Test Your Knowledge of Jesus' Teachings & Consider the 13 Interesting Questions
(And Introduction to the Message of the Prophets And The Last Testament)
1). Did Jesus teach eternal life was conditioned on obeying the commandments?
Yes ___ No __
And behold, a certain lawyer stood up and tempted him, saying, "Master what shall I do to inherit eternal life? He said unto him, What is written in the Law? How do you read?" And he answered saying, "Thou shall love the Lord thy God with all thy heart and with all thy soul, and with all thy strength, and with all thy mind, and thy neighbor as thyself. And he said unto him. You have answered right; do this, and you shall live."
Luke 10: 25-28
Read what the "Last Testament" says on this same subject. Does it agree?
Yes ___ No ___
God has only created us to worship Him (without partners).
Read Last Testament 51:56
2). Did Jesus teach his followers to worship no other, except Almighty God, without any partners?
Yes ___ No ___
And Jesus answered him, the first of all the commandments is, "Hear, O Israel; The Lord our God is one Lord, and you shall worship Him with all your strength and all your might and all your soul and all your heart."
Mark 12:29
He also replied to the devil who was trying to tempt him:
"Get thee behind me, Satan; for it is written, Thou shall worship the Lord they God, and Him only shall you serve."
Matthew 4:10
Read from the Last Testament.
God tells us that He never forgives anyone making partners in worship with Him, but anything less than this, He forgives whom He pleases, and whoever sets up partners with Him in worship, he has indeed invented a tremendous sin.
Read Last Testament 4:48
3). Did Jesus order us to obey all the commandments?
Yes ___ No ___
According to the New Testament in Matthew, he did.
"Think not that I came to destroy the Law and the Prophets. I came not to destroy, but to fulfill. For verily, I say unto you that until Heaven and earth pass away not a jot or one tittle shall no wise pass from the Law, till all be fulfilled."
Matthew 5:17-18
"And behold one came and said to him, Good teacher, what good things shall I do that I may have eternal life? So he said, "Why do you call me good? No one is good but One, this God. But if you want to enter into eternal life, keep the commandments."
Matthew 19:16-17
Therefore all things whatsoever ye would that men should do to you, do ye even so to them: for this is the law and the prophets.
Matthew 7:12
36 Master, which is the great commandment in the law?
37 Jesus said unto him, Thou shall love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind.
38 This is the first and great commandment.
39 And the second is like unto it, Thou shall love thy neighbor as thyself.
40 On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets.
Matthew 22:36-40
While ordering us to obey the "Law" it becomes obvious that he ordered his followers to obey the commandments of Almighty God.
4.) Did Jesus forbid bowing down to statues
Yes ___ No ___
By insisting on following the "Law" (Old Testament), Jesus did in fact endorse the message that Moses had brought down to the children of Israel from Almighty God;
"Thou shall not make unto thee any graven image, or any likeness of anything that is in the heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth. Thou shall not bow down yourself to them, nor serve them."
5.) Did Jesus forbid anyone to worship him?
Yes ___ No ___
"But in vain do they worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men."
Matthew 15:19
And in prophesying the Last Days, he clearly taught the same message:
"But the hour comes, and now is, when the true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth: For the Father seeks such to worship Him. God is a Spirit and they that worship Him must worship Him in spirit and truth."
John 4:23-24
6.) Did Jesus openly deny divinity (said he was not God)?
Yes___ No ___
"The Father is greater than I." - John 14:28
7.) Did Jesus deny that he had the power of God to do his miracles?
Yes ___ No ___
"I do nothing of myself" - John 8:28
"Men of Israel listen to this: Jesus of Nazareth was a man accredited by God to you by miracles, wonders and signs, which God did among you through him, as you know."
Acts 2:22
8.) Did Jesus deny any partners (Trinity) with Almighty God?
Yes ___ No ___
Jesus said unto them, If God were your Father, ye would love me: for I proceeded forth and came from God; neither came I of myself, but he sent me.
John 8:42
Jesus answered, If I honor myself, my honor is nothing: it is my Father that honors me; of whom ye say, that he is your God:
John 8:54
…and say unto them, I ascend unto my Father, and your Father; and to my God, and your God.
John 20:17
9.) Did Jesus forbid the Christmas tree?
