posted
1-Why do Christians criticize violence in the Quran, when the Bible is full of violence?
The Old Testament does, indeed, record various acts of violence committed by men against each other or kings against other kings. Much of that was done against God's will, and the aggressors in such violence were condemned and punished by God. Another type of so-called violence in the Old Testaments was actually punishment from God against evil nations. Those nations took it upon themselves to disobey God's authority, tempt God's people to commit sin, sow corruption on earth, and defile the land. The reason that God decided to get rid of them was to contain evil so it would not contaminate society, and to stop evil from spreading through their offspring.
Sometimes God dealt directly with such evil as in the cases of the flood at the time of Noah and the burning of Sodom and Gomorrah. At other times God ordered His people to eliminate these evil nations. It is important to note that God's judgment came upon these nations after a waiting period of 400 years (Genesis15). During that time God gave them chance after chance to repent, but they chose to continue with their evil, filling the cup of their iniquity.
The New Testament, on the other hand, brings with it a new dispensation based on grace. Forgiveness was the main theme of Jesus' teachings. When the Jews brought to Him a woman who was caught committing adultery, asking that she be stoned, Jesus gave the woman a second chance, telling the accusers, "He that is without sin among you, let him first cast a stone at her." (John 8:7). Jesus taught us not to resist evil, but to turn the other cheek (Matthew 5:39). Jesus rebuked Peter for using the sword (Matthew 26:52). When Jesus' disciples, James and John, asked for fire to come down from heaven to consume a village that did not receive Him, Jesus rebuked them saying, "Ye, know not what manner of spirit ye are of. For the Son of man is not come to destroy men's lives, but to save them." (Luke 9:55&56) It seems regressive rather than progressive that, after Jesus, another messenger would come from God, to advocate using the sword. top
2-And, how about violence committed in the name of Christianity, such as in the Crusades, and in the Balkan...etc.?
Although such violence was done in the name of Christianity, Christianity did not sanction it. Because the Crusades to control Jerusalem were not from God, they ended in defeat. This land was not for them. Christianity is a spiritual and peaceful religion that doesn't call for physical occupation of lands or political rule over people.
Any person who claims to be Christian and commits atrocities against others is not a true Christian. The fruit of a tree is an indication of what kind of a tree it is. The fruit of a Spirit- filled Christian is "love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance." (Galatians 5:22&23). The wars in the Balkan are ethnic rather than religious. They took place between different ethnic groups that happened to belong to Christianity or Islam. It is an old struggle, and all sides committed atrocities against one another during different periods of past history. Christianity doesn't approve of the atrocities committed by those so-called "Christians." Christians around the world condemned the violence against the Muslims, and Western, predominantly Christian, countries were instrumental in stopping the violence and protecting the Muslims.
By contrast, the Muslim government of Khartoum is waging genocide against Christians and Animists in South Sudan. Over 2 millions have been killed so far, and thousands of women and children are being sold into slavery. We have yet to see a Muslim country coming to help those victimized people. top
3-If polygamy is wrong, why was it practiced in the Bible?
Polygamy is against human nature. No woman, whether she is a Muslim, a Christian, a Jew or an atheist would be happy to see another woman in the arms of her husband. When God created Adam, He created for him one Eve not four. God did not design polygamy in the Old Testament. It was man's choice and it was a corrupting element for man. Solomon's wives corrupted his life and he ended up being disobedient to the God of Israel, and worshiping idols.
In the New Testament Jesus made it clear that it is one woman for one man. Jesus said, "But from the beginning of the creation God made them (one) male and (one) female. For this cause shall a man leave his father and mother, and cleave to his wife; and they twain shall be one flesh: so then they are no more twain but one flesh." (Mark 10: 6-8) top
4-If Islam is not from God, why is it the fastest growing religion in the world?
