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101 Clear Contradictions in the Bible
God did (2 Samuel 24: 1) Satan did (I Chronicles 2 1:1) 2. In that count how many fighting men were found in Israel?
Eight hundred thousand (2 Samuel 24:9) One million, one hundred thousand (I Chronicles 21:5) 3. How many fighting men were found in Judah?
Five hundred thousand (2 Samuel 24:9) Four hundred and seventy thousand (I Chronicles 21:5) 4. God sent his prophet to threaten David with how many years of famine?
Seven (2 Samuel 24:13) Three (I Chronicles 21:12) 5. How old was Ahaziah when he began to rule over Jerusalem?
Twenty-two (2 Kings 8:26) Forty-two (2 Chronicles 22:2) 6. How old was Jehoiachin when he became king of Jerusalem?
Eighteen (2 Kings 24:8) Eight (2 Chronicles 36:9) 7. How long did he rule over Jerusalem?
Three months (2 Kings 24:8) Three months and ten days (2 Chronicles 36:9) 8. The chief of the mighty men of David lifted up his spear and killed how many men at one time?
Eight hundred (2 Samuel 23:8) Three hundred (I Chronicles 11: 11) 9. When did David bring the Ark of the Covenant to Jerusalem? Before defeating the Philistines or after?
After (2 Samuel 5 and 6) Before (I Chronicles 13 and 14) 10. How many pairs of clean animals did God tell Noah to take into the Ark?
Two (Genesis 6:19, 20) Seven (Genesis 7:2). But despite this last instruction only two pairs went into the ark (Genesis 7:8-9) 11. When David defeated the King of Zobah, how many horsemen did he capture?
One thousand and seven hundred (2 Samuel 8:4) Seven thousand (I Chronicles 18:4) 12. How many stalls for horses did Solomon have?
Forty thousand (I Kings 4:26) Four thousand (2 chronicles 9:25) 13. In what year of King Asa's reign did Baasha, King of Israel die?
Twenty-sixth year (I Kings 15:33 - 16:8) Still alive in the thirty-sixth year (2 Chronicles 16:1) 14. How many overseers did Solomon appoint for the work of building the temple?
Three thousand six hundred (2 Chronicles 2:2) Three thousand three hundred (I Kings 5:16) 15. Solomon built a facility containing how many baths?
Two thousand (1 Kings 7:26) Over three thousand (2 Chronicles 4:5) 16. Of the Israelites who were freed from the Babylonian captivity, how many were the children of Pahrath-Moab?
Two thousand eight hundred and twelve (Ezra 2:6) Two thousand eight hundred and eighteen (Nehemiah 7:11) 17. How many were the children of Zattu?
Nine hundred and forty-five (Ezra 2:8) Eight hundred and forty-five (Nehemiah 7:13) 18. How many were the children of Azgad?
One thousand two hundred and twenty-two (Ezra 2:12) Two thousand three hundred and twenty-two (Nehemiah 7:17) 19. How many were the children of Adin?
Four hundred and fifty-four (Ezra 2:15) Six hundred and fifty-five (Nehemiah 7:20) 20. How many were the children of Hashum?
Two hundred and twenty-three (Ezra 2:19) Three hundred and twenty-eight (Nehemiah 7:22) 21. How many were the children of Bethel and Ai?
Two hundred and twenty-three (Ezra 2:28) One hundred and twenty-three (Nehemiah 7:32) 22. Ezra 2:64 and Nehemiah 7:66 agree that the total number of the whole assembly was 42,360. Yet the numbers do not add up to anything close. The totals obtained from each book is as follows:
29,818 (Ezra) 31,089 (Nehemiah) 23. How many singers accompanied the assembly?
Two hundred (Ezra 2:65) Two hundred and forty-five (Nehemiah 7:67) 24. What was the name of King Abijahs mother?
Michaiah, daughter of Uriel of Gibeah (2 Chronicles 13:2) Maachah, daughter of Absalom (2 Chronicles 11:20) But Absalom had only one daughter whose name was Tamar (2 Samuel 14:27) 25. Did Joshua and the Israelites capture Jerusalem?
Yes (Joshua 10:23, 40) No (Joshua 15:63) 26. Who was the father of Joseph, husband of Mary?
Jacob (Matthew 1:16) Hell (Luke 3:23) 27. Jesus descended from which son of David?
Solomon (Matthew 1:6) Nathan(Luke3:31) 28. Who was the father of Shealtiel?
Jechoniah (Matthew 1:12) Neri (Luke 3:27) 29. Which son of Zerubbabel was an ancestor of Jesus Christ?
Abiud (Matthew 1: 13) Rhesa (Luke 3:27) But the seven sons of Zerubbabel are as follows: i.Meshullam, ii. Hananiah, iii. Hashubah, iv. Ohel, v.Berechiah, vi. Hasadiah, viii. Jushabhesed (I Chronicles 3:19, 20). The names Abiud and Rhesa do not fit in anyway. 30. Who was the father of Uzziah?
Joram (Matthew 1:8) Amaziah (2 Chronicles 26:1) 31. Who was the father of Jechoniah?
Josiah (Matthew 1:11) Jeholakim (I Chronicles 3:16) 32. How many generations were there from the Babylonian exile until Christ?
Matthew says fourteen (Matthew 1:17) But a careful count of the generations reveals only thirteen (see Matthew 1: 12-16) 33. Who was the father of Shelah?
Cainan (Luke 3:35-36) Arphaxad (Genesis II: 12) 34. Was John the Baptist Elijah who was to come?
Yes (Matthew II: 14, 17:10-13) No (John 1:19-21) 35. Would Jesus inherit Davids throne?
Yes. So said the angel (Luke 1:32) No, since he is a descendant of Jehoiakim (see Matthew 1: I 1, I Chronicles 3:16). And Jehoiakim was cursed by God so that none of his descendants can sit upon Davids throne (Jeremiah 36:30) 36. Jesus rode into Jerusalem on how many animals?
One - a colt (Mark 11:7; cf Luke 19:3 5). And they brought the colt to Jesus and threw their garments on it; and he sat upon it. Two - a colt and an as* (Matthew 21:7). They brought the as* and the colt and put their garments on them and he sat thereon. 37. How did Simon Peter find out that Jesus was the Christ?
By a revelation from heaven (Matthew 16:17) His brother Andrew told him (John 1:41) 38. Where did Jesus first meet Simon Peter and Andrew?
By the sea of Galilee (Matthew 4:18-22) On the banks of river Jordan (John 1:42). After that, Jesus decided to go to Galilee (John 1:43) 39. When Jesus met Jairus was Jairus daughter already dead?
Yes. Matthew 9:18 quotes him as saying, My daughter has just died. No. Mark 5:23 quotes him as saying, My little daughter is at the point of death. 40. Did Jesus allow his disciples to keep a staff on their journey?
Yes (Mark 6:8) No (Matthew 10:9; Luke 9:3) 41. Did Herod think that Jesus was John the Baptist?
Yes (Matthew 14:2; Mark 6:16) No (Luke 9:9) 42. Did John the Baptist recognize Jesus before his baptism?
Yes (Matthew 3:13-14) No (John 1:32,33) 43. Did John the Baptist recognize Jesus after his baptism?
Yes (John 1:32, 33) No (Matthew 11:2) 44. According to the Gospel of John, what did Jesus say about bearing his own witness?
If I bear witness to myself, my testimony is not true (John 5:3 1) Even if I do bear witness to myself, my testimony is true (John 8:14) 45. When Jesus entered Jerusalem did he cleanse the temple that same day?
Yes (Matthew 21:12) No. He went into the temple and looked around, but since it was very late he did nothing. Instead, he went to Bethany to spend the night and returned the next morning to cleanse the temple (Mark I 1:1- 17) 46. The Gospels say that Jesus cursed a fig tree. Did the tree wither at once?
Yes. (Matthew 21:19) No. It withered overnight (Mark II: 20) 47. Did Judas kiss Jesus?
Yes (Matthew 26:48-50) No. Judas could not get close enough to Jesus to kiss him (John 18:3-12) 48. What did Jesus say about Peters denial?
The cok will not crow till you have denied me three times (John 13:38) Before the cok crows twice you will deny me three times (Mark 14:30) . When the cok crowed once, the three denials were not yet complete (see Mark 14:72). Therefore prediction (a) failed. 49. Did Jesus bear his own cross?
Yes (John 19:17) No (Matthew 27:31-32) 50. Did Jesus die before the curtain of the temple was torn?
Yes (Matthew 27:50-51; Mark lS:37-38) No. After the curtain was torn, then Jesus crying with a loud voice, said, Father, into thy hands I commit my spirit! And having said this he breathed his last (Luke 23:45-46) 51. Did Jesus say anything secretly?
No. I have said nothing secretly (John 18:20) Yes. He did not speak to them without a parable, but privately to his own disciples he explained everything (Mark 4:34). The disciples asked him Why do you speak to them in parables? He said, To you it has been given to know the secrets of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it has not been given (Matthew 13: 1 0-11) 52. Where was Jesus at the sixth hour on the day of the crucifixion?
On the cross (Mark 15:23) In Pilates court (John 19:14) 53. The gospels say that two thieves were crucified along with Jesus. Did both thieves mock Jesus?
Yes (Mark 15:32) No. One of them mocked Jesus, the other defended Jesus (Luke 23:43) 54. Did Jesus ascend to Paradise the same day of the crucifixion?
Yes. He said to the thief who defended him, Today you will be with me in Paradise (Luke 23:43) No. He said to Mary Magdelene two days later, I have not yet ascended to the Father (John 20:17) 55. When Paul was on the road to Damascus he saw a light and heard a voice. Did those who were with him hear the voice?
Yes (Acts9:7) No (Acts22:9) 56. When Paul saw the light he fell to the ground. Did his traveling companions also fall to the ground?
Yes (Acts 26:14) No (Acts 9:7) 57. Did the voice spell out on the spot what Pauls duties were to be?
Yes (Acts 26:16-18) No. The voice commanded Paul to go into the city of Damascus and there he will be told what he must do. (Acts9:7;22: 10) 58. When the Israelites dwelt in Shittin they committed adultery with the daughters of Moab. God struck them with a plague. How many people died in that plague?
Twenty-four thousand (Numbers 25:1 and 9) Twenty-three thousand (I Corinthians 10:8) 59. How many members of the house of Jacob came to Egypt?
Seventy souls (Genesis 4 & 27) Seventy-five souls (Acts 7:14) 60. What did Judas do with the blood money he received for betraying Jesus?
He bought a field (Acts 1: 18) He threw all of it into the temple and went away. The priests could not put the blood money into the temple treasury, so they used it to buy a field to bury strangers (Matthew 27:5) 61. How did Judas die?
After he threw the money into the temple he went away and hanged himself (Matthew 27:5) After he bought the field with the price of his evil deed he fell headlong and burst open in the middle and all his bowels gushed out (Acts 1:18) 62. Why is the field called Field of Blood?
Because the priests bought it with the blood money (Matthew 27:8) Because of the bloody death of Judas therein (Acts 1:19) 63. Who is a ransom for whom?
The Son of Man came...to give his life as a ransom for many (Mark 10:45). Christ Jesus who gave himself as a ransom for all... (I Timothy 2:5-6) The wicked is a ransom for the righteous, and the faithless for the upright (Proverbs 21:18) 64. Is the law of Moses useful?
Yes. All scripture is... profitable... (2 Timothy 3:16) No. . . . A former commandment is set aside because of its weakness and uselessness... (Hebrews 7:18) 65. What was the exact wording on the cross?
This is Jesus the King of the Jews (Matthew 27:37) The King of the Jews (Mark 15:26) This is the King of the Jews (Luke 23:38) Jesus of Nazareth, the King of the Jews (John 19:19) 66. Did Herod want to kill John the Baptist?
Yes (Matthew 14:5) No. It was Herodias, the wife of Herod who wanted to kill him. But Herod knew that he was a righteous man and kept him safe (Mark 6:20) 67. Who was the tenth disciple of Jesus in the list of twelve?
Thaddaeus (Matthew 10: 1-4; Mark 3:13 -19) Judas son of James is the corresponding name in Lukes gospel (Luke 6:12-16) 68. Jesus saw a man sitat the tax collectors office and called him to be his disciple. What was his name?
Matthew (Matthew 9:9) Levi (Mark 2:14; Luke 5:27) 69. Was Jesus crucified on the daytime before the Passover meal or the daytime after?
After (Mark 14:12-17) Before. Before the feast of the Passover (John 1) Judas went out at night (John 13:30). The other disciples thought he was going out to buy supplies to prepare for the Passover meal (John 13:29). When Jesus was arrested, the Jews did not enter Pilates judgment hail because they wanted to stay clean to eat the Passover (John 18:28). When the judgment was pronounced against Jesus, it was about the sixth hour on the day of Preparation for the Passover (John 19:14) 70. Did Jesus pray to The Father to prevent the crucifixion?
Yes. (Matthew 26:39; Mark 14:36; Luke 22:42) No. (John 12:27) 71. In the gospels which say that Jesus prayed to avoid the cross, how many times did he move away from his disciples to pray?
Three (Matthew 26:36-46 and Mark 14:32-42) One. No opening is left for another two times. (Luke 22:39-46) 72. Matthew and Mark agree that Jesus went away and prayed three times. What were the words of the second prayer?
Mark does not give the words but he says that the words were the same as the first prayer (Mark 14:3 9) Matthew gives us the words, and we can see that they are not the same as in the first (Matthew 26:42) 73. What did the centurion say when Jesus dies?
Certainly this man was innocent (Luke 23:47) Truly this man was the Son of God (Mark 15:39) 74. When Jesus said My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken Me ? in what language did he speak?
Hebrew: the words are Eloi, Eloi ..(Matthew 27:46) Aramaic: the words are Eloi, Eloi .. (Mark 15:34) 75. According to the gospels, what were the last words of Jesus before he died?
Father, into thy hands I commit my spirit! (Luke 23:46) "It is finished" (John 19:30) 76. When Jesus entered Capernaum he healed the slave of a centurion. Did the centurion come personally to request Jesus for this?
Yes (Matthew 8:5) No. He sent some elders of the Jews and his friends (Luke 7:3,6) 77.
Adam was told that if and when he eats the forbidden fruit he would die the same day (Genesis 2:17) Adam ate the fruit and went on to live to a ripe old age of 930 years (Genesis 5:5) 78.
God decided that the life-span of humans will be limited to 120 years (Genesis 6:3) Many people born after that lived longer than 120. Arpachshad lived 438 years. His son Shelah lived 433 years. His son Eber lived 464 years, etc. (Genesis 11:12-16) 79. Apart from Jesus did anyone else ascend to heaven?
No (John 3:13) Yes. And Elijah went up by a whirlwind into heaven (2 Kings 2:11) 80. Who was high priest when David went into the house of God and ate the consecrated bread?
Abiathar (Mark 2:26) Ahimelech, the father of Abiathar (I Samuel 1:1; 22:20) 81. Was Jesus body wrapped in spices before burial in accordance with Jewish burial customs?
Yes and his female disciples witnessed his burial (John 19:39-40) No. Jesus was simply wrapped in a linen shroud. Then the women bought and prepared spices so that they may go and anoint him [Jesus) (Mark 16: 1) 82. When did the women buy the spices?
