Seven Scriptural reasons the Holy Spirit cannot be a person

Posted on 2017/06/13 by Guestspeaker

First, because many things in the Scriptures are attributed to the Holy Spirit that cannot apply to a divine person. And many of them cannot apply to any person at all. Some examples are that the Holy Spirit is given by God (Acts 5:32; 1 Jn 4:13) either according to measure or without measure (Eph 4:7) that God pours it out and it is sent forth from Him (Acts 2:17, 33) that believers drink into it and are baptized with or into it (1 Cor 12:13; Mk 1:8; Acts 1:5) that it is given in double portions and distributed in parts (Heb 2:4; 2 Kng 2:9) that there are first-fruits of it (Rom 8:23) that it may all be taken away or that a portion may be taken away (Ps 51:12; Num 11:17, 25) that it can be quenched (1 Thes 5:19) and many similar things that can be found in the Scriptures.
Holy Spirit – Foix (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
Second, because it is clearly stated that the Holy Spirit is given by God, and this is even claimed in places where it’s commonly believed to mean a divine person. But a divine person cannot be given or bestowed by anyone since one who is given or bestowed must be under the authority of another. In no way can this be said of a divine person that is the supreme God Himself.
Third, because Christ said that “no one knows the Son but the Father, and no one knows the Father but the Son and those to whom the Son reveals Him.” (Mt 11:27) But if the Holy Spirit was a divine person, the Father wouldn’t be the only one to know the Son. And the Son wouldn’t be the only one to know the Father – if the Holy Spirit was God it wouldn’t need a revelation from anyone to know both.
Fourth, because in several places such as John 5:17; 8:16; 14:21; 17:3 ; 1 John 1:3, 2:23; 2 John 3 and 9; Luke 9:26; Mark 12:32; 1 Timothy.5:21; and Revelation 3:5 where the Father and Son, occasionally angels, and even humans are mentioned, no notice is taken of the Holy Spirit. If it was a divine person “he” should be named equally with God and Christ, and even more so than angels or humans.
Fifth, because in many places the Holy Spirit is called the Spirit of God, but that which is “of” God cannot be God. Thus, the Holy Spirit cannot be a divine person, for to be “of” God and to “be” God are two different things. In addition, the Holy Spirit is called the power or finger of God, which cannot be said of an equal person of the Deity – that is, of the supreme God Himself (Compare Luke 1:35; 24:49; and Matthew 12:28 with Luke 11:20)
Sixth, because the Holy Spirit is said to be “of” God (1 Cor 2:12) and proceed “from” God (Jn 15:26) and unless it was of God, Paul couldn’t compare the Spirit of God with the spirit of man that is in man as he does when he says “for what man knows the things of a man but the spirit of man that is in him? Even so, no man knows the things of God but the Spirit of God.” Since the Holv Spirit is “of” (or from) God – and it has never been said the Father is “of” the Holy Spirit – it’s apparent the Holy Spirit is not a person of the Godhead. Also, it’s been clearly stated there’s only one person in the Godhead. (Deut 6:4; Mk 12:28-34; Is 43:10-11; 45:5; 1 Chr 17:20; Eph 4:6). Since this is none other than the Father, it should be evident that the Spirit, which certainly isn’t the Father, cannot be a divine person.
Seventh, if the Holy Spirit was a person it would be God Himself, for the things attributed to it only apply to the divine essence. But since it’s already been shown that God is numerically one, He cannot be a plurality of persons, nor can the one numerical essence of God apply to many persons. Therefore, it’s clear the Holv Spirit cannot be a person of the Godhead.

It can also be said that if the Holy Spirit is a person, and that Christ was conceived by the Holy Spirit, it necessarily follows that Christ was the son of the Spirit, not the Father.

Robert Scott Thomson

Additional reading

People Seeking for God 6 Strategy

Posted on 2014/03/08 by Christadelphians

Seeking the Most High Creator, our God is a process that is pivotal in our daily lives. When we look for God we should know that it is not a one day occasion. It will take more time to find God. Seeking God must not be seasonal fling. It also can not just be based on a mood of the day or a one time feeling.

Many times in history the Divine Creator had been all but forgotten like a distant memory fading into obscurity. We also can see this in our society, people do not know of the Power, the grace and the majesty of the Elohim, Jehovah our God. Not only the younger ones but also the more settles ones are interested in the temporary things of this world, not so much in the beautiful things of nature, but more the electronic gadgets. The material things they look for are like the flowers of the field, charming for a time, but eventually wither and fade away. Yet hope remained for the people of Israel and hope remains for us too.

Jhva Elohim Meth… The Revival (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Sometimes people start looking for a god or church because of peer pressure, but those intentions are mostly not serious and integer enough. Determined by circumstances a person also can come into a stadium where he or she wants seriously to receive more answers. Whatever triggers the search for God, the quest had to be undertaken seriously.

When it is only to have eternal life our reason of seeking God is not the right one and probably would not encounter so easily the expected answers.

We should aim to come into the presence of God. Some would say “it is the crucible where we learn to see eye to eye with God, feel His pulse and get primed to move by His Spirit“.

There should be various things you do to affirm your seeker-of-God status (praying, reading the bible, fasting, listening to truth messages), as you pursue the goal of being changed from glory to glory as you behold the Son of God.

The word ‘seek’ (in the Hebrew ‘dârash’) means to ‘tread’ or ‘frequent’ and this builds the image of seeking or treading a path to the Most High Elohim. It is the willingness to undertake the trip on a path which can lead to the Higher Being. Like Josiah in the past that one looking for God should begin to tread out a path to the Supreme Being, to understand and know how to seek Him.

בית ביסוד המעלה (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

There are so many things around to distract our attention, although there are nevertheless good things to look at. The beauties of God’s creation are wonderful sights for us to look at. The marvellous designs of the flowers; the birds we see flying around; the busy lives led by the insects; snow-capped mountains or a beautiful sunset. To come to look for God we should first be willing to see the things around us. We should come to see the incredible structures of all those things. Looking at nature, seeing its beauty, this will help to come to see the Maker of all that.

If we seek or tread a path to God frequently, the path will become clear and visible to us.