First we have to assume that Islam is in fact the fastest growing religion. No concrete scientific evidence has been presented to prove the point. It may well be that perhaps atheism is the fastest growing belief in the world. It is not coincidental that the growth of Islam happened to occur during the last few decades, and after the discovery of oil in the Islamic world. Billions of Dollars from oil revenues have been poured into Islamic evangelism. The money is being used to build mosques, hire activists, print books and pamphlets, and buy television and radio time. The money is also being used to help financially those who embrace Islam, and to support extremist Islamic groups who are waging a jihad against those whom they label as infidels. It is a carrot and the stick policy to entice people into Islam, and at the same time to deter critics of Islam from freely voicing their opinions.
The total number of followers is not indicative of the validity of the religion. Movements that fall in line with satisfying fleshly desires are usually more popular than those which seek to satisfy the spirit. For example, a party that will feature a performance of belly dancers will most likely attract more people than a prayer meeting.
Christianity never claimed that it is a religion for the masses, rather it is only for the few who sincerely search for the truth. Jesus said, "wide is the gate, and broad is the way that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat: Because straight is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it." (Matthew 7:13&14). Notice here that the broad way that leads to destruction is available for the masses to simply go upon it. On the other hand, the narrow way is not easily found. One must be willing to search for it until he/she finds it. On the broad way, people benefit from going upon it, while on the narrow way, people sacrifice by going upon it. top
5-If Christianity is so great, how come we hear of a higher divorce rate among Christians, alcoholism and drug abuse, priests raping children and homosexuals being married in churches?
Divorce is not allowed in Christianity except for adultery (Matthew 19:3-9). Alcohol, drugs, or any destructive habits to the body are totally forbidden in Christianity (1Corinthians 6:19&20). Fornication with children or adults is condemned in Christianity (1Corinthians 7:18). Homosexuality is forbidden in Christianity (Romans 1:26&27), and was called abomination in the Bible (Leviticus 18:22). Because of homosexuality God destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah ( Genesis 19:25).
It is clear that those who commit such sins, although they may be called "Christians," are actually not, because they don't follow the teachings of Christianity. The holy Book of any religion is the only base to judge a religion, not those who break its commandments. The same rule applies to Islam. We don't judge Islam by the behavior of Muslims but by the teachings of the Quran and Hadith. top
6-How can Christians worship three gods? Is it conceivable that God gives birth to a son?
Christianity doesn't believe in three gods, but one true God (James 2:19, Deuteronomy 6:4). It is clear from both the Old and New Testaments that God is a triune God. The concept of a triune God is the most logical because it reveals God as sufficient in Himself. As Christians, we believe in God being one God: the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. This is not 1+1+1=3, but rather 1x1x1=1.
The belief of Jesus being "the Son" of God doesn't come from the physical sense of the word. It doesn t mean that God, at a certain time, had sex and produced a child. Jesus is the Son of God from eternity.
To say that Jesus is the Son of God is to mean that He, spiritually, was with God from the beginning. (John1:1) However, at a certain point of time in history, he was miraculously incarnated into a human being through the Virgin Mary (Matthew 2:1), to redeem our fallen human race. top
7-How can you argue that the Bible is not corrupted in the light of the existence of so many different versions of the Bible?
The different versions of the Bible, are different translations, using different languages and different dialects. All these translations are taken from the original texts and have been done by experts as accurately as humanly possible. If there are variations in the wording of the texts they are because of the different shades of meanings that the original words could carry. However, the essence of the Bible is the same. The same situation applies also to the Quran. There are many translations of the Quran, which differ from one another and those who don't speak Arabic have to rely on the translations.
The claim of the corruption of the Bible is an idea that Muslims had to invent to justify the many discrepancies of the Quran when compared to the Bible. For somebody to claim that the Bible in our hands is corrupt, they must be able to present the correct copy as evidence. There is no such correct copy of the Bible other than the one we have. Extant (currently existing) manuscripts of the Bible dating to the 4th and 5th centuries -- long before the birth of Islam -- are found to agree completely with the text we now have. The oldest extant fragment of the book of John dates to about 125 A.D.