Yes ___ No ___
"Thus says the Lord, Learn not the way of the heathen and be not dismayed at the signs of heaven; for the heathen are dismayed at them. For the customs of the people are vain; for one cuts a tree out of the forest, the work of the hands of the workman, with the axe. They deck it with silver and with gold; they fasten it with nails and with hammers, that it move not."
Jeremiah 10:2-4
10.) Did Jesus teach that males should be circumcised?
Yes ___ No ___
Genesis 17:10-11 says he did. "This is my covenant, which you shall keep, between me and you and your seed after you. Every man child among you shall be circumcised. Any you shall circumcise the flesh of your foreskin; and it shall be a token of the covenant between me and you."
John the Baptist was circumcised (Luke 1:59) as was Jesus himself (Luke 2:21)
11.) Did Jesus forbid eating pork?
Yes ___ No ___
"And swine, though he divide the hoof, and be cloven-footed, yet he chews not the cud; he is unclean to you. Of their flesh shall you not eat, and their carcass shall you not touch, they are unclean to you."
Leviticus 11:7-8 And Exodus 20:4-5
12.) Was Jesus a prophet?
Yes ___ No ___
And he said unto them, What things? And they said unto him, Concerning Jesus of Nazareth, which was a prophet mighty in deed and word before God and all the people.
Luke 24:19
The woman said unto him, Sir, I perceive that thou art a prophet.
John 4:19
They say unto the blind man again, What do you say of him, that he has opened your eyes? He said, He is a prophet.
John 9:17
13.) Did Jesus predict the coming of another prophet, like unto him?
Yes ___ No ___
7 Nevertheless I tell you the truth; It is expedient for you that I go away: for if I go not away, the Comforter will not come unto you; but if I depart, I will send him unto you.
8 And when he is come, he will reprove the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment.
John 16:7-8
Well that's a good thing that you are doing but try and make it less 'In your face' kind of language!
It is also a bit discriminating to the Christians. I f u want to win over a non-muslim's heart and make them accept this beautiful deen, you must speak with words of kindness and light!
Sorry for being a bit too critical, but still. I love the idea of a quiz/questionare.
format_quote Originally Posted by knowledgeisdead
stop banning people for no reasons.. you have a reason for my bans then tell me before you do it.. then I will give you reasons for what I am doing...
Listen my friend. Muslims should be kind and basically the ones who do good and submit themselves to god's will. Try and understand this religion. and always remember that we are not allowed to force you in2 this religion. As it says in our holy book, The Qura'an: "There is no compulsion in religion".(surah 2, verse 256).
Hope you reflect upon these few words of wisdom. not my wisdom, but god's wisdom!
Last edited by Muhammad; 12-31-2005 at 12:25 PM.
Reason: posts merged
Well that's a good thing that you are doing but try and make it less 'In your face' kind of language!
It is also a bit discriminating to the Christians. I f u want to win over a non-muslim's heart and make them accept this beautiful deen, you must speak with words of kindness and light!
Sorry for being a bit too critical, but still. I love the idea of a quiz/questionare.
The quiz isnt mine, its from Yusuf Estes.
And I should be kinder in words, I hope I didnt offend anyone. Salaam.
Before answering these questions, allow me to ask you: As a Muslim, you believe the Bible is corrupt. Am I correct? If the Bible is corrupt, why do you quote passages of Scripture from the Bible. Obviously these passages cannot be correct, so what is the purpose of answering questions to corrupt scriptures?
Before answering these questions, allow me to ask you: As a Muslim, you believe the Bible is corrupt. Am I correct? If the Bible is corrupt, why do you quote passages of Scripture from the Bible. Obviously these passages cannot be correct, so what is the purpose of answering questions to corrupt scriptures?
Hello POBook,
This is a common Christian confusion. It is true that as Muslims we do not believe that the Bible has been preserved but that it has been tampered with, but this does not mean that there may still be verses in it that contain the truth. The criterion then, for deciding what is true from the Bible and what isn't, is the Qur'an, God's final message to mankind.
I believe that Jesus is the Son of God, and you have to read the Bible as a whole to understand the message. Here are two powerful statements of Jesus.
