Oregon daily emerald., May 08, 1981, Page 5, Image 5

Photo by Erich Boekelheide
Islami’il R. Faruqi hopes Islam and Christianity "will lose no time by seeking to subvert each other."
Scholar sees Christianity,
Islam as sisters of origin
By MIKE RUST
Of the Emerald
A Muslim view of the differences between
Christianity and Islam was expressed Wednesday
evening by a visiting Islamic scholar.
Ismali’il R. al Faruqi, adjunct professor of
Religion and Art at Temple University, spoke on
“Islam and Christianity” as the second of the
three-part lecture series “Dialogue With Islam: Its
Nature, Hopes, and Problems.” The series is
sponsored by the religious studies department.
While al Faruqi described a number of differ
ences between the world's two largest religions,
he concluded his lecture by describing them as
“sisters” with a common origin. He also reminded
the audience Islam regards Jesus as a prophet
and that the Koran regards Christianity as the
religion “closest” to Islam.
“My hope is that the forces of Christianity and
the forces of Islam will lose no time by seeking to
subvert each other or fight each other,” al Faruqi
said. “On the contrary, there is a great job to be
done in the world, and I hope they will be found
worthy of the trust Allah has placed on their
shoulders.”
Among the differences al Farqui perceives
between the two religions is the way they view
revelation and reason.
For the Muslim, the nature of knowledge is
“God knows better,” he said. “No contradiction
between reason and revelation can be final.”
However, Christianity is “radically different"
in its approach to reason, al Faruqi said.
“Knowledge that comes through the faculty
of reason is knowledge of the world, and know
ledge of the world is not religious knowledge.”
Christianity's effort to combine "knowledge
of the world” with the spirit of revelation is an
attempt "to have your cake and eat it too,” al
Fargqui said.
“Revelation” also means different things to
adherents of the two religions, he said. To a
Muslim, to quote the Koran is to "silence each
and every argument.” To Christians, however, the
scriptures are only "one-half the truth,” he said.
In Christianity, God ‘‘revealed himself
through Jesus,” al Farqui said. Unlike Islam,
revelation is centered around an event instead of
simply a message.
Also, Christianity regards other views as
heresy, al Farqui said, while the Muslim looks at
the other view as "a contender.” Orthodoxy in
Islam is "kept to a minimum” because the Muslim
is bound by the Koran to listen to "new evidence,”
he said.
The Christian idea of service and morality is
based on the expectation of the “arrival of the
kingdom of God.” Perhaps only Buddhism, al
Farqui said, approaches Christianity in its em
phasis on "inner values, inner determinants."
Islam calls for its believers to rebuild the
world into a pattern already established by God,
he said. Islam is “societistic,” while Christianity is
individualistic, he added.
“Islam is world-affirming, par excellence,
while Christianity is world-denying, par excel
lence.”
The Student University Relations Council Presents
Puzzle me, Puzzler, let the tale be told,
And as the Mystery Duck let my secret name unfold.
Each hint is buried in a clue.
Put them all together and the prize will ripely fall to you.
Clues as to the Mystery Duck's identity will be placed in the EMERALD today
through Friday, May 15. When you think you’ve cracked the mystery simply call ext.
5555 and Noreen will take your name and answer.
There can be several winners so don’t give up until the Canoe Fete on Friday,
May 15, at 6:30 p.m. when the winners wil be awarded prizes.
Good luck Duck hunting!
The S.U.R.C.
Mystery Duck Clue #1:
As companions I have had them all.
Now call the roll:
Cicero, Seward, Clay and Morse,
W.E. Borah and Fulbright, of course.
-J
City takes over
ambulance care
The cities of Eugene and
Springfield took over am
bulance service earlier this
week for the areas formerly
served by a private ambulance
service, Medical Services Inc.
In a meeting with Eugene and
Springfield city managers Wed
nesday evening, MSI bank
ruptcy attorneys agreed to
release the company's par
amedic employees and let
liscenses for its ambulance
operations expire.
Through an emergency plan,
emergency calls to MSI have
been rerouted to Eugene Fire
Department dispatchers.
About 30 applications have
been received for the par
amedic positions at the Spring
field Fire Department and about
40 have been received at the
Eugene Fire Department.
Both Eugene and Springfield
city councils will discuss am
bulance service alternatives at
meetings Monday.
Birkenstock.
Feet in the sand make footprints.
Feet in Birkenstock footwear do the very
same thing.
The Birkenstock footbed is heat and pressure
sensitive, to mold to your foot, and become
your footprint.
So walking in Birkenstock is a lot like walking
barefoot in the sand, with one very convenient
difference.
! You can walk in Birkenstock all year long.
Let your feet make
a place for themselves.
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May, 1981 at the
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one gift coupon per customer per item