We read in Psalm 123:2

“(2) See, as the eyes of servants Are toward the hand of their masters, As the eyes of a female servant Are toward the hand of her mistress, So are our eyes toward יהוה {Jehovah} our Elohim, Until He shows favour to us.” (Psalm 123:2 The Scriptures 1998+)

The person willing to find God does have to take on the right attitude, willing to have his eyes waiting on Jehovah our God. In the psalm we may find the loyal slave’s attitude of watchfulness toward his/her master (Proverbs 27:18). Laziness or inattentiveness are not the right requisites to look for God. We do have to open our mind and be willing to read and think about the Word of God, as given in the Holy Scriptures, the Bible.

Excerpts from Raymond Martin’s (Lat. Raymundus Martini, appointed by the Pope to dig up the passages of the Jewish Talmud objectionable to Roman Catholics) Pugio Fidei adversus Mauros et Judaeos of 1270 CE (page 559). The Latin form “Jehova” of the Tetragrammaton is seen. This edition is published in Leipzig, 1687, now is found in the New York City Public Library. Also, see online at Google books here. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Those words we can find in that Book of books we do have to consider and take them at heart. It should be as reading a love letter, from our most beloved. The Bible should give you that fire to come into a close relationship with the Writer. That Speaker wanted to give his Voice to the whole world. His Voice is calling everybody to come into a good relationship with Him, His son and His beloved children who are willing to follow Him. We too can develop a close and personal relationship with our heavenly Father; however, it requires a diligent and zealous mind set on our part. But what a magnificent reward there is! To be able to worship and serve the Creator of everything around us, the one who has provided a great hope of salvation, so that unlike the temporary things of this life we can look beyond to a time of peace and equity, where

‘there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain’.

It is not a bad strategy to look also at Jeshua, the Nazarene Jew and son of Joseph and Miriam (Mary). This man had learned from his parents who God is and what He had done for them. Already at a young age Jesus was more concerned of looking for God than for what his parents would say or feel. Jesus as he actively sought out his Father, when he was twelve years old, remained in the temple for three days. After three days looking for their son, they found Jesus in the temple, sitting in the midst of the teachers, both hearing them and questioning them.When Mary and Joseph voiced their concerns about the location of Jesus, we see his sense of duty towards the Only One God. When his mother asked him why he had done so to them, who became greatly distressed, he
said to them:

(49) … “Why were you seeking Me? Did you not know that I had to be in the matters of My Father?” (50) But they did not understand the word which He spoke to them. (51) And He went down with them and came to Natsareth, and was subject to them, but His mother kept all these matters in her heart. (52) And יהושע {Jeshua} increased in wisdom and stature, and in favour with Elohim and men. (Luke 2:49-52 The Scriptures 1998+)

revealed in verse 49

‘I must be about my Father’s business.’

Even at the tender age of twelve Jesus provides us with a poignant example, seeking out the Most High LORD was absolutely essential for Jesus, despite the fact that he had to leave the comfort of his family in what was a very busy city. Towards the end of the chapter we see the result of Jesus’ actions, as we read in verse 52,

‘And Jesus increased in wisdom and stature, and in favour with God and man.’

This verse provides us with a wonderful motivation by seeking out the LORD of Lord of lords, Who is the Divine Creator God, we can increase our Godly wisdom, so we can learn how to worship and serve this LORD, the Elohim Hashem Jehovah. Instead of seeking out the God in the temple in Jerusalem we must seek out the ‘LORD’, Allah, God, by reading His Word and praying for His Guidance in our lives. Although both Josiah and the Lord Jesus provide us with a two wonderful examples of seeking the LORD from an early age, however, this is a process that both of them continued throughout their lives. We must also spend our time and energy throughout our lives in seeking the LORD of Lord of lords, the Almighty God.

Do our eyes wait upon the Lord our God? Or do our eyes feast on other things? For what proportion of the day do our eyes look on the word of God or writings in connection with the Scriptures?

“Jehovah” at Exodus 6:3 (1611 King James Version) (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

So in times of happiness or distress on our walk throughout life we can follow the path and easily seek the God of gods. However, this must be an active process, just as it was with Josiah; we must keep this path clear of the debris that life can bring upon us. To seek or frequent the LORD does not mean just to want to know more about God, it requires us to do something about it. This seeking of the LORD is an active process involving prayerful reading of God’s word. By looking for God we also should come to get Him so well that we also get His Name right. We have the wonderful consequence of seeking the Divine Creator laid out for us in Matthew 7:7, that if we do seek the LORD, we ‘shall find’ Him. God is waiting for us to actively seek Him out so that we can develop our relationship with Him as dutiful servants. when we read the Holy Scriptures and take the words for what they are we shall see the difference between the people and shall not have to speak about a lord, a Lord or The LORD, but shall come to know whom the lord Jesus is and Who is Father is. We shall also get their names right and shall recognise Jeshua (Jesus Christ) as the son of God, being the long awaited Messiah. We also shall come to see and understand why the creator had so much patience and wants the whole world to get to know His Name, Jehovah. It is up to us to come to know our heavenly Father and to get others to know Him, Who should be our Only One God.

Preceding articles:

Finding God amid all the religious externals

Seeing or not seeing and willingness to find God

People Seeking for God 1 Looking for answers

People Seeking for God 2 Human interpretations

People Seeking for God 3 Laws and directions

People Seeking for God 4 Biblical terms

People Seeking for God 5 Bread of life

Find also:

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Additional reading:

Treasure Hunters
Imagine that you were just handed a treasure map that leads to Blackbeard’s Lost Treasure. Now take that map, put it in a frame, and hang it on the wall for all to see. Makes sense right? Of course not! You would take that map, follow it exactly step by step. No questions asked because you knew that this map would lead to Blackbeard’s Lost Treasure. Just like any quest , along the way you may encounter obstacles, people may call you names for following the map, and you might even want to give because it is just to hard. But instead of giving up, you continue with the treasure hunt and find it, and knowing all the trials and hardships you had to endure just makes finding the treasure even sweeter. Sounds like the plot to a movie right, but it’s not. It’s the the story of our lives.
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The Bible was written by man but inspired by God to teach us and instruct us in our everyday lives ( 2 Timothy 3:16) but if we just sit it on a shelf and let it collect dust, how are we suppose to know what it is God whats us to do? If we don’t use God’s map and seek Him out, it is us that is missing out. God’s love is our treasure and just like any other treasure that is buried, it hasn’t moved. It is in the same place it has been for years but we must seek it in order to have that treasure and just like any other treasure, it is meant to be shared with everybody, so they can inherit God’s kingdom and feel this unending love of God. Lets start using our maps and seek God not just when we are going through struggles and storms, but in our everyday life.

