A mosque built in Amman, Jordan, has been named after Jesus.

According to the Australian Cathnews website, “both Muslims and Christians have shown appreciation for it”.

A few weeks ago, a billboard was erected in Sydney carrying the message “JESUS: A PROPHET OF ISLAM”. Plus a phone number to ring and receive a free copy of the Quran.

Within 24 hours that billboard had been vandalised — the word “Islam” being partly torn away.

One of the organisers, a Mr Mohamed, said, “I’ve had positive feedback from Christians, atheists, Muslims . . . saying, ‘we support you, keep up the good work’”

He added, “About 10 percent of calls have been really offensive: ‘no one wants Muslims here etc.’”

Didn’t he receive any responses pointing out (politely) that the billboard message is simply not true?

He should have.

No need to be offensive. But Jesus wasn’t and isn’t a prophet of Islam.

* * *

When Jesus lived, there was no Islam to be a prophet of.

Jesus died in the year 30AD. Mohammed founded Islam 600 years later.

Jesus taught that he himself was the Son of God.

Islam says that he is not.

Jesus taught that God is a Trinity (God, one and unique in his essential nature, is three really distinct persons, Father, Son and Holy Ghost).

Islam says that he is not.

The teachings are incompatible.

* * *

Jesus Christ told his disciples not to blend in with other faiths – but to convert non-Christians to Christianity:

 “Go and make disciples of all nations, baptising them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to obey all that I have commanded you . . . .”   (St Matthew’s Gospel, chapter 28)