): > > Really donā€™t think there is any room for debate on this one. All three faiths worship the same deity. I know a good number of Pentecostal Christians and at least one Southern Baptist who deny that Muslims worship their God. One of my sisters attended a class at her church once whose purpose was specifically to deny any connection between Jesus & Allah. The Jews I know best are cultural rather than religious Jews, and as far as I know they simply donā€™t care. Come to think of it, I can think of at least one Church of God in Christ minister who would say that observant Jews are not worshipping the God he does, but rather are deceived by Satan. ---
**Author:** ![carnivorousplant](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnivorousplant/32/3563_2.png) [@carnivorousplant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnivorousplant)\ **Post date:** [December 22, 2011, 4:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/christians-muslims-jews-do-adherents-of-the-other-faiths-worship-the-same-god-that-you-do/607000/26 "2011-12-22T16:15:38Z")
> [@hadzo](#): > > First post here, hello ever one šŸ™‚ > > Each will tell you that their way is the right way when push comes to shove. Welcome! Jews for example, ask only that other people follow the Noahide laws to be Righteous. ---
**Author:** ![carnivorousplant](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnivorousplant/32/3563_2.png) [@carnivorousplant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnivorousplant)\ **Post date:** [December 22, 2011, 4:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/christians-muslims-jews-do-adherents-of-the-other-faiths-worship-the-same-god-that-you-do/607000/27 "2011-12-22T16:17:10Z")
> [@Skald\_the\_Rhymer](#): > > I know a good number of Pentecostal Christians and at least one Southern Baptist who deny that Muslims worship their God. One of my sisters attended a class at her church once whose purpose was specifically to deny any connection between Jesus & Allah. I thought Islam regarded Jesus as a prophet, or at least a very self-actualized individual. Couldnā€™t they use the same difference in belief of Jesusā€™ divinity to argue that Jews worship a different deity? ---
**Author:** ![Skald\_the\_Rhymer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ecccb3/32.png) [@Skald\_the\_Rhymer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skald_the_Rhymer)\ **Post date:** [December 22, 2011, 4:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/christians-muslims-jews-do-adherents-of-the-other-faiths-worship-the-same-god-that-you-do/607000/28 "2011-12-22T16:20:29Z")
> [@carnivorousplant](#): > > I thought Islam regarded Jesus as a prophet, or at least a very self-actualized individual. Thatā€™s my impression as well. Iā€™m saying that some Christians deny any validity to Muslim teachings, not the reverse. In some Pentecostal churches youā€™ll hear the phrase ā€œdeceived by the enemyā€ bandied about a lot. > [@](#): > > Couldnā€™t they use the same difference in belief of Jesusā€™ divinity to argue that Jews worship a different deity? Can you expand here? Are you saying that Xtians could use that belief to make that claim, or that Muslims could? ---
**Author:** ![Zeriel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/58956e/32.png) [@Zeriel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zeriel)\ **Post date:** [December 22, 2011, 4:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/christians-muslims-jews-do-adherents-of-the-other-faiths-worship-the-same-god-that-you-do/607000/29 "2011-12-22T16:38:47Z")
A lot of it appears to rest on how liberal the given adherents views are. From outside (raised Catholic, Jewish wife, currently agnostic Buddhist) they certainly share a lineage and commonality of origin, as well as many other traits. From inside, it seems that the more inclusive sects of the respective Abrahamic religions, and especially the later ones, are more apt to accept that the others worship the same god (perhaps incorrectly) rather than believing different gods are involved. ---
**Author:** ![carnivorousplant](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnivorousplant/32/3563_2.png) [@carnivorousplant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnivorousplant)\ **Post date:** [December 22, 2011, 4:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/christians-muslims-jews-do-adherents-of-the-other-faiths-worship-the-same-god-that-you-do/607000/30 "2011-12-22T16:44:35Z")
> [@Skald\_the\_Rhymer](#): > > Can you expand here? Are you saying that Xtians could use that belief to make that claim, or that Muslims could? Your Pentecostal associates should be able to argue just as Moslems do not worship the came deity as Christians because they not believe Jesus to be divine, Jews do not worship the same deity. ---