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Seven, looking past the just a number (faithgracetorah.net)
Our heavenly Father hides the deep wisdom like treasure hidden in a field. We are to guard our hearts. When we find wisdom, our hearts have joy. With wisdom, insight, understanding, knowledge and a pure love for YHWH apart from our own wicked selfish desires will keep our path straight.
Ahnsahnghong’s teachings – Elohim of plural form means God’s Omnipotence and Majesty? [WMSCOG] (ahnsahnghongtruthorfalse.wordpress.com)
World Mission Society Church of God believes in God of the Elohim (plural form of God), and the existence of God the Mother/Heavenly Mother.However, the opposers do not agree at all.

They claim that in Hebrew, the masculine suffix is “-im” and the feminine suffix is “-oth”.

That is why the word “Elohim” is the plural masculine form of “El” or “Eloah.”

They also claim that the plural elohim is used to show omnipotence and majesty of God’s character.
The Genesis 1:1-4 and John 1:1-5 Connection (thejewishinstitute.wordpress.com)
The question that seems to always get raised within the Christian faith is, “How does John 1:1-5 connect or have any relation to Genesis 1:1-4?” I will answer this question not from a Christian point of view but from a Jewish one. We must first understand what Genesis 1:1-4, Bereshit in Hebrew, has to say regarding the Messiah. If there is relation between Genesis 1:1-4 and the Messiah then John 1:1-5 would make more sense from a Hebrew perspective and not a Greek one. Let us begin by reading Genesis 1:1-4 and see what it has to say and what the ancient sages understood about it.
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“Jehovah, Elohaynu, Jehovah. There are three steps to accept the mystery from above. In the beginning God created. In the beginning is the first mystery from where all else spreads…The name takes three forms and from there the name is interpreted in several ways… Rabbi Bechai explained: Elohim is El Haym. These are gods. Remember your creators (Ecclesiastes 12:1). The wise will understand.” (The Jerusalem Edition of the Zohar)
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“Elohim is composed of two words, El and Haym. These are God. That Elohim is plural, though there is only one God, is truth. Eliezer sat before his father. We have learned that to him is justice. How is it that wherever we meet Adonai Elohim [yod, hay, vav, hay, the letters of Jehovah’s name], it means mercy? (the Zohar)
Praise the Lord With Me and Oriki Song (thepraisesofgod.wordpress.com)
How extra-ordinary must your beauty be O God? / It definitely is beyond and above all range of normal human imagination / I see you high and lifted up far beyond the starry sky / Above principalities and powers / Above rulers of darkness of this world / Above spiritual wickedness in high places / Above powers and dominions / Above everything that exalts itself against the knowledge of God.
The God to Whom I Pray (prayerfromtheheart.net)
God, you are the great I AM. You are all knowing, all sufficient, ever-present and above all perfect love.
God when I think of Jesus, my Lord and Savior, I know you are my caring shepherd, my Jehovah-rahh.
Lord when I am anxious and worried you are Jehovah-jireh, the Lord who provides.
When I am, overcome with anxiety, worries and cares, when the challenges of this life are too great for me to bear, I know you as Jehovah-shalom, the Lord of peace.
When my body and emotions are weak or sick I come to you as Jehovah-rophe, the Lord who heals me.
Was The Name Jesus Christ Given To The Saviour By Heaven Or By Mankind? (spyghana.com)
For many salvation seekers of Christian persuasion, the question posed in this caption may seem unimportant since almost all of them will readily give “yes” as answer to the first part and “no” to the second.
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The original writers of the Hebrew version of the Holy Scriptures were inspired by the Most High One, and were under His direct supervision, as they wrote these scriptures on scrolls of parchment long ago (Second Timothy 3:16 and Second Peter 1:21). These writers could, therefore, never have made even the minutest of errors in their writings in this language since one could say they wrote with the finger of the Most High One.
In the article The Names of God (shareaverse.wordpress.com) is given the proof how many mix the names of people and do not see the difference between titles and names. the writer also goes astray by naming a description of an action as a name and as such takes the sign god gave to the virgin as a name of god whilst it is the name of the son of God, who is not god the son but the son of Mary and Joseph from the tribe of king David. By doing this he want to give direction to people getting them to believe that the Immanuel or God with us means that Jesus is God.
To the God I pray, & Intercessions for all men (twiyesudowo.wordpress.com)
I know You as Jehovah-Shammah, The Lord is Present.
Why I Keep the Seventh Day Sabbath (christinachronicles.com)
For those who are believers in His Son? He came to do the Father’s will…

“{Yeshua} יהושע said to them, “My food is to do the desire {will} of Him who sent Me, and to accomplish His work.” ~ John 4:34

Philosophy hand in hand with spirituality

Posted on 2014/01/03 by Marcus Ampe

Experiences and Interest in philosophy and spirituality

I think it is wrong to think philosophy can not go together with spirituality. I also think it is wrong to assume that when a person is interested in philosophy, he would not be interested in the spiritual or the religious.

Expérience (Photo credit: Saturne)

The world itself presents itself in a succession of pure experiences which we should see. We can either ignore what is going on in the world or look at it question the what and why’s and how’s. Often the human beings can not qualify these experiences in a way by which all would agree with.

Should we not recognise that those things which come along our way are always felt and undergone by our own self, which was constructed by previous experiences and learnings. In a way this may give us always the way of the subjective choice and subjective sense or experience. Each is simply a pure impression that is made upon us at some point in our life, where we do have a certain education or development which shall obey the laws of our state at the moment.

Experiences and Impressions

Reality appears to us first as an unqualified multitude of original impressions that cannot be compared or ordered in anyway without our previous learnings. Is our experience not mere juxtaposition in space and succession in time; an aggregate of utterly disconnected particulars?
Living in this world we can not do without seeing what is happening around us. We can not merely observe the things, and not bring them into thought-relationships.

