Religion and Theology

Background of religion
Religion is a form of organization that is formed as a result of shared beliefs. Islam and Christianity are the two worlds biggest religions that people share their beliefs in. The two religions are at least found in 80 percent of the countries in the world. They have a history that explains the birth of religion, their past and their current existence and differences. The Christian religion has had many divisions based on beliefs and perspectives of the real faith. The result was the growth of many denominations that were liberal and conservative, The Catholics and Anglicans have been deemed as conservatives and the protestant churches have been categorized as the liberals. Islam likewise has had its fair share of problems and it also split into two major groups the Sunni and the Shiite sects, with the Sunni being the bigger and more established of the two, while the Shea Islam has fewer followers around the world.

History of the two religions
History of the two religions is the beginning of the comparison. The analysis of the similarities in these tow religions spring up from their history. The basis of their faith and the activities that led to their divisions is the basis of the similarity and differences of these two religions. Islam means Submission to God where as Christian comes from Christ. It is derived in the faith we believe in. Both religions have a naming that is derived from the prophet in whom they believed in.

Islam
The history of Islam suggests that the faith of Islam is based on the belief that Prophet Muhammad and all the prophets who came to this world preached the same message of believing in one God Allah. All the prophets were also blessed with a power of divine will or truth. The Arabs believe that HYPERLINK javascriptvoid(0)the message of Islam was first received by the Holy Prophet Mohammed more than 1400 HYPERLINK javascriptvoid(0)years ago. It is believed that HYPERLINK javascriptvoid(0)Angel Gabriel is the one who delivered this special message and was thus preservedHYPERLINK javascriptvoid(0)in the Holy Quran. The origin of the word Islam means PEACE. The Muslims believe that they are supposed to surrender to the HYPERLINK javascriptvoid(0)Will of God. This is typical of Christianity where the followers of the religions are supposed to surrender the pleasure HYPERLINK javascriptvoid(0)of HYPERLINK javascriptvoid(0)the world for HYPERLINK javascriptvoid(0)God. Both religions believe HYPERLINK javascriptvoid(0)that the creator of the world HYPERLINK javascriptvoid(0)is the One and the only one worthy of worship. Muslims believe HYPERLINK javascriptvoid(0)that Muhammad HYPERLINK javascriptvoid(0)is His last Prophet, HYPERLINK javascriptvoid(0)Messenger and Servant CITATION Raj10 l 2057 (Rajab, 2010).   

They differ with Christians on this aspect since the Christians believe the Jesus Christ was his son and one would not reach the father without going through the son. The Muslims follow the beliefs as laid down by Muslim faith. HYPERLINK javascriptvoid(0)Muslim faithful have five main duties to perform, namely bearing witness to the existence of Unity of God and Mohammed HYPERLINK javascriptvoid(0)as his Prophet, observing the prayers as taught in the teachings, payment of Zakat, faithful observing the fasts during Ramadan and performing the pilgrimage to Mecca once in a lifetime. The Islam religion believes that all Human beings are HYPERLINK javascriptvoid(0)born pure. The teachings in the Holy Quran tell us that God gave human beings a choice between good and evil and to seek Gods pleasure through faith, prayer and charity. In Islam it is believed that God created mankind in His own image and by trying to emulate the qualities and Holy status of God on a human level, mankind is able to attain the right to be near God. Islams main teachings are to worship God and to treat allHYPERLINK javascriptvoid(0)Gods creation with kindness and compassion CITATION Sal09 l 2057 (Salman, 2009).

Muslim teachings encourage their faithful to lead a life full of Kindness, chastity, honesty, mercy, courage, patience and politeness. This is the message that is contained in the Holy Book the Quran. The Hadith and Sunnahs narrate the life and practices of the Holy Prophet Muhammad. These teachings help in the spiritual development of all Muslims. Anyone who seeks spiritual nourishment and needs to get near the Lord needs to seek God through worship and dedication to the principles of the Muslim religion. By following the teachings and observing the required codes of the religion one would be able to establish a relationship with the Almighty Lord in his life(Christopher, 2010).
In these Muslim Teachings we see that the religion has a way which it is related to the Christian religion. The Christian denomination we will be discussing in particular is the United Methodist Church.

