Quran versus older Holy Writings of Divine Creator

Non-Arabic speaking people

Life is very short and in it we get a lot of material to read. One of the more important books I got to read in my life were books which are considered by many as Holy Books.
One of those Holy Books I could not read in the original Arabic and had to trust several translations, which I read and compared with interest. Some of those translations were easy to read and follow, others were very difficult. But of all of them, some would say we may not read and follow those translations, because we only should read the original language: Arabic.

For me this would be very strange, because the people who say that also are sure their book is the Word of God. But when only people who can speak and understand Arabic would be able to read that Word of God, would this God not give the other people the chance to get to know His Word? Would a God of love withhold His Holy Word for people who have no knowledge of Arabic?

A Word of the Creator for all His creatures

Is there also not that God of gods Who tells the world that all people are created from a single man and a single woman, and made into races and tribes so that they should recognise one another. Is also not written in those Scriptures that in God’s eyes, the most honoured of those people are the ones most mindful of Him: God is all knowing, all aware. (Sura 49:13)?

Front of the Quran (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

When I remember the many times I read and reread the Quran/Koran I got the impression words from the Old Jewish and Christian writings were brought together and were once more explained, sometimes in a different order, but still telling the same. Was I wrong to get the impression that according to Quranic teaching, religious pluralism is vital for social order and progress? Was I wrong to have the impression that, in the same way Jesus spoke about agape love, and telling us that God wants to see people who have tolerance for others? Did the words of the prophet Muhammad also not tell about the attitude we should take unto others? Would the knowledge of the Quran also not provide the key to tolerance?

Celebrating difference

العربية: القرآن في متحف التاريخ الطبيعي في نيويورك (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Are there not a lot of teachers in Islam who teach us that the Quran celebrates the differences amongst humankind, and instructs not only one faith group, but all of humanity to do good deeds, remaining good manners and morals, and to live in peace with each other.
I in the previous years of reading (several times) the Quran, that those words repeatedly addressed humanity as a whole and told the world how we should behave, how we should try to form our own character, and how we should present ourselves to others. Several of the old Muslim school taught that the Quran directs people towards justice, moral and spiritual values, and addresses Muslims specifically when referring to acts of worship and Islamic law.

They also say that:

The Quranic message of variety and coexistence is the cornerstone of the Islamic principle for a just and harmonious society. Thus religious pluralism, according to the Quranic teaching, is vital for social order and progress, and provides the key to tolerance: “There is no compulsion in religion (2:256); “You have your religion and I have mine.” (109:6).

Set up against each other because of misunderstandings

Because of the difficulties by different Muslims, Jews and Christians and their attitude going wrong against each other, I found it important to compare the words from those three monotheist religions together under one loop of neutrality and to look at them from my Christian Christadelphian viewpoint.

Bringing these verses next to each other should give an idea of what is really written in those Holy Books: The Torah (The Law/Tawraat) also known as the Pentateuch, the Nevi’im or (Hebrew) Prophets, the (Aleph) Kethuvim or Hebrew Writings, (Bet-)Kethuvim or Messianic or Greek Writings (New Testament with its Gospels or Injeel/Injil, Apostolic Writings or Epistles and the Revelation of Saint John the apostle) and the much later written Quran, which is by many also considered to be the word of the “Lord of the Worlds”,

which Allah revealed to His Messenger Muhammad (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him), to bring mankind forth from darkness into light.

In case we can find the word of Allah, it is God, also in “the recitation” as presented, Who verbally revealed, to the prophet Muhammad in the 7°century CE, those words should be in unison and complementary with the previous words of the Divine Creator.