The things which happen in our lives shall give us our experiences. Those experiences will create senses and shall be our best teacher, experience being the mother of wisdom. To take on any qualities or relationships whatsoever thought or reason must act upon them. It is the process of thought that attributes qualities to pure experiences and relates some experiences to others to build an understanding of the world.

Conscious or unconscious direction with second nature

Our way of thinking or the process of thought should proceed through certain ways be it our conscious or unconscious direction. Our brain should go on working, considering what happened and analysing everything. Probably it shall order everything, classify it. This using some organic laws of interconnection. These laws are part of the world of thought itself and not completely within our control. Pure experience presents itself in a spontaneously emerging stream and thoughts grow out of that experience making it distinguishable to us and situating it in relationship to the rest of experience.

Some do consider the process of thinking not a human activity. We may say that thoughts emerge out of pure earlier experiences and are dependent on our upbringing or rearing and the language we learned, both becoming a second nature.

Out of body experience (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Our religious thinking and being should also become such a second nature. From the Bible we can learn that the ‘soul‘ is not an external element in our being. Many Christians and Muslims imagine there are a good and a bad angel sitting on our shoulders and talking to a soul which can go out of our body when we die. For them this human soul is to be a phantom-like inner being that contains our conscience and moral fibre. It is the element which can let us do good or let us do bad, under influence of other spirits called either angels, for the good ones, and devils, like Satan and Lucifer, for the bad ones.

Breath given by Creator

Those people forget that it was God Who blew his breath in the nostrils of the first man and woman, to bring them to life. The Pneuma or spirit in those first human beings was not something separate from them. It was their breathing, their being itself.

The soul is not a specific element as such but the transcription of the inner being and the thinking which happens by ‘electronic actions’ in our brain and by breathing. Without breathing we shall not be able to give oxygen to our brains by which they will not be able to work, and with a non-working brain we are as good as dead.

You could say that the soul is our “background of our being”. This ‘being’ has to be fed to stay alive. And because it is not a material element it has to find its food in the immaterial. therefore we as human beings should also give food to the immaterial elements of our being, our “body and soul”.

God gave breath to all creation, but the difference between man and the other living organisms is that god has given more power to man. He has received the power to think, to make choices, to make decisions, to give names and to handle like he wishes to do. But all his actions will create experiences, be it nice or bad ones. He shall have the choice to learn from them or to continue his life without learning more from those things that overcame him.

Material and immaterial being and understanding

Like the soul in an immaterial thing, our thinking its coming to understand something is an abstract element. Understanding is “an abstraction which the human mind forms by reflecting on its own thoughts and forms of thinking.” This knowing is a natural product of the process of mind and it is bound up in, and limited by, language. {Coleridge}

Coleridge asserted that it is a process that requires no “self” to enact. It is a natural process of the lawful interaction of mental elements, a simple unfolding of the characteristics of the mind in nature. But I do think we do have a responsibility and we do have the choice and power to have the self to come to understanding.

I believe when we do open our mind to different thoughts we can enable ourselves to learn more. I also believe this is one of the tasks God has given His creation in the Garden of Eden. We can only give the plants and animals name and classify them in groups when we do have the knowledge and skill to do so. This would not require that we all have the same certificate of proficiency or that we may excuse ourselves when it is not in our domain.

Given brains and reason

An illustration of the Cartesian theater, where a homonculus sits in a person’s head seeing and hearing everything that he experiences. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Because God has given us brains to use, we should use them. So we should think about matters and question things. This questioning things may fall under philosophy. Today many may say “Reason is a direct product of the reasoning faculty.”, but that is not taking the Creator in mind. He had a reason to place human beings on this earth having a brain to reason. Reason is a direct product of the power of creation, Who Himself is Spirit. God is not a man of flesh and blood, but a Spirit without a beginning and without an end. His breath gave us spirit, making us capable to reason, to become reasonable figures in that Created World.

It is not an “accident” that reason comes to us. Reason is breathed into us by the Creator. Though many may think it is just something what happens accidentally, it is something which is in-breath in our human constitution. It may appear spontaneously without warning or precursor, but it is grounded or part of a growing seed, which can only come into existence when the person is willing to use his brain. It is from all the previous experiences, the teachings a person got, that he or she shall be able to think. Though this would not be possible without the Power of the Most High, the Spirit God. Without Him we are nothing. It is the Holy Spirit Who can give us ‘spirit’ to think about matters and to come to reason. God has implanted ethic thoughts in us. He has created us all in His image, so we all do have certain elements of the Supreme High Being. We do not all have the same elements, but somehow we all received enough elements to become full human being who can think properly and who should be able to find God. The Reason as such becomes Spontaneous Knowing. We all have received the power to get to Knowing. Some may think it is not an understanding that is constructed through any thought process, but they should remember the Creator who build in His creations the possibility to think and to come to conclusions. In our inner being we do have the key to come to understanding. It is the direct and self-authenticating recognition of truth.

Different ways to go giving different opinions

From the beginning of the world mankind questioned the Spirit God and for that reason Jehovah God gave man the possibility to work it out himself. Woman would bear children in pain and would find they all could be different, going their own way or helping each other. All had to make their own decisions and could think their own way. God allowed it to be so.

Because we all went different ways on the paths which lay in front of man, different opinions came into the world, and people could choose between many theses or postulates.

The direct knowing of truth is build in by the Creator and could happen spontaneously and also compulsively. The reasoning faculty is ‘knowing’ itself. It is not a process that leads to knowing. This implies that there is some part of us that simply knows the truth and cannot help but know it. But we are stubborn beings, though we do not want to admit it. We have direct sense impressions – smells, tastes, sensations, sounds and sights – which simply appear in awareness. We don’t call them into being and we cannot alter or avoid the way they present themselves. Ideas and intuitions also – upon their initial appearance – share the same unalterable immediacy of presence.

With this awareness of things, matters and background knowledge, we can hear others and see what others do or create. Seeing what happens in the world we can not ignore the inner language of thought. We can only deny our interpretation of experience, not the fact of having it.