John 8-54
Jesus replied if I glorify myself my glory means nothing. My Father whom you claim as your God, is the one who glorifies me. Though you do not know him, I know him. If I said I did not I would be a liar like you, but I do know him and keep his word.
John 10- 36
Why then do you accuse me of blasphemy because I said I am God’s son? Do not believe me unless I do what my father does. But if I do it, even though you do not believe me, believe the miracles that I have done that you may learn and understand that the Father is in me and I am in the Father.
I honestly believe that if you have Islam as a belief then you are better served by studying the Koran and searching for a greatest good interpretation. If you choose to read the Bible then I believe that you should also seek a greatest good interpretation from it.
God in his infinite wisdom has found ways to give us faith through many channels.
In the spirit of seeking greater interfaith relations
I believe that Jesus is the Son of God, and you have to read the Bible as a whole to understand the message. Here are two powerful statements of Jesus.
John 8-54
Jesus replied if I glorify myself my glory means nothing. My Father whom you claim as your God, is the one who glorifies me. Though you do not know him, I know him. If I said I did not I would be a liar like you, but I do know him and keep his word.
John 10- 36
Why then do you accuse me of blasphemy because I said I am God’s son? Do not believe me unless I do what my father does. But if I do it, even though you do not believe me, believe the miracles that I have done that you may learn and understand that the Father is in me and I am in the Father.
I honestly believe that if you have Islam as a belief then you are better served by studying the Koran and searching for a greatest good interpretation. If you choose to read the Bible then I believe that you should also seek a greatest good interpretation from it.
God in his infinite wisdom has found ways to give us faith through many channels.
In the spirit of seeking greater interfaith relations
Eric
The Holy Bible (which, muslims do believe is holy) is not the Holy Book that I follow. I would not however, be satisfied unless my Holy Book was completely reliable, coherent and accurate. The Bible is none of these (I say this in the best way possible, yet, both you and I know that within the Bible, there are differing accounts of the same story, contradictory statements and written by authors who for the most part, had not even lived in Jesus' time).
So, how can you reconciliate quotes that disagree in the Bible. The logical approach would be to find a second party to give an opinion. In this case, lets say its the Quran. You may not accept it, but it was given to a man whom, by Old Testament standards, fit the criteria for a Prophet, and was given in the same area as all the older revelations, and given in the same language (arabic is the new form of aramaic, aramaic being a new form of hebrew, they are all related languages, seperated by time and dialect more than anything). So, isnt this enough to consider the Quran as a 'possible' divine relevation. So the Quran says Jesus is a Prophet, there are some parts of the Bible that agree as Jesus being a Prophet and NOT a GOD. There are parts that say he was a God. So, logicially, doesnt that mean you should hold the testimony that says Jesus is a Prophet as more reliable than any other.
may i just say...christians n muslims n jews are more or less the same..we all have one god and belive in the same things...i dont see any difference except the religion
We say that God created all people and he has given the gift of faith to all who seek it, for reasons that we do not understand he has given me faith through Christianity and he has given you faith through Islam.
There are a number of choices open to all of us in how we deal with our differences.
Should we challenge other people’s beliefs, should we try and convert them to our truth, or should we strive to love others despite our differences?
I believe that we must learn to welcome and embrace diversity; the world would be a very sad place if we all believed exactly in the same way.
Is our greatest purpose in life to try and convert others to our ways, or is our greatest purpose to seek love and forgiveness through diversity?
We say that God created all people and he has given the gift of faith to all who seek it, for reasons that we do not understand he has given me faith through Christianity and he has given you faith through Islam.
There are a number of choices open to all of us in how we deal with our differences.
Should we challenge other people’s beliefs, should we try and convert them to our truth, or should we strive to love others despite our differences?
I believe that we must learn to welcome and embrace diversity; the world would be a very sad place if we all believed exactly in the same way.
Is our greatest purpose in life to try and convert others to our ways, or is our greatest purpose to seek love and forgiveness through diversity?
In the spirit of seeking peace and reconciliation
Eric
You are arguing a very good point bro. However if you believe that Jesus offers salvation, and this is the only way to acheive heaven, then dont you want to share that gift with me?
If you felt this questionnaire was offensive, I honestly apologise. However, I believe that salvation is through God only, and I am trying to share this with you.
I believe that Jesus is the Son of God, and you have to read the Bible as a whole to understand the message.
