Why Christianity and Islam Still Exist: The Jewish Perspective on the Survival of False Religions

Dafna asks: “Lately I’ve been through a lot of turmoil and started questioning my faith. After much searching, I became convinced that there is a God and that the Torah is true, thank God. But one thing still troubles me: if Christianity and Islam are false, why haven’t they disappeared? How can so many millions still believe in such obvious falsehoods? Shouldn’t a lie eventually die out?”

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No other nation in history experienced what Israel did at Mount Sinai — a mass, public revelation of God before an entire people.

Only once in all of human history did the Creator reveal Himself to an entire nation and give them a moral and spiritual code. The Torah records miracles on a scale the world has never seen before or since — the plagues of Egypt, the splitting of the Red Sea, the revelation at Sinai — all witnessed by a whole nation, not only by individuals.

If such a covenant were ever to be replaced, it would require an equally public revelation — before the same nation or before all humanity. No such event has ever happened in the 3,300 years since.

As the Torah itself declares: “Ask now about the former days, long before your time… Has anything so great as this ever happened, or has anything like it been heard of? Has any people heard the voice of God speaking out of the fire, as you have, and lived?... From heaven He let you hear His voice to instruct you; on earth He showed you His great fire, and you heard His words from out of the fire... Therefore keep His statutes and commandments, that it may go well with you and your children after you.” (Devarim 4:32–40)

No other faith has ever claimed such an open, public revelation. Every other religion is based on the testimony of individuals, but never an entire nation.

Who Did Christianity and Islam Convince?

Both Christianity and Islam trace their roots to Judaism. They accept the Hebrew Bible but added new scriptures and interpretations of their own.

• Christianity adopted the Jewish Bible but added the “New Testament,” claiming that Jesus of Nazareth was divine and that his death abolished the commandments.

• Islam later adopted the Hebrew prophets and Torah stories but claimed that the final revelation was given to Muhammad through the Quran.

In both cases, they borrowed from the Jewish foundation, and then modified it to fit their needs.

How Christianity Began

About 2,000 years ago, a small sect of Jews began preaching that a crucified man was the “Son of God.” The Jewish people, who knew the Torah and its commandments, rejected the claim outright.

When this sect failed to persuade the Jews, it turned to the Gentiles — idol-worshipping pagans across the Roman Empire. Their leader, Paul, argued that faith alone — without the commandments, was enough for salvation.

The new religion grew only when Emperor Constantine of Rome adopted it and imposed it across his empire. Rome’s pagans were weary of their childish mythology, of gods who fought, lied, and schemed, and were ready for a “higher” idea: one God who created and rules the universe.

For the first time, they encountered the moral and spiritual depth of the Hebrew Bible — the creation of the world, Adam and Eve, Noah’s flood, Abraham’s faith, the Ten Commandments, and the ethical demand to care for the poor and helpless.

Compared to their former idol worship, Christianity seemed like a great leap forward.

The Rise of Islam

Six centuries later, Muhammad appeared among the pagan tribes of Arabia — a society steeped in idol worship, violence, and superstition. He too, was influenced by Jewish teachings and adopted many of their core ideas: one Creator, moral law, and rejection of idols.

Like Christianity, Islam borrowed heavily from Jewish sources — stories of Abraham, Moses, and the prophets, but altered them. Muhammad’s followers, mostly illiterate nomads, accepted his message as a spiritual revolution.

Again, for primitive idolaters, the idea of one invisible Creator was an enormous moral advancement.

Why Did These Religions Spread So Widely?

Christianity and Islam succeeded because they offered a simplified version of Judaism that appealed to the masses. They did not demand the 613 commandments or the discipline of Torah life. They preached belief in one God, moral conduct, and prayer, but without the practical burden of mitzvot.

This made them easily adaptable to every culture. Pagan nations could accept the new “monotheism” without radically changing their way of life. They spread because they mixed a little truth with a great deal of error.

As the Talmud teaches: “Any falsehood that does not begin with a bit of truth will not endure.” (Sotah 35a)

Because Christianity and Islam contain elements of genuine truth borrowed from the Torah, they could survive and spread. The kernel of truth gave them endurance; the distortions made them easier to accept.

Why People Still Hold On

Even today, many educated Christians and Muslims recognize the inconsistencies in their faiths, but they fear letting go.

A rabbi once shared a story: On an overseas flight, he found himself seated next to a Catholic priest. Over hours of friendly debate, the rabbi clearly demonstrated the logical flaws in Christian doctrine. The priest listened intently, and finally, with tears in his eyes, said: “So what do you want us to do — live with nothing? If God revealed Himself to you at Sinai and gave you the Torah, why wouldn’t He give us something too? Even if not everything is true, our faith connects us to God. Shouldn’t we have that?”

The rabbi later reflected: the priest wasn’t defending theology — he was defending the need to believe in something. Many Christians and Muslims sense that their faiths contain pieces of divine truth — the echoes of Sinai, and they cling to them, afraid of spiritual emptiness.

The Jewish View: A Step Toward Redemption

According to Maimonides (the Rambam), even these imperfect religions play a role in the divine plan: “Through the spread of Christianity and Islam, the world has become filled with talk of the Messiah, the Torah, and the commandments. These ideas have reached faraway islands and nations uncircumcised in heart. When the true Messiah comes and succeeds, they will all realize that their ancestors inherited falsehood, and that their prophets and forefathers deceived them.” (Mishneh Torah, Laws of Kings 11:4)

These faiths helped prepare humanity for the final stage of history — the moment when all will recognize the One Creator and the truth of His Torah.

Christianity and Islam have not disappeared because:

• They borrowed eternal truths from Judaism.

• They brought idol-worshipping nations closer to monotheism.

• They demanded little practical change, making them easy to accept.

• They serve a temporary purpose in God’s plan — spreading the awareness of a Creator until the world is ready for full spiritual clarity.

When that time comes, as the prophets and sages teach, all nations will return to the pure source of divine truth — the revelation at Sinai — and “God will be One and His Name One.”