Not eliminating previous scriptures

Lots of people seem to forget that the Quran does not eliminate the previous writings, known as the Word of God. The book we often hear about in the news and where many of those terrorist shout about, namely the Quran (Quoran/Koran) confirms the Books which came before it, the Tawraat (Torah) and Injeel (Gospel).Many do not seem to understand the Quran is a witness over them, as Allah says

005.048 وَأَنْزَلْنَا إِلَيْكَ الْكِتَابَ بِالْحَقِّ مُصَدِّقًا لِمَا بَيْنَ يَدَيْهِ مِنَ الْكِتَابِ وَمُهَيْمِنًا عَلَيْهِ فَاحْكُمْ بَيْنَهُمْ بِمَا أَنْزَلَ اللَّهُ وَلا تَتَّبِعْ أَهْوَاءَهُمْ عَمَّا جَاءَكَ مِنَ الْحَقِّ لِكُلٍّ جَعَلْنَا مِنْكُمْ شِرْعَةً وَمِنْهَاجًا وَلَوْ شَاءَ اللَّهُ لَجَعَلَكُمْ أُمَّةً وَاحِدَةً وَلَكِنْ لِيَبْلُوَكُمْ فِي مَا آتَاكُمْ فَاسْتَبِقُوا الْخَيْرَاتِ إِلَى اللَّهِ مَرْجِعُكُمْ جَمِيعًا فَيُنَبِّئُكُمْ بِمَا كُنْتُمْ فِيهِ تَخْتَلِفُونَ
005.048 To thee We sent the Scripture in truth, confirming the scripture that came before it, and guarding it in safety: so judge between them by what Allah hath revealed, and follow not their vain desires, diverging from the Truth that hath come to thee. To each among you have we prescribed a law and an open way. If Allah had so willed, He would have made you a single people, but (His plan is) to test you in what He hath given you: so strive as in a race in all virtues. The goal of you all is to Allah; it is He that will show you the truth of the matters in which ye dispute;

Al-Qur’an, 005.048 (Al-Maeda [The Table, The Table Spread])

Text Copied from DivineIslam’s Qur’an Viewer software v2.913(English interpretation of the Quranic Verse):

Same or different god speaking

When it is the God of Moses speaking to the favoured prophet Abū al-Qāsim Muḥammad ibn ʿAbd Allāh ibn ʿAbd al-Muṭṭalib ibn Hāshim, considered to be the founder of the religion of Islam and accepted by Muslims throughout the world as the last of the prophets of God, about the Holy Book that Quran (Quran/Koran)) in truth should confirm those books that came before it and Muhaymin (trustworthy in highness and a witness) over it (old Scriptures).

According to Sahih al-Bukhari, the Quran was recited among Levantines and Iraqis, and discussed by Christians and Jews, before it was standardized. There are also some non-Muslim groups who view the Quran as holy, such as Baha’is and Druze. Unitarian Universalists may also seek inspiration from the Quran.

Being one of the most-reviled figures in the history of the West from the 7th century until quite recent times Muhamad has encountered also a lot of controversy, his life, deeds, and thoughts having been debated by followers and opponents over the centuries.

Because in the past those trying to bring faith unto others having used quite often a lot of aggression, there has come a fear on both sites for the other believer in the Divine Creator.

Followers of false prophets and false teachers

Flag of the Islamic Jihad Movement in Palestine. The organization’s banner leads from a verse in the Qur’an “And those who do jihad for Us, we shall guide them to our paths. And God is with those who do good.”

Today it even has become a bigger problem, having groups like those which foud inspiration in Osama bin Laden, Al-Qaida, Mujahideen, the Muslim Brotherhood, the Harakat al-Jihād or Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ), Hezbollah, Harakat al-Jihad al-Islami,  Harkat-ul-Mujahideen- al-Islami, Hamas, Boko Haram, Taliban, closer to us the Mirza Ghulam Ahmad movement, and other jihadists who claim their global jihad is grounded in Quranic “divine command ethics.” The leaders of those growing groups claim authority to interpret the religious text. Like we can find some Christians taking the Bible writings very literally and not taking the old language in mind, those Islamic preachers do the same with an almost literal reading of their sacred scripture. They are really convinced ‘they alone’ see the truth and others should have to follow them, who are following “pure Islam.”

