03-28-2006, 02:52 PM
<b>First let me compliment you for seeking to carry on an intelligent question. You have made a number of points, but to somewhat they are saying the same thing over and over, so I will select just a few to respond to.</b>
Quote:The difference between the three sects is Jesus being GOD.
<b>I never said Jesus is GOD. Jesus never said that he was GOD. Jesus is the Son of God. God spoke through many prophets, both before and after Jesus, including your Prophet, and described different ways that one might achieve Salvation (including your Five Pillars).</b>
But in the case of Jesus, God sent his only begotten son, to die on the cross, for all mankind, that whosoever believeth in him shall not perish, but have everlasting life.
There are some that say that Jesus is the only way to achieve Salvation, based John 14:6 which says "I am the way... no one comes to the Father, but by me..." but God extended other plans of Salvation through other prophets, and I see nothing in what Jesus said to imply that he was invalidating any of those offers (especially offers made later, such as through your Prophet). And John 44:6 says "No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws him, and I will raise him up at the last day." which I interpret as saying that He (Jesus) will honor other arrangements His Father made to other people. In other words while I accept Jesus as my Lord and Saviour, I believe that when I reach Heaven, I will see Jews there that have been faithful to the Laws of Moses, and I believe I will see Muslims there, that have faithfully followed the Five Pillars of Islam. I don't expect to see Muslims that have killed themselves in order to kill innocent men, women, and children, because Quran 4.93 says "If a man kills a believer intentionally, his recompense is Hell, to abide therein (For ever): And the wrath and the curse of Allah are upon him, and a dreadful penalty is prepared for him."
Quote:The Jews are happy to sit back in silence and use you as cannon-fodder against us. We on the other hand are constantly screaming out to you, the Christians,
<b>So are you saying that Muslims happy embrace Jews as People of the Book, but just take issue with Christians? You guys have not liked Jews since God told Abraham to favor Isaac over Ishmael.</b>
Quote:<i> But that verse (16.106) says that one who denies faith willingly and ceases to believe will incur the wrath of Allah. Is it not up to Allah to punish him, if He believes that is what happened?
</i> - Don Singleton
We are ordered to obey the prophet just like all the prophets beforehand;
Quote:<i> And in the case of Abdul Rahman, he did not abandon his faith. He merely accepted Jesus Christ as his personal saviour. We are all "People of the Book" (or ahl al Kitâ Qur'an 3:64 says "O People of the Book! Let us rally to a common formula to be binding on both us and you: That we worship none but God; that we associate no partners with Him; that we erect not, from among ourselves, Lords and patrons other than God."
</i> - Don Singleton
Abdul Rahman has indeed abandoned his faith (as have all the christians);
<b>How have all the Christians abandoned their faith? They may not have embraced YOUR faith, but that does not mean they have abandoned their own faith. And as 3:64 quoted above says, we are all "People of the Book", so I dont see how Abdul Rahman has abandoned his faith; he has just changed to a different monotheistic faith within "The Book"</b>
Quote:<b>Certainly they are unbelievers who say: "Allah is one of three." There is no god except One Allah. If they do not stop saying what they say, a painful punishment will befall the disbelievers among them. 5.74</b>
<b>The concept of the Trinity is one Catholics are much more familiar with, and I do not feel qualified to explain it. I will say that I believe there is one God. The Jews may have one name (or several) for Him, I just call Him God, and you may call him Allah, but they are all the same being. And Jesus is his son.</b>
Quote:Do you not agree that He who you call Allah, is the same that I call God? Do we not both know Him and love Him, but just with different practices? Qur'an 2:136 says Say ye: <b>"We believe in Allah, and the revelation given to us, and to Abraham, Isma'il, Isaac, Jacob, and the Tribes, and that given to Moses and Jesus, and that given to (all) prophets from their Lord: We make no difference between one and another of them.</b>
- Don Singleton
But the christians have made a difference between Jesus and the rest of the prophets by saying he is Allah and the rest have been written up as pedophiles drunks sorcerers and adulterers to make Jesus look even more impressive. And Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon them all) they call a liar and Allah they say He is either a moon god or Satan himself.
<b>As I indicated above, I have never said that Jesus is Allah. He is the Son of Allah. There is only one Allah. And while the prophets were men, and therefore subject to the temptations that men face, I don't recall the verses of the Bible that says they were all pedophiles drunks sorcerers and adulterers, and I certainly don't recall any verse in the Bible that says that your Prophet (peace and blessings be upon them all) is a liar, a moon god, or Satan. I don't even recall it mentioning him. Can you give me a reference in the Holy Bible where he is so described.</b>
I have skipped a number of repetitions of the same quotations, and some minor points we can address later, but we need to first agree on some basics.
(1) There is only one God. He may be called Jehovah, God, Allah, or any other name. He calls himself "I Am"
(2) Jesus is not God, and I don't know anyone who says he is. Perhaps Catholics do, in their concept of the Trinity, but I am not familiar enough with their beliefs to address that point.
I personally believe that Jesus is the Son of God, yet I recognize that both Jews and Muslims only accept him as Prophet. I respect their faiths, and I would hope that they would accept mine. I truly believe we are all People of the Book.