Trying to perceive more knowledge

So we may experience a lot of things in our life, encounter lots of publications and thoughts. By tackling our taste to get more knowledge,we are not going against God His wishes. The opposite I would say. We should learn and we should try to get more knowledge.

With philosophy we may come into the domain of the seekers who search to get more wisdom, knowledge and understanding about reality. Did or do not many philosophers try to get to answers about life and about why and how things are? They do like to offer an explanation of the way things are where spirituality is a description of a position that we as a human being should take in relationship to the way things are.

Trying to become one with self and environment

Experience (Photo credit: Kaptain Kobold)

In the action of Spirituality a person tries to become One. Bring mind, soul, thinking in unison with his being, material body. By the spiritual action we do want to go to the source from which everything else originates, whilst by the philosophy we want to come to an understanding why and how human being went away from its source and how it can come back to this source again.

While Philosophy is generally in the mental state of consciousness, the mind taking efforts to know, the spiritual would love to come to that Source of knowledge, believing that there exist something more than the material being its consciousness that exist above the mental ranges.

Trying to transcend domain of rationale and intellect

Moral philosophy

Both the philosopher and the spiritualist may be willing to come to knowledge which transcends domain of rationale and intellect. The philosopher not so much concerned by the own individu or individual, person, character, his identity, but preferring to give objective pictures of reality without telling us explicitly (although often they do implicitly) how we should be in relationship to that picture. Even in moral philosophy generally what we get is an explanation of why certain things are right and others wrong. What we don’t get is someone telling us that we should do the right thing. What we do with morality is left in our own hands.

Spirituality resides in higher regions and has much more to do with the own subjective personality. From the subjective point of view the spiritualist tries to go deeper into himself, looking for the realm of truth there and not as such by others. He knows that the soul is in each of us and is inseparable joined together with flesh and blood. In that casing of human flesh there is our way of breathing and thinking, spirit and moral judgment.

Trying to Relate things

We may be interested to see how we can relate to things, and therefore we can look what philosophers do have to say about that. Spirituality wants to go a step further than just knowing how things are related with each other. It tells us how we should be in relationship to the way things are. It can show us how we should react and by knowing what actions we do have to take we also shall be able to choose if we are willing to use such a knowledge to take on an attitude and to build up a religious field. Spiritualities always include philosophical explanations of the world, but those philosophical aspects are the backdrop for the main event which is direct instruction about how to live.

Door to transcendence

Understanding, intellect and the mind is one door to transcendence. From philosophers we can learn a lot, and we should take the opportunity to learn from their writings. But they will never be able to give the full answer. They mostly do not look for The Divine Source. In our normal consciousness people are so caught up with their emotions, sensations and thoughts and their own mind, they get full of themselves in the emptiness of the world. They become so active that there is no room for the Divine. There the spiritual person wants to go against. He wants to have his wondering not taking him to put Him in the chains of life.

No reason to be afraid of philosophy

To see clear

Man thinking on a train journey. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Christians should not be afraid that the philosophy would carry people away from the Divine. When this would happen it is because the person is not prepared to sincerely look for the Divine. Often the person going away from religion is because he does not see clear the difference between philosophy, religion, religiousness and spirituality.

The philosopher may have the love and intellectual search for wisdom. The spiritual minded person knows or believes there is something extra in our life than just the knowledge of the material world. The spiritual person does want to find knowledge to come to wisdom, but understands that wisdom is more that putting all facts together. To come to spirituality there must be more than the willingness to come to understand the own being. Besides the willingness to come to get to know the inner-self there is the love and opening of their hearts for the wisdom and the willingness to have it taking part in the relationship with others.

Sister and brother

We should understand that the religious person may like to look into philosophy and at the same time may look into spirituality. The two approaches can marvelously be like sister (heart) and brother (brain) in the process of coming to the point of Being part of the One on one side and then Becoming part of the big thing on the other side – in being active in life.

Relationship of unity and Oneness

So, I would say, do not mind letting philosophy going hand in hand with spirituality and making a person to become religious in the good sense of the word, finding and loving the Only One Who is One and wants us to be one and worshiping the Right One in a relationship of unity and Oneness.

The only thing a Christian should be careful for is that he does not get carried away with human thinking, but keeps himself concentrated on the sacral and spiritual matters, looking for the Most Important Being making our self being possible to be a being, the Only One God, the Adonai Elohim Hashem Jehovah.

Preceding articles:

Looking for True Spirituality 1 Intro

Looking for True Spirituality 2 Not restricted to an elite

Looking for True Spirituality 3 Mind of Christ

Looking for True Spirituality 4 Getting to Know the Mind of Christ

Looking for True Spirituality 5 Fruitage of the Spirit

Looking for True Spirituality 6 Spirituality and Prayer

Looking for True Spirituality 7 Preaching of the Good News

Looking for True Spirituality 8 Measuring Up

Fruits of the spirit will prevent you from being either inactive or unfruitful

How long to wait before bringing religiousness and spirituality in practice

Additional reading:

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Being Religious and Spiritual 4 Philosophical, religious and spiritual people

Posted on 2013/12/14 by Bijbelvorsers

A Philosophy Bookshelf(bottom) (Photo credit: jddunn)

As a human being we are constantly confronted with many thoughts. Some tried to mould these thoughts in a shape which they could make understandable for others. Humans also tried to understand the ultimate foundations of spiritual intuitions, questioning if such spiritual intuitions could ultimately be grounded in the nature of fundamental reality, and not wholly be reflective of socio-cultural conventions or neuro-biological mechanisms. Investigation of this open issue is important because of the implications, whichever way the answer turns out, for social and political policy, and personal and social health and welfare. Many of the questions posed by man should come to be answered to succeed in the quest to understand and adhere to one’s spiritual intuitions. The main question al people carry in their heart is the reason of our existence. How many of us do not wonder if life has a positive purpose? Many also would like to see that the life, their are going through, would be fair and compassionate. This is distinct from religiousness, which designates one’s adherence to the tenets of an institution regarded as having authority concerning how one should live and what is ultimately true.

Beyond the personal struggle for survival and security we can not repudiate that there lies a universal human quest to find answers to such perennial spiritual questions: What is the meaning of life? Does existence have a purpose? How should we live? What has real value? Does anything matter?