The “Pure Islam,” those teachers present, is a faith

“to please Allah Azzawajal by serving Islam within the means He has bestowed upon the world “Insha Allah””.

They say their guide is the Speech of Allah Azzawajal as it is contained in the Qur’an and their example is in the authentic Sunnah of Muhammad sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam

“as practiced by the Sahaabah radiallaahu ‘anhum and the righteous servants of Allah Azzawajal who have followed in their noble footsteps.”

The Kafirs and kaffers

Many of them paid by the Saudi Sunnis consider lots of other Muslim groups as ‘Kafir’ (كافر) which would be similar to calling them “disbeliever”. In Dutch it means non-believer, non-Mohammedan, and its variant ‘kaffer‘, invective, which has the meaning of peasant, ragamuffin rascal, scoundrel; peasant bastard; jerk; bastard, boorish person; boor; uncouth; infidel.

I do believe that in order to understand the true, peaceful Islam, we also should read the Quran and by having knowledge of that book, we also should be more able to speak to those Muslim brothers about their Holy Writing and about the matters spoken off in the Holy Scriptures the Bible.

Gabble over non-understandable words

We must be conscious that the great majority of Muslims around the world today, do not speak Arabic, and they too like we have to depend on translations. The greatest danger is that many of those Muslims dare not to take a translation but recite Quran verses in Arabic without really knowing what they say, a little bit like some decennia ago in Europe in the Catholic Churches, the priest speaking in Latin, with the majority in church not knowing what he really was saying. This way the preacher can say anything and make them believe anything what their denomination wants them to believe. That is also what we see happening today with the different Muslim groups. I know families in my street who have children married to two different Islamic groups, each saying the other is totally wrong and a bad Muslim. But none of them is willing to discuss the matters or to look at a Dutch  Koran translation.

Speaking to each other

The followers of the prophet Jesus should take all opportunities to speak about their faith. They, in the growing Islamization of our world should let others see what Jesus preached and how he made the previous words of his heavenly Father clear. It is true Jesus did not write down his nor his Father‘s Words, but Muhammad left also the written recording of his messages to others. Both those prophets words should be compared with each other. Only by recognising what the other reads in his Holy Scriptures there can come an understanding but can also be shown where certain Muslim preachers go wrong and even go so far to teach matters contrary to the Quran.

Therefore to show people where certain Muslims went or go astray and to bring them back on the right path, plus to give both, non-believer, believer in One or a god, Jew, Christian and Muslim an idea of what is written and meant in certain scriptures, I shall present a comparison of the Quran and Bible and sometimes discuss the verses of both books.

As in Christendom there have been many human writers or theological scholars who brought ideas and schools. As in Christendom we can find many traditions in Islamic families and may find several books of traditional commentaries, to shed light on various passages. I also shall dare to have a look at them and invite Muslims and Christians to give their commentary or understanding on all those verses, traditional schooling and commentaries.

By looking at the Quran and the Bible, next to each other, Muslim and Christian can come to understanding each-other better, I do believe. But we all shall be able to come to see more clearly what makes the jihadists tick — and also perhaps understand what we can and must do to resist them.

In the hope to find a way were we can live in peace according to the Will of Allah, the Most High Almighty God, The Elohim Hashem Jehovah.

 

from Smithsonian :Folio from a Koran :9th-10th century :Abbasid dynasty :Ink and color on parchment :H: 22.5 W: 29.7 cm :Egypt :Purchase, F1929.71 The verses are from sura (chapter) 22, entitled al-Hadj (Pilgrimage) and include a discussion of the pilgrimage to Mecca. The Hadj is one of the five principal duties of every Muslim. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

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Find also to read:

