Ruling on Marrying Jews and Christian women in the Present Era

Is it permissible for a Muslim man to marry a Christian woman in the present times? Please explain.

الجوابُ حامِدا ًو مُصلیِّا ً

In the name of Allah, the Beneficent, the Merciful
It is permissible for a Muslim man to marry a Jewish or Christian woman, since, despite the many alterations that has been done to their book, Christian and Judaic teachings still conform to Islamic teachings in two matters, i.e. marriage and slaughtering. They (the Jews and the Christians), similar to Muslims, believe that the name of Allah must be taken before the slaughtering of an animal, otherwise it would not be considered as lawful. Likewise, their standards regarding marriage is similar to that of Muslims. Meaning, their teachings and the teachings of Islam are in conformity regarding the women with whom marriage is unlawful, and the conditions that makes marriage valid, such as the presence of witnesses (during Ijab and Qabool).
However, the present day Jews and Christians are merely Jewish and Christian by name, and are in reality, denouncers of the creator. For this reason, it is unlawful to marry their women just like it is unlawful to marry the women of the Mushrikeen (idolaters). On the other hand, it is lawful to marry women who truly adhere to the Christian and Judaic creed even in the present era. However, due to the many disadvantages and consequences, a vast majority of the Sahaba and Tabi'een disliked the idea of marrying them and considered it to be Makrooh.
In the time of Hazrat Umar (R.A), he was severely angered when he came to know that some of the Sahaba married women of the people of the book (i.e. Jews and Christians), and ordered them to divorce them.
Hazrat Mufti Shafee has elaborated excessively on this issue in his book "Ma'aariful-Quran", after which he has concluded that according to the teachings of the Qur'an, Sunnah and the attitude of the companions (regarding this issue), it is a must that Muslims refrain from marring women of the people of the book (i.e. Jews and Christians).

مأخَذُ الفَتوی

ففی التفسير المظهري: وعموم هذه الاية يقتضى جواز نكاح الكتابية الحربية وعليه انعقد الإجماع (إلی قوله) لاستلزام النكاح مصاحبة الكافرة وموالاتها وتعريض الولد على التخلق بأخلاق الكفار لاجل مصاحبة الام وموانستها قال ابن همام نكح حذيفة وطلحة وكعب بن مالك كتابيات فغضب عمر رضى الله عنه فقالوا انطلق يا امير المؤمنين؟ وهذه القصة تدل على جواز النكاح حتى يترتب عليه الطلاق وعلى كراهته الخ (3/ 41)۔
و فی البحر المديد في تفسير القرآن المجيد: وَ(أحل لكم )الْمُحْصَناتُ أي: الحرائر (مِنَ الَّذِينَ أُوتُوا الْكِتابَ مِنْ قَبْلِكُمْ)، فأحل الله نكاح اليهودية والنصرانية الحُرتين دون إمائهم،( إِذا آتَيْتُمُوهُنَّ أُجُورَهُنَ )أي: أعطيتموهن مهورهن. فلا يجوز نكاح الكتابية إلا بصداق شرعي. اھ(2/ 11)۔
و فی الأساس في التفسير: وبالنص في سورة المائدة أبيح لنا نكاح الكتابيات فتعينت حرمة نكاح المسلمة من مشرك وجاز نكاح المسلم من الكتابية. قال القرطبي بعد أن نقل قول ابن عمر في عدم جواز نكاح الكتابية: قال النحاس: وهذا قول خارج عن قول الجماعة الذين تقوم بهم الحجة، لأنه قد قال بتحليل نكاح أهل الكتاب من الصحابة، والتابعين جماعة، منهم: عثمان، وطلحة، وابن عباس، وجابر، وحذيفة، ومن التابعين: سعيد بن المسيب، وسعيد بن جبير، والحسن، ومجاهد، وطاوس، وعكرمة، والشعبي، والضحاك؛ وفقهاء الأمصار عليه. اھ(1/ 526)۔