After the Sabbath was past (Mark 16:1) Before the Sabbath. The women prepared spices and ointments. Then, on the Sabbath they rested according to the commandment (Luke 23:55 to 24:1) 83. At what time of day did the women visit the tomb?
Toward the dawn (Matthew 28: 1) When the sun had risen (Mark 16:2) 84. What was the purpose for which the women went to the tomb?
To anoint Jesus body with spices (Mark 16: 1; Luke 23:55 to 24: 1) To see the tomb. Nothing about spices here (Matthew 28: 1) For no specified reason. In this gospel the wrapping with spices had been done before the Sabbath (John 20: 1) 85. A large stone was placed at the entrance of the tomb. Where was the stone when the women arrived?
They saw that the stone was Rolled back (Mark 16:4) They found the stone rolled away from the tomb (Luke 24:2) They saw that the stone had been taken away from the tomb (John 20:1) As the women approached, an angel descended from heaven, rolled away the stone, and conversed with the women. Matthew made the women witness the spectacular rolling away of the stone (Matthew 28:1-6) 86. Did anyone tell the women what happened to Jesus body?
Yes. A young man in a white robe (Mark 16:5). Two men ... in dazzling apparel later described as angels (Luke 24:4 and 24:23). An angel - the one who rolled back the stone (Matthew 16:2). In each case the women were told that Jesus had risen from the dead (Matthew 28:7; Mark 16:6; Luke 24:5 footnote) No. Mary met no one and returned saying, They have taken the Lord out of the tomb, and we do not know where they have laid him (John 20:2) 87. When did Mary Magdelene first meet the resurrected Jesus? And how did she react?
Mary and the other women met Jesus on their way back from their first and only visit to the tomb. They took hold of his feet and worshipped him (Matthew 28:9) On her second visit to the tomb Mary met Jesus just outside the tomb. When she saw Jesus she did not recognize him. She mistook him for the gardener. She still thinks that Jesus body is laid to rest somewhere and she demands to know where. But when Jesus said her name she at once recognized him and called him Teacher. Jesus said to her, Do not hold me... (John 20:11 to 17) 88. What was Jesus instruction for his disciples?
Tell my brethren to go to Galilee, and there they will see me (Matthew 2 8: 10) Go to my brethren and say to them, I am ascending to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God (John 20:17) 89. When did the disciples return to Galilee?
Immediately, because when they saw Jesus in Galilee some doubted (Matthew 28:17). This period of uncertainty should not persist After at least 40 days. That evening the disciples were still in Jerusalem (Luke 24:3 3). Jesus appeared to them there and told them, stay in the city until you are clothed with power from on high (Luke 24:49). He was appearing to them during forty days (Acts 1:3), and charged them not to depart from Jerusalem, but to wait for the promise ... (Acts 1:4) 90. To whom did the Midianites sell Joseph?
To the Ishmaelites (Genesis 37:28) To Potiphar, an officer of Pharaoh (Genesis 37:36) 91. Who brought Joseph to Egypt?
The Ishmaelites bought Joseph and then took Joseph to Egypt (Genesis 37:28) The Midianites had sold him in Egypt (Genesis 37:36) Joseph said to his brothers I am your brother, Joseph, whom you sold into Egypt (Genesis 45:4) 92. Does God change his mind?
Yes. The word of the Lord came to Samuel: I repent that I have made Saul King... (I Samuel 15:10 to 11) No. God will not lie or repent; for he is not a man, that he should repent (I Samuel 15:29) Yes. And the Lord repented that he had made Saul King over Israel (I Samuel 15:35). Notice that the above three quotes are all from the same chapter of the same book! In addition, the Bible shows that God repented on several other occasions:
i. The Lord was sorry that he made man (Genesis 6:6)
I am sorry that I have made them (Genesis 6:7)
ii. And the Lord repented of the evil which he thought to do to his people (Exodus 32:14).
iii. (Lots of other such references).
Moses and Aaron converted all the available water into blood (Exodus 7:20-21) The magicians did the same (Exodus 7:22). This is impossible, since there would have been no water left to convert into blood. 94. Who killed Goliath?
David (I Samuel 17:23, 50) Elhanan (2 Samuel 21:19) 95. Who killed Saul?
Saul took his own sword and fell upon it... Thus Saul died... (I Samuel 31:4-6) An Amalekite slew him (2 Samuel 1:1- 16) 96. Does every man sin?
Yes. There is no man who does not sin (I Kings 8:46; see also 2 Chronicles 6:36; Proverbs 20:9; Ecclesiastes 7:20; and I John 1:810) No. True Christians cannot possibly sin, because they are the children of God. Every one who believes that Jesus is the Christ is a child of God.. (I John 5:1). We should be called children of God; and so we are (I John 3: 1). He who loves is born of God (I John 4:7). No one born of God commits sin; for Gods nature abides in him, and he cannot sin because he is born of God (I John 3:9). But, then again, Yes! If we say we have no sin we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us (I John 1:8) 97. Who will bear whose burden?
Bear one anothers burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ (Galatians 6:2) Each man will have to bear his own load (Galatians 6:5) 98. How many disciples did Jesus appear to after his resurrection?
Twelve (I Corinthians 15:5) Eleven (Matthew 27:3-5 and Acts 1:9-26, see also Matthew 28:16; Mark 16:14 footnote; Luke 24:9; Luke 24:3 3) 99. Where was Jesus three days after his baptism?
After his baptism, the spirit immediately drove him out into the wilderness. And he was in the wilderness forty days ... (Mark 1:12-13) Next day after the baptism, Jesus selected two disciples. Second day: Jesus went to Galilee - two more disciples. Third day: Jesus was at a wedding feast in Cana in Galilee (see John 1:35; 1:43; 2:1-11) 100. Was baby Jesus life threatened in Jerusalem?
Yes, so Joseph fled with him to Egypt and stayed there until Herod died (Matthew 2:13 23) No. The family fled nowhere. They calmly presented the child at the Jerusalem temple according to the Jewish customs and returned to Galilee (Luke 2:21-40) 101. When Jesus walked on water how did the disciples respond?
They worshipped him, saying, Truly you are the Son of God (Matthew 14:33) They were utterly astounded, for they did not understand about the loaves, but their hearts were hardened (Mark 6:51-52)
Here is the question for all 2 billion christians.
Do you Christians attribute all these contradictions to God Almighty?
DIRECT STATEMENTS OF JESUS' EQUALITY WITH GOD THE FATHER
A. Jesus' Own Words
1) MATTHEW 4:7 Jesus said unto him, It is written again, Thou shalt not tempt the Lord thy God. {the devil was tempting Jesus Himself}
2) MATTHEW 10:40 . . . he that receiveth me receiveth him that sent me.
3) MATTHEW 11:27 All things are delivered unto me of my Father: and no man knoweth the Son, but the Father; neither knoweth any man the Father, save the Son, and {he} to whomsoever the Son will reveal {him}.
4) MATTHEW 13:13-15 Therefore speak I to them in parables: because they seeing see not; and hearing they hear not, neither do they understand. (14) And in them is fulfilled the prophecy of Esaias, which saith, By hearing ye shall hear, and shall not understand; and seeing ye shall see, and shall not perceive: (15) For this people's heart is waxed gross, and {their} ears are dull of hearing, and their eyes they have closed; lest at any time they should see with {their} eyes, and hear with {their} ears, and should understand with {their} heart, and should be converted, and I should heal them.
ISAIAH 6:9-10 And he said, Go, and tell this people, Hear ye indeed, but understand not; and see ye indeed, but perceive not. (10) Make the heart of this people fat, and make their ears heavy, and shut their eyes; lest they see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and understand with their heart, and convert, and be healed. >>JEREMIAH 22:5 But if ye will not hear these words, I swear by myself, saith the Lord, that this house shall become a desolation.
MATTHEW 7:21-22 Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven. (22) Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works?
B. N.T. Apostolic Witness
1) MATTHEW 1:23 Behold, a virgin shall be with child, and shall bring forth a son, and they shall call his name Emmanuel, which being interpreted is, God with us.
2) JOHN 1:1-4 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. (2) The same was in the beginning with God. (3) All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made. (4) In him was life; and the life was the light of men.
3) JOHN 1:14 And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth.
4) JOHN 1:18 No man hath seen God at any time; the only begotten Son, which is in the bosom of the Father, he hath declared {him}.
5) Monogenes ("Only Begotten") The phrase "only begotten (Son)" (also used in Jn 3:16,18 and 1 Jn 4:9) is the Greek monogenes, which means, according to any Greek lexicon, "unique, only member of a kind." It does not mean "created," as some (e.g., Jehovah's Witnesses) falsely interpret it. Christ is the eternal Son of God, and as such, possesses every attribute of pure Godhood, just as a human son partakes fully of humanness.
6) JOHN 12:37-38 But though he had done so many miracles before them, yet they believed not on him: (38) That the saying of Esaias the prophet might be fulfilled, which he spake, Lord, who hath believed our report? and to whom hath the arm of the Lord been revealed? {cf. 12:39-40}
7) JOHN 12:41 These things said Esaias, when he saw his glory, and spake of him.
ISAIAH 6:1-5 In the year that king Uzziah died I saw also the Lord sitting upon a throne, high and lifted up, and his train filled the temple. (2) Above it stood the seraphims: each one had six wings; with twain he covered his face, and with twain he covered his feet, and with twain he did fly. (3) And one cried unto another, and said, Holy, holy, holy, {is} the Lord of hosts: the whole earth {is} full of his glory. (4) And the posts of the door moved at the voice of him that cried, and the house was filled with smoke. (5) Then said I, Woe {is} me! for I am undone; because I {am} a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips: for mine eyes have seen the King, the Lord of hosts. >>LUKE 23:46 And when Jesus had cried with a loud voice, he said, Father, into thy hands I commend my spirit: and having said thus, he gave up the ghost. >>ECC 12:7 Then shall the dust return to the earth as it was: and the spirit shall return unto God who gave it. >>JEREMIAH 33:3 Call unto me, and I will answer thee, and shew thee great and mighty things, which thou knowest not. >>JOEL 2:32 And it shall come to pass, {that} whosoever shall call on the name of the Lord shall be delivered:... >>2TIMOTHY 2:22 . . . follow righteousness, . . ., with them that call on the Lord out of a pure heart. >>ISAIAH 45:23 I have sworn by myself, the word is gone out of my mouth {in} righteousness, and shall not return, that unto me every knee shall bow, every tongue shall swear.<<<
2) Salvation and Faith in Jesus' Name: Mt 12:21, Jn 1:12, 2:23, 3:18, Acts 4:10,12, 10:43, 22:16, Rom 10:9, 1 Cor 6:11, 1 Jn 3:23, 5:13. 3) Jesus - the Most Important Name: 1 Cor 1:2, Eph 1:20-21, Phil 2:9-11 {cf. Is 45:23}, 2 Thess 1:12, 1 Jn 3:23, Rev 2:3,13. 4) Who Should We Be "Witnesses" of?: ACT 1:8 But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth. {Jesus speaking - see 1:1,11} 5) Jesus Talks About the Importance of His Name: Mt 7:22, 10:22, 12:15-21, 18:5,20, 19:29, 24:9, 28:19-20. 6) Christians Are Baptized in Jesus' Name: Mt 28:19, Acts 2:38, 8:16, 10:48, 19:5, 1 Cor 1:13,15. 7) Christians Suffer For Jesus' Name: Acts 5:41, 9:16, 15:26, 21:13. 8) Christians Gather in Jesus' Name: Mt 18:20, 1 Cor 5:4. 9) Men Healed in Jesus' Name: Acts 3:6,16, 4:10,30. 10) Christians Speak, Teach & Preach in Jesus' Name: Lk 24:47, Acts 4:17-18, 5:28, 8:12, 9:27,29. 11) Christians Are Named After Jesus Christ: Acts 11:26, 1 Pet 4:16. 12) Remission of Sins in Jesus' Name: Acts 10:43, 1 Jn 2:12. 13) Jesus is Called "Lord of Lords": Rev 19:16. 14) Christians Are to Give Thanks & Praise in Jesus' Name: Eph 5:20, Heb 13:15. 15) Christians Are to Do All Things in Jesus' Name: Col 3:17. XII. JESUS CLAIMED TO BE THE MESSIAH (CHRIST) 1) MATTHEW 16:15-17,20 He saith unto them, But whom say ye that I am? (16) And Simon Peter answered and said, Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God. (17) And Jesus answered and said unto him, Blessed art thou, Simon Barjona: for flesh and blood hath not revealed {it} unto thee, but my Father which is in heaven . . . (20) Then charged he his disciples that they should tell no man that he was Jesus the Christ. {cf. Mk 8:27-30, Lk 9:18-21}
2) MARK 9:41 For whosoever shall give you a cup of water to drink in my name, because ye belong to Christ, verily I say unto you, he shall not lose his reward.
3) MARK 14:61-62 But he held his peace, and answered nothing. Again the high priest asked him, and said unto him, Art thou the Christ, the Son of the Blessed? (62) And Jesus said, I am: and ye shall see the Son of man sitting on the right hand of power, and coming in the clouds of heaven. {cf. Mt 26:63-65, Lk 22:67-71}
4) LUKE 4:41 And devils also came out of many, crying out, . . . Thou art Christ the Son of God. And he . . . suffered them not to speak: for they knew that he was Christ.
5) LUKE 24:25-27 Then he said unto them, O fools, and slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have spoken: (26) Ought not Christ to have suffered these things, and to enter into his glory? (27) And beginning at Moses and all the prophets, he expounded unto them in all the scriptures the things concerning himself.
6) JOHN 4:25-26 The woman saith unto him, I know that Messias cometh, which is called Christ: when he is come, he will tell us all things. (26) Jesus saith unto her, I that speak unto thee am {he}. {See also Mt 1:16-18, 5:17, 11:2,10, 21:42, 24:5,23-24, 26:56,68, 27:17,22, Mk 3:11, 5:7, 13:21-22,26, Lk 1:31-33, 2:11,26, 4:20-21, 22:37, 23:2,35,39, 24:44, Jn 5:39-40,46-47, 15:25}
7) Son of Man Every time the N.T. refers to Jesus as Christ, it is declaring that He is the Messiah, since Christ is the Greek for the Hebrew Messiah. Also, when Jesus calls Himself the Son of Man (e.g., Mt 10:23,32-33, 19:28, 23:37 ff., 24:47, Mk 2:19-20, 3:28-29, 8:31,38, 9:9,31, 10:33,38, 14:21,41, Lk 11:30, 12:8,49-50, 17:24, 18:6,8, 21:36, 22:27,48), He is claiming to be the Messiah, since He is referring (esp. in Mk 13:26, 14:62, Jn 5:27; cf. Rev 1:13, 14:14) to Daniel 7:13, a well-known messianic passage. Furthermore, in Mk 14:61-62, Jesus assumes that the Christ (Messiah) and the Son of Man are one and the same (Himself). Matthew 16:16-17 establishes the fact that the Messiah and the Son of God are identical as well. In the KJV, the word Messiah appears only twice in the O.T. (Daniel 9:25 and 9:26), and twice in the N.T. (as Messias): John 4:25 (above) and John 1:41, which shows that Christ is the equivalent Greek term:
JOHN 1:41 . . . We have found the Messias, which is, being interpreted, the Christ.