Handbook of Religion and Health (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Therefore according to many “spirituality” is indeed typically defined in terms of a “personal quest for understanding answers to ultimate questions about life, about meaning, and about relationship to the sacred or transcendent” {Koenig HG, McCullough ME, Larson DB. Handbook of Religion and Health. New York N.Y.: Oxford University Press 2001}. In the previous chapters we saw already that spirituality in this sense is distinct from “religion”, which is typically defined as “an organized system of beliefs, practices, rituals, and symbols designed

(a) to facilitate closeness to the sacred or transcendent (God, higher power, or ultimate truth/reality) and

(b) to foster an understanding of one’s relationship and responsibility to others in living together in a community”. {Koenig HG, McCullough ME, Larson DB. Handbook of Religion and Health. New York N.Y.: Oxford University Press 2001}

Detail of The School of Athens by Raffaello Sanzio, 1509, showing Plato (left) and Aristotle (right) (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Several philosophers tried to explain the way things are, looking for concrete measurable answers (sometimes). They want to give the people around them explanation how everything could have come into existence and to which order could stay into existence. Often the philosophers love to think they could bring an objective picture of reality without telling us explicitly (although often they do implicitly) how we should be in relationship to that picture. All through the years thousands of philosophers gave their opinion of the way everything could be placed in order. Lots of them thought they could give an answer or convince people of the answer of the good and the bad of humankind.

For the philosophers ‘Philosophy‘ is in the thinking, searching mind. By going deep in ourself we even could come to an illumining mind. this going into the self could bring us further into the sacral. Both the philosopher and the spiritual minded do perhaps have the same goals, wanting to find the origin and reason and the height of life. Though the lover of the higher existence, the “what is behind life’ wants to reach a point of connection with that ‘Higher Point’, which can be the Void or a or the Supreme Being, a or The Spirit or Nature Phenomenal. The religious person may ad the dimension of conscious or unconscious response to the beckoning ‘Light‘ and responding to beliefs in the lofty experiences of predecessors and organisations, temples or churches, wanting to see the depth of life. In contrast the man of spirituality wants to go much further and does not want to be restricted by any sort of dogmatic teaching imposed on him by other humans. In his quest and meditation he wants to come to see the reality of life and the reality in life.

For the philosopher there is no reason at all to come into a relationship with somebody else when it is about the being of himself. Some may consider that the philosopher is only using everyday language, which is locally normed and cultural defined, to explain the things which can be clearly seen or which we clearly understand to be present in the universe. The philosophy as such is by some seen merely as an ideology supporting accepted wisdom of the moment, like economy, mathematics, physiology, archaeology, natural science and the rest of the humanities. The anthropologist may study all others in relationship with each other and the environment, leaving himself excluded.

The Spiritual person on the other hand wants to come into relationship with something more than the ‘I’ or ‘Self‘. As a person the spiritual minded person also would love to see a relationship with everything what is around him or her. For the spiritual minded person the spirituality is a description of a position that he or she as a human being should take in relationship to the way things are.

Festival of Spirituality and Peace, Edinburgh 2009 (Photo credit: Student Christian Movement)

Philosophy of Spirituality is concerned with understanding the ultimate foundations of spiritual intuitions. Although the nature of this grounding is unresolved, there are some philosophical and empirical reasons for thinking that.

A lover of philosophy may talk about human’ existence, man’s and God’s Vision, even without mentioning The Creator God. But the Divine God Creator has created human being in His image with a purpose, to live in the universe, to give animals and plants names and to take care of the whole earth as good as he can. The God loving person may find in this Divine Creator the reason for him being here and could find it necessary to take part in actions which would give a sign of his recognising the Lord of lords to be the Most High to be worshipped. In such instance, recognising the Divine Power of the Creator, the lover of religion shall also talks about God’s Power. The person recognising God His Power to be the Most High, but also the extreme highest position a being can have, not out of selfishness or wanting to get in the place of the Supreme High Being, but wanting to come as close as possible near to that Supreme Highest Spirit, shall try is utmost best to come into the knowledge of That Being and to transform himself into a better being than he is at that moment. The one believing in God, loving to become close to Him shall know that it will be necessary for him to get to know the Rules of This God and to apply those rules, guidelines, instructions or commandments. He shall also know how important it is for accepting that he shall have to give an opening to allow the Glory of God appearing in our character. The Spiritual person shall do his utmost best to get over all his material indispositions and get his spiritual being more in the forefront. We should know that the spiritual side of the human being should be more important than the material side of it. A lover of spirituality shall come to know that God is a God of Compassion, willing to accept the deficiencies of our human state. For the spiritually minded it might not be so important as for the lover of philosophy to see God’s Face. The spiritual minded person may also get himself involved in philosophy and also may become religious, trying to get to know the Beginner or Maker of all things and to come to face Him or It and to come to see straight in That God’s Eye.

Russian ancient book, «Spiritual Rules», 1721 (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

The religious person may be more concerned in the involvement of his person in the honouring or worshipping whilst the lover of spirituality shall be more interested in the real relationship with that Supreme Being and be concentrating on his way to grow into God’s all compassionate Heart.

In this materialistic world a man of philosophy may be considered a dreamer, a man of religion of foolishness, being carried away by dreams while he wants to be an observer. Next to them there is the man of spirituality who is a divine lover, knowing that

A divine dreamer, a divine observer and a divine lover are good friends.

Preceding articles:

Being Religious and Spiritual 1 Immateriality and Spiritual experience

Being Religious and Spiritual 2 Religiosity and spiritual life

Being Religious and Spiritual 3 Philosophers, Avicennism and the spiritual

Next: Being Religious and Spiritual 5 Gnostic influences

Please do find to read:

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Additional reading:

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Where are the thinkers? (thehindu.com)
Much of the freedom movement was explicitly inspired by a sense of pride in the achievements of ancient Indian philosophies and traditions. Influential public thinkers like Coomaraswamy argued the case of the unity of Indian philosophy and aesthetics. And few countries can boast of having an eminent philosopher as President — India had S. Radhakrishnan.
However, at a concrete level, the status of philosophy as a serious academic discipline is nowhere near what might be suggested by its role in the freedom movement. In the years since Independence, it has disappeared from the public and cultural imagination and this has, in turn, led to it become something of a backwater even in academia. It no more captures the imagination of political figures, or new generations of students.