The Quran actually testified to the validity of the Bible and repeatedly said so (see Sura 4:47; 2: 41, 91; 20:133; 29:46). Accordingly, Muslims can not argue that Christians and Jews corrupted their Bible before the birth of Islam.
On the other hand, It is inconceivable that the corruption of the Bible took place after Islam, either. It was virtually impossible for this to have happened, seven centuries after the birth of Christianity, and after Christianity had spread all over the world.
By that time Christianity had divided into many denominations that were not even talking to one another, much less sitting down together and agreeing on a conspiracy to forge their Book.
Also, how could they have kept this conspiracy a secret without having somebody coming out and disclosing it? This, in addition to the fact that the Bible had by then been translated into many languages, and so to corrupt the Bible one would have had to collect all the existing Bibles in the world and destroy them, which would have been impossible to do. top
8-The Quran says that God revealed the Injil (the Gospel), to Jesus. However, Christians have four different Gospels written by four different men. How do you explain this?
Contrary to what the Quran says, there was no such thing as an "Injil" that was given, revealed or taught to Jesus. No such book was ever found, or referred to in any historical references. When Mohammed came in, 7 centuries after Christ, the four Gospels were already known allover the known world, including the Arabian Peninsula. The Quran never claimed that there was anything wrong with the Book of the Christians, and never revealed a corrected version of it.
The word "injil" (gospel) is derived from the Greek language to mean "good news." St. Paul provided a definition of the Gospel in (1 Corinthians 15:1-4), "Brethren, I declare unto you the Gospel, which I preached unto you, which also ye have received, and wherein ye stand: By which also ye are saved. For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Jesus died for our sins according to the scriptures; and that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures.
" Although there are four gospels, but all of the four gospels are witnesses to that one gospel: that Jesus died, was buried, and rose again. All ended by stating this fact.
Jesus never ordered his disciples to record his words. He promised his disciples that he would send the Holy Spirit to dwell in them, to teach them all things and remind them of all what Jesus had done and said (John 14:26). On the day of Pentecost, Jesus fulfilled his promise, when the Holy Spirit dwelt in the disciples (Acts2: 1-4, 15-22).
The four Gospels were written by four different men, inspired by the Holy Spirit. The gospels narrate, from different viewpoints, what Jesus did and said during his ministry. They don't contradict, but rather complement one another. top
9-What is the proof that the Crucifixion actually took place? How could an all-mighty God die at the hand of humans? Why would God need to die to save humanity, anyway? Doesn't the all-powerful God possess the authority to forgive whom He pleases, and when He pleases, without the need to die on a cross?
The story of the Crucifixion is a fact not fiction; it has been recorded by many reliable sources. Here are just a few examples:
Historians' Testimony such as the Greek Tacitos (A.D.55), the Jewish Falavius Josephus (A.D.37-97), The Romans Pliny the Younger and Seutonius, and many others who referred to the Crucifixion of Jesus in their writings.
The Jewish Talmud Testimony (Refer to the 1943 Amsterdam edition, page 42)
The Old Testament Testimony as it has been recorded in the many prophecies pointing to the Crucifixion (Genesis 3:15, Psalm 22:16, Isaiah 53, and Zechariah 11: 12-13).
Jesus' own Testimony in the New Testament predicting his own crucifixion (Matthew 17:22-23, Mark 8:31, and Luke 9:22).
The Gospels' Testimony.
The Apostles' Testimony (Acts 2:22-23, Romans 3:24, Romans 10:9-10, 1Corinthians 1:18), and in many other places, and their willingness to die for proclaiming that truth.
The Nicene Creed Testimony in A.D.325.
