Three Great Monotheist Faiths?

I am just delving into Andy McCarthy’s book Willful Blindness, but already his scholarship confirms what those of us unpersuaded by pro-Muslim, Western intellectual apologists perceive about Islam. Islam is not one of the world’s great faith traditions, sibling to Judaism and Christianity in its monotheism and its celebration of the unique relationship between God and His creation—most especially that between God and man. Islam is, in fact, the antithesis of Judaism and Christianity, the latter two sharing so much more than merely a belief in one God.

Torah means “law;” gospel comes from koine Greek for “good news.” Both are nouns that lead us back to the Word. Judaism and Christianity focus on the Word of God; the essence of the Creator is His spoken word. Islam means “submission”—a noun, but only in so far as it points to a verb—the act of man’s subordination to Allah. The distinction is crucial—(perhaps this is where nuance actually signifies something), for from it arise vastly different and probably irreconcilable definitions of freedom, choice, obedience and human governance.

Taking some phrases from Jeanne Kirkpatrick

Judeo/Christian Belief is in an Authoritarian God as found in the Bible. A God who installed Free Will because He wanted His creation to seek Him.

Islamic submission is to a Totalitarian god as found in the Koran. And also, found in the Bible is the adversary (satan) to the God of the Bible known as Lucifer and in Islam as Allah. He is a fallen angel who viewed the lack of compulsion in the relationship between the Creator and His creation as weakness.

The best way I’ve heard it put is that Christianity is not a religion per se because all other religions consist of people trying to reach God / the gods. Christianity’s basis is God reaching out to people.

I think that would hold for the Old Testament (Judeo-Christianity), and obviously Jesus would be the ultimate extension of that for Christianity.

Islam’s focus on “submission” is very appropriate given its history...it’s little different from a thug organization. The lowest level thugs bully whoever can’t stand up to them (terrorists—>non-Muslims), as they resent being oppressed and used by mid-level thugs (gangster warlords in Africa) and high-level thugs (omans and mullahs calling for jihad-this and jihad-that), who in turn throw themselves in the dirt before the master oppressor (Allah).

The more you treat the lives of those not in your club or ranked below you in the club as worthless, the more you realize your own life is worthless to those above you, bringing more resentment and more abuse to those below you ad infinitum.

To modify the old turtle saying: it’s oppressors all the way down. And all the way up.

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