The Church
The United Methodist ChurchHYPERLINK javascriptvoid(0) is greatly the works and efforts of a movement that was began by John and Charles Wesley within the Anglican Church. This largely explains why the churchs theological orientation is mostly Wesleyan. It embeds both liturgical and evangelical elements.    The church membership is one of the largest in the United States after the Southern Baptist Convention and it is ranked as the third Largest Christian denomination. It boasts of membership of about 12 million members worldwide with 8 million from the United States and Canada. It is also enlisted as a member of the World council of churches and world Methodist council CITATION Chr10 l 2057 (Christopher, 2010).

The HYPERLINK javascriptvoid(0)Methodist Church began HYPERLINK javascriptvoid(0)as a movement within the Church of England by a small       
Group of students from Oxford University Campus the leaders were John Wesley, Charles Wesley and George Whitefield. They laid emphasis on the study of the Bible and scrutinised scriptures and also living a Holy life. The title Methodists came from the mocking from their friends who were fascinated by the Methodical study of scriptures and Bible study, and their lifestyle.  Later on they began teaching members of the Church of England in societies. For those who wanted to live sacred lives. The Wesley Brothers spread the Gospel in different states.

The movement won more followers among the Anglicans and they came up with the conviction of being saved by the Grace of God and through the faith. This came to be known as the doctrine of the church as well as of the scriptures. These were the foundations of the doctrines of the church, salvation was by faith and this became the main topic. These laid foundation to Christian faith and an understanding that by nature all people are dead in sin and they are saved by faith. These became the doctrine which they preached and this doctrine supported their growth into a church. These were the origin of the Methodist church. All the followers of the preachings and doctrines preached by the Young preachers formed the Methodist church. I t was first set up in Baltimore, Maryland(Mary, 2010).
 
This church was formed by two churches that had distinguished histories and had developed influential ministries in various parts of the world.  The new denomination   started as a movement in the 1739. It originated from the teachings of John Wesley in England. They never intended to form a new church but they formed societies called united societies. Through these small united groups they would restore people in the Anglican denomination. Methodism grew and spread and this came to be a fully fledged church. They however underwent divisions in the American history and later on the divided factions of the Methodist church came together to form a united church. In 1939, the three factions which are the American Methodism Protestant Church, the Methodist Episcopal Church, and the Methodist Episcopal Church, South agreed to reunite under the name The Methodist Church. This brought together a total of 7.7 million member church that gradually grew on its own. It later on came to combine with another Evangelical United Brethren Church(Mary, 2010).

The move by the bishops of the two churches to combine their churches into one led to the formation of the second largest Protestant denomination in America, The United Methodist Church.  The background features and worshiping in these two institutions or organizations was significantly had similarities and some peculiar differences. The two religions have had a stormy past and it took them time to grow. In the establishments and growth they have similar characteristics. Both of them command a great number of followers. They command a huge number of followers because of their teachings and concentration in the content of the holy book. For the Muslim they are taught according to the teachings in the Quran where as the Methodists rely on the Biblical scriptures. This makes the doctrines be strong and more viable to the respective gatherings(Mary, 2010).

Comparison and contrast of the two religions
The HYPERLINK javascriptvoid(0)United Methodist Church lays emphasis onHYPERLINK javascriptvoid(0) personal holiness. It is wholly evangelical and uses outreach to spread the Gospel.   The main objective of HYPERLINK javascriptvoid(0)United Methodist Church wasHYPERLINK javascriptvoid(0) to create disciples for Christ through outreach, evangelism, and through seeking holiness through the process of sanctification and baptism. The followers are taught like the Disciples of Christ and they undergo a process of learning salvation through which they are deemed fit to be accepted in sanctity.   By Worshiping in trinity, United Methodists seeks to bring followers near God by following the footsteps of Christ and his teachings. They seek to honour God In all their activities and investments. All this is laid in faith to God and in belief of the power of the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit is represented in the church logo by a Flame, and HYPERLINK javascriptvoid(0)is manifested in believers through spiritual gifts and their daily lives CITATION Chr10 l 2057 (Christopher, 2010).