The Crucifixion of Jesus was not an accidental incident that happened by chance at some point in history. It was a divine and eternal plan. From the beginning, before man fell into sin, God knew what would happen and prepared a way to save man (1Peter 1:18-21, Acts2: 23-24). When man disobeyed God by eating from the forbidden tree, he committed a gross sin against God. This sin is punishable by eternal death. The judgment came to Adam and his seed after him, who inherited the fallen nature (Romans 6:23, Ezekiel 18:20).
God can only act according to His basic attributes. Because God is faithful, He can not lie, and because He is just, He can not let sin go unpunished. God's plan for salvation must satisfy both His love and His justice (Psalms 85:10).
This could only be accomplished when God took human flesh and accepted death on the cross on our behalf, to pay the penalty of our sin (John 3:16; Romans 5: 8; 1John 4:10).
10-Why Christians and Jews don't believe in Mohammed, when the Bible predicted his coming?
Muslims cite many references in both Old and New Testaments to prove that Mohammed was prophesied in the Bible. However, a close examination of these references shows that they don't fit Mohammed. These are references that usually point either to Jesus or the Holy Spirit. Here are the most quoted examples:
In the Old Testament: " The Lord thy God will raise up unto thee a prophet from the midst of thee, of thy brethren, like unto me; unto him ye shall hearken. I will raise them up a prophet from among their brethren, like unto thee, and will put my words in his mouth; and he shall speak unto them all that I shall command him." (Deuteronomy 18:15 & 18)
This can't possibly refer to Mohammed. Mohammed is the descendant of Ishmael, and the Jews never looked at the descendants of Ishmael as "brothers." On the other hand Jesus fits the description "like unto Moses." Jesus was a Hebrew, as was Moses, while Mohamed was not. Jesus performed signs and wonders, as did Moses, and Mohamed did not. Peter, in the New Testament, left no doubt about the fact that this prophecy applies to Jesus. (See Acts 3:20-26)
In the New Testament: " But when the Comforter is come, whom I will send unto you from the Father, even the Spirit of truth, which proceedeth from the Father, he shall testify of me. "(John 16:26).
Muslims say that the Greek word which was translated "the comforter", actually means " the praised one" or "Mahmoud" in Arabic, in reference to Mohammed. It is true that there is a word, similar in pronunciation, which means "the praised one," however the word used in the Gospels is different and is accurately translated to "the Comforter." This, no doubt, refers to the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit is a spirit, while Mohammed was flesh. The Holy Spirit was sent to the disciples, but Mohammed came in 6 centuries after the death of the disciples. The Holy Spirit was said that he would "dwell" with the disciples (John14: 17). On the other hand Mohammed never saw the disciples. It was said that the world would "not see" the Holy Spirit, but people saw Mohammed.
Is the Gospel a book, or four different books? Muslims have the idea that "the Gospel" (Injil) is a book which God has been pleased to send down to Jesus. But to Jesus' first disciples, and to the Christian Church, "the Gospel" is not a book; it is above all "Good News"; it is the proclamation of God's wonderful intervention in the world of men, for our salvation. "The Gospel" is that the Lord God wished to reveal Himself to us in Mercy and Love; He wishes to bind us to Himself in a relation of dependance, trust and loyalty. He wants us to know Him as Father, to be joyful in living lives that are pleasing to Him, to have hearts filled with His peace. He does not want us to tremble in fear like a slave before his master. He wants us to love Him, and to serve Him willingly and gladly because we like to please Him. "The Gospel" is that Jesus of Nazareth, Jesus the Messiah came from God to reveal God's nature and to initiate this relationship between God and man. Jesus is the living testimony to the Love of God; He is the expression of God's love for man. "The Gospel" is in brief the proclamation of God's love revealed in Jesus the Messiah. We also say that the New Testament contains four "gospels"; these are four narratives which tell the story of the Lord Jesus from different points of view. It is therefore necessary to distinguish between the Gospel (which is the good news of what Jesus means for mankind), and the gospels (which are books describing Jesus' life and teaching).
