Religious Views on Life's Big Questions
Food and animal treatment show interesting differences between faiths. Christians generally have no dietary restrictions - "Everything that lives and moves will be food for you" - whilst Muslims follow specific halal guidelines including slitting an animal's throat and never killing animals in front of each other.
Both religions prioritise human life over animal welfare in experiments, but only when there's no alternative. The key principle for both is minimising suffering, with Muhammad saying "May the curse of Allah be on the one who treats an animal harshly."
Abortion remains complex in both faiths. Christians might support it to save the mother's life or in cases of rape, viewing it as the "lesser of two evils." Muslims allow abortion before ensoulment 40−120days but generally oppose it as going against the sanctity of life principle.
Euthanasia faces strong opposition from both religions. Christians reject active euthanasia (lethal injections) as interfering with God's plan, though some support passive euthanasia (stopping treatment) as merciful. Muslims completely oppose both forms, believing only Allah decides when life ends.
Quick Fact: Both faiths agree that suffering can bring people closer to God and has spiritual value.
The afterlife offers hope in both traditions. Christians look forward to Heaven with no death or pain, whilst Muslims anticipate Jannah. However, both warn of eternal punishment in Hell (or Jahanam) for non-believers, with a final Day of Judgement determining everyone's fate.