1. Creator and Blogger God 8 A Blog of a Book 2 Holy One making Scriptures Holy
2. Corruption in our translations !
3. Created to live in relation with God
4. Being Religious and Spiritual 3 Philosophers, Avicennism and the spiritual
5. Built on or Belonging to Jewish tradition #3 Of the earth or of God
6. Built on or Belonging to Jewish tradition #4 Mozaic and Noachide laws
7. Palestine, Israel, God’s people and democracy
8. Mocking, Agitation and Religious Persecution
9. Migrants to the West #1
10. Migrants to the West #2
11. Migrants to the West #3
12. Migrants to the West #4
13. Migrants to the West #5
14. Migrants to the West #6
15. Christian fundamentalism as dangerous as Muslim fundamentalism
16. Public not informed enough about Jihad terrorism in Belgium
17. Islamic State forcing the West to provide means for Kurdistan

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Additional reading:

1. Pentateuch
2. Full text: bin Laden’s ‘letter to America’
3. Fears as young Muslims ‘opt out’
4. About Pure Islam
5. New segiment – [Today’s Hadith . #1]
6. Critique of Pure Islam

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Sharing thoughts and philosophical writings

Exercising restraint for sharing

It seems very difficult to get Christian people to share a place with others on the same platform. The idea of bringing religious news from different view-points could be really interesting for both parties, the readers as well as the writers.

No one wants to write blog posts and have them sink into the bottomless pit of the internet. We as Christians are no different. We want people to read what we want to tell. Many like Facebook and spend lots of time posting notes in that system, but they do forget they only reach a few already connected people of a circle which can grow, but always shall have to find readers from their own circles and ‘friends of friends’.

Why do so many keep unresponsive to come to gather with other believers? What is it that held back people to join hands and make something new to happen? We should not be deterred by a few small setbacks. Many people may scrambler back as soon as they are asked to join forces and to come out in the wide world.

Freedom to join and to make fertile

Personalizando WordPress 1.5 (Photo credit: juanpol)

Having the opportunity to come on a more open system with WordPress, having the liberty to start an own website or blog or making an effort to join ranks and bring writers together on one place to talk about certain specific fields. The best way to attract readers is to read and comment on others’ blogs, allowing them to find your main blog, under your own name. But why not put in an extra dimension, not only to let yourself be found on your own blog, but giving hands with others to try to make a website which can be interesting for many, trying to find different subjects put together?

Those studying the Bible could find it interesting to find religious news at one place they could visit regularly or subscribe to. It would be lovely to see “Stepping toes” growing to become such a place where several writers could bring different ideas about ethical, philosophical and religious matters.

Backgrounds to choose

The Bible Students’ Convention in Skien, Norway, 1923 (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Those who are free Bible Students have the advantage that they are a lay-based community where people can act independently. That independence can be good but it may not be that small units are formed, which excludes themselves from others, or do not want to know at all of other groups or denominations. It also would be wrong to say as a religious layman that we do not need theological seminaries or people who pursue studies in the humanities and add minors or majors in philosophy or ancient history, or even major in Biblical studies.

Some serious Bible Students even may think a study of philosophy, derived from Greek roots that mean “love of wisdom”, could interfere with the study of the Bible and could bring the faith in God in danger. We do believe such fear is unfunded. It is not because philosophy is not built on acceptance of belief in God that a person interested in reading philosophical works would not be interested in supernatural powers, gods or the God of gods.

Brains to use

God has given men brains to use. He provided them with a system to think and to allow to order their mind. Every human being should question the things. The Creator God has given us life and wanted us to do something with it. Therefore we do have to reason and wonder why we live, why certain events occur. God allowed people to bring their ideas together in a field of science about the thinking of man. That field tries to give people a unified view of the universe and endeavours to make them critical thinkers. According to some it employs chiefly speculative means rather than observation in a search for truth. We should have some philosophers to go deeper into that matter of reason to think and why we should question so many questions. But there is a lot to ask and a lot to say.

Limitation of man

But when we look at that field of ‘wisdom‘ we always should remember that it only comes from people. They may have been atheists, deists or theists, believers in something or some one, but always they got their capabilities to think and write from the Creator who gave them those abilities. Though no human person is been made perfect, so everyone of us has his or her limitations. As such when we read each others work we should keep that in mind. Never may we put ourself above somebody else nor may we put somebody else above the Creator God.