XIII. FIFTY O.T. MESSIANIC PROPHECIES FULFILLED BY JESUS
The Apostles, in the N.T., often appeal to messianic promises and fulfilled prophecies as evidence of the Messiahship and Divinity of Jesus Christ (e.g., Mt 2:4-6, Rom 1:2-4, Acts 3:18, 10:43, 13:29, 17:2-3, 1 Cor 15:3-4, 1 Pet 2:5-6).
1) Born of a Virgin: Is 7:14 w/ Mt 1:18,24-25, Lk 1:26-35. 2) From the Tribe of Judah: Gen 49:10, Mic 5:2 w/ Mt 1:2, Lk 3:23,33. 3) From the Family Line of Jesse: Is 11:1,10 w/ Mt 1:6, Lk 3:23,32. 4) From the House of David: Ps 132:11, Jer 23:5 w/ Mt 1:1, Lk 3:23,31. 5) Born in Bethlehem: Mic 5:2 w/ Mt 2:1,4-8, Lk 2:4-7. 6) Called Son of God: Ps 2:7 w/ Mt 3:17. 7) Called Lord: Ps 110:1, Jer 23:6 w/ Mt 22:43-45, Lk 2:11. 8) Called Immanuel (God With Us): Is 7:14 w/ Mt 1:23. 9) A Prophet: Deut 18:18 w/ Mt 21:11, Lk 7:16, Jn 7:40. 10) Judge: Is 33:22 w/ Jn 5:30. 11) King: Ps 2:6 w/ Mt 21:5, Jn 18:36-37. 12) Special Anointing of the Spirit: Is 11:2 w/ Mt 3:16-17. 13) Preceded by a Messenger: Is 40:3, Mal 3:1 w/ Mt 3:1-3, 11:10, Lk 1:17, Jn 1:23. 14) Galilee Ministry: Is 9:1 w/ Mt 4:12-13,17. 15) Ministry of Miracles: Is 32:3-4, 35:5-6 w/ Mt 9:32-35. 16) Teacher of Parables: Ps 78:2 w/ Mt 13:34. 17) Triumphal Entry Into Jerusalem: Zech 9:9 w/ Mt 21:5-10,15-16. 18) Messiah to Come Before Jerusalem's Destruction (70 A.D.): Gen 49:10 w/ Mt 24:1-2. 19) Messiah Will Come to the Temple (Had to be Before 70): Ps 118:26, Dan 9:26, Hag 2:7-9, Zech 11:13, Mal 3:1 w/ Mt 21:12, Jn 2:13-17. 20) Entered Jerusalem on a Donkey: Zech 9:9 w/ Lk 19:35-37. 21) "Stone of Stumbling": Ps 118:22, Is 8:13-14, 28:16 w/ Acts 4:10-11, Rom 9:32-33, 1 Pet 2:7-8. 22) Rejected by His Own People: Is 53:3 w/ Jn 1:11, 7:5,48. 23) Hated Without a Cause: Ps 69:4, Is 49:7 w/ Jn 15:25. 24) Resurrection: Ps 16:10, 30:3, 41:10, 118:17, Hos 6:2 w/ Acts 2:31, 13:33, Mt 28:6, Mk 16:6, Lk 24:46. 25) Ascension: Ps 68:18 w/ Acts 1:9. 26) Right Hand of God: Ps 110:1 w/ Heb 1:3, Acts 2:34-35. {The following 24 prophecies were literally fulfilled by Jesus in one 24-hour period of time}: 27) Betrayed by a Friend: Ps 41:9, 55:12-14 w/ Mt 10:4. 28) Betrayed For 30 Pieces of Silver: Zec 11:12 w/ Mt 26:15. 29) Silver Thrown in God's House: Zech 11:13 w/ Mt 27:5. 30) The Potter's Field: Zech 11:13 w/ Mt 27:7. 31) Forsaken by Disciples: Zech 13:7 w/ Mt 26:31, Mk 14:50. 32) Silent Before Accusers: Is 53:7 w/ Mt 27:12. 33) Wounded and Bruised: Is 53:5, Zech 13:6 w/ Mt 27:26. 34) Beaten: Is 50:6, Mic 5:1 w/ Mt 26:67, Lk 22:63. 35) Spit Upon: Is 50:6 w/ Mt 26:67. 36) Mocked: Ps 22:7-8 w/ Mt 27:31. 37) Hands and Feet Pierced: Ps 22;16, Zec 12:10 w/ Lk 23:33. 38) Messiah Was to Die: Is 53:8, Dan 9:26 w/ Lk 23:46, 24:7, Jn 19:30. 39) Executed With Criminals: Is 53:12 w/ Mt 27:38. 40) Prayed For His Persecutors: Is 53:12 w/ Lk 23:34. 41) People Wagging Their Heads: Ps 22:7 w/ Mt 27:39. 42) Stared Upon: Ps 22:17 w/ Lk 23:35. 43) Garments Parted: Ps 22:18 w/ Jn 19:23. 44) Garments Gambled For: Ps 22;18 w/ Jn 19:24. 45) Offered Vinegar and Gall: Ps 69:21 w/ Mt 27:34,Jn 19:29. 46) Forsaken Cry: Ps 22:1 w/ Mt 27:46. 47) Bones Not Broken: Ps 34:20 w/ Jn 19:33. 48) Side Pierced: Zech 12;10 w/ Jn 19:34. 49) Darkness at Noon: Amos 8:9 w/ Mt 27:45. 50) Buried in Rich Man's Tomb: Is 53:9 w/ Mt 27:57-60. XIV. JESUS' SUBJECTION (AS MESSIAH) TO THE FATHER Jesus' subjection to the Father is seen in such verses as John 14:28: ". . . for my Father is greater than I," 1 Corinthians 11:3: ". . .the head of Christ {is} God," and 1 Corinthians 15:28: "And when all things shall be subdued unto him, then shall the Son also himself be subject unto him that put all things under him, that God may be all in all." These verses and others have been utilized historically by heretics such as the Arians (of whom Jehovah's Witnesses are a revival), as well as non-trinitarian theists such as Unitarians, to "prove" that Jesus is lesser than the Father and therefore not God in the flesh. Upon closer inspection, however, a clearer picture emerges.
John 14:28 is to be understood in light of passages such as Philippians 2:6-8, which show us that Christ in John 14:28 was speaking strictly in terms of his office as Messiah, which entailed a giving up, not of the Divine Nature, but of certain prerogatives of glory and Deity which are enjoyed by the Father. Christ subjected Himself to the Father in order to undertake His role as the Incarnate Son and Mediator between God and man (1 Tim 2:5). Similarly, one might say that "the President of the United States is a greater man than I am," but this would not mean he was necessarily a better man. In any event, he is still a man like us. Since Jesus is still God, even while "humbling" Himself (Phil 2:8), Scripture also indicates that the Father is, in a sense, "subject" to the Son:
JOHN 16:15 All things that the Father hath are mine: therefore said I, that he shall take of mine, and shall shew {it} unto you.
JOHN 16:23 And in that day ye shall ask me nothing. Verily, verily, I say unto you, Whatsoever ye shall ask the Father in my name, he will give {it} you.
When the Father is called the "head" of the Son (1 Cor 11:3), this also does not entail any lessening of the equality between the Son and the Father. The Bible also talks about wives being subject to their husbands (1 Pet 3:1,5), even while the two are equals (Gal 3:28, Eph 5:21-22), and indeed, "one flesh" (Mt 19:5-6). Likewise, one Person of the Godhead can be in subjection to another Person and remain God in essence and substance (Phil 2:6-8). Luke 2:51 says that Jesus was "subject" to Mary and Joseph. Yet no orthodox Christian of any stripe would hold that Jesus was lesser in essence than His earthly parents! The same Greek word for "subject" in Luke 2:51 (hupotasso) is used in 1 Cor 15:28, and in 1 Pet 2:18 below. Besides, submissiveness and servanthood is not presented as a sign of weakness in Scripture. Quite the contrary:
1 PETER 2:18 Servants, {be} subject to {your} masters with all fear; not only to the good and gentle, but also to the froward.
MATTHEW 23:11 But he that is greatest among you shall be your servant.
The word for "greatest" here is meizon, the same word used in John 14:28. Thus, any notion that submissiveness is a lessening of equality is absolutely unscriptural.
Likewise, in 1 Cor 15:28, the subjection spoken of is that of the Son as incarnate, not the Son as Son in essence. While this verse tells us that God will be "all in all," Colossians 3:11 tells us that ". . . Christ {is} all, and in all." Thus, Jesus' office as Messiah and Mediator will cease in time, but not His Godhood, since Scripture teaches that He will be "all in all" just as His Father is.
NATIVE PEOPLES Beginning with Columbus (a former slave trader and would-be Holy Crusader) the conquest of the New World began, as usual understood as a means to propagate Christianity. Within hours of landfall on the first inhabited island he encountered in the Caribbean, Columbus seized and carried off six native people who, he said, "ought to be good servants ... [and] would easily be made Christians, because it seemed to me that they belonged to no religion." [SH200] While Columbus described the Indians as "idolators" and "slaves, as many as [the Crown] shall order," his pal Michele de Cuneo, Italian nobleman, referred to the natives as "beasts" because "they eat when they are hungry," and made love "openly whenever they feel like it." [SH204-205] On every island he set foot on, Columbus planted a cross, "making the declarations that are required" - the requerimiento - to claim the ownership for his Catholic patrons in Spain. And "nobody objected." If the Indians refused or delayed their acceptance (or understanding), the requerimiento continued: "I certify to you that, with the help of God, we shall powerfully enter in your country and shall make war against you ... and shall subject you to the yoke and obedience of the Church ... and shall do you all mischief that we can, as to vassals who do not obey and refuse to receive their lord and resist and contradict him." [SH66] Likewise in the words of John Winthrop, first governor of Massachusetts Bay Colony: "justifieinge the undertakeres of the intended Plantation in New England ... to carry the Gospell into those parts of the world, ... and to raise a Bulworke against the kingdome of the Ante-Christ." [SH235] In average two thirds of the native population were killed by colonist-imported smallpox before violence began. This was a great sign of "the marvelous goodness and providence of God" to the Christians of course, e.g. the Governor of the Massachusetts Bay Colony wrote in 1634, as "for the natives, they are near all dead of the smallpox, so as the Lord hath cleared our title to what we possess." [SH109,238] On Hispaniola alone, on Columbus visits, the native population (Arawak), a rather harmless and happy people living on an island of abundant natural resources, a literal paradise, soon mourned 50,000 dead. [SH204] The surviving Indians fell victim to rape, murder, enslavement and Spanish raids. As one of the culprits wrote: "So many Indians died that they could not be counted, all through the land the Indians lay dead everywhere. The stench was very great and pestiferous." [SH69] The Indian chief Hatuey fled with his people but was captured and burned alive. As "they were tying him to the stake a Franciscan friar urged him to take Jesus to his heart so that his soul might go to heaven, rather than descend into hell. Hatuey replied that if heaven was where the Christians went, he would rather go to hell." [SH70]  What happened to his people was described by an eyewitness: "The Spaniards found pleasure in inventing all kinds of odd cruelties ... They built a long gibbet, long enough for the toes to touch the ground to prevent strangling, and hanged thirteen [natives] at a time in honor of Christ Our Saviour and the twelve Apostles... then, straw was wrapped around their torn bodies and they were burned alive." [SH72] Or, on another occasion: "The Spaniards cut off the arm of one, the leg or hip of another, and from some their heads at one stroke, like butchers cutting up beef and mutton for market. Six hundred, including the cacique, were thus slain like brute beasts...Vasco [de Balboa] ordered forty of them to be torn to pieces by dogs." [SH83] The "island's population of about eight million people at the time of Columbus's arrival in 1492 already had declined by a third to a half before the year 1496 was out." Eventually all the island's natives were exterminated, so the Spaniards were "forced" to import slaves from other caribbean islands, who soon suffered the same fate. Thus "the Caribbean's millions of native people [were] thereby effectively liquidated in barely a quarter of a century". [SH72-73] "In less than the normal lifetime of a single human being, an entire culture of millions of people, thousands of years resident in their homeland, had been exterminated." [SH75] "And then the Spanish turned their attention to the mainland of Mexico and Central America. The slaughter had barely begun. The exquisite city of Tenochtitlán [Mexico city] was next." [SH75] Cortez, Pizarro, De Soto and hundreds of other Spanish conquistadors likewise sacked southern and mesoamerican civilizations in the name of Christ (De Soto also sacked Florida). "When the 16th century ended, some 200,000 Spaniards had moved to the Americas. By that time probably more than 60,000,000 natives were dead." [SH95] Of course no different were the founders of what today is the US of America. Although none of the settlers would have survived winter without native help, they soon set out to expel and exterminate the Indians. Warfare among (north American) Indians was rather harmless, in comparison to European standards, and was meant to avenge insults rather than conquer land. In the words of some of the pilgrim fathers: "Their Warres are farre less bloudy...", so that there usually was "no great slawter of nether side". Indeed, "they might fight seven yeares and not kill seven men." What is more, the Indians usually spared women and children. [SH111] In the spring of 1612 some English colonists found life among the (generally friendly and generous) natives attractive enough to leave Jamestown - "being idell ... did runne away unto the Indyans," - to live among them (that probably solved a sex problem). "Governor Thomas Dale had them hunted down and executed: 'Some he apointed (sic) to be hanged Some burned Some to be broken upon wheles, others to be staked and some shott to deathe'." [SH105] Of course these elegant measures were restricted for fellow Englishmen: "This was the treatment for those who wished to act like Indians. For those who had no choice in the matter, because they were the native people of Virginia" methods were different: "when an Indian was accused by an Englishman of stealing a cup and failing to return it, the English response was to attack the natives in force, burning the entire community" down. [SH105] On the territory that is now Massachusetts the founding fathers of the colonies were committing genocide, in what has become known as the "Peqout War." The killers were New England Puritan Christians, refugees from persecution in their own home country England. When however, a dead colonist was found, apparently killed by Narragansett Indians, the Puritan colonists wanted revenge. Despite the Indian chief's pledge they attacked. Somehow they seem to have lost the idea of what they were after, because when they were greeted by Pequot Indians (long-time foes of the Narragansetts) the troops nevertheless made war on the Pequots and burned their villages. The puritan commander-in-charge John Mason after one massacre wrote: "And indeed such a dreadful Terror did the Almighty let fall upon their Spirits, that they would fly from us and run into the very Flames, where many of them perished ... God was above them, who laughed his Enemies and the Enemies of his People to Scorn, making them as a fiery Oven ... Thus did the Lord judge among the Heathen, filling the Place with dead Bodies": men, women, children. [SH113-114] So "the Lord was pleased to smite our Enemies in the hinder Parts, and to give us their land for an inheritance". [SH111]. Because of his readers' assumed knowledge of Deuteronomy, there was no need for Mason to quote the words that immediately follow: "Thou shalt save alive nothing that breatheth. But thou shalt utterly destroy them..." (Deut 20) Mason's comrade Underhill recalled how "great and doleful was the bloody sight to the view of the young soldiers" yet reassured his readers that "sometimes the Scripture declareth women and children must perish with their parents". [SH114] Other Indians were killed in successful plots of poisoning. The colonists even had dogs especially trained to kill Indians and to devour children from their mothers breasts, in the colonists' own words: "blood Hounds to draw after them, and Mastives to seaze them." (This was inspired by Spanish methods of the time) In this way they continued until the extermination of the Pequots was near. [SH107-119] The surviving handful of Indians "were parceled out to live in servitude. John Endicott and his pastor wrote to the governor asking for 'a share' of the captives, specifically 'a young woman or girle and a boy if you thinke good'." [SH115] Other tribes were to follow the same path. Comment the Christian exterminators: "God's Will, which will at last give us cause to say: How Great is His Goodness! and How Great is his Beauty!" "Thus doth the Lord Jesus make them to bow before him, and to lick the Dust!" [TA] Like today, lying was morally acceptable to Christians then. "Peace treaties were signed with every intention to violate them: when the Indians 'grow secure uppon (sic) the treatie', advised the Council of State in Virginia, 'we shall have the better Advantage both to surprise them, & cutt downe theire Corne'." [SH106] In 1624 sixty heavily armed Englishmen cut down 800 defenseless Indian men, women and children. [SH107] In a single massacre in "King Philip's War" of 1675 and 1676 some "600 Indians were destroyed. A delighted Cotton Mather, revered pastor of the Second Church in Boston, later referred to the slaughter as a 'barbeque'." [SH115] To summarize: Before the arrival of the English, the western Abenaki people in New Hampshire and Vermont had numbered 12,000. Less than half a century later about 250 remained alive - a destruction rate of 98%. The Pocumtuck people had numbered more than 18,000, fifty years later they were down to 920 - 95% destroyed. The Quiripi-Unquachog people had numbered about 30,000, fifty years later they were down to 1500 - 95% destroyed. The Massachusetts people had numbered at least 44,000, fifty years later barely 6000 were alive - 81% destroyed. [SH118] These are only a few examples of the multitude of tribes living before Christian colonists set their foot on the New World. All this was before the smallpox epidemics of 1677 and 1678 had occurred. And the carnage was not over then. All the above was only the beginning of the European colonization, it was before the frontier age actually had begun. A total of maybe more than 150 million Indians (of both Americas) were destroyed in the period of 1500 to 1900, as an average two thirds by smallpox and other epidemics, that leaves some 50 million killed directly by violence, bad treatment and slavery. In many countries, such as Brazil, and Guatemala, this continues even today.
