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Catholic View of Islam?

Rainbow Mage

Rainbow Mage

Lib Democrat/Agnostic/Epicurean-ish/Buddhist-ish
I'm sure I've gotten a lot of non-Catholic propaganda on this, so I'll come directly to the source. What is the Catholic view of Islam? Is it true that Catholics believe Muslims have the same god, and that by practicing Islam whole-heartedly, inclining their hearts toward god, they can merrit some form of grace?

Plus, please feel free to share other things about the Catholic view of Islam as well. I'm truly interested
 
Runlikethewind

Runlikethewind

Monk in Training
Senedjem said:
I'm sure I've gotten a lot of non-Catholic propaganda on this, so I'll come directly to the source. What is the Catholic view of Islam? Is it true that Catholics believe Muslims have the same god, and that by practicing Islam whole-heartedly, inclining their hearts toward god, they can merrit some form of grace?

Plus, please feel free to share other things about the Catholic view of Islam as well. I'm truly interested
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I think that your assessment is fairly accurate. From the Catechism of the Catholic Church:
839 "Those who have not yet received the Gospel are related to the People of God in various ways."
841 The Church's relationship with the Muslims. "The plan of salvation also includes those who acknowledge the Creator, in the first place amongst whom are the Muslims; these profess to hold the faith of Abraham, and together with us they adore the one, merciful God, mankind's judge on the last day."

It was Karl Rahner, if I am not mistaken, who came up with the notion of the "anonymous Christian", those who would be Christian if they only knew that Jesus was the only true source of salvation. This would include Muslims, Jews or anybody else who firmly believed in their hearts that they are doing right. Some people are offended by this idea but the point is that we believe a person is saved only through Jesus. That has been interpreted in the past to mean that they are saved only through belief in Jesus but we have come to realize that belief is not the essential element. God has the final say in who is saved belief or not. But it is still Jesus who is doing the saving regardless of what one believes. This is what we believe, Jesus is the only savior but He saves who He saves on his terms, not ours.

Hope that makes sense.
 
Rainbow Mage

Rainbow Mage

Lib Democrat/Agnostic/Epicurean-ish/Buddhist-ish
Another question? If you please- Does Catholicism also feel the same about Judaism as it does Islam? Because I've heard some say that Catholicism doesn't believe Jews can be saved, but again I don't know how true that is. I'm coming to the source, again.
 
GabrielWithoutWings

GabrielWithoutWings

Well-Known Member
Senedjem said:
Another question? If you please- Does Catholicism also feel the same about Judaism as it does Islam? Because I've heard some say that Catholicism doesn't believe Jews can be saved, but again I don't know how true that is. I'm coming to the source, again.
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839 "Those who have not yet received the Gospel are related to the People of God in various ways."325

The relationship of the Church with the Jewish People. When she delves into her own mystery, the Church, the People of God in the New Covenant, discovers her link with the Jewish People,326 "the first to hear the Word of God."327 The Jewish faith, unlike other non-Christian religions, is already a response to God's revelation in the Old Covenant. To the Jews "belong the sonship, the glory, the covenants, the giving of the law, the worship, and the promises; to them belong the patriarchs, and of their race, according to the flesh, is the Christ",328 "for the gifts and the call of God are irrevocable."329

840 And when one considers the future, God's People of the Old Covenant and the new People of God tend towards similar goals: expectation of the coming (or the return) of the Messiah. But one awaits the return of the Messiah who died and rose from the dead and is recognized as Lord and Son of God; the other awaits the coming of a Messiah, whose features remain hidden till the end of time; and the latter waiting is accompanied by the drama of not knowing or of misunderstanding Christ Jesus.
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That's directly from the Catechism.
 
Runlikethewind

Runlikethewind

Monk in Training
Promulgatious said:
Reading these posts I am absolutely amazed at your trust at what you see. So let me say that despite all the political garbage about union, worshipping the same God, etc, the divide coud not be greater. As far as Judaism as you see it I refer to the Church of Philidelphia.
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Well this is not the debate section of the forum. The OP asked what our official views were and an answer was given. Of course you are right that the official views of a religion might differ from what actually takes place in practice. I would challenge the idea that "the divide could not be greater" but since this is not a debate forum I will simply say that as a Catholic I disagree with this statement regarding the state of Catholic/non-Catholic relations.
 
oogagoogaboo

oogagoogaboo

Newbie
One could especially see that the way we view the Muslims is with a fairly high degree of respect seeing as they believe in Jesus, and they say he was one of the 5 great prophets of Islam... however because they believe he was assumed into heaven we have only the dispute there that he actually died because well, otherwise our religion becomes pretty much meaningless
 
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