If this doctrine is not explicity given in the Bible, how do you know that you are following the true teachings of Jesus and not the misguidance others may have attributed to him?
Here are two powerful statements of Jesus.
John 8-54
Jesus replied if I glorify myself my glory means nothing. My Father whom you claim as your God, is the one who glorifies me. Though you do not know him, I know him. If I said I did not I would be a liar like you, but I do know him and keep his word.
John 10- 36
Why then do you accuse me of blasphemy because I said I am God’s son? Do not believe me unless I do what my father does. But if I do it, even though you do not believe me, believe the miracles that I have done that you may learn and understand that the Father is in me and I am in the Father.
I find the following a good analysis of this passage:
John 10:30 – The Father and I are One
Christians regard this verse as the golden egg of divine claims. They almost always, however, take it completely out of context. What does Jesus mean when he says that he and the Father are One? One in divinity? Let’s examine the entire passage and arrive at the truth.
“Then came the Jews round about him, and said unto him, How long dost thou make us to doubt? If thou be the Christ, tell us plainly. Jesus answered them, I told you, and ye believed not: the works that I do in my Father's name, they bear witness of me. But ye believe not, because ye are not of my sheep, as I said unto you. My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me: And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any [man] pluck them out of my hand. My Father, which gave [them] me, is greater than all; and no [man] is able to pluck [them] out of my Father's hand. I and [my] Father are one.
Then the Jews took up stones again to stone him. Jesus answered them, Many good works have I shewed you from my Father; for which of those works do ye stone me? The Jews answered him, saying, For a good work we stone thee not; but for blasphemy; and because that thou, being a man, makest thyself God. Jesus answered them, Is it not written in your law, I said, Ye are gods? If he called them gods, unto whom the word of God came, and the scripture cannot be broken; Say ye of him, whom the Father hath sanctified, and sent into the world, Thou blasphemest; because I said, I am the Son of God?” - John 10:24-36.
Notice Jesus, referring to his sheep, says that no man can pluck them out of his hand. Then he says that His Father is greater than all, and no man is able to pluck them out of His Hand. He and the Father are one, yes, one in purpose! Their unity exists in the fact that they are protecting their sheep, not in their godhead, as
Christians claim. Jesus even prefaces his so-called “claim” by saying that the Father “is greater than all” so that there is no confusion in what he is saying yet Christians remain confused. Christians needing to justify themselves, ridiculously claim that Jesus in verse 29 is speaking of the person of the Father and not of His nature or essential being. However in the very next verse, they now claim that Jesus is speaking of the nature and essence of the Father and equating himself to Him. This is a classic case of Christians reading into the scripture something that is not there.
Ron Rhodes, author of Reasoning from the Scriptures with Muslims, quotes the Athanasian Creed: (emphasis mine, bashfully): “(Christ) is equal to the Father as touching his Godhood, and inferior to the Father as touching his manhood” (pages 154-155). With statements like this, who needs the funny pages? - See Chapter 2 for a complete refutation of the Trinity.
We are then told that the Jews pick up stones and tell Jesus, “for a good work we stone thee not; but for blasphemy; and because that thou, being a man, makest thyself God.” Rhodes comments, “Notice that Jesus did not respond by saying, ‘Oh, no, you’ve got it all wrong. I was not claiming to be God. I’m just claiming unity of purpose with Him.’ Jesus did not offer a single correction because the Jews understood Him exactly as He had intended to be understood.” Maybe Mr. Rhodes forgot to read the remainder of the passage because Jesus does, most definitely, correct the Jews misunderstanding of his claim.
In verse 34, Jesus quotes Psalm 82:6: “Is it not written in your law: ‘I said, you are gods?’” He continues: “If he called them gods, unto whom the word of God came, and the scripture cannot be broken.” So what exactly is Jesus claiming? He is claiming that he is receiving the word of God, and that since those who were bestowed this honor in the Law are called “gods,” like Moses in Exodus 7:1, there is nothing blasphemous about him saying that he is the “Son of God.” He is simply confirming previous scripture.