The Bible informs us:

“It does not belong to man who is walking even to direct his step.” (Jeremiah 10:23)

History testifies that trying to ignore that limitation has not produced good results. Humans by nature have limitations. Additionally, their experience in life is relatively brief and is usually confined to ones culture or one environment. The knowledge they possess is thus restricted, and everything is interconnected to such an extent that they constantly find aspects that they had not adequately considered. Any philosophy that they originate will reflect these limitations.

We all are connected with the time and culture in which we live. We all ere dependent on the upbringing we got and on the experiences and lessons we wanted to take out of life. There exists a way that is upright before a man, but we get blinded by the things around us, and whatever we try to do we shall all have to encounter the ways of death which  are the end of it afterwards (Proverbs 14:12)

Learning from others

Having the knowledge that we are only just small elements in that big universe, we should be humble enough to recognise that we can and should learn a lot from others around us. The willingness of sharing ideas is a matter of brotherly love. Being prepared to offer your ideas and those of others, to other people around you, even to those you might not know, shows your interest in other human beings. By searching for good ideas, by which you can learn but also others could learn, and the preparedness to share them with others, you can show your love to your neighbour and your willingness to show respect for the Creation of the Most High, where we should try to help each other to become better humans.

We can help each other by giving information and by sharing our knowledge. It is true that the wisdom of the wise men may perish, and we shall also see that the intelligence of the intellectual men will be shoved aside. (1 Corinthians 1:19-25) Many books full of human ideas have disappeared in oblivion. The writers are already long gone, but there are still some few ideas hoovering around. Many wise man, interesting scribes and good debater of this world (the system of things) are already long forgotten, some of those writings having taken with several people to set them thinking. We should know they can give us some ideas, they may set us off to start a debate. Because the Creator has gifted many people they will have told also reasonable things which could help us to grow. We can make use of them. We can listen and meditate about those writings. though we may never forget to put them in the light of the most important writings the world has received.

The book of books to be placed first

Philosophical Studies (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

When we look at the evolution of science, read some old ‘wisdom books’ we can notice that lots of those creative writings in the end did not pull the right string, and many of them had ideas which are already long time ago surpassed. Many of those older writings, wisdom of the old times has become foolish in the world of today. We all should be aware that what we consider to be so today might be not so any more in a few years time. (Look for example at the smallest element of an object which is not any more the molecule or the atom.)

When it is about the universe, its creation and Who is behind everything the world through its wisdom did not get to know the Divine Creator God. God saw good through the foolishness [as it appears to the world] of what is preached to save those believing. The Most High Creator has given The Writings which can bring enough wisdom to have a good life and to find the way to even a better life than we do have hear at the moment, on earth. In those Words given by god we should go and look for the most accurate teaching we can have. In the Bible we can find all the answers we do need to make the best of our life. The Book of books gives us in many writing styles in different ways of telling over and over the same message, so that we can not have any excuse that after reading them we could not understand.

Many people might find those old Writings ‘passé’ and laugh at the wording. They do not understand that a foolish thing of God [as the world views it] is wiser than men, and a weak thing of God [as the world may see it] is stronger than men

“19 For it is written: “I will destroy the wisdom of the wise; the intelligence of the intelligent I will frustrate.” 20 Where is the wise man? Where is the scholar? Where is the philosopher of this age? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of the world? 21 For since in the wisdom of God the world through its wisdom did not know him, God was pleased through the foolishness of what was preached to save those who believe. 22 Jews demand miraculous signs and Greeks look for wisdom, 23 but we preach Christ crucified: a stumbling-block to Jews and foolishness to Gentiles, 24 but to those whom God has called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God. 25 For the foolishness of God is wiser than man’s wisdom, and the weakness of God is stronger than man’s strength.” (1 Corinthians 1:19-25 NIV)