Illustration: Satwik Gade

The Forever All: A Philosophical and Spiritual Guide (thepeacefulpantheist.wordpress.com)
”In my view, the entire universe is the Supreme Being, an infinite, purposeful system of positive and negative forces which has always existed and always will, and each of us is that eternal being of light and darkness.
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How I Became a Pantheist by Guyus Seralius
Even now, when I search the term pantheism on the Internet, it seems to be a very untapped subject in comparison to atheism, deism, Buddhism, and so on.
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The church gave them a sense of community and provided them with a social network. This of course predates all the online social networks now so available on the Internet. Sociologist have claimed for years, based on studies, that social networking is one of the main reasons most people do attend church or why they join a religion—it allows them to feel a sense of belonging.
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Anyone of us can say “I am the universe or I am the All.” Philosophers and Spiritualists have been saying something along these lines for centuries. Hippies were definitely known for saying such things during the late 60s and early 70s, but most of us never gave it much attention or took it too seriously. It was usually just something a hippie often said to sound philosophically deep or spiritual. The truth is though, I don’t think most hippies even truly knew just how accurate they were.
Postmodernism, Wisdom & Rebuke (rethinkerblog.wordpress.com)
Postmodernity has found its way into our architecture, our entertainment, our technologies and certainly our philosophies and religious systems. In a philosophical nutshell, postmodernism is the belief that there is no one universal belief: that your truth is your truth, and my truth is my truth. But more than that, it is skepticism toward Any system of belief. In his seminal work: The Postmodern Condition, French philosopher Jean-Francois Lyotard, Lyotard describes postmodernism as an “incredulity towards metanarratives.” Individually, postmodernism affords us our own adoptable moral criteria, unchallenged by others. But holistically, it keeps us all in a state of mistrust.
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How can you tell someone what he or she is doing is right or wrong if his or her personally adopted belief system may claim the exact opposite?
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Historically as a culture, when we distanced ourselves from God and his dogmatic mandates, we distanced ourselves from wisdom. And when we brushed off God’s holistic intent of prosperity and protection, we invited in its postfall antithesis: disease, decay and destruction.
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Becoming People of “True Faith”
The secular world might concede a slight bit more, accepting that perhaps these people of faith did at some point in their lives experience something “spiritual” or, according to science, “unexplainable.” That unexplainable spiritual (or more likely psychological) phenomenon is then called “God.” Just as another’s unexplainable phenomena might be personally claimed as an encounter with Buddha, or the Great Other, or Nature or some other metaphysical expression.
Unfortunately, much of the American Christian church has not only surrendered itself to this secularized label of “faith,” but it also has offered little objective evidence of anything to the contrary.

But for those having experienced true eternal life conversion, the secularized faith label is not merely annulled; it is completely transformed, and, as I soon will show, to the betterment of society as a whole.
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a true Christian’s faith no longer is relegated to merely the hope that God does in fact really exist and that the Christian’s belief system is a valid one. The evidence of that initial faith is crystallized with the first actual experience of His presence and His voice. Not a metaphysical force or an idea – but a real and tangible encounter with a true and very real God.

A true person of faith no longer clings to the shallow hope that his or her God might exist while still never having experienced a modicum of His presence or nature. Like Columbus’ crewmates, proven faith transcends hope. For a true Christian, faith is transformed. It is not based on the reality of a now proven God, but in the assurance that the words this very real God has spoken – are possible in our lives.

Mapping the Possible Relations between “Religious,” “Spiritual,” “Humanistic” and “Secular” Sensibilities (villasophiasalon.wordpress.com)
The Dialectically Related Mutual Approach takes the position that words like religious, spiritual, humanistic, and secular need not necessarily be construded as either absolutely exclusive, tolerantly inclusive, or impossibly ambiguous. Instead, they are words that suggest different psychological temperaments and casts of mind, as well as fluxuating moods within a single individual across a period of time. Our relationship to these words may be more aesthetic and metaphorical than scientistic and metaphysical. By way of analogy we may resonate with and enjoy many different kinds of music…in historical era, compositional genre, emotional mood, and artistic style.
Bertrand Russell on the science v religion debate | Clare Carlisle (theguardian.com)
Bertrand Russell did not consider himself an expert on ethics and religion, and it is true that his writing on these subjects lacks the originality and sophistication of his philosophical work on mathematics. His criticisms of religion are often similar – in essence if not in tone – to opinions voiced by contemporary atheists: he argued that religious beliefs cause wars and persecution, are moralistic and oppressive, and foster fear. However, it is precisely for this reason that it is worth looking again at Russell’s rejection of Christianity. Anyone concerned with defending religion against its typical modern detractors must recognise Russell as a worthy opponent, for he was an intelligent, principled and humane man of the world who undoubtedly led a meaningful life.
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Is religion based on fear?
The most powerful aspect of Bertrand Russell’s critique of religious belief is his claim that religion is based on fear, and that fear breeds cruelty. His philosophical arguments against the existence of God may not touch the lives of many ordinary people, but his more psychological point about fear has to be taken seriously by all of us. In his 1927 lecture “Why I am not a Christian” – delivered to the south London branch of the National Secular Society – Russell expressed his point with characteristic clarity: “Religion is based primarily and mainly upon fear. It is partly the terror of the unknown and partly the wish to feel that you have a kind of elder brother who will stand by you in all your troubles and disputes. Fear is the basis of the whole thing – fear of the mysterious, fear of defeat, fear of death. Fear is the parent of cruelty, and therefore it is no wonder if cruelty and religion have gone hand in hand. It is because fear is at the basis of those two things.” No doubt he was preaching to the converted on this occasion.

There are actually two elements to Russell’s diagnosis of religion here. The first is that religious belief is a symptom of fear: aware that our lives are precarious and vulnerable, we seek the protection of a powerful deity, to comfort ourselves with an illusion of safety. The second is that fear is a symptom of religion: in particular, doctrines of punishment in both this life and the next cause ignorant believers to live in fear unnecessarily. There is little doubt that this analysis has some truth on both points; perhaps it explains quite accurately the causes and effects of religious belief in a significant number of cases. But do such cases represent religion itself, or are they a distortion of it?