McDowell says: “Greek scholar A.T. Robertson writes that the ‘one’ is neuter, not masculine, in the Greek, and does not indicate one in person or purpose but rather one in ‘essence or nature’” (page 16). However Jesus says about his disciples: “That they all may be one; as thou, Father, [art] in me, and I in thee, that they also may be one in us: that the world may believe that thou hast sent me” (John 17:21). I don’t think any Christian will submit to believe that there is actually a fifteen-unit godhead consisting of the Father, Son, Holy Ghost, and twelve disciples which includes the “Satanic” Peter, the doubting Thomas, and the traitor Judas Iscariot. The Greek for “one” in both verses (John 10:30, 17:21) is “hen.” Again, oneness of purpose in meant here.
Correct your Christian friend’s misunderstanding of this passage, just as Jesus corrected the Pharisees. (Ataie, In Defense of Islam, pp. 18-20)
I honestly believe that if you have Islam as a belief then you are better served by studying the Koran and searching for a greatest good interpretation. If you choose to read the Bible then I believe that you should also seek a greatest good interpretation from it.
I believe that God is not the author of confusion. He does not send or authorise multiple religions; the true path is one, just as humanity is one. This is what Prophet Jesus spoke of in the previous passage - the unity of humanity upon the one truth. All the prophets came with the same message and if we analyze that message we can quickly find out what it was and what it wasn't. God wants human beings to use their intellect to search for and strive upon the true path He has revealed for mankind.
We say that God created all people and he has given the gift of faith to all who seek it, for reasons that we do not understand he has given me faith through Christianity and he has given you faith through Islam.
According to Christians, God is three persons in one. According to Islam, such a belief is blasphemy. Only one can be correct. God has sent us here on earth with a divine mission to unite humanity upon the truth and to serve Our Lord by enjoining the good and forbidding the evil. Only truth is from God, God does not reveal falsehood. Satan wishes to divide humanity by propagating false beliefs and attributing them to God. Unity does not come in accepting falsehood, but unity comes in striving to follow the true message of God as revealed to His Prophets.
There are a number of choices open to all of us in how we deal with our differences.
Should we challenge other people’s beliefs, should we try and convert them to our truth, or should we strive to love others despite our differences?
God commands us to be tolerant towards others and respectful of them, yet He also commands us to call them in a gentle and wise manner towards the truth, His true message. And His true Message is only one. Only when we unite upon the truth and in the service of Our Creator as Prophet Jesus said, will we be able to experience the true love that comes from submission to God.
How can we, as believers in God, unite with Satanists? Are you claiming that the same God that warned us of Satan wants us to unite and love his followers? No, we must call all humanity to the true religion of God.
I believe that we must learn to welcome and embrace diversity; the world would be a very sad place if we all believed exactly in the same way.
By the same token, is paradise a 'very sad place' ?
Peace be with you!
The Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) said: "Surely I was sent to perfect the qualities of righteous character" [Musnad Ahmad, Muwatta Mâlik]
You are arguing a very good point bro. However if you believe that Jesus offers salvation, and this is the only way to acheive heaven, then dont you want to share that gift with me?
It may well sound like a good argument, but arguments cause conflict and the hardening of hearts.
My thoughts still remain that before creation began God had a greatest good plan for all his creation, he is forgiving, merciful and loving. Somehow he must have a greater good solution to mankind’s problems than we can ever know, he must have known before creation began that many conflicting belief systems would arise.
History has shown that man can never unite through ‘TRUTH’ there is a conflict of truth in Islam through sects, there is a conflict of beliefs through Christianity through denominations and likewise with all other belief systems.
If you felt this questionnaire was offensive, I honestly apologise. However, I believe that salvation is through God only, and I am trying to share this with you.
You have not been offensive at all, on the contrary you have been very open and friendly, but and it is a huge but, I cannot embrace Islam in the way that you would like me too.
So my friend azim were does that leave us?
In the spirit of seeking greater interfaith relations
I could answer you by going through each point you have made, but we already know what our differences are, I would rather choose to try and explain what the truth inspires me to do.
Above all else I see the truth as a means of jihad an inner struggle to change ourselves, but we often try and use the ‘truth’ to change others, which is what Jesus often accused the Pharisees of doing.
I see the truth as a means for an individual to build a relationship with God and his neighbours above all else.
If we were neighbours I would need the freedom from you to grow and become a better person through my Catholic faith, you need the freedom from me to grow and become a better person through your Islamic beliefs.