11- What is the Bible?
Muslims are inclined to regard the Qur'an and the Bible as essentially similar books. The Muslim takes the Qur'an to be a book written directly by God, of which the original text exists eternally in heaven, and each word was transmitted by the angel to Muhammad. So he is led to expect that the Bible should be more or less the same thing to the Christians--a heavenly book similarly written by God and brought down to a prophet. Then he is surprised to learn that the Bible was written by so many different people over so long a period of time.
In fact, the Bible is a "library" made up of 66 different books, which have been gathered together over the centuries and only gradually came to form the one volume which we call the "Bible". These various writings are "inspired by God", not in the sense that an angel brought them down from heaven, not in the sense that the writers were necessarily speaking in a trance--but they are inspired in the sense that God directed the whole thought and experience of the writers, so that they might give a true revelation. And through all these writings there is one consistent theme--the revelation of how God cares for mankind.
Immediately after the creation God calls to Adam, "Where are you?", and from then on God continues to call us. The Bible tells how God reveals to us equally HIS LAW (through the Ten Commandments, and other more temporary commands), HIS RIGHTEOUSNESS (in allowing His own people, the Children of Israel, to be beaten by their enemies and exiled, so that they might be led to repent of their sins), and HIS MERCY (in bringing them back from exile and forgiving their sins)…..and above all the Bible tells how God gave to His people their last and greatest chance, in confronting them with His Love in Jesus Christ.
In the thought of the Bible, the supreme WORD OF GOD is Jesus Christ; but by the inspiration of the Holy Spirit every page of the Bible can "speak" to us, and become a "Word" which God addresses personally to us.
12- How could Jesus be the Son of God? Can God Take a Wife?
The Bible never for one moment speaks of God taking a wife, and all Christian belief is based on the testimony of the Bible. In Christian preaching there is not the least suggestion of a sexual relationship between God and any one of His creatures. When the New Testament calls Jesus "the Son of God", this does not for a moment mean that God begot a child through a woman, as men beget their children.
The title must be understood along with all the other names given to Jesus in the Bible; Jesus is also called the servant of God, the Son of David, the Son of Man, the Lord, the Saviour, the new Adam, the Mediator, the High Priest, etc. We notice that Jesus did not normally make use of the title "Son of God" in His public preaching and teaching; it was rather in intimate conversation and in prayer that He revealed Himself as "the Son of God". Closely linked with this title are the many passages where Jesus referred to God as "my Father" and to Himself as "the Son" (e.g. Luke 23; 34 & 46; Matthew 11:27; Mark 13:32; John 5:19-24; 17:1).
The title indicates, above all, the extremely close relationship between Jesus and God. He is not merely someone "sent by God"; He has a unique knowledge of God, there is between Him and God an intimacy so profound that it becomes an actual identity of thought and action. Jesus completely and perfectly carries out the will of God, to the point where we must say that He has been endowed with absolute authority by God.
Therefore, according to the New Testament, to obey Jesus is to obey the One who sent Him; to reject Jesus is to reject the One who sent Him; to believe in Jesus is not to believe in another Lord beside God--it is to believe in God through Jesus (John 5:23; and 12:44).
Further, according to the gospels, there can be no true knowledge of God outside of Jesus Christ; the unity of Jesus with God is such that one can say, metaphorically, "Jesus Christ is God's face turned towards mankind".
13- According to the Qur'an Jesus did not die on the Cross. How is this?
(cf. Q. 23 & 78) The Gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke and John were written some 550 years before the time of Muhammad, and contain the testimony of men who were disciples of Jesus, who lived at His side, who actually saw and touched Him. Some of these disciples were present in person at His crucifixion; in view of this, it is virtually impossible to cast any doubt on the evidence of the gospels, when these are considered without prejudice. In contrast, in the time of Muhammad the Bible was only just being translated into Arabic, and it is probable that Muhammad could have had no direct acquaintance with it.