**Author:** ![Tamerlane](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tamerlane/32/7602_2.png) [@Tamerlane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tamerlane)\ **Post date:** [December 22, 2011, 4:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/christians-muslims-jews-do-adherents-of-the-other-faiths-worship-the-same-god-that-you-do/607000/31 "2011-12-22T16:45:59Z")
> [@Martin\_Hyde](#): > > **Jews** seem to mostly not care, the really devout ones will repeat what was said early in the thread, that it really doesnā€™t matter as religion is more about the behavior and active practice of the faith and whether or not Christians/Muslims worship the same god is essentially irrelevant, as what is important is how they worship. The traditional Orthodox view, to the best of my understanding, acknowledges Jews and Muslims as worshiping a common God, but does not extend that to Christianity due in particular to the problem of Trinitarianism. This is following the great medieval theologian Maimonides, who of course spent his life in Muslim-ruled lands. So you _tend_ to get the following breakdown: Orthodox Jews: Jews and Muslims share the same God, but Christians do not. Evangelical Christians: Christians and Jews share the same God, but Muslims do not. Islamists ( just to take a similarly conservative grouping ): All three share the same God. ---
**Author:** ![carnivorousplant](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnivorousplant/32/3563_2.png) [@carnivorousplant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnivorousplant)\ **Post date:** [December 22, 2011, 4:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/christians-muslims-jews-do-adherents-of-the-other-faiths-worship-the-same-god-that-you-do/607000/32 "2011-12-22T16:52:48Z")
> [@Tamerlane](#): > > The traditional Orthodox view, to the best of my understanding, acknowledges Jews and Muslims as worshiping a common God, but does not extend that to Christianity due in particular to the problem of Trinitarianism. This is following the great medieval theologian Maimonides, who of course spent his life in Muslim-ruled lands. I thought the Rabbis worked that out so Jews could do business with Christians during the Middle Ages. If you consider Jesus worshiped as a god, you couldnā€™t do business with them. If you got a lot of fine print (as Rabbis tend to do) about the Trinity, he was just a guy. My copy of _Jewish Literacy_ is at home. ---
**Author:** ![Tamerlane](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tamerlane/32/7602_2.png) [@Tamerlane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tamerlane)\ **Post date:** [December 22, 2011, 4:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/christians-muslims-jews-do-adherents-of-the-other-faiths-worship-the-same-god-that-you-do/607000/33 "2011-12-22T16:58:58Z")
> [@carnivorousplant](#): > > I thought the Rabbis worked that out so Jews could do business with Christians during the Middle Ages. If you consider Jesus worshiped as a god, you couldnā€™t do business with them. If you got a lot of fine print (as Rabbis tend to do) about the Trinity, he was just a guy. My copy of _Jewish Literacy_ is at home. Doing business is one thing. Maimonidesā€™ line as I understand it was that under threat it was permissible to pretend to convert to Islam ( as may have occurred with Maimonides himself when he was persecuted by the exceptionally intolerant Almohades in Spain ), because whatever their flaws they were still at least monotheists. But it would be better to die than to even pretend to convert to Christianity as they were idolators. The Orthodox in general put a great deal of stock in Maimonides. But I wouldnā€™t necessarily extend those views to the Reform or Conservative movements of course. Nor even to every Orthodox rabbi, Judaism being notoriously prone to internal debate ;). ---
**Author:** ![Thudlow\_Boink](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thudlow_boink/32/320_2.png) [@Thudlow\_Boink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Thudlow_Boink)\ **Post date:** [December 22, 2011, 5:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/christians-muslims-jews-do-adherents-of-the-other-faiths-worship-the-same-god-that-you-do/607000/34 "2011-12-22T17:00:56Z")
Christian here: Christians, Muslims, Jews, and others who worship a Supreme Being who created the world: Yes, we all worship the same God, though there are certainly differences in what we believe about God. Which means that the argument for atheism Iā€™ve been seeing a lot around here lately: ā€œThere are so many different gods, that no one of them is likely to existā€ā€”doesnā€™t make any sense to me. ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [December 22, 2011, 5:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/christians-muslims-jews-do-adherents-of-the-other-faiths-worship-the-same-god-that-you-do/607000/35 "2011-12-22T17:10:52Z")