Spirituality (dustindemille.wordpress.com)
I believe in Goodness, Peace, Love, Faith, Truth, Compassion, Honesty, Character, Integrity, Strength, Courage, and Wisdom. I enjoy reading and writing about spiritual, religious, and philosophical subjects.
Patterns of manipulation and how to Spot Them (aquarianagethings.wordpress.com)
The only answer is to get True Freedom. One of the most important is Spiritual Freedom and that includes freedom from religion.
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the answer lies inside of you and that these is no need for religion per say because you are inextricably part of that Source already. I call it Source for lack of a better term.
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Most want to keep you docile and looking for something outside that can never be reached or found. The Sages, Yogis and Wise men of the East have known this for a long time, but they have failed miserably at letting others know.
A Misconception of Spirituality (suskiwen.wordpress.com)
The misconception of spirituality is that once we turn to it, we should be positive and then we will be healed. We have taken the wrong approach because struggles cannot be sublimed, they can only be confronted and experienced in spirit. Spirituality is not a means to an end (healed).
When we surrender from the practical world and turn to seek the spirit for guidance, we are entering a commitment that requires our part to do the act of seeking. Each time we ask, we allow ourselves to be fully conscious and present in momentary experience so we are able to see what is true; and whether good or bad, the spirit will find itself there, and where it leads you is where you need to be. It is the “there” where spirit feels and spirit heals.

A Misconception of Spirituality (wilddose.wordpress.com)
Spirituality is a commitment. It is the commitment of the body, the mind and the spirit to co-exist into one entity to deal with the experience assigned to you. It is not a destination, it is not an accident that at random, decides to splash the hues of life into your dullest hour, it is the commitment to a life of continuous practice to act as a vessel to patience, joy and balance in any situation or circumstance.
Why Science Doesn’t Trump Spirituality (speakablepath.wordpress.com)
It is often thought that life can be understood either scientifically or spiritually. Strict adherents to science believe that, since the universe can be explained scientifically, there is no need for spirituality or mysticism. They think that scientifically proving and explaining the physical causes for phenomena eliminates the necessity for spirituality. What is the point of having faith in something non-physical when there is perfectly credible, physical proof? Surely in this advanced technological age humanity has outgrown the need for a higher power.

Are Science and the Bible Compatible?

Posted on 2013/11/21 by Belgian Biblestudents - Belgische Bijbelstudenten

“The significance and joy in my science comes in the occasional moments of discovering something new and saying to myself, ‘So that’s how God did it!’”— Henry Schaefer, professor of chemistry.

Science does much to help us understand the natural world, revealing a level of order, precision, and sophistication that points, in the eyes of many, to a God of infinite intelligence and power. In their view, science reveals not just details of the natural world but also facets of the mind of God.

That point of view finds abundant support in the Bible. Says Romans 1:20:

“[God’s] invisible qualities are clearly seen from the world’s creation onward, because they are perceived by the things made, even his eternal power and Godship.”

Likewise, Psalm 19:1, 2 states:

“The heavens are declaring the glory of God; and of the work of his hands the expanse is telling. One day after another day causes speech to bubble forth, and one night after another night shows forth knowledge.”

Despite all its wonders, however, the natural world reveals only some aspects of our Creator.

Where Science Is Limited

Many truths about God are beyond the scope of science. To illustrate, a scientist may be able to describe every molecule in a chocolate cake, but will his analysis reveal why the cake was made or for whom? For answers to questions like that—which most people would regard as the more important ones—he needs to consult the person who baked the cake.

Description : Erwin Schrödinger, Austrian phys...

Erwin Schrödinger, Austrian physicist (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Similarly, science “gives a lot of factual information,” wrote Austrian physicist and Nobel laureate Erwin Schrödinger, “but it is ghastly silent about all . . . that is really near to our heart, that really matters to us.” This includes, he says, “God and eternity.” For example, only God can answer such questions as the following:
Why is there a universe? Why does our planet have an abundance of life, including intelligent life? If God truly is almighty, why does he permit evil and suffering? And is there hope beyond the grave?

Has God answered those questions? Yes, in the pages of the Bible.

16 All Scripture is inspired of God+ and beneficial for teaching,+ for reproving, for setting things straight,* for disciplining in righteousness,+ 17 so that the man of God may be fully competent, completely equipped for every good work. (2 Timothy 3:16-17)

‘But how,’ you may ask, ‘can I be sure that the Bible really is from God?’ From a scientific point of view, what the Bible says about the world around us must harmonize with scientific fact, for God does not contradict himself. Does the Bible reflect such harmony? Consider a few examples.

Scientifically Ahead of Its Time

When the Bible was being written, many people believed that various gods inhabited the world and that those gods, not natural laws, controlled the sun, the moon, the weather, fertility, and so on. But that was not the case with the ancient Hebrew prophets of God. Of course, they knew that Jehovah God could directly control the natural world and that he did so on specific occasions.

12 It was then, on the day that Jehovah routed the Am′or·ites before the eyes of the Israelites, that Joshua said to Jehovah before Israel: “Sun, stand still+ over Gib′e·on,+ And moon, over the Valley* of Ai′ja·lon!” 13 So the sun stood still and the moon did not move until the nation could take vengeance on its enemies. Is it not written in the book of Ja′shar?+ The sun stood still in the middle of the sky and did not hasten to set for about a whole day. 14 There has never been a day like that one, either before it or after it, when Jehovah listened to the voice of a man,+ for Jehovah was fighting for Israel.+(Joshua 10:12-14)

9 Isaiah replied: “This is the sign from Jehovah to show you that Jehovah will carry out the word that he has spoken: Do you want the shadow on the stairway* to move forward ten steps or back ten steps?”+ 10 Hez·e·ki′ah said: “It is an easy thing for the shadow to extend itself ten steps but not to go back ten steps.” 11 So Isaiah the prophet called out to Jehovah, and He made the shadow on the stairway of A′haz go back ten steps after it had already descended the steps.+ (2 Kings 20:9-11)

Nevertheless, John Lennox, professor of mathematics at the University of Oxford, England, observed that those prophets

“did not have to have their universe de-deified [of mythical gods]. . . , for the simple reason