Instead, he heard stories about Jesus and the prophets derived from legendary writings; and these legends were influenced by the theological prejudices of some heretical Christians of the time. For example, some heretics believed that Jesus was not really man, but a kind of spirit who could not suffer pain and death; and long before the time of Muhammad, this "prejudice" gave rise to the legend that it was someone else resembling Jesus who was crucified. But the story (like the different story of the Ahmadis) is purely imaginary, and has no historical basis.
To satisfy yourself about the historical accuracy of the crucifixion and death of Jesus, you have only to study the text of the gospels, which give detailed eye-witness accounts of what happened.
14- Why do you speak of three gods? Is not God One and Indivisible?
Before any explanation, the best thing is to quote some Bible texts which emphasise the Christian belief in One God. First, from the Old Testament: --the first of the Ten Commandments, "I am the Lord your God…You shall have no other gods beside me"--Exodus 30: 2-3;
--through the prophet Isaiah, the Lord declares, "Before me no god was formed, nor shall there be any after me. I, I am the Lord, and besides me there is no saviour. I am God, and also henceforth I am He"--Isaiah 43:10-13;
--The Psalmist ends one of his prayers with the words, "Let them know that thou alone, whose name is the Lord, art the Most High over all the earth"--Psalm 83:18;
--and some verses from the New Testament; the Lord Jesus repeats and confirms words from the Old Testament, "Hear, O Israel: the Lord our God, the Lord is One"--Mark 12:29;
--the apostle Paul declares, "there is no god but One"--1 Corinthians 8:4;
--and in another letter he adds, "(there is) one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of us all, who is above all and through all, and in all"--Ephesians 4:5-6.
This last verse is of special importance; it shows that God is not infinitely far off, like some great king living shut up in his palace, uninterested in the daily life and experience of the common people. The God of the Bible is a living God, full of sympathy for the least of His creatures, calling to them and coming to meet them. This God is "above all, through (or among) all, and in all"; He is the Holy One, the Creator--God, above all, the Father; He comes to mankind to demonstrate His justice and His forgiveness--God, among all, in Jesus Christ; He is at work in the hearts of men, in the Church and in the world--God, in all, by the Holy Spirit.
The Apostle Paul writes frequently of God the Father, of the Lord Jesus Christ and of the Holy Spirit (e.g. Romans 15:15-16 and 30; 2 Corinthians 1: 21-22 and 13:14)--in each case, equally, he is indicating the reality of the One Living God, without whose mercy no man could stand!
To illustrate these three ways in which God exists and acts, consider a certain Abraham Mgoki, who is a mechanic at Garousa; he is also the husband of Madame Mgoki, and again he is a member of the Evangelical Church. He may be in the workshop repairing cars, he may be at home with his wife, he may be at prayer in the church--he is always one and the same Mr. Abraham Mgoki. He is at once mechanic, father of his family and member of his church, yet always the same man.
That is of course a very simple illustration, which must not be applied literally, and which does not claim to explain the mystery of the thrice Holy God.
15- What is the purpose of religious pictures and images in Christianity? Are they supposed to represent God? Is it possible to make a picture of God?
No picture can represent God; no man has ever seen God, for no created being could look upon his Creator and survive. However, there are drawings and printed pictures which help us to understand the Gospel, and to realise what Jesus Christ taught and revealed to us; such pictures are especially useful in telling the story of Jesus to those who cannot read. You will see, for example, representations of the Virgin Mary, Jesus as a child, or Jesus with His disciples, or Jesus going up to Golgotha to be crucified--all these are merely pictures to help us imagine and understand the love of God revealed in Jesus Christ.
Such images can never for a single moment be regarded by the Christian as objects of worship--which would be idolatry. Yet we must realise that the introduction of images or pictures into Christian Churches is often a stumbling-block to the muslim, and we should take great care not to give any impression that we are worshipping them.
