Are Islam and Christianity Really the Same Religion?

1) A shared line of Abraham and a shared belief in one God

The common historical and theological roots of Islam and Christianity
Why could Islam and Christianity be seen as one religion? Let's look closely. Both trace themselves to Abraham, both believe in one God, both give major roles to figures like Noah, David and Solomon, and both even have a Last Judgment. So what's left? Not eating pork is an ancient tradition, and wearing a hijab is good sun protection. Treating "don't harm God or your neighbor" as the essence is beginner level. What really matters is how the Trinity is interpreted and where the cutoff line for faith is drawn.

2) The complexity and limits of the Christian Trinity

Beyond human logic, and only a minimum theological guideline
The Christian doctrine of the Trinity is so difficult it can make your head spin. "Three distinct persons, yet one God" is as hard to grasp as quantum physics saying "a photon is both a particle and a wave." The disciples didn't know the term either. They simply prayed to God. Jesus himself knelt and prayed to God. Using the Trinity to judge who is a heretic is really just a "minimum guideline."

3) Contradictions in Islam's view of Jesus

Accepting his supernatural power while insisting he was only a prophet
Islam has plenty of logical contradictions too. Muslims believe in Jesus's virgin birth and his many miracles, and even in his ascension and his return to judge the world, yet they absolutely refuse to accept his death, resurrection and divinity. But the Qur'an says: "Peace be upon me (Jesus) the day I was born, the day I die, and the day I am raised alive." (Qur'an 19:33) Islam explains this as referring to the distant future, but think about it with common sense. To go to heaven after death, you have to cross the bridge called "resurrection." How can a being who conquers death, ascends to heaven and returns at the end to judge the world be called "just an ordinary human prophet"? Believing he does everything God does (miracles, ascension, return, judgment) while refusing to accept his divinity is like this: "flying around in a Superman suit and insisting you're an ordinary guy," "a federal agent flashing his badge and insisting he's a mall cop," "slapping a cheap economy-car badge on a Ferrari." Why these two ideas collide was covered in a previous post, "Muhammad Was a Christian."

4) Faith and works: the same in substance

Different order of emphasis, same call to live it out
People often say Christianity is about "faith" and Islam about "law (works)," but peel back the shell and they're the same. Christianity says "faith without works is dead," and the Qur'an repeatedly names "those who believe and do good deeds" as the ones who will be saved. Christianity says, "You were saved by faith (grace), so live rightly (works)." Islam says, "Live rightly and God will save you by His mercy (grace)." The only difference is that when explaining why, one side points to an event, the divinity of Jesus, and the other emphasizes personal responsibility.

Conclusion: the original faith of the early church, beyond doctrine

The essence of messianic faith, beyond denominations and theological systems
Tertullian first used the word "Trinity" around 180 years after Jesus's ascension. Naturally, the disciples didn't know the "calculus formula" of the Trinity. They loved the person of Jesus and believed in their hearts that he was the Messiah (the Christ). The meaning of "Messiah" shares its roots with the "most special being" that Islam honors. In the end, Christianity made God very difficult, and Islam closed its eyes to a clear fact (his divinity) out of religious pride. "So you're saying we should accept Islam? Isn't that heresy?" I expect that objection. But I believe in Wesleyan theology, and I also believe in Calvin's predestination. A world this intricate, complete and diverse could not exist unless it had been simulated and designed in advance. I don't care much about denominations, and there's nothing in Islam that particularly attracts me, except maybe polygamy. Not that I could afford it anyway...