A Question about Jewish and Islamic reaction to Abraham's sacrifice of Isaac

[Val1]

I was having a conversation with a couple from my church at adult forum on Sunday and discovered that they saw Christ's crucifixion as evidence of a cruel and barabaric God and saw no connection between Christ's death and Abraham's willingness to sacrifice Isaac. To me, they are inextricably linked and without Jesus fulfilling the sacrifice, then I would be left thinking that what God asked of Abraham was barbaric.

How do Jews and Muslims confront this command from God. Christians talk about a loving God, and yet I've rarely heard my Jewish and Islamic friends ever talk about God in any sense, certainly not this one. Could this event be one of the reasons why?

[DoctorD]

There is an interesting discussion in George Steiner's book Proofs and Three Parables.

[#10 Jersey]

I was having a conversation with a couple from my church at adult forum on Sunday and discovered that they saw Christ's crucifixion as evidence of a cruel and barabaric God and saw no connection between Christ's death and Abraham's willingness to sacrifice Isaac. To me, they are inextricably linked and without Jesus fulfilling the sacrifice, then I would be left thinking that what God asked of Abraham was barbaric.

How do Jews and Muslims confront this command from God. Christians talk about a loving God, and yet I've rarely heard my Jewish and Islamic friends ever talk about God in any sense, certainly not this one. Could this event be one of the reasons why?

The perspective from one reform Jew.

http://urj.org/Articles/index.cfm?id=2138&pge_prg_id=30225&pge_id=3720

[Rostam]

If my limited knowledge serves me right, from an Islamic prespective, it was God's way of testing Abraham's devoution, and a lasting lesson for mankind in 1) following God's command and 2) The value of sacrifice and giving

[Sapphire]

How do Jews and Muslims confront this command from God. Christians talk about a loving God, and yet I've rarely heard my Jewish and Islamic friends ever talk about God in any sense, certainly not this one. Could this event be one of the reasons why?Um, my husband's muslim, and he talks about a loving God all the time. In fact, he was telling me yesterday about how God has 99 names, and one of the greatest is forgiveness -- evidently that's from a hadith. Sorry for the lack of hard evidence, but that's his spiritual perspective anyway. :)

Also, with respect to Islam, one of the major muslim eid holidays is a celebration marking God's command to Abraham. In my husband's family, they celebrate it as a day of thanksgiving and charity. They usually eat alot (traditionally you kill and eat a lamb--an obvious symbol of Isaac) and talk about what they're thankful for. Also, on that day, they go to the mosque and give money for charity (traditionally, your family eats half the lamb, and the other half is given to the poor). I think the main idea of their remembrance of this event is: God provides for the faithful, and the faithful provide for each other.

[Saudi64]

Um, my husband's muslim, and he talks about a loving God all the time. In fact, he was telling me yesterday about how God has 99 names, and one of the greatest is forgiveness -- evidently that's from a hadith. Sorry for the lack of hard evidence, but that's his spiritual perspective anyway. :)

Also, with respect to Islam, one of the major muslim eid holidays is a celebration marking God's command to Abraham. In my husband's family, they celebrate it as a day of thanksgiving and charity. They usually eat alot (traditionally you kill and eat a lamb--an obvious symbol of Isaac) and talk about what they're thankful for. Also, on that day, they go to the mosque and give money for charity (traditionally, your family eats half the lamb, and the other half is given to the poor). I think the main idea of their remembrance of this event is: God provides for the faithful, and the faithful provide for each other.
We take 1/3 of the lamb for ourselfs, another third for our friends and relatives, and the third for charity.

[#10 Jersey]

We take 1/3 of the lamb for ourselfs, another third for our friends and relatives, and the third for charity.

A wonderful tradition.

[saqr]

In Islam, it's actually Ismail who was going to be sacrificied not Isaac.

[russ]

I was having a conversation with a couple from my church at adult forum on Sunday and discovered that they saw Christ's crucifixion as evidence of a cruel and barabaric God and saw no connection between Christ's death and Abraham's willingness to sacrifice Isaac.
If God is cruel and barbaric,why would they worship him?I'm only half kidding...

From the cited article...

"And also because there are those who offer their first-born to their gods. I, the God of Righteousness, do not wish such offerings. You suffered an agony of fear that the world might know that human sacrifice is an abomination to Me."

It's important to remember that verses are written in a time when human sacrifice was regularly practiced and accepted as necessary in many religions.

[Demosthenes]

If God is cruel and barbaric,why would they worship him?I'm only half kidding...

From the cited article...

"And also because there are those who offer their first-born to their gods. I, the God of Righteousness, do not wish such offerings. You suffered an agony of fear that the world might know that human sacrifice is an abomination to Me."

It's important to remember that verses are written in a time when human sacrifice was regularly practiced and accepted as necessary in many religions.
Bingo. I went to a Jewish day school and I was always taught that God did it 1) to test Abraham's faith and 2) to differentiate Himself from pagan gods and practices, which might involve human sacrifice. The point of the story, as I learned it, was more that God didn't require the sacrifice, in the end.