16- Is Christianity a religion of the Europeans?
Jesus of Nazareth was a Jew; that is, He belonged to an Asian tribe closely related to the Syrians and the Arabs. It was not until some 15 years after Jesus' death that the Gospel first reached Europe; and long before Christianity was established in Northern Europe there were already large and important Christian communities in North Africa. Church history tells of many first-rate Christian thinkers who were Africans. At the present time there are millions of Christians all round the world who are not white men. We should therefore oppose vigorously this false impression that Christianity belongs to the Europeans.
17- Who killed Jesus?
At first sight the gospels seem to say that it was the Jewish authorities of the time who caused Jesus to be arrested and killed, with the agreement of the Roman Governor, Pontius Pilate.
In fact however a careful reading of the gospels will show that these Jews act4ed as each one of us would have acted in their place; they represented us. If we had been there we should have applauded and willingly helped in the Crucifixion of Jesus!
It is the sin of each one of us which killed Jesus. In a thousand ways we violate God's gracious will; we cannot bear to have this Man of perfect obedience showing up our disobedience. Who killed Jesus? You did, and I did, each one of us!
18- What do you mean by saying "Jesus Christ died for us"?
The expression means that all men are sinners, condemned by God's righteous judgement; that Jesus Christ was made like us in every respect, except that He never sinned; and He took our place in the judgement. He took our place on the Cross, He died for us so that by His death we might receive forgiveness and grace; so that we who deserved to be condemned to death might rather enter on a new life, adopted as children of God. (cf. Q. 80).
19- What can man know of God's forgiveness? Isn't it only at the Last Day that God will forgive?
According to Islam, it is indeed only at the Last Day that God will reveal His judgement, and will reward everyone according to his works. But according to the New Testament, God has already revealed His judgement and His forgiveness in Jesus Christ.
God reveals His judgement in that Jesus, dying on the Cross, brings to light man's sinfulness. Every man, by his sin, deserves death and utter disgrace. But God ordained that Christ, in dying, should die in the place of sinful men. Therefore the Gospel according to John declares that Jesus takes away the sin of the world. He has taken man's sin upon Himself, so as to deliver man from eternal condemnation.
God reveals His forgiveness in Jesus Christ, in that if any man believes in Jesus, trusts Him as Saviour, and acknowledges himself a sinner for whom Christ died, such a man receives the forgiveness of God. When is this forgiveness received?--now, or only at the last day? God has been offering forgiveness in this way ever since the coming of Jesus Christ, but each man receives this gift at the moment when he trustingly accepts Jesus Christ into his heart as Saviour and Lord of his life.
God's forgiveness is therefore a present reality which a man can receive today, so that from now on he can live in the peace of God and dedicated to God's service. Let us emphasise: God's forgiveness has been given to us, once for all, in Jesus Christ who was lifted up on the Cross, in this world, in the year 33 A.D.
20- What is the Christian faith?
The faith of a Christian may be summarised in these words: "Jesus Christ is Lord". He whom God sent, to die for my sin and to bring me new life and hope by His resurrection, He is henceforth and forever the Lord of my life. Today, and at the day of my death, He alone is my support, my hope, the source of my job. He is my Lord!
21- What does Prayer mean to the Christian?
Christian prayer is something distinct and different from other conceptions of prayer. It is distinct in that it is offered in the name of Jesus Christ; that is, the believer dares to approach God because God has first approached him in Jesus Christ, revealing in Jesus His love and His mercy. Man speaks to God because he knows that God loves him personally and seeks his good. We do not pray in order to "make use of God"; we pray in order that God may make use of us!--and that He may make us useful to our fellow-men.
So the Christian does not think of prayer as a matter of "reciting prayers", he thinks of it rather as a conversation with God. We hear God's word in the Bible, and we reply by our prayer and our everyday obedience. We do not think it essential to memorise a set form of words in a special language--our prayer is more like a child speaking to his father. Of course we must come to our Father with all reverence; as created beings, weak and sinful, we come humbly before our Creator, and dare simply to open our hearts and speak!
