First Presbyterian Church in Farmington Leads Classes on Islam and Christianity

With turmoil in the Middle East appearing in the news on an almost daily basis, the Rev. Glenn Perica of Farmington's First Presbyterian Church believes now is the time to educate people about Islam and how it compares to Christianity.

"Ever since 9/11, we who did not understand very much about the Muslim faith certainly have been exposed to it," Perica said.
A 10-week course entitled "Christianity and Islam: So Much In Common, So Far Apart" introduces people to the faith. The course begins Sept. 4 at Farmington's First Presbyterian Church.
The course aims to help Christians understand the similarities and differences between the two world religions.
Walter Declerck of Dar al Islam, an Abiquiú-based Islamic education center, said all authentic world religions have the same message.
"There is one God, one divine reality," Declerck said.
Declerck said all religions teach people to follow divine guidance, such as the teachings of Jesus or the Quran.
"There is much more that is common than is different," he said.
One similarity both Christianity and Islam share is the desire for peace, Perica said. He thinks that learning about Islam will help bring the Christian and Muslims closer to peace. While some people associate Islam with terrorism, that's not representative of the faith, Perica said, just like the members of Westboro Baptist Church are not representative of Christianity.
Perica said people attending the course might find it surprising that Muslims revere Abraham as a patriarch of their religion, just like Christians and Jews.
"Islam also treats Jesus as a prophet and respects him," Perica said.

Source: daily-times.com