Being neighbours we can still do all the things that good neighbours do to help each other, despite our differences.
We can sit down together and talk about our faith, but the bottom line for me is that we should still remain good neighbours despite our differences.
In the spirit of seeking greater interfaith relations
You have not been offensive at all, on the contrary you have been very open and friendly, but and it is a huge but, I cannot embrace Islam in the way that you would like me too.
So my friend azim were does that leave us?
Well then maybe ask, why can you not embrace Islam?
Obviously your reasons are your own, and they are personal. Can I ask you however, you know something is the truth, can you embrace it then?
My thoughts still remain that before creation began God had a greatest good plan for all his creation, he is forgiving, merciful and loving. Somehow he must have a greater good solution to mankind’s problems than we can ever know, he must have known before creation began that many conflicting belief systems would arise.
The problems of man are really not that big. They last for decades, people die. This life is very short, so, why would God go to the effort of creating us for something so futile and short? Obviously, there is a hereafter, and obviously, our Lord wants the best for us in the Hereafter.
We can all agree that Good = Truth. The truth may not always be good to hear, but in the end, truth is the best. That is one thing that really defines all human beings. Even the most hedonistic of people will prefer a painful truth (i.e. you have cancer) than a sweet lie (to be told, you dont have cancer, and then to die without preparation).
So, I'm sure you will agree, we must find the truth, and believe in the truth and live by the truth.
If you agree, then, we have somewhere to go, and a direction to head in. To find the truth. If you don't want the truth then nothing will really change your perception and discussion will lead no where.
Greetings and peace azim, I have a great admiration for Islam as a religion of peace and its followers have to be very dedicated to a prayerful life.
Thank you . The greatest thing I respect Christians for is the selfless charity that many Christians take part it. It is truly an admirable thing and one that is very rare these days, but commonly found among the Christians.
It is probably for very much the same kind of reasons why you would not embrace Christianity.
Mmm, I dont know about that. I would very willingly and readily except Christiannity, if it could be proven to be the truth.
I do seek the truth, but it leads me in the direction of seeking interfaith relations
Interfaith relations are very important, and the Quran tells us Christians will always be the closest to the Muslims in love. I have found this to be true.
So do you believe truth lies in seeking interfaith relations? To me, its the opposite, I seek interfaith relations to find the truth.
Put blunty, either your going to heaven and I'm going hell, or I'm going to heaven your going to hell (there is also the third possiblity that we both go to hell). I hope you find the idea of me going to hell appauling, just as I find the idea of you going to hell appauling. Yet, we must admit, that the way things stand, its we're both not going.
So..where does that leave us? We have to find out what are the truth criteria for being reward in the hereafter (our true life).
For me, I read the Quran and I've read the Bible. They don't, in the least disagree.
Surah Al-Asr
"Verily - by the token of time. Mankind is at a loss. Except those who believe (in God), do righteous good deeds, and advise each other to truth and to patience" "My brothers, what use is it for a man to say he has faith when he does nothing to show it? Can that faith save him? Suppose a brother or a sister is in rags with not enough food for the day, and one of you says, 'Good luck to you, keep yourselves warm, and have plenty to eat', but does nothing to supply their bodily needs, what is the good of that? So with faith; if it does not lead to action, it is in itself a lifeless thing." James 2:14 "And behold one came and said to him, Good teacher, what good things shall I do that I may have eternal life? So he said, "Why do you call me good? No one is good but One, this God. But if you want to enter into eternal life, keep the commandments." Matthew 19:16
So I choose to follow the Quran since to me, there is only one truth, and it is everlasting and irrefutable.
may i just say...christians n muslims n jews are more or less the same..we all have one god and belive in the same things...i dont see any difference except the religion
You are indeed correct. All 3 relgions are monothesitic.
Islam, Judaism, and likewise Christianity all have their origins in divine revelation. However, Judaism and Christianity have their origins in scriptures that were meant for a certain time. They were also meant specifically for the Children of Israel. Islam, by contrast, came as the final and enduring religion for all humanity.
So I choose to follow the Quran since to me, there is only one truth, and it is everlasting and irrefutable.
I have not seen an irrefutable proof for the existence of God that cannot be challenged and argued against then dismissed as fiction by atheists.