> [@Thudlow\_Boink](#): > > Christian here: Christians, Muslims, Jews, and others who worship a Supreme Being who created the world: Yes, we all worship the same God, though there are certainly differences in what we believe about God. > > Which means that the argument for atheism Iā€™ve been seeing a lot around here lately: ā€œThere are so many different gods, that no one of them is likely to existā€ā€”doesnā€™t make any sense to me. Isnā€™t that funny-I canā€™t seem to find that specific argument for atheism anywhere on this board at all. ---
**Author:** ![Skald\_the\_Rhymer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ecccb3/32.png) [@Skald\_the\_Rhymer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skald_the_Rhymer)\ **Post date:** [December 22, 2011, 5:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/christians-muslims-jews-do-adherents-of-the-other-faiths-worship-the-same-god-that-you-do/607000/36 "2011-12-22T17:16:44Z")
> [@Czarcasm](#): > > Isnā€™t that funny-I canā€™t seem to find that specific argument for atheism anywhere on this board at all. I daresay that **Thudlow** is rephrasing (somewhat clumsily) a remark common among atheists that monotheism is closer to atheism than to polytheism. Iā€™m pretty sure Iā€™ve seen it put like this: [QUOTE=somebody Iā€™m too freaking lazy to search for] **Theist** : How can you say that thereā€™s no God, when His work is all around us? **Atheist** : Well, you do nearly the same thing. You say that Thor, Zeus, Inanna, Anansi, and so forth donā€™t exist; I just add one more. [/QUOTE] ---
**Author:** ![carnivorousplant](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnivorousplant/32/3563_2.png) [@carnivorousplant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnivorousplant)\ **Post date:** [December 22, 2011, 5:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/christians-muslims-jews-do-adherents-of-the-other-faiths-worship-the-same-god-that-you-do/607000/37 "2011-12-22T17:32:46Z")
> [@Tamerlane](#): > > Doing business is one thing. ā€¦ But it would be better to die than to even pretend to convert to Christianity as they were idolators. That was the problem, you couldnā€™t do business with idolaters. Some early Rabbinical argument showed that Christians were not. ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [December 22, 2011, 5:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/christians-muslims-jews-do-adherents-of-the-other-faiths-worship-the-same-god-that-you-do/607000/38 "2011-12-22T17:37:55Z")
> [@Skald\_the\_Rhymer](#): > > I daresay that **Thudlow** is rephrasing (somewhat clumsily) a remark common among atheists that monotheism is closer to atheism than to polytheism. Iā€™m pretty sure Iā€™ve seen it put like this: I seeā€¦and that isnā€™t what it means at all, clumsily said or not. ---
**Author:** ![Tamerlane](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tamerlane/32/7602_2.png) [@Tamerlane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tamerlane)\ **Post date:** [December 22, 2011, 5:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/christians-muslims-jews-do-adherents-of-the-other-faiths-worship-the-same-god-that-you-do/607000/39 "2011-12-22T17:44:04Z")
> [@carnivorousplant](#): > > Some early Rabbinical argument showed that Christians were not. Or argued that they were not. An interesting summary [here](http://wikinoah.org/index.php?title=Christianity_and_Noahide_Law). ---
**Author:** ![Ibn\_Warraq](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/e19b73/32.png) [@Ibn\_Warraq](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ibn_Warraq)\ **Post date:** [December 22, 2011, 5:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/christians-muslims-jews-do-adherents-of-the-other-faiths-worship-the-same-god-that-you-do/607000/40 "2011-12-22T17:44:28Z")
> [@carnivorousplant](#): > > I thought Islam regarded Jesus as a prophet, or at least a very self-actualized individual. > > Couldnā€™t they use the same difference in belief of Jesusā€™ divinity to argue that Jews worship a different deity? Muslims donā€™t just believe that heā€™s a prophet. They believe heā€™s the Messiah and that he will return on Judgement Day to do battle with the anti-Christ/anti-Messiah. In fact, I donā€™t think heā€™s ever referred to as Issa(Arabic for Jesus) in the Quran, but is always referred to as Al Massiah. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/christians-muslims-jews-do-adherents-of-the-other-faiths-worship-the-same-god-that-you-do/607000.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/christians-muslims-jews-do-adherents-of-the-other-faiths-worship-the-same-god-that-you-do/607000.md?page=3)