Wisdom on its head

In the passing of time, the history of humankind, we see that God turned conventional wisdom on its head. The Creator of allthings, showed by the works of Creation how many times man was wrong with his ideas how to handle the world. So-called experts became exposed as crackpots. when we do write we also should consider that. We should know that we can not have all wisdom in us, and we may be utterly wrong in certain facts. Also the other person may be right in many facts but may also have it at the wrong end in other facts. Therefore we should be humble and patient when we look at writings from others. We should be aware there can be lots of good in it but also lots of bad. When there is something we do not agree with, that should not mean that it is bad. That what is contrary to our opinion can be wiser than our ideas.  Also the opposite may be true, things which others consider wrong about our way of thinking can be right at the end. We should always look at the wise spectrum which we receive in front of us and be thankful that we can read such a diversity of opinions. This diversity can be more richness than many people think. We should use it more than the critics of this world.

Knowing that not all wisdom can be found it the worldly human writings, we should be content to find find someone truly wise, truly educated, truly intelligent in this day and age. Knowing that God has exposed it all as pretentious nonsense what many have written in the past, we should always turn to His Book of Wisdom, the book of books, the Holy Scriptures which we call in short: the Bible.

Since the world in all its fancy wisdom never had a clue when it came to knowing God, God in his wisdom took delight in using what the world considered dumb—[preaching], of all things!—to bring those who trust him into the way of salvation.

Going right on preaching

While atheists laugh at the ideas of a supernatural being, Jews clamour for miraculous demonstrations and doubters or those who do find themselves contemporary thinkers, go in for philosophical wisdom, we should go right on proclaiming Christ,’ the Crucified’ and let the world know that it was a man of God who died at the wooden post to look a fool. We know the sign of having this man taken out of death is a sign for what can happen to us. Jews treat this like an [anti]-miracle — and many civics pass it off as absurd. But to us who are personally called by God Himself, Christ Jesus, the son of man and son of God, is God’s ultimate miracle and wisdom all wrapped up in one.

The Gutenberg Bible displayed by the United States Library of Congress, demonstrating printed pages as a storage medium. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Human wisdom is so tinny, so impotent, next to the seeming absurdity of God. Human strength can’t begin to compete with God’s “weakness.” God has provided in the Bible, the most widely circulated book in the world, a clear statement of his purpose. He has sent his witnesses to discuss it with all who will listen. How foolish for any creature to think that he has wisdom greater than that of God! What a sad mistake it would be to choose such deceptive human philosophy in preference to acquiring true wisdom as a disciple of Jesus Christ, the second-greatest person in the universe, next to God himself!

Danger of unrestrained approach to Biblical interpretation

In an attempt to reconcile the Bible with philosophy many, like the third-century theologian Origen, relied heavily upon the allegorical method of interpreting the Scriptures. More theologians assumed that Scripture always had a spiritual meaning but not necessarily a literal one. As one scholar noted, this allowed Origen “the means of reading into the Bible whatever non-biblical ideas were congenial to his own theological system, while professing (and no doubt sincerely imagining himself) to be a particularly enthusiastic and faithful interpreter of the thought of the Bible.”

This unrestrained approach to Biblical interpretation blurred the lines between Christian doctrine and Greek philosophy. For example, in his book entitled On First Principles, Origen described Jesus as ‘the only-begotten Son, who was born, but without any beginning.’ And he added:

‘His generation is eternal and everlasting. It was not by receiving the breath of life that he is made a Son, by any outward act, but by God’s own nature.’

Origen like many after him violated the basic Scriptural principle: “Do not go beyond the things that are written.” — 1 Corinthians 4:6.

We should be careful not to mix human writings, be it philosophical or theological with Biblical writing.

Disciples of Christ gathering

Those who call themselves Christians, should be followers of Christ. As such they should be eager to get to know the teachings of their Master teacher Christ Jesus, the Nazarene Jew Jeshua of the tribe of King David. His words are written down in the New testament which is complementary to the Old Testament or Hebrew Writings.