MORE GLORIOUS EVENTS IN U.S.HISTORY Reverend Solomon Stoddard, one of New England's most esteemed religious leaders, in "1703 formally proposed to the Massachusetts Governor that the colonists be given the financial wherewithal to purchase and train large packs of dogs 'to hunt Indians as they do bears'." [SH241] Massacre of Sand Creek, Colorado 11/29/1864. Colonel John Chivington, a former Methodist minister and still elder in the church ("I long to be wading in gore") had a Cheyenne village of about 600, mostly women and children, gunned down despite the chiefs' waving with a white flag: 400-500 killed. From an eye-witness account: "There were some thirty or forty squaws collected in a hole for protection; they sent out a little girl about six years old with a white flag on a stick; she had not proceeded but a few steps when she was shot and killed. All the squaws in that hole were afterwards killed ..." [SH131]
By the 1860s, "in Hawai'I the Reverend Rufus Anderson surveyed the carnage that by then had reduced those islands' native population by 90 percent or more, and he declined to see it as tragedy; the expected total die-off of the Hawaiian population was only natural, this missionary said, somewhat equivalent to 'the amputation of diseased members of the body'." [SH244]
Orion declares "Dear God! Dear God! That is horrific! The poor little blind boy!! Only seven years old.
Religion such as this, who allow evil people to beat a child to death, needs to be stopped!
Not one Christian belief has ever done this horrible thing, nor will ever do so!"
Oh Orion - learn your christian history...
ANCIENT PAGANS As soon as Christianity became legal in the Roman Empire by imperial edict (315), more and more pagan temples were destroyed by Christian mob. Pagan priests were killed. Between 315 and 6th century thousands of pagan believers were slain. Examples of destroyed Temples: the Sanctuary of Aesculap in Aegaea, the Temple of Aphrodite in Golgatha, Aphaka in Lebanon, the Heliopolis. Christian priests such as Mark of Arethusa or Cyrill of Heliopolis were famous as "temple destroyer." Pagan services became punishable by death in 356. Christian Emperor Theodosius (408-450) even had children executed, because they had been playing with remains of pagan statues. According to Christian chroniclers he "followed meticulously all Christian teachings..." In 6th century pagans were declared void of all rights. In the early fourth century the philosopher Sopatros was executed on demand of Christian authorities. The world famous female philosopher Hypatia of Alexandria was torn to pieces with glass fragments by a hysterical Christian mob led by a Christian minister named Peter, in a church, in 415.
MISSION Emperor Karl (Charlemagne) in 782 had 4500 Saxons, unwilling to convert to Christianity, beheaded. Peasants of Steding (Germany) unwilling to pay suffocating church taxes: between 5,000 and 11,000 men, women and children slain 5/27/1234 near Altenesch/Germany. 15th century Poland: 1019 churches and 17987 villages plundered by Knights of the Order. Number of victims unknown. 16th and 17th century Ireland. English troops "pacified and civilized" Ireland, where only Gaelic "wild Irish", "unreasonable beasts lived without any knowledge of God or good manners, in common of their goods, cattle, women, children and every other thing." One of the more successful soldiers, a certain Humphrey Gilbert, half-brother of Sir Walter Raleigh, ordered that "the heddes of all those (of what sort soever thei were) which were killed in the daie, should be cutte off from their bodies... and should bee laied on the ground by eche side of the waie", which effort to civilize the Irish indeed caused "greate terrour to the people when thei sawe the heddes of their dedde fathers, brothers, children, kinsfolke, and freinds on the grounde". Tens of thousands of Gaelic Irish fell victim to the carnage.
CRUSADES(1095-1291)
First Crusade: 1095 on command of pope Urban I.
Semlin/Hungary 6/24/96 thousands slain. Wieselburg/Hungary 6/12/96 thousands.
9/9/96-9/26/96 Nikaia, Xerigordon (then Turkish), thousands respectively.
Until January 1098 a total of 40 capital cities and 200 castles conquered (number of slain unknown)
After 6/3/98 Antiochia (then Turkish) conquered, between 10,000 and 60,000 slain. 6/28/98 100,000 Turks (incl. women and children) killed.
Here the Christians "did no other harm to the women found in [the enemy's] tents - save that they ran their lances through their bellies," according to Christian chronicler Fulcher of Chartres. Marra (Maraat an-numan) 12/11/98 thousands killed. Because of the subsequent famine "the already stinking corpses of the enemies were eaten by the Christians" said chronicler Albert Aquensis. Jerusalem conquered 7/15/1099 more than 60,000 victims (Jewish, Muslim, men, women, children). In the words of one witness: "there [in front of Solomon's temple] was such a carnage that our people were wading ankle-deep in the blood of our foes", and after that "happily and crying for joy our people marched to our Saviour's tomb, to honour it and to pay off our debt of gratitude." The Archbishop of Tyre, eye-witness, wrote: "It was impossible to look upon the vast numbers of the slain without horror; everywhere lay fragments of human bodies, and the very ground was covered with the blood of the slain. It was not alone the spectacle of headless bodies and mutilated limbs strewn in all directions that roused the horror of all who looked upon them. Still more dreadful was it to gaze upon the victors themselves, dripping with blood from head to foot, an ominous sight which brought terror to all who met them. It is reported that within the Temple enclosure alone about ten thousand infidels perished." Christian chronicler Eckehard of Aura noted that "even the following summer in all of Palestine the air was polluted by the stench of decomposition". Battle of Askalon, 8/12/1099. Thousands of heathens slaughtered "in the name of Our Lord Jesus Christ". Fourth crusade: 4/12/1204 Constantinople sacked, number of victims unknown, numerous thousands, many of them Christian.
CRUSADES (1095-1291) Estimated totals: Wertham: 1,000,000 Charles Mackay, Memoirs of Extraordinary Popular Delusions and the Madness of Crowds (1841): 2,000,000 Europeans killed. [http://www.bootlegbooks.com/NonFiction/Mackay/PopDelusions/chap09.html] Aletheia, The Rationalist's Manual: 5,000,000 Individual Events: Davies: Crusaders killed up to 8,000 Jews in Rhineland Paul Johnson A History of the Jews (1987): 1,000 Jewish women in Rhineland comm. suicide to avoid the mob, 1096. Gibbon, Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire, v.5, 6 1st Crusade: 300,000 Eur. k at Battle of Nice [Nicea]. Crusaders vs. Solimon of Roum: 4,000 Christians, 3,000 Moslems
1098, Fall of Antioch: 100,000 Moslems massacred. 50,000 Pilgrims died of disease. 1099, Fall of Jerusalem: 70,000 Moslems massacred. Siege of Tiberias: 30,000 Christians k. Siege of Tyre: 1,000 Turks Richard the Lionhearted executes 3,000 Moslem POWs. 1291: 100,000 Christians k after fall of Acre. Fall of Christian Antioch: 17,000 massacred. [TOTAL: 677,000 listed in these episodes here.] Jaffa: 20,000 Christians massacred, 1197 Sorokin estimates that French, English & Imperial German Crusaders lost a total of 3,600 in battle. 1st C (1096-99): 400 2nd C (1147-49): 750 3rd C (1189-91): 930 4th C (1202-04): 120 5th C (1228-29): 600 7th C (1248-54): 700 James Trager, The People's Chronology (1992) 1099: Crusaders slaughter 40,000 inhabs of Jerusalem. Dis/starv reduced Crusaders from 300,000 to 60,000. 1147: 2nd Crusades begins with 500,000. "Most" lost to starv./disease/battle. 1190: 500 Jews massacred in York. 1192: 3rd Crusade reduced from 100,000 to 5,000 through famine, plagues and desertions in campaign vs Antioch. 1212: Children's Crusade loses some 50,000. [TOTAL: Just in these incidents, it appears the Europeans lost around 650,000.] TOTAL: When I take all the individual death tolls listed here, weed out the duplicates, fill in the blanks, apply Occam ("Pluralitas non est ponenda sine necessitate"), etc. I get a very rough total of 1½ M deaths in the Crusades. Heretics and Atheists Already in 385 C.E. the first Christians, the Spanish Priscillianus and six followers, were beheaded for heresy in Trier/Germany Manichaean heresy: a crypto-Christian sect decent enough to practice birth control (and thus not as irresponsible as faithful Catholics) was exterminated in huge campaigns all over the Roman empire between 372 C.E. and 444 C.E. Numerous thousands of victims. [NC] Albigensians: the first Crusade intended to slay other Christians. The Albigensians (Cathars) viewed themselves as good Christians, but would not accept Roman Catholic rule, and taxes, and prohibition of birth control. Begin of violence: on command of pope Innocent III (the greatest single mass murderer prior to the Nazi era) in 1209. Beziérs (today France) 7/22/1209 destroyed, all the inhabitants were slaughtered. Number of victims (including Catholics refusing to turn over their heretic neighbors and friends) estimated between 20,000-70,000. Carcassonne 8/15/1209, thousands slain. Other cities followed. Subsequent 20 years of war until nearly all Cathars (probably half the population of the Languedoc, today southern France) were exterminated.
After the war ended (1229) the Inquisition was founded 1232 to search and destroy surviving/hiding heretics. Last Cathars burned at the stake 1324.
Estimated one million victims (Cathar heresy alone), Other heresies: Waldensians, Paulikians, Runcarians, Josephites, and many others. Most of these sects exterminated, (I believe some Waldensians live today, yet they had to endure 600 years of persecution) I estimate at least hundred thousand victims (including the Spanish inquisition but excluding victims in the New World). Spanish Inquisitor Torquemada, a former Dominican friar, allegedly was responsible for 10,220 burnings. John Huss, a critic of papal infallibility and indulgences, was burned at the stake in 1415. Michael Sattler, leader of a baptist community, was burned at the stake in Rottenburg, Germany, May 20, 1527. Several days later his wife and other follwers were also executed. [KM] University professor B.Hubmaier burned at the stake 1538 in Vienna. [DO59]
Giordano Bruno, Dominican monk, after having been incarcerated for seven years, was burned at the stake for heresy on the Campo dei Fiori (Rome) on 2/17/1600. Thomas Aikenhead, a twenty-year-old scottish student of Edinburgh University, was hanged for atheism and blasphemy.
WITCHES From the beginning of Christianity to 1484 probably more than several thousand. In the era of witch hunting (1484-1750) according to modern scholars several hundred thousand (about 80% female) burned at the stake or hanged. [WV]
Position of Jesus (pbuh) in Islam:
(i) Islam is the only non-Christian faith, which makes it an article of faith to believe in Jesus (pbuh). No Muslim is a Muslim if he does not believe in Jesus (pbuh).
(ii)
We believe that he was one of the mightiest Messengers of Allah (swt).
(iii) We believe that he was born miraculously, without any male intervention, which many modern day Christians do not believe.
(iv)
We believe he was the Messiah translated Christ (pbuh).
(v)
We believe that he gave life to the dead with God’s permission.
(iv) We believe that he healed those born blind, and the lepers with God’s permission.
III CONCEPT OF GOD IN CHRISTIANITY:
One may ask, if both Muslims and Christians love and respect Jesus (pbuh), where exactly is the parting of ways? The major difference between Islam and Christianity is the Christians’ insistence on the supposed divinity of Christ (pbuh). A study of the Christian scriptures reveals that Jesus (pbuh) never claimed divinity. In fact there is not a single unequivocal statement in the entire Bible where Jesus (pbuh) himself says, "I am God" or where he says, "worship me". In fact the Bible contains statements attributed to Jesus (pbuh) in which he preached quite the contrary. The following statements in the Bible are attributed to Jesus Christ (pbuh):
(i) "My Father is greater than I." [The Bible, John 14:28]
(ii) "My Father is greater than all." [The Bible, John 10:29]
(iii) "…I cast out devils by the Spirit of God…." [The Bible, Mathew 12:28]
(iv) "…I with the finger of God cast out devils…." [The Bible, Luke 11:20]
(v) "I can of mine own self do nothing: as I hear, I judge: and my judgement is just; because I seek not my own will, but the will of the Father which hath sent me." [The Bible, John 5:30]
Jesus (pbuh) never claimed divinity for himself. He clearly announced the nature of his mission. Jesus (pbuh) was sent by God to confirm the previous Judaic law. This is clearly evident in the following statements attributed to Jesus (pbuh) in the Gospel of Mathew:
"Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the Prophets: I am not come to destroy, but to fulfil. For verily I say unto you, Till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled.
"Whosoever therefore shall break one of these least commandments, and shall teach men so, he shall be called the least in the kingdom of heaven; but whosoever shall do and teach them, the same shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven."
"For I say unto you, That except your righteousness shall exceed the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees, ye shall in no case enter into the kingdom of heaven." [The Bible, Mathew 5:17-20]
The Bible mentions the prophetic nature of Jesus (pbuh) mission in the following verses:
(i) "… and the word which ye hear is not mine, but the Father’s which sent me." [The Bible, John 14:24]
(ii) "And this is life eternal, that they might know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou has sent." [The Bible, John 17:3]
Consider the following incident mentioned in the Bible:
"And behold, one came and said unto him, ‘Good Master, what good thing shall I do, that I may have eternal life?’