In our prayer we express:
--our gratitude (our "thank you") for everything that each day brings, for all God's gifts--of health and material blessings as well as the love of friends; --our penitence (our "forgive me") for all evil thoughts, for all actions which may have harmed someone; --and our intercession (our "please") spreading out our wants before our Lord, as a child tells his father how he is and what he needs for his life and work.
22- Are we all worshipping the same God?
The Muslim takes it for granted that "we are all worshipping the same God", and he isn't aware of any problem about it. Muhammad said repeatedly that he was proclaiming the same God who had sent Adam, Abraham, Moses and Jesus.
But for followers of Jesus Christ, the question is much more complicated. The whole of the New Testament bears witness that the revelation of God in Jesus Christ is unique and final. Jesus declared, "No one comes to the Father but by me": "no one knows the Father except the Son and anyone to whom the Son chooses to reveal Him"; "I am the Way, and the truth, and the life". Also the apostles, speaking of the name of Jesus of Nazareth, declared, "there is no other name under heaven given among men, by which we must be saved".
23-Now, what Jesus teaches about God, about His mercy, His patience, His forgiveness--can it really be compared with the teaching of the Qur'an?
The Christian is called to live as a child of God, with a deep inward confidence and trust in the Heavenly Father, and rejoicing in God's gift of forgiveness--is this quite similar to what the Muslim feels in the presence of his God?
Certainly there is only one God, the Creator of us all--but the important thing is not merely to agree that one God exists, but to know what He is like, and how He deals with us; it is for that purpose that He has drawn near to us in Jesus Christ and, through the Cross, drawn us to Himself.
Certainly there is very much that we must respect in the Muslim faith, and there is no doubt that Muhammad was a man of courage, a great leader who turned millions from idolatry, one who had some knowledge of God. But it is hard for a Christian to go much further than this in his estimate of Islam. God's offer of salvation in Christ is so different from the idea of God in Islam.
In the presence of the Living God revealed in Jesus Christ, humbly, we pray for our Muslim brothers, and for ourselves, asking our Lord to grant that both may walk in the light. "I am the light of the world", says Jesus, "he who follows me will not walk in darkness".
Posts: 222 | From: Heaven | Registered: Jul 2006
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#4-because satan is everywhere these days. #5-a person is the one who allows themself to be a sicko...not a religion. i can name a few disgusting muslims myself. #10-actually in Matthew 25, it warns of the coming of a false prophet after Jesus. its dangerous to reinterpret the bible dear. #14-it pisses me off when i constatnly hear this from muslims.THERE ARE NOT 3 GODS!!! GET IT STRAIGHT PLEEEEEASE!! its is basically a rundown of events. first there was the father, (god) who created a 'son' (jesus) who later died and became a holy spirit. nuf said. #21-in christianity, we pray how we feel. constant chanting of the same things is actually ritualistic and not recommended in christianity. #22-must be the same God if we all got 2 eyes, 2 ears, a nose a mouth, 10 fingers 10 toes a heart and a brain and the abilty to have children with each other no matter what ya believe in.
Posts: 229 | From: philadelphia, pa, usa | Registered: Oct 2005
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I was following Servant from the beginning when his name was Aki and the Moderators threatened him by deleting his topics that were very tough for Muslims,because it wasn't including sweetie words as they used to.
I think he was one from few guys who was putting you in the corner to face what he says without finding a good reply matching his arguments, but at the end one of the member insulted him by bad street words although he was always polite with everyone then he decided to leave saying that he has a Thesis in theology need him to be free.
As you see his topic posted from one month and you are the first comment now, you can follow other topics he posted before and I think you will know new issues about Islam has been hidden for so long time.
Posts: 903 | Registered: Aug 2006
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