Coming together, looking at others, going out to preach, we should always remember that it should not be our aim to prejudge others based on their religious convictions. Among our fellow worshippers are many who at one time sincerely embraced false religious beliefs.

In the New Testament we have the example of the apostle Paul who had established common ground but knew that his listeners were educated in Greek philosophy and unfamiliar with the Scriptures. He adapted his approach in several ways. First, he presented Biblical teachings without directly quoting from the Scriptures. Second, he identified himself with his listeners, at times using the words “us” and “we.” Third, he quoted from Greek literature to show that certain things he was teaching were expressed in their own writings.

The Dawn Office in East Rutherford, New Jersey

We should remember those first followers of Christ and see that they also where willing to listen to others and did dare to use their sayings to let them see how they thought and where they went wrong. Today we also can use those worldly sayings, the many writings of people who are respected by the world. We can and may present the many thoughts which circle the world, be confronted by them, loo at them, think about them, criticise them whenever needy, use them for our advantage, and continue our path on or continuous learning process.

So, some may not find it appropriate to find different denominations their ideas placed together on one platform, we do believe we can learn from each other, as well do show interest in each other and know what is happening in this world.
It is not because we are serious Bible Students and active Christians that we should not look at others their writings, ignore the many ideas which are uttered in this world. It is also not that we should not be allowed to meet with others who do not think exactly the same as us. No, by coming together and by willing to share thoughts, we all can feed each other, and be helpful to develop as human beings.

Not trivial

Andrew Perry notes the problems of confessional bias and liberal unbelief that can subvert the unwary student, then concludes:

“It might therefore seem surprising that we advocate degree level Biblical Studies as a university choice.

“There is much of lasting value in such a choice; a value for life. First, there is the grounding in Hebrew and Greek which is of obvious benefit. Second, there is a vast amount of historically pertinent information to be had about the Bible—information that does not call into question beliefs about the Bible.

“Accordingly, any challenges to faith can be met head-on and handled. Here a study of Philosophy is valuable for the analytical skills it imparts; these skills help a student pick apart the challenges to faith. Furthermore, for every critical viewpoint on a matter, there is always a conservative counterpoint. So, while there are dangers, there are also paths to follow.”

If even one in fifty Christadelphian university students took a minor in philosophy, ancient history or ancient languages, and used that knowledge to the service of our faith, the flow-on effects would not be trivial.

Welcome to all

May we welcome you, and let us do hope we can share many thoughts, being little cogwheels of this world system in which we all together would like to look for a better world for every one, be it a believer, non-believer or other believer.

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Find also to read:

1. Words to push and pull & Words to bring message
2. Wisdom lies deep
3. Many Books, yet One
4. Unsure about relevance Bible
5. The Bible: God’s Word or pious myth?
6. Scripture alone Sola Scriptora
7. The importance of Reading the Scriptures
8. Why believing the Bible
9. Appointed to be read
10. Do Christians need to read the Old Testament
11. Getting to know the Truth
12. Bible for you and for life
13. The Bible is a today book
14. Possibility to live
15. Bible like puddle of water
16. Loving the Word
17. The radiance of God’s glory and the counsellor
18. Science and God’s existence
19. Creator and Blogger God 3 Lesson and solution
20. Trusting, Faith, calling and Ascribing to Jehovah #3 Voice of God #5 To meditate and Transform
21. Trusting, Faith, calling and Ascribing to Jehovah #3 Voice of God #6 Words to feed and communicate
22. History of Christianity
23. Seeing the world through the lens of his own experience
24. Thirst for happiness and meaning
25. Change
26. Morality, values and Developing right choices
27. Power in the life of certain
28. Be like a tree planted by streams of water
29. Proclaiming shalom, bringing good news of good things, announcing salvation
30. Chief means by which men are built up
31. Golden rule for understanding in spiritual matters obedience
32. Bringing Good News into the world
33. Feed Your Faith Daily

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