I believe that God exists but I do not have irrefutable proof that he exists. If there was irrefutable proof for the existence of God there would be very few atheists and all theists might see that proof in the same way
If the proof in the Quran was absolute and truly irrefutable then everyone would follow Islam. I feel that God did not want to give us too much proof, I feel that he intended for us to believe and have faith.
Somehow despite our differences in what we see as truth I believe there is the greater need to brake down the barriers that exist between people of different faiths and build bridges of friendship.
As to the question of salvation we must each strive to follow what we believe to be the truth and walk humbly in his ways. We might or might not inspire each other to change in some ways, but that is very much in the hands of God.
I have not seen an irrefutable proof for the existence of God that cannot be challenged and argued against then dismissed as fiction by atheists.
If the proof in the Quran was absolute and truly irrefutable then everyone would follow Islam.
Weren't Jesus' miracles irreffutable to his people? Yet many disbelieved, even to the point that they tried to kill him. Thats the same with all the Prophets, they had irreffutable proof but that doesn't mean everyone will follow then.
Why? Because some people don't want to believe something is true, and if they dont want to do something, most people, wont do it.
I feel that God did not want to give us too much proof, I feel that he intended for us to believe and have faith.
Proof and faith go hand in hand. Proof without faith is pointless. Faith without proof is ignorance.
We might or might not inspire each other to change in some ways, but that is very much in the hands of God.
In Islam, conversion lies in the hands of God. However it is our responsiblity as muslims to deliver the message.
Can I ask you a question, regarding the Prophet Muhammad (pbuh). From my understanding of the Bible, all signs of a Prophet are fufilled by Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) (such as being from Abrahams children, miracles, a holy book in the same language as older revelations, the same message, the same rules and laws etc...). So, I have problems understand why Christians do not accept him.
You may feel this is not building bridges, but if I understand why you believe or disbelieve what you believe and disbelieve, then a bridge is already built between us.
I sense that you have given a lot of thought about proof, belief and faith, your words carry a great understanding. At the heart of all beliefs and proof is the words and actions that follow from our understanding
. Thats the same with all the Prophets, they had irreffutable proof but that doesn't mean everyone will follow then.
Why? Because some people don't want to believe something is true, and if they dont want to do something, most people, wont do it.
I know this to be true because it describes the way I left the Catholic Church as a teenager and did not return for about thirty years. I succumbed to life’s temptations which I knew were a contradiction to the teachings of Christ and looking back I made some excuses as to why the church was wrong and left.
My excuse for leaving the church was that Christ taught love your neighbour, and love and pray for your enemy; but the church at the time seemed to have a great animosity to people of other faiths. Somehow I could not reconcile the conflicting ways of the church with the teaching of Christ.
The way I came back to the church was in talking to my brother in law who went to a Baptist Church, and all he said was that if you believe in God you have to do something. I did go with him to the Baptist Church for a while but something from within drew me back to the Catholic Church were I have been outspoken in the need to pursue interfaith relations.
Can I ask you a question, regarding the Prophet Muhammad (pbuh). From my understanding of the Bible, all signs of a Prophet are fufilled by Prophet Muhammad (pbuh)
I sense in you a deep need to sincerely seek and believe the truth, and everything for you points to Muhammad (pbuh) and his teachings as being the one true way.
I have that same desire to sincerely seek truth and faith; but somehow my beliefs are fulfilled totally through Jesus Christ being the Son of God and also being fully human while he spent his time on Earth. I see all the Bible being fulfilled through Jesus Christ.
You quoted the greatest commandments in your original post and for me these are the most profound words ever written by anyone. Within the greatest commandments is one word which to me is the single most powerful and profound word within the context of any writing, and that is the word ‘hang’.
All the laws and prophets of God depend on loving him above all else but we cannot really know God we have never met him, we can love God through our mind but that does not really require any specific action on our part. The greatest way to love God above all else is to love our neighbours as we love ourselves and that is the tough bit, there are many neighbours we would rather not love.
I sense that many diverse religions will always exist; and somehow the believers of all faiths see God at the centre. Somehow there is the need to pray and strive for peace on Earth with God at the centre of all our efforts.
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. The greatest thing I respect Christians for is the selfless charity that many Christians take part it. It is truly an admirable thing and one that is very rare these days, but commonly found among the Christians.
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