The Holy Ghost flame is symbolic it has two parts and it represents the predecessors denomination.The flame is HYPERLINK javascriptvoid(0)united at the base to symbolizing the 1968 merger of the two denominations. The Church being the product of the Holy CatholicHYPERLINK javascriptvoid(0)universal Church it uses and recognizes theHYPERLINK javascriptvoid(0)ecumenical creeds, the Apostles Creed and the Nicene Creed. These are prayers frequently used in HYPERLINK javascriptvoid(0)services of worship in the Catholic Universal Church.   The United Methodist church has a Book of Discipline. This contains the Doctrines and laws of the United Methodist Church. The doctrines and beliefs of the United Church believe in the concept of the visible and invisible Church. In the Invisible church is the existence of all who believe in the doctrines of the church although they may not be observers of all the rules of the church. All Christians must worship and attend all sacraments as administered in the church. The difference with the visible and invisible side we find that the invisible is the normal church attendance but one does not participate in keeping the Laws and doctrines of the Church. They can as well be referred to as unworthy members in the visible church CITATION Chr10 l 2057 (Christopher, 2010).
 
A summary of 
The HYPERLINK javascriptvoid(0) basic beliefs of the United Methodist Church include -Trinity God.  Father, Son and Holy Spirit. Belief in the Scripture. The Scripture writings in the Old and NewHYPERLINK javascriptvoid(0) testaments are the true and inspired word of God.  Understanding of the Human beings and their purpose of being created the reason why God created us in his own image, the belief of the church is that all humans are sinners. Committing of Sin separates us from God and corrupts human nature such that we cannot heal or save ourselves. The Church believes in Salvation through Jesus. Gods redeeming love is believed to be the only remedy to save sinners from eternal suffering. Through Jesus incarnation andHYPERLINK javascriptvoid(0)His atoning death, His resurrection is represented through the presence through history, and his promised return CITATION Chr10 l 2057 (Christopher, 2010).

HYPERLINK javascriptvoid(0)Sacraments the United Methodist Church recognizes only two sacraments Holy Baptism and Holy Communion. The other rites such as Confirmation, Ordination, Holy Matrimony, Funerals, and Anointing of the Sick are offered but they are not considered to be the holy sacraments. The church believes that Holy Baptism is not only a sign of profession and HYPERLINK javascriptvoid(0)mark of difference whereby Christians are distinguished from others that are not baptized but it is also a sign of  or the new birth .It believes that Baptism is a sacrament in which God initiates a covenant with individuals, The United Methodist Church Baptizes byHYPERLINK javascriptvoid(0) sprinkling, pouring, or immersion and recognizes Trinitarian formula.  The United Methodist Church also HYPERLINK javascriptvoid(0) the real presence of Christ in Holy Communion, the Bread is an effectual sign of His body crucified on the cross and the Cup is an effectual sign of His humanity (Christopher, 2010). 
 
HYPERLINK javascriptvoid(0) Islam Religion is by the HYPERLINK javascriptvoid(0)declaration of faith which states, HYPERLINK javascriptvoid(0)I bear witness there is no deity worthy of worship except Allah and I bear witness, HYPERLINK javascriptvoid(0)is His final messenger. 
The Muslim community welcomes individuals. To become a Muslim one must be ready to adhere with the Eight Schools of Islamic Legal Thought. Islam as a religion is the worlds second largest religion. In Islam the most important factor in Islam is the faith. For a Muslim an individuals faith is the important(Mary, 2010). The believer or Follower is called a Mumin. A Muslim Observes a Muslim observes Sunnah (practices and actions of Mohammed), the HYPERLINK javascriptvoid(0)cohesive community of Muslims who accept the Sunnah as defined within one of the traditional Maliki, Hanafi, Shafi or Hanbali madhabs are the classical Sunni Muslims. Muslims believeHYPERLINK javascriptvoid(0)only one God (Allah). The Quran HYPERLINK javascriptvoid(0)describes many Biblical prophets and messengers asHYPERLINK javascriptvoid(0)Adam, Noah, and MosesHYPERLINK javascriptvoid(0)Jesus.HYPERLINK javascriptvoid(0)the differences in the two religions, the two also share some common factors i.e. Monotheism (belief in one God.), belief in Prophets, belief in Judgment Day, in their Holy Books and in the Will of man to change and conform to Gods ways through faith, belief and repentance, in Angel (i.e. Angel Gabriel), in life after death, in HeavenParadise and the eternity of God(Rajab, 2010).

Conclusion
The features and characteristics in the Muslim religion are very similar. In Islam we realise it was also introduced by many prophets and the one messiah was long waited. The background of both religions is filled with problems where they are similar. As there was a split. The major difference is in the doctrine preached by the different religion. Where Muslims believe in one prophet who died and the United Methodist Church believes in the resurrection of Jesus Christ.The two religions   have many similarities and still have many differences. It is likely we cannot exhaust the similarities and the differences.