And he said unto him, ‘Why callest thou me good? There is none good but one, that is, God: but if thou wilt enter into life, keep the commandments.’ " [The Bible, Mathew 19:16-17]
Jesus (pbuh) did not say that to have the eternal life of paradise, man should believe in him as Almighty God or worship him as God, or believe that Jesus (pbuh) would die for his sins. On the contrary he said that the path to salvation was through keeping the commandments. It is indeed striking to note the difference between the words of Jesus Christ (pbuh) and the Christian dogma of salvation through the sacrifice of Jesus (pbuh).
The following statement from the Bible supports the Islamic belief that Jesus (pbuh) was a prophet of God.
"Ye men of Israel, hear these words; Jesus of Nazareth, a man approved of God among you by miracles and wonders and signs, which God did by him in the midst of you, as ye yourselves also know." [The Bible, Acts 2:22]
The Bible does not support the Christian belief in trinity at all. One of the scribes once asked Jesus (pbuh) as to which was the first commandment of all, to which Jesus (pbuh) merely repeated what Moses (pbuh) had said earlier:
"Shama Israelu Adonai Ila Hayno Adonai Ikhad."
This is a Hebrew quotation, which means:
"Hear, O Israel; The Lord our God is one Lord." [The Bible, Mark 12:29]
It is striking that the basic teachings of the Church such as Trinity and vicarious atonement find no mention in the Bible. In fact, various verses of the Bible point to Jesus’ (pbuh) actual mission, which was to fulfill the law revealed to Prophet Moses (pbuh). Indeed Jesus (pbuh) rejected any suggestions that attributed divinity to him, and explained his miracles as the power of the One True God.
Jesus (pbuh) thus reiterated the message of monotheism that was given by all earlier prophets of Almighty God.
IV CONCEPT OF GOD IN OLD TESTAMENT:
The following verse from the book of Deuteronomy contains an exhortation from Moses (pbuh):
"Shama Israelu Adonai Ila Hayno Adna Ikhad". It is a Hebrew quotation which means: "Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God is one Lord" [The Bible, Deuteronomy 6:4]
The following verses are from the Book of Isaiah:
(i)
"I, even I, am the Lord; and beside me there is no saviour."
[The Bible, Isaiah 43:11]
(ii) "I am Lord, and there is none else, there is no God besides me." [The Bible, Isaiah 45:5]
(iii) "I am God, and there is none else; I am God, and there is none like me." [The Bible, Isaiah 46:9]
(i)
Old Testament condemns idol worship in the following verses:
"Thou shalt have no other gods before me."
"Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image, or any likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth:"
"Thou shalt not bow down thyself to them, nor serve them: for I the Lord thy God am a jealous God." [The Bible, Exodus 20:3-5]
(ii) A similar message is repeated in the book of Deuteronomy:
"Thou shalt have none other gods before me."
"Thou shalt not make thee any graven image, or any likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or that in the earth beneath, or that is in the water beneath the earth."
"Thou shalt not bow down thyself unto them, nor serve them; for I the Lord thy God am a jealous God." [The Bible, Deuteronomy 5:7-9]
taken from: drzakirnaik.com
20th CENTURY CHURCH ATROCITIES Catholic extermination camps Surprisingly few know that Nazi extermination camps in World War I were by no means the only ones in Europe at the time. In the years 1942-1943 also in Croatia existed numerous extermination camps, run by Catholic Ustasha under their dictator Ante Paveliç, a practicing Catholic and regular visitor to the then pope. There were even concentration camps exclusively for children! In these camps - the most notorious was Jasenovac, headed by a Franciscan friar - orthodox-Christian Serbians (and a substantial number of Jews) were murdered. Like the Nazis the Catholic Ustasha burned their victims in kilns, alive (the Nazis were decent enough to have their victims gassed first). But most of the victims were simply stabbed, slain or shot to death, the number of them being estimated between 300,000 and 600,000, in a rather tiny country. Many of the killers were Franciscan friars. The atrocities were appalling enough to induce bystanders of the Nazi "Sicherheitsdienst der SS", watching, to complain about them to Hitler (who did not listen). The pope knew about these events and did nothing to prevent them. [MV] Catholic terror in Vietnam In 1954 Vietnamese freedom fighters; the Viet Minh; - had finally defeated the French colonial government in North Vietnam, which by then had been supported by U.S. funds amounting to more than $2 billion. Although the victorious assured religious freedom to all (most non-Buddhist Vietnamese were Catholics), due to huge anticommunist propaganda campaigns many Catholics fled to the South. With the help of Catholic lobbies in Washington and Cardinal Spellman, the Vatican's spokesman in U.S. politics, who later on would call the U.S. forces in Vietnam "Soldiers of Christ", a scheme was concocted to prevent democratic elections which could have brought the communist Viet Minh to power in the South as well, and the fanatic Catholic Ngo Dinh Diem was made president of South Vietnam. [MW16ff] Diem saw to it that U.S. aid, food, technical and general assistance was given to Catholics alone, Buddhist individuals and villages were ignored or had to pay for the food aids which were given to Catholics for free. The only religious denomination to be supported was Roman Catholicism. The Vietnamese McCarthyism turned even more vicious than its American counterpart. By 1956 Diem promulgated a presidential order which read: "Individuals considered dangerous to the national defense and common security may be confined by executive order, to a concentration camp." Supposedly to fight communism, thousands of Buddhist protesters and monks were imprisoned in "detention camps." Out of protest dozens of Buddhist teachers - male and female - and monks poured gasoline over themselves and burned themselves. (Note that Buddhists burned themselves: in comparison Christians tend to burn others). Meanwhile some of the prison camps, which in the meantime were filled with Protestant and even Catholic protesters as well, had turned into no-nonsense death camps. It is estimated that during this period of terror (1955-1960) at least 24,000 were wounded - ; mostly in street riots ; - 80,000 people were executed, 275,000 had been detained or tortured, and about 500,000 were sent to concentration or detention camps. [MW76-89]. To support this kind of government in the next decade thousands of American GI's lost their life. Rwanda Massacres In 1994 in the small African country of Rwanda in just a few months several hundred thousand civilians were butchered, apparently a conflict of the Hutu and Tutsi ethnic groups. For quite some time I heard only rumors about Catholic clergy actively involved in the 1994 Rwanda massacres. Odd denials of involvement were printed in Catholic church journals, before even anybody had openly accused members of the church. Then, 10/10/96, in the newscast of S2 Aktuell, Germany - a station not at all critical to Christianity - the following was stated: "Anglican as well as Catholic priests and nuns are suspect of having actively participated in murders. Especially the conduct of a certain Catholic priest has been occupying the public mind in Rwanda's capital Kigali for months. He was minister of the church of the Holy Family and allegedly murdered Tutsis in the most brutal manner. He is reported to have accompanied marauding Hutu militia with a gun in his cowl. In fact there has been a bloody slaughter of Tutsis seeking shelter in his parish. Even two years after the massacres many Catholics refuse to set foot on the threshold of their church, because to them the participation of a certain part of the clergy in the slaughter is well established. There is almost no church in Rwanda that has not seen refugees - women, children, old - being brutally butchered facing the crucifix. According to eyewitnesses clergymen gave away hiding Tutsis and turned them over to the machetes of the Hutu militia. In connection with these events again and again two Benedictine nuns are mentioned, both of whom have fled into a Belgian monastery in the meantime to avoid prosecution. According to survivors one of them called the Hutu killers and led them to several thousand people who had sought shelter in her monastery. By force the doomed were driven out of the churchyard and were murdered in the presence of the nun right in front of the gate. The other one is also reported to have directly cooperated with the murderers of the Hutu militia. In her case again witnesses report that she watched the slaughtering of people in cold blood and without showing response. She is even accused of having procured some petrol used by the killers to set on fire and burn their victims alive..." [S2] More recently the BBC aired: Priests get death sentence for Rwandan genocide BBC NEWS April 19, 1998 A court in Rwanda has sentenced two Roman Catholic priests to death for their role in the genocide of 1994, in which up to a million Tutsis and moderate Hutus were killed. Pope John Paul said the priests must be made to account for their actions. Different sections of the Rwandan church have been widely accused of playing an active role in the genocide of 1994...
So, Orion, according to you...Islam is the EVIL religion and ""Not one Christian belief has ever done this horrible thing, nor will ever do so!"
"Religion such as this, who allow evil people to beat a child to death, needs to be stopped!"
"This is just one more example why this religion is is not of God!"
"God help those who believe this sick religion!"
It amazes me that you are so blind, ignorant, whatever that you can make the statement ...
"Not one Christian belief has ever done this horrible thing, nor will ever do so!"
The atrocities that Christians have committed in the name of their religion are some of the most horrific acts in world history...
This is from my own understanding and experience; I speak for no one other than myself. My $0.02 worth.
Islam is a religion of submission - to the will of God as expressed by the prophet Muhammad through his writings in the Quran. A Muslim is one who submits. This submission is expressed through obeying or following the commandments, rules, and desires of God as listed in the Quran, and explained by the religious teachers.
We see some of the more public displays of this expression in the daily calls to prayer - where a Muslim prays in a submissive posture facing Mecca, in the modest dress of Muslim women, the pilgrimage to Mecca, and in the laws governing behavior of Muslim men and women and of crime and punishment in Muslim countries.
In many respects, Islam is like two other major Middle Eastern/Mediterranean based religions - Orthodox Judaism and Roman Catholicism. In a general sense, all three rely upon following the will of God through institutional methods, all three have religious orders who are the teachers and authorities, and all three have ritualized obedience to commandments, precepts and Laws of God as expressed in their holy books of the Quran, Torah, and Bible.
Christianity, on the other hand, is an expression of both the teachings of, and relationship with, Jesus.
Jesus’ teachings were to complete and fulfill the Jewish Law. For example, the Law (Torah) says "You shall not commit murder" and "You shall not commit adultery." Jesus taught that God is more interested in the hearts of men as opposed to their actions, so he said that in the eyes of God, hating was as sinful as murder and lusting as sinful as adultery. If you hate, you have broken the Law in spirit if not in word.
The Law emphasized sacrifice for forgiveness of sins. Jesus said that if you are going to the temple to make a sacrifice and have something against someone, go and reconcile first. He also said to ask God to forgive us as we forgive others.
I cannot speak to the concept of forgiveness in Islam. In Judaism, forgiveness of sins is through sacrifice. In the Book of Exodus, the Angel of Death passed over the houses of the Hebrews which had the blood of a sacrificial lamb on the door post. Jesus is seen as the sacrificial lamb for all people, as his blood was shed for you, for the forgiveness of your sins.
But Christianity is not just about forgiveness through Jesus, or following his teachings, it is about a relationship with God through Jesus and his Holy Spirit. A relationship with God through Jesus may be likened to a relationship of a child to its parent. A child wishes to please his parent and so behaves in a way that pleases the parent, and that the parent may reward, all out of love. "Look Mommy, I drew a picture for you", or "I helped my little brother." This, Jesus taught, is how our obedience, submission, and good works should flow - not out of duty or obligation or fulfilling the Law, but out a sense of love and thankfulness to God. "Let your light so shine before men that they see your good works, and glorify your Father in Heaven," Jesus said.
I addition, the resurrection of Jesus, along with the outpouring of God's Holy Spirit on the day of Pentecost, was a monumental occasion that set in motion the quick spread of Christianity, by men so filled with the Spirit of God that they took His message far and wide. These men were willing to die in order to testify to Jesus' victory over death, and the continued life of His Spirit living in the hearts of men, even if it meant the imprisonment and execution of those bringing the message, which was often the case.
Christianity spread through love, miracles, and testimony, and not at the point of a sword, or with threats. This was in stark contrast to the way most religion spread.
Not too long ago, a Christian pastor taught an Easter message, a message of evidence of Jesus. He gave three examples - The Presence of God, the power of prayer, and changed lives. Three people came forward with personal stories that gave evidence to these.
This makes Christianity fundamentally different from Islam and Judaism, and also from Eastern religions such as Taoism, Hinduism, and Buddhism. None of them recognize a prophet that rose from the dead to be with God and dwell in the hearts of men. All religions follow teachings and emphasize behavior. Christianity emphasizes not just teaching and behavior, but lifestyle and relationship. Good works are done not out of obligation, but out of love. We don't modify our behavior based around Laws, codes, or ritual, but rather because we invite the Holy Spirit into our lives, and he teaches us and our behavior changes as a result. This can be seen as informal and loose to other religions, and also to Roman Catholics, who are also Christian.
There has long been a question of which was more important, faith or good works. Some said we are saved by good works, obeying God - doing the "do's" and not doing the "don'ts". Some said that we are saved by faith, and we are, but that is not the end of it.
In Christianity, good works flow from faith, as faith without works is dead, and works without faith is patronizing to God, external and not internal. It has been said that good works are an outward, visible sign of an inward, spiritual grace. This may be. However, it is also possible to have expressions of good works without any religious motivations. The good work may be a result of the person's faith, but then again, it may not be.
If we have faith, if we live in a relationship with God through Jesus, then good works will naturally flow as evidence of our faith.
This is the best I can do in this medium.
RELIGIOUS WARS 15th century: Crusades against Hussites, thousands slain. [DO30] 1538 pope Paul III declared Crusade against apostate England and all English as slaves of Church (fortunately had not power to go into action). [DO31] 1568 Spanish Inquisition Tribunal ordered extermination of 3 million rebels in (then Spanish) Netherlands. [DO31] Between 5000 and 6000 Protestants were drowned by Spanish Catholic Troops, "a disaster the burghers of Emden first realized when several thousand broad-brimmed Dutch hats floated by." [SH216] 1572 In France about 20,000 Huguenots were killed on command of pope Pius V. Until 17th century 200,000 flee. [DO31] 17th century: Catholics slay Gaspard de Coligny, a Protestant leader. After murdering him, the Catholic mob mutilated his body, "cutting off his head, his hands, and his genitals... and then dumped him into the river [...but] then, deciding that it was not worthy of being food for the fish, they hauled it out again [... and] dragged what was left ... to the gallows of Montfaulcon, 'to be meat and carrion for maggots and crows'." [SH191] 17th century: Catholics sack the city of Magdeburg/Germany: roughly 30,000 Protestants were slain. "In a single church fifty women were found beheaded," reported poet Friedrich Schiller, "and infants still sucking the breasts of their lifeless mothers." [SH191] 17th century 30 years' war (Catholic vs. Protestant): at least 40% of population decimated, mostly in Germany. [DO31-32]
JEWS Already in the 4th and 5th centuries synagogues were burned by Christians.Number of Jews slain unknown. In the middle of the fourth century the first synagogue was destroyed on command of bishop Innocentius of Dertona in Northern Italy. The first synagogue known to have been burned down was near the river Euphrat, on command of the bishop of Kallinikon in the year 388. [DA450] 694 17. Council of Toledo: Jews were enslaved, their property confiscated, and their children forcibly baptized. [DA454] 1010 The Bishop of Limoges (France) had the cities' Jews, who would not convert to Christianity, expelled or killed. [DA453] 1096 First Crusade: Thousands of Jews slaughtered, maybe 12.000 total. Places: Worms 5/18/1096, Mainz 5/27/1096 (1100 persons), Cologne, Neuss, Altenahr, Wevelinghoven, Xanten, Moers, Dortmund, Kerpen, Trier, Metz, Regensburg, Prag and others (All locations Germany except Metz/France, Prag/Czech) [EJ] 1147 Second Crusade: Several hundred Jews were slain in Ham, Sully, Carentan, and Rameru (all locations in France). [WW57] 1189/90 Third Crusade: English Jewish communities sacked. [DO40] 1235, Fulda/Germany: 34 Jewish men and women slain. [DO41] 1257, 1267: Jewish communities of London, Canterbury, Northampton, Lincoln, Cambridge, and others exterminated. [DO41] 1290 Bohemia (Poland) allegedly 10,000 Jews killed. [DO41] 1337 Starting in Deggendorf/Germany a Jew-killing craze reaches 51 towns in Bavaria, Austria, Poland. [DO41] 1348 All Jews of Basel/Switzerland and Strasbourg/France (two thousand) burned. [DO41] 1349 In more than 350 towns in Germany all Jews murdered, mostly burned alive (in this one year more Jews were killed than Christians in 200 years of ancient Roman persecution of Christians). [DO42] 1389 In Prag 3,000 Jews were slaughtered. [DO42] 1391 Seville's Jews killed (Archbishop Martinez leading). 4,000 were slain, 25,000 sold as slaves. [DA454] Their identification was made easy by the brightly colored "badges of shame" that all Jews above the age of ten had been forced to wear. 1492 In the year Columbus set sail to conquer a New World, more than 150,000 Jews were expelled from Spain, many died on their way: 6/30/1492. [MM470-476] 1648 Chmielnitzki massacres: In Poland about 200,000 Jews were slain. [DO43] (I feel sick ...) this goes on and on, century after century, right into the kilns of Auschwitz.
Dear shaine,
Yes, these contradictions are a nuisance. However, unless you take the Bible literally, they are not impossible to deal with. Take two (or more) eyewitnesses to a crime. Their sworn testimony will rarely agree completely. There are differences in perspective and interpretation. Even more this is true when it comes to the Bible, which was written to tell the story of God's history of relationship with humankind. To take just one example, somewhat at random of your list of 101. 69: The Synoptic Gospels have the Last Supper as Passover, which means Jesus died after the Passover, while John has him die before, on the Day of Preparation. Well, Mark (and others) want the Last Supper, and the Christian Eucharist, to look back to the Passover; the easiest way is to make the Last Supper into a Passover Seder. John, on the other hand, sees Jesus as the Lamb of God, the perfect sacrifice--so he has him die on the cross from 12 to 3 p.m., while the Passover lambs are dying in the Temple.
Related to this, I didn't notice on your list whether the sun was shining or not when Jesus died. Mark (15:33) and the parallels mention the darkness when the sun was obscured while Jesus was on the Cross. John, on the other hand, from the beginning sets up a light vs. dark contrast: Jesus (and his people) act in the light, from 1:4-5 on, including 8:12 and 9:1-5. Then notice 13:30: when Judas (and evil) makes his move, "it is night." But, at the Crucifixion there is no mention of darkness: is it conceivable for the Light of the World to perform the greatest act of his ministry in the dark?
Just one more example: 36: did Jesus ride on one or two animals. For some reason, Matthew seems to like to make one thing into two: where Mark has one blind man, Bartimaeus, healed at Jerico (10:46-52), Matthew (20:29-34) has two. This seems to be another case where Matthew took one and made a pair. Nobody has a good explanation for this quirk of Matthew.
On the other hand, none of these contradictions really touch the meat of the story, or if they do, we can see the competing reasons for each to write as they did. You do not even address the greater differences between, say Samuel-Kings and Chronicles, regarding which kings were good and bad and why. Chronicles likes a "cleaner" story, and so leaves out some of the stories that do not speak well of, for example King David. The whole Bathsheba-Uriah story vanishes, for example. On the other hand, the experts feel that the image of David from Samuel is more accurate, simply because it does not leave aside the problems and make David a plaster saint.
As for the original question: what is the difference between Islam and Christianity? As far as I know them, the greatest difference is how they see Jesus. Islam cannot accept the Christian Trinity, and sees Jesus as a great teacher and prophet, but no more than a human, albeit one with great gifts from God. Christians see the Son of God, Second Person of the Trinity. That is the most fundamental difference I know between them.
Shaine, You should finish some of those verses like these two Joh 10:29 My Father, which gave them me, is greater than all; and no man is able to pluck them out of my Father's hand. Joh 10:30 I and my Father are one.
Luk 11:20 But if I with the finger of God cast out devils, no doubt the kingdom of God is come upon you.
And lets try these also.
Joh 5:23 That all men should honour the Son, even as they honour the Father. He that honoureth not the Son honoureth not the Father which hath sent him.
Joh 8:54 Jesus answered, If I honour myself, my honour is nothing: it is my Father that honoureth me; of whom ye say, that he is your God: Joh 8:55 Yet ye have not known him; but I know him: and if I should say, I know him not, I shall be a liar like unto you: but I know him, and keep his saying. Joh 8:56 Your father Abraham rejoiced to see my day: and he saw it, and was glad. Joh 8:57 Then said the Jews unto him, Thou art not yet fifty years old, and hast thou seen Abraham? Joh 8:58 Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Before Abraham was, I am. Joh 8:59 Then took they up stones to cast at him: but Jesus hid himself, and went out of the temple,
Joh 14:8 Philip said to him, "Lord, show us the Father, and that will satisfy us." Joh 14:9 Jesus said to him, "Have I been with you all this time, Philip, and you still do not know me? The person who has seen me has seen the Father. So how can you say, 'Show us the Father'? Joh 14:10 You believe, don't you, that I am in the Father and the Father is in me? The words that I say to you I do not speak on my own. It is the Father who dwells in me who does his works. Joh 14:11 Believe me, I am in the Father and the Father is in me. Otherwise, believe me because of the works themselves. Joh 14:12 "Truly, truly I tell you, the one who believes in me will also do the works that I am doing. He will do even greater works than these because I am going to the Father. Joh 14:13 I will do whatever you ask in my name, so that the Father may be glorified in the Son. Joh 14:14 If you ask me for anything in my name, I will do it." Joh 14:15 "If you love me, keep my commandments.
Joh 16:14 He will glorify me, for he will take what is mine and declare it to you. Joh 16:15 All that the Father has is mine. That is why I said, 'He will take what is mine and declare it to you.'
Mat 28:18 Then Jesus came up and said to them, "All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Mat 28:19 Therefore, as you go, disciple all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, Mat 28:20 teaching them to obey all that I have commanded you. And remember, I am with you each and every day until the end of the age."
There are a lot of differences. The God of the Bible is NOT the Allah.
This is from a paper my 13yo son wrote on the subject earlier this year (it's obvious to even him, LOL):
Jesus was more than a prophet: He was fully God and fully man, and died to save men from their sins and then rose from the dead. The Bible offers eyewitness testimonies to prove it. It shows where Christ claims to be God. Mohammed said he was as great as Jesus, but Mohammed never claimed to be God, and in fact, said that God had no son (Surah 4,171). The Qur'an also says that Jesus never claimed to be God or the right to be worshipped (Surah 5,116) and that He was not even crucified (Surah 4,157). This is clearly different from the Bible.
Muslims say that those verses about Jesus being crucified and claiming to be God are not genuine and claim that there was a conspiracy against Mohammed that made Christians change the Bible. But Mohammed died in the 600’s, so we should see changes between the copies of the New Testament before 600 and after… but there aren’t any. Christ claimed to be Messiah in the oldest scrolls we have. By this, I still have to choose the Bible over the Qur'an, even on logic if not faith.
What’s funny is, Mohammed also said that Jesus was a true prophet (Surah 4,171). It just makes sense… if Jesus' claims to be God are true, then Mohammed can’t be as great as Jesus, as he claimed, and Islam is untrue. On the other hand, if Jesus' wasn’t really God and He spoke lies, then Islam is still untrue, since the Qur’an claims that Jesus was a true prophet. Either way, Islam is untrue. I’m only 12, but it seems clear to me.
But there’s an even bigger difference between the character of God and Allah. The Bible says “God is love (1 John 4:8).” Allah can lie and deceive (Qur'an 40,32; Qur'an 13,27). Bukhari,V2B24N555 gives Allah the character of hating those who ask too many questions!
Jehovah God is three-in-one. It’s true in the Bible from the very first chapter. “Let US make man in OUR own image (Genesis 1).” It’s also at the Tower of Babel (Genesis 11) and in my favorite Bible verse, Isaiah 1:18: “Come now, let US reason together, saith the Lord. Though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool.” Jesus Himself said, “I and the Father are One. (John 10:30).” The Qur’an says that God is not three in one (Surat 4,171). At other times, the Qur’an claims the Holy Spirit is real, but is the angel Gabriel. The Bible says that the Holy Spirit is fully God, and comes to live in every believer when they accept Christ as Savior.
Clearly, the two religions do not worship the same God.
Hope that helps!!!
Who is this Jesus ?
He is the First and Last, The Beginning and the End! He is the keeper of Creation and the Creator of all! He is the Architect of the universe and the Manager of all times. He always was, He always is, and He always will be ... unmoved, Unchanged, Undefeated, and never Undone! He was bruised and brought healing! He was pierced and eased pain! He was persecuted and brought freedom! He was dead and brought life! He is risen and brings power! He reigns and brings Peace! The world can't understand him, The armies can't defeat Him, The schools can't explain Him, and The leaders can't ignore Him. Herod couldn't kill Him, The Pharisees couldn't confuse Him, and The people couldn't hold Him! Nero couldn't crush Him, Hitler couldn't silence Him, The New Age can't replace Him. He is light, love, longevity, and Lord. He is goodness, Kindness, Gentleness, and God. He is Holy, Righteous, mighty, powerful, and pure. His ways are right, His word is eternal, His will is unchanging, and His mind is on me. He is my Savior, He is my guide, and He is my peace! He is my Joy, He is my comfort, He is my Lord, and He rules my life! I serve Him because His bond is love, His burden is light, and His goal for me is abundant life. I follow Him because H e is the wisdom of the wise, the power of the powerful, the ancient of days, the ruler of rulers, the leader of leaders, the overseer of the overcomers, and is to come. And if that seems impressive to you, try this for size. His goal is a relationship with ME! He will never leave me, never forsake me, never mislead me, never forget me, never overlook me, and never cancel my appointment in His appointment book! When I fall, He lifts me up! When I fail, He forgives! When I am weak, He is strong! When I am lost, He is the way! When I am afraid, He is my courage! When I stumble, He steadies me! When I am hurt, He heals me! When I am broken, He mends me! When I am blind, He leads me! When I am hungry, He feeds me! When I face trials, He is with me! When I face persecution, He shields me! When I face problems, He comforts me! When I face loss, He provides for me! When I face Death, He carries me Home! He is everything for everybody everywhere, every time, and every way. He is God, He is faithful. I am His, and He is mine! My Father in heaven can whip the father of this world. So, if you're wondering why I feel so secure, understand this... He said it and that settles it. God is in control, I am on His side, and that means all is well with my soul. Everyday is a blessing for GOD Is!
azzieya:
The Quran teaches that Allah says to butcher the enemies, everyone who does not worship Allah.
Quran, Surah 8, verse 60: “Prepare for them whatever force and cavalry ye are able of gather to strike fear into the hearts of the enemies of Allah and your enemies.”
“Allah is happy when non-Muslims get killed.” “Annihilate the infidels and the polytheists.” “Your and Allah’s enemies are the enemies of the religion.” “Allah counts them and kills them to the last one. And don’t leave even one.”
Quran, Surah 4, verse 56 “Those who have disbelieved our signs, we shall roast them in fire, whenever their skins are cooded to a turn, we shall substitue new skin for them that they may feel lthe punishment verily Allah is sublime and wise.”
“If Allah permits us, oh nation of Mohammed, even the stone will say ‘oh Muslim, A Jew is h iding behind me, come and cut off his head. And we shall cut off his head! By Allah, we shall cut it off! Oh, Jew! “Allah is great” “jihad for the sake of Allah!” “Victory to Allah!”
An interview with a family; when a 3 1/2 yo girl was asked: “who are the Jews?” she said “They are apes and pigs Allah said so” she was asked: “where did he say that?” the litter girl said “in the Quran”
Quran, Surah 47, verse 4: “Therefore, when you meet the unbelievers, smite at their necks and when ye have a cause a blood bath among them bind a bond firmly on them”
“Mohammed B. said: “If I had the opportunity to get out of prison and had the opportunity to do it again, what I did on 9/11/02, Allah, I would have done exactly the same.”
“Take lesson of Theo Van Gogh! Take lessons from the examples that you see! For you will pay with your blood!”
Iqura TV Saudi Arabia: “Houses of young men must be sacrificed, throats must be slit and skulls must be shattered! This is the pathway to victory!”
Quran Surah 4, verse 89: “They but wish that ye should reject faith as they do and thus be on the same footing as they, so take not friends from their ranks until they flee in the way of Allah, But if they turn renegades, seize them and kill themn where ever ye find them and take no friends or h elpers from their ranks.”
“Islam is a sacrid religion, the best there is! If someone converts to Christianity, he deserves the death penalty!”
Is this the religion you say worships the true God? Muslims do not worship the Creator, the one and only God, Lord Jesus Christ..there is none other.
Muslims worship allah who teaches death to infidals! Muslims believe the Quran is holy and sacred, right.
Dear shaine,
The way we Catholics see the Bible as holy is that each book has, as it were, two authors. There are the human authors, who used their God-given gifts to write in their own words of what they learned about God, and there is the Spirit who inspired them, who led the Church to recognize and accept their works as inspired. We did not accept "the original book," we accepted the book as it is, often after extensive editing. We see this in Isaiah, with some sections added centuries later (they speak of King Cyrus by name, they address issues of the exile and post-exilic Judaism). We see it in the Gospel according to John, where in Chapter four we have Jesus baptising, and then a note denying that and claiming it was only his disciples who were baptising. We see it also in John's two conclusions, at the end of Chapters 20 and 21.
And yet, with all the contradictions and errors, we still hold the Bible holy and inspired. It seems that God really is serious when claiming that humans are to be involved with the work of salvation as coworkers with God, despite our fallibility. Yes, it would be much more convenient if we had a holy book free from error, or a church free from sinners, but that's not the way God wants it. And, in this case (as in almost all others), God's plan is final. (I say almost, because we still have free will to reject salvation.)
How can Jesus be God? Because, despite their reluctance to accept it, the disciples who knew Jesus and told us about him are unanimous in making the absurd claim that he was exactly that: divine, Son of God. They are the ones who were best placed to know the truth or falsity of that claim, and they (literally) accepted death rather than deny it. Having met the risen Christ, they believed, they went out and told the world--and I believe as a member of that same tradition.
As for God being beyond Jesus, what of when he says, "no one knows the Son except the Father, and no one knows the Father except the Son, and anyone to whom the Son chooses to reveal him"? Unless the Son is on the same level as the Father, how can he know him?
Also, I try not to claim that God is a "he." Unfortunately, the English language often does not allow gracious alternatives to such claims, and I tend to give up on the round-about forms, especially when they obscure what I am trying to say. So, please forgive my limitations, especially when it comes to using the default, male pronoun. We do not live in the ideal world, but in the one we have been given.
Through Jesus, our relationship to God's law is clarified. It's in the Bible, Matthew 5:17-18, NIV. "Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them. I tell you the truth, until heaven and earth disappear, not the smallest letter, not the least stroke of a pen, will by any means disappear from the Law until everything is accomplished."
Galatians 2:15-16, NIV. "A man is not justified by observing the law, but by faith in Jesus Christ. So we, too, have put our faith in Christ Jesus that we may be justified by faith in Christ and not by observing the law, because by observing the law no one will be justified."
What is the connection between the law and sin? It's in the Bible, I John 3:4, . "Everyone who sins breaks the law; in fact, sin is lawlessness."
Is it necessary to keep all of the commandments? James 2:10-11,"For whoever keeps the whole law and yet stumbles at just one point is guilty of breaking all of it. For He who said, 'Do not commit adultery,' also said, Do not murder.' If you do not commit adultery but do commit murder, you have become a lawbreaker."
Can we know God without keeping the commandments? I John 2:4-6, NIV. "The man who says, 'I know Him, but does not do what He commands is a liar, and the truth is not in him. But if anyone obeys His word, God's love is truly made complete in him. This is how we know we are in Him: Whoever claims to live in Him must walk as Jesus did."
Are we saved by keeping the law? It's in the Bible, Romans 3:27-31, TLB. "Then what can we boast about doing, to earn our salvation? Nothing at all. Why? Because our acquittal is not based on our good deeds; it is based on what Christ has done and our faith in Him. So it is that we are saved by faith in Christ and not by the good things we do. And does God save only the Jews in this way? No, the Gentiles, too, may come to Him in this same manner. God treats us all the same; all, whether Jews or Gentiles, are acquitted if they have faith. Well then, if we are saved by faith, does this mean that we no longer need obey God's laws? Just the opposite! In fact, only when we love and trust Jesus can we truly obey Him."
Ecclesiastes 12:13, NIV. "Here is the conclusion of the matter. Fear God and keep His commandments, for this is the whole duty of man."
I'm all done now...God bless you all. I pray that this has and will help those who have questions about the Ten Commandments of God.
flossheal, you are wise beyond your years. What you said is very true. "His parable of the Sheep and the Goats makes it clear that He says: 'Get away from me, I never knew you' to those who call on His name but do not do things His way"
ameoba, the RCC (Roman Catholic Church) is not considered true Christianity. They are the ones who are well known for most of the atrocities you brazenly pointed out, but there are true followers of Jesus Christ in every religion. Even in countries that have never heard the name Jesus Christ there are true Christians.
You see, God wrote His laws on each one of our hearts. He gave us the knowledge to know right from wrong. Those who choose to do wrong are not His children; those who choose to do good, are His; that mean Muslims too...ALL religions.
Down thru our history people have claimed to be Christian, but are in fact, not at all. A true Christian does not do those things which you so clamorously posted above, but instead we choose to 'walk the walk and talk the talk' that Jesus Himself taught His followers.
amoeba, when I said "Not one Christian belief has ever done this horrible thing, nor will ever do so!" I was meaning not one "TRUE" follower of God, but I can see where you'd get the wrong idea about what I was saying.
By no means are Christians perfect, not at all. When we fall (sin) we have an Advocate, Jesus Christ. He stands up for us to the Father. Jesus takes our sin and gives us His robe of righteousness. The more we learn about Jesus, the more we love Him and the more we love Him the more we become like Him.
amoeba, I'd like to ask you a favor. . . could you please ignore me and my comments in the future. You seem to have a true hatred for me and anything I say.
There are polite ways of speaking to others, even if there are differences in thinking, which you have not shown to me.
It seems that whenever I say anything, you make me out to look as awful as possible; to prove me wrong in every way possible.
I know you probably don't mean to, but it seems like it to me (and others), so from now on could you please just ignore me. I appreciate it very much, thank you
I am not perfect; I make mistakes. A lot of the time I figure that people know what I mean when I say something, but I actually need to clarify my meaning...please give people the 'benefit of the doubt', allow for mistakes, be gracious and kind . . . these things will come back to you as blessings.
Ten Commandments:
The law of God contains ten commandments. Exodus 20:1-17, NIV. " And God spoke all these words: 'I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of Egypt, out of the land of slavery.
[1] You shall have no other gods before Me.
[2] You shall not make for yourself an idol in the form of anything in heaven above or on the earth beneath or in the waters below. You shall not bow down to them or worship them; for I, the Lord your God, am a jealous God, punishing the children for the sin of the fathers to the third and fourth generation of those who hate Me, but showing love to thousands who love Me and keep My commandments.
[3] You shall not misuse the name of the Lord your God, for the Lord will not hold anyone guiltless who misuses His name.
[4] Remember the Sabbath day by keeping it holy. Six days you shall labor and do all your work, but the seventh day is a Sabbath to the Lord your God. On it you shall not do any work, neither you, nor your son or daughter, nor your manservant or maidservant, nor your animals, nor the alien within your gates. For in six days the Lord made the heavens and the earth, the sea, and all that is in them, but He rested on the seventh day. Therefore the Lord blessed the Sabbath day and made it holy.
[5] Honor your father and your mother, so that you may live long in the land the Lord your God is giving you.
[6] You shall not murder.
[7] You shall not commit adultery.
[8] You shall not steal.
[9] You shall not give false testimony against your neighbor.
[10] You shall not covet your neighbor's house. You shall not covet your neighbor's wife, or his manservant or maidservant, his ox or donkey, or anything that belongs to your neighbor.'"
Now, which one of these ten is impossible to keep holy? Which of these ten is not important? Not one! It is reasonable to keep all ten holy for the Lord, God has asked us to do so, IF YOU LOVE ME, KEEP MY COMMANDMENTS. I for one love the Lord thy God with all my heart and all my soul. I hope you do the same. God bless you.
Dear commitedchristian, First of all don’t think im attacking your belief in anyway. Im just point out some things that I wud question about my religion. If the book that I consider Holy has contradictions and mistakes….how can it be holy? Can God make a mistake? No. So how would God’s word be contradicting? You send it yourself that when u have two eyewitnesses they rarely agree. So how can you accept that the authors of the Bible over time wouldn’t include their opinions and thoughts and not include everything from the original book like the Torah and Gospel? If you really want to believe in Gods words should you refer to the original books than the ones written by human? For example there are many things in the Old Testament not including in the New, such as eating pork? Why was that taken out? Isn’t it because the author choose not to include it because of their belief? Yes, I didn’t include many of the other contradictions you are pointing out. But if you realize them, don’t you question the authenticity of the Bible? How can you say “they really don’t touch the meat of the story”. It’s a big thing to me, knowing that the book that I claim to be God’s words has errors in it. And yes, your right Islam and Christianity see Jesus differently. It’s hard to accept that God would have a son. God is way above that. You cant give God the characteristics of a human. By saying he has a son your claim he is a HE. Which God isn’t. God is much more divine. i) "My Father is greater than I."[The Bible, John 14:28] (ii) "My Father is greater than all."[The Bible, John 10:29] (iii) "…I cast out devils by the Spirit of God…."[The Bible, Mathew 12:28] (iv) "…I with the finger of God cast out devils…." [The Bible, Luke 11:20] (v) "I can of mine own self do nothing: as I hear, I judge: and my judgement is just; because I seek not my own will, but the will of the Father which hath sent me." [The Bible, John 5:30] Even Jesus claimed that God was beyond him. So how can Jesus be God?
orion said; " I'll tell ya, it's Satan's religion "
WOW...How old are you? I guess 30++ right? but you know what? You speak like a little kid (sorry...). I guess you are not used to attend something where people speak with manner. I'm saying so because err...is that the way you portray how a good Christian seem to be? I mean, for someone who love to go to church. Though I'm not really a good muslim; I rarely go to the mosque, I know what I'm doing.. I don't need people to tell me my religion is Satan's religion. What you've said, really gives bad impression of you, you know...
look again how you react...just like a kid... (kids out there, sorry.but you guys better.)
again??
That is particularly pointed to me.. hurmm... so you want other people to shut up and just listen to what you are saying? Who are you? God? hehe .. ignorance? I am not that stupid...OK??? It is just immoral to say other people is lack of knowledge.. Are you really that smart then? Even if you smart you still can't say that..
Okay, enough...I know that the question is, "What is the difference between Islam and Christanity?" .. And I'm not answering to this. I'm just giving response when people say something bad about me, and my religion. It's not wrong to say that your religion is really that good, but it is so wrong to say other religion is false. It's what they believe. Let them. And, why are some people here so rude? Where is your manner? Even adult speak without manner... Saying that other religion is satan's religion. So many bad things I can't imagine about you. Really bad impression, again.
Well let's look at similarities first fau. Both religions believe that there is only one God or as you call him Allah, so if we both believe this he must be the same one. By the way we only need to call God/Allah 'him' so that we can in some way grasp the concept; there is way more to him than we can ever hope to understand Both religions believe he is almighty and all powerful and all loving.
The first big difference fau is that Christians believe in the incarnation where God/Allah became man, or again so that we can understand it we say he sent his son; Christians believe that Christ was in fact God. Muslims do not agree with this, Muhammid was unable to believe this and took a more fundamental line by saying there is only one God/Allah.
For Christians it is a matter of faith, if Muslims cannot believe this they should never deny it, just as Christians are not allowed to judge others for what they believe.
In general Christ and Allah have told us to love one another, if you are a Muslim you will be judged as a Muslim, if you are a Christian you will be judged as a Christian fau.
Christ told us that no-one comes to the father except through him, be careful not to condemn him. Fau god loves you, Christ told us to love one another. If you are unable to grasp the concept of the incarnation make sure that you are a good muslim fau.
May the peace and love of my Lord Jesus Christ be with you always.
Orion - First of all you should have funmailed me. as I am unable to funnail you, I will respond here. You get what you give. You don't read amblessed saying that homosexuals received aids for their sins. You don't read silverwings saying that Islam is of satan. You don't read flossheal saying that Catholics are not true Christians. In fact, I think she would completely disagree with you on that one. As long as you continue to make racist, bigoted, hateful statements towards other religions, lifestyles, races...I will continue to respond to those statements...as I do to ANYONE on this site and in the world. And I don't try to make you out to look awful, you do that with your statements... I will try to prove you wrong when you make statements such as "the RCC (Roman Catholic Church) is not considered true Christianity" I am sure there are many Catholics that would be surprised to hear that. But I will NOT ignore you. When you make such evil, racist, bigoted, hateful statements... I will respond. I will not sit by quietly and see you expounding your message of hate to those on this site, without standing up to your statements. Unless I break the rules of this site and am informed of that by a site editor, I will continue to use my writing to stand up to bigots, racists and the hatred they express.
I hate when people say that jesus is the son of god !!! its wrong ...god has nobody but his messenger is the prophet mohammad peace be upon him . do you know guys that your bible in these days is been written by others the real bible was written by god wich is now is lost . just think a little bit why god said dont have sex with other people (exsept your husband ) he didnt say it to torture you cz you will have deseise like hiv and having many brothers and sister in the world and you dont even know that and even lots of things..or when he said dont drink alchol cz you will hurt people without feeling or get sick. just think a little bit did god made us to have fun here will I am not saying dont have fun but in limits but we have to worship god . I mean why arab people are in war cz bush and the jewesh knows that our religion is the right one look at the arab people dying cz they know there is aplace called heaven is waiting for them. there is somthing I would like to say there is new 6 disaster is coming towards america I am not expecting that scientist have said that were do you think that came from ?from nowhere I dont think so .so you people who doesnt believe in god I dont know what to say there is much more a bout islam and I didnt even started I hope that be helpfull.
I wouldnt recommend you to search through the web on sites that you are unaware of regarding how christianity and islam differ. Reason being is that some sites that you may come across are from an individuals own perspective and will state quotes from the quran and the bible but will be interpreted from the individuals own view.
I don't know too much about Christianity so please feel free to correct me if im wrong and I appologise for any error.
*The difference between Christianity and Islam is that Christians believe that Jesus is the son of God, where as Muslims believe that Jesus is one of the prophets sent by Allah.
*I can share more about this with you, but I would recommend that if you want sound advice regarding your question you can ask two members on funadvice, one of which is my friend who can tell you more and outline what you need to know here are the links:
http://www.funadvice.com/my/layme
http://www.funadvice.com/my/totyfrooty
*Every child that is born, is born a muslim. Then it is upto your parents how they bring you up, example as a Christian, Hindu, Catholic etc. That is why when someone converts to Islam we, muslims do not say convert, but one has reverted to Islam.
"vterr that is very true. God bless you.
azzieya, you are wrong. Have you ever seen Muslims shooting to death twenty men who were not worshippers of allah? I have, and until you can be there and see it for yourself, you need to keep quiet before you show more ignorance ... again! "
orion,who are you to tell me im wrong?u are not GOD to decide,as if you know everything.heh.those muslims u've been talking about,they are absolutely,totally not a good example to show what islam taught us to be.will you be glad if I say christian is really bad,look at their leader,b*sh.or maybe when I saw a christian have done a crime like murder,rape or watever,then I say"whoa..this is what christian taught.really bad...".bad people is still bad people no matter what is his/her religion.and verily,Allah never taught violence,ever.go read the books dude.widen your knowledge.u've got to read from both point of view,really.
and the proof I mentioned earlier,its not like"muslim shot this,muslim bombs that bla bla bla".what I said is,go find in the book,Quran,if there is any statement saying that allah teaches violence.if you could find any.
Wow... this thread became an argument none of you are answering the question any more..
what are the differences between Islamic belief's and Christian ones. you guys makes like 100 pg story.. yet if I asked what are the differences between and apple and orange? your answers would be red/orange hard/soft
very short and understandable.
but because we are talking about religion everyone has to make this long explanation about everything.. so for my apple vs orange Q instead of red and orange, it would be like an apple is different from an orange because the texture of the skin is different because of the type of tree which is only this way because of that and that is this and blah blah blah
now my actual question is... Why is it that only humans are made to obey a God? why are we so special? you dont see animals acting as ridiculous as we do. what makes anyone think that a higher being... who could do ANYTHING... would make a planet 75 % water.. for a species without gills
I met my neighbor one day in the alley, when he learned I was a Christian he Explained it was his Duty to "Alla" that he must convert me to Islam and if he could not he had the right to take my life as I was an "Unbeliever". He then tried to "Force" me to Agree to become a believer in Islam. I have met and discussed the similarities between Christianity and Islam with a few friends and I believe Islam is just a perverted type of religion based loosely upon some of the writings of Moses, Some from other parts of the Bible, and even part from Judaism. (all well known in the day that Mohommed lived) That Bit about Islam claiming Jesus to be a prophet, but them claiming his own prophesies were false really makes me laugh. They don't even realize what they are saying... Then they say that Jesus will return at the second coming to judge the dead. I thought they did'nt believe Jesus died and Arose again And WENT TO HEAVEN.
azzieya said: "As everyone know, Quran is from God. Not altered by human. So no wonder if some human can't understand it right."
azz, not everyone believes that the Quran is of God. As a matter of fact there are millions who do not believe that...and that is because it is NOT of God. The only holy book on earth is the Bible.
You are free to believe whatever pleases you, "as for me and my house, we shall serve the Lord"
editor when you know something is leading people down the wrong path to destruction wouldn't you speak up? You'd better or else you'll be held accountable for it by God.
I believe the Quran and it's teachings is not of God and if I allowed it to go by without saying anything about it, especially when I know some of it and can quote it...I'd be held accountable...I hope you can understand...it's not at all out of hate that I condemn the Quran, it's out of love for the people.
The first four Commandments point upward to our God. It teaches us how to honor and love Him.
The last six Commandments are horizonal teaching us how to treat our brothers and sisters.
Together they form a cross...
When Jesus was asked which of the Ten Commandments were most important,
"Jesus replied: 'Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: 'Love your neighbor as yourself.' All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments."
(God's law is summed up in love) It's in the Bible, Matthew 22:37-40, NIV.
Did you notice? that the first 'greatest commandment' talks about how to love God and the second greatest commandment talks about how to love our fellow man?
Yes, Jesus just repeated all of the Ten Commandments within the two...
Why does anyone even argue, I mean sure some people here are dissing my religion, but if you are in that religion, you believe in it, who cares what the hell someone says about you.Yes you want to make the person eats his words etc etc but as far as I know,both religion circulate around peace and being friends even if others are not of the religion you believe in, if this is true and if you are true to your religion, now look at yourself, you're arguing to other people saying your own religion is better, your religion says not to do that so why are you people doing it.>>>only for christians and muslims, if people of other religion wants to take sides and continue arguing,then don't call youself any other religion other than the one you are fighting for.
As far as what I wrote before, its not about proving one religion to be right. I am a Muslim but I have learned a lot about Christanity. Why do I have to prove Islam? Its sometime I believe in. To those that I need to prove it to, I can definitely share my knowledge on Islam that I have. And to answer to rnealw to what you have commented about, there are good and bad people in all religions. Not every Muslim is a good Muslim and not every Christian is a good Christain. I live in Michigan and here Christian teachers and nuns are converting little kids because they believe Islam isnt the right religion against the kids will. I can list many things here too like you have mentioned, but just because some people are wrong doesnt mean you should generalize.
As I said I have read the Quran and I choose the Holy Bible as the one and Only word of God. . . I don't hate Muslams, Hate poisons the heart and soul. . . After listening to some youtube videos of Dr. Zakir Naik who is praised earlier on this thread How can anyone say the Christians need to show a little tolerance. . . I once lost a job at a truckstop because I was a Christian. . . I had worked there for 4 1/2 years when it was bought by three brothers from Arabia and a partner from Iran. . . . 5 days after they took over, 7 of us lost their jobs with no explanation. We learned later it was because we were Christians. . . . Best thing that ever happened to me. . . really opened my eyes to this religious intolerance stuff. . .
The Ten Commandments are a part of God; He gave them to us and said "If you love Me, keep My Commandments" If you love Him you can and will do as He asks.
God wrote the Ten Commandments with His own finger on tablets of stone, which He, Himself made out of stone and gave to Moses, but Moses broke the first set when he saw the idolatry of his people. So God said to Moses to make another set of stone tablets and bring them up the mountain. Again God wrote with His own finger the Ten Commandments.
For God to write them (twice) again with his own finger they must be and are extremely important. His followers should always do as God has asked of those who love HIm, to keep His Laws, the Ten Commandments.
Exactly, flossheal. The examples I listed were not an indictment of the Christian faith just an eye-opener to those that think Islam is the only wrongdoer. I believe that every religion has examples of followers committing horrible crimes in the name of their god/messiah/leader. I just don't like to see anyone making the statement that no one with their belief has EVER done anything wrong. I especially don't like to see the statements that if a horrible act is committed, that religion should not be allowed to exist. If that were the case, there would be NO religions. Each religion has it's own "history" and true understanding arrives from recognition and acknowledgement of our past...
The examples given of 'Christian' atrocities and 'Muslim' atrocities are all horrific. People who take those religious labels have used them over many centuries to promote tribalism and a delight in violence.
I hope that some peaceful Muslims here can explain those issues from their point of view (I am sure that this is possible). From my point of view as a Christian, I am at least pleased to note that, however people have used Jesus to justify their violence, in fact He himself preached against it. His parable of the Sheep and the Goats makes it clear that He says: 'Get away from me, I never knew you' to those who call on His name but do not do things His way.
There's a lot of debate going on here, let me simplify!
Islam: You get to Heaven by earning your way there through deeds and rituals, and even them you're not guaranteed a place!
Christianity: God loves you. He sent His son, Jesus Christ, to die and pay the price for your sins, so that you don't have to earn your way into Heaven! It's not about how many gold stars you earn, all you need to do is accept Jesus as your saviour and that's it! You're in! Then you can go on to have a personal relationship with the God who loves you SO MUCH! ... without needing to perform rituals or follow rules to make Him happy.
Hope this helps! God Bless you!
Christianityy teaches that Yavashua Ben Miriam (Now called Jesus Christ) is the actual and only begotten Son of God (YHVH) who, as a sinless man could bear and atone for the sins of all men. Islam teaches that Allah (God) has sent many prophets, among whom they include Jesus, but do not ascribe Godhead to him. Islam means submission to God. It is not an evil religion, but has been mis-used by fanatics to further their own ends. (As has Christianity, and most religions). The triune concept of Christianity (Father, Son and Holy Ghost) is interpreted by some Muslims as worshipping three Gods, something contrary to the One God concept.
Dear God! Dear God! That is horrific! The poor little blind boy!! Only seven years old.
Religion such as this, who allow evil people to beat a child to death, needs to be stopped!
Not one Christian belief has ever done this horrible thing, nor will ever do so!
This is just one more example why this religion is is not of God!
When religion goes so far as to torture a blind seven year old to death for not learning the koran, it should be stopped...
There is not one certain religion that is perfect, that is the "right" one, but at least they do not torture children!!!
God help those who believe this sick religion!
6/1/08: A blind seven-year-old student at an Islamic school in eastern Pakistan has died after his teacher punished him for not learning the Koran, police said today.
“Qari Ziauddin, who teaches Koran to boys in Qari Latif Islamic school, hanged Atif upside down with a ceiling fan in the school after beating him with sticks, which caused his death,” local police official Akram Niazi said.
The teacher also failed to take the boy to hospital after he fell ill and his condition deteriorated, he said.
Police said a postmortem examination report also confirmed physical torture as the cause of death.
Thanks, but you don't have to transfer it all. Wasting energy and time, hehe. I know about the clips you've been talking about. That is what happen when someone with limited knowledge tried to interpret Quran. As everyone know, Quran is from God. Not altered by human. So no wonder if some human can't understand it right. Like what had happen in the video.
Not every Muslim is a good Muslim and not every Christian is a good Christian. Bad people is still bad people no matter what is his/her religion. (sigh.have to wrote this over and over again)
No more rude words huh?Good..= )
I can't even answer that in a way that is Fair to the Muslims here. . . . So I'd like to apologize before I start to the Islam people we have here. .. Captain You remember the world trade center? How about the Guys getting their heads cut off? Remember the Reporter that was allowed to live because he converted to Islam? the Reason he lived was because he converted. . . Remember the Guy in Afganistan that was Converted to Christianity and got thrown in Jail for it? You seem to have a vandetta Against the Christian faith. . .
Why fight, if you truly believe in your religion, your religion states that you must not argue or fight with others even if they are not of the same religion, so if you guys truly believe in your religion, you guys shudnt b fighting if you guys continue, you cant call yourself a christian or muslim.If you are neither christian nor muslim, why are you even arguing here,you're not suppose to be supporting any of the religions here, you're supporting your own religion.
Wow...I just read all of this and I can honestly say...I've never seen more hate that was projected from the "Christians" on this thread.
Doesn't the Christian religion promote peace and love? So why basically say that Islam is wrong and evil if you haven't even read the Qu'ran? Isn't that EXACTLY what you wish Athiests wouldn't do? Judge you without reading your Bible?
A little tolerance goes a long way. Practice what you preach.
The holy Bible is our Creator's holy Word.
The quran is false, not of God but teaches lies from Satan.
Jesus Christ is the Son of God. He teaches us to love our enemies.
Your god, allah teaches to kill your enemies, those who do not believe as you do.
Jesus Christ teaches us not to commit adultry.
Your god, allah teaches you'll have many virgins if you commit jihad.
I'll pick Jesus any time over your false god allah
to me the difference between islam and christianity is there authentic books islamic source is qoran a stable book no changes and chritianity book is bible which we can find revised standar d versions to me the revised version is not from god but is man made. christianity was found by jesus and paul togethre they make two contradicting testaments therefore islam comes from god and christianity comes from man alterations of holy book
One more thing, Islam thinks of Jesus as a mere prophet, not God. Islam's god, allah is not the Christian God Almighty Jesus Christ. Our God teaches love to all. Allah (the quran) teaches to hate your enemies and do harm to them. They do not in no way what so ever worship God Almighty. If they do not worship God Almighty, then who do you think they worship? Who teaches them this hatred? Think about it...
The Bible is the true Word of God. Allah is an antichrist nothing more.
Muslim god allah says jihad and when you die you'll so many virgins.
God, our Creator Jesus Christ teaches that man should have one wife unless she dies. Your god teaches adultry, and murder.
Allah teaches to kill those who do not believe as they do. God teaches to love our enemies. BIG difference!
I choose God!
maryam, no you are wrong; islm is not the right religion since it teaches death to who do not worship as they do. What kind of religion is that? I'll tell ya, it's Satan's religion. Satan promotes hatred toward others.
There is only ONE God, the Creator, our Father! God teaches us to love one another and that also means OUR ENEMIES!
I'll choose love over hatred any day of the week.
amoeba, I have you blocked because you have been hounding me, twisting my words with the intention to cause as much damage as you can.
I have reported you and will continue to report you until you are banned from this site.
You are a mean-spirited person looking for a fight against Christians, particularly me.
Leave me alone and stop misquoting my meanings and my words!
rnealw you are right. Being a christian has also cost me jobs (plural). The religious intolerance is only going to get worse because these are the last days right before the Lrod's second coming. The Bible tells us that this will happen and there will be very few true followers of God in these last days.
Hold onto your hats...the road up ahead is going to get bumpy!
"Allah teaches violences towards non- Muslim"
I don't think so... its not very smart to say something bout others religion when you know nothing bout it... and to show it to other people that you obviously don't know...it'll be a shame if I do that.. don't just give statement without any proof -nice tips for u vterr ...hehe
Amblessed had it right and on top of that historical records do not show that there was ever any white people in europe living in caves and if the Islam is true Alah would have blasted all the 'White Devils' by now. Not to mention that a god is holy and devine and cannot be seen by mortal eyes but some how Elijah Muhamid saw him
Jesus teaches peace and mercies towards all mankind whereas Allah teaches violences towards non- Muslim and peace only towards the same believes and to those so called Kuffars if they are willing to submit under the law of Islam ... Isn't that sad? And any Muslim who really knows the content of the Qur'an have to admit that...
I know for a fact islam is the right religion us muslims are blessed feel sorry for all you others. The quraan is the only book that has not been changed. Bible was a book of allah but has been altered by many people. Also the quraan tells us about the signs of the day of judgment 1500 years ago which are all happening now
I know for a fact islam is the right religion us muslims are blessed feel sorry for all you others. The quraan is the only book that has not been changed. Bible was a book of allah but has been altered by many people. Also the quraan tells us about the signs of the day of judgment 1500 years ago which are all happening now
vterr that is very true. God bless you.
azzieya, you are wrong. Have you ever seen Muslims shooting to death twenty men who were not worshippers of allah? I have, and until you can be there and see it for yourself, you need to keep quiet before you show more ignorance ... again!
As of 3/25/08: According to the website Islam Watch, in Russia, some two million ethnic Muslims converted to Christianity last year. Ten thousand French Muslims converted, as did 35,000 Turkish Muslims. In India, approximately 10,000 people abandoned Islam for Christianity.
NOT everyone was born as a muslim, people born into christianity or other religions were born as them religions,
AND it also seems as if the people of ISLAM hate every other religion except theirs, and which is the reason why they go around trying to convert every one.
ISLAM RULES!!!...YAYYY...WOOOHOOO!!^^...ill be back later to reply properly to this question...this is a very interesting way to help people understand what islam is all about..and other religions too^^
be prepared for my inspiring response^^winks
peace^-^
I hate to say it but there's a difference in being Christian and being a zealot--thinking you are the only right ones, other people are just sinners, other religions aren't worthy enough, etc.
And that photo you linked me on Photobucket doesn't work.
This Christian doesn't worship the ten commandments - I worship my Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ - it is through Him and Him only one recieves Salvation which is a gift from God - that gets you to Heaven, not the ten commandments (good works).
I would recommend you take a look at a site that compares major religions like One:The Digital Dialogue. They have the explanations you're looking for a new forum to discuss this very topic. You can find them at http://www.onedialog.com/
That is because animals/birds...are already praising God. they are not corrupted like we humans have become.
When we all get to heaven we will ask God and He will answer our questions. Until then we must believe and go on faith.
Christians say that god is the savior but islams say that jesus is the savior >> Son <<<, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.
Islam believes Jesus was merely a prophet.
The difference between Islam and Christianity is that God says for us to love our enemies. Islam's god says to kill their enemies; all who does not believe the way they do. Simple. There is no truth in Islam, none.
I've read the Quran Editor. Owned a real nice copy before I passed it on to a minister interested in reading it. . . . http://smg.photobucket.com/albums/v312/rnealw/?action=view¤t=CID_QSQOCruR1j.jpg
PLEASE REFER TO DR NAIKS VIDEO ON DIFFERENCES AND SIMILARITY ..ANDLYSIS FROM BOTH PERSPECTIVES...OL ABT BETWEEN ISLAM & CHRISTIANITY !!!
DR ZAKIR NAIK !!!
LOOK IT UP ON YOUTUBE !!!
amblessed
That is because i am a muslim and that is what is stated in the Quran. Im assuming that you are a Christian so if you read a Bible then that probably won't be stated there.
Jesus asked us to love one another just as God/Allah loves us. I will continue to live by this. May the peace and love of my Lord Jesus Christ be with you also.
ridgerunner interesting. Are you saying that Muslim religion is a peaceful religion or simular to Christian beliefs or one and the same with few differences?
The real art of conversation is not only to say the right thing at the right time, but also to leave unsaid the wrong thing at the tempting moment.
I've noticed a difference between Islam & Christianity...
Believers of Islam don't seem nearly as adamant about proving their religion is right.
From an unbiased point of view...
You can find information on the web (Google, Wikipedia, etc.) or there are several books on the topic.
Dr. Zakir Naik is a radical And Dangerous Man. You should pick someone not quite so Radical if you want to sell Islam to the world.
islam and christanity is on he sam branch but islam they worship the 5 pillars but christanity worship the 10 commandments
Thank you, that wasn't made clear in your post ('Quran teaches') - that is definately not in the Bible...Take care !!
I suggest you read up on Christianity with Christian books and Islam with islam books and form your own view. . . .
aaliyah you said: 'Every child that is born, is born a muslim' - that is nowhere to be found in my Bible.
I was referring to people in THIS site... sigh
Islamics aren't as defensive, either... -___-
Christians believe Jesus is the Son of God, and the Saviour of all mankind including Islumist.
*** And that photo you linked me on Photobucket doesn't work. It was my copy of the Quran.
Belief that Jesus Christ is Lord and Savior (Christian) - not merely a prophet (Islam).
Christians say that god is the savior but islams say that jesus is the savior
ilsams and muslims dont know what they believe. There religon is fake.
peacemakin: the sixth Commandment says: "[6] You shall not murder"
And to the 101 http://debate.org.uk/topics/apolog/contrads.htm
Dr. Zakir Naik. For some reason he gives me the giggles.
amblessed fantastic news! Praise the Lord!
Jesus Christ as the Savior vs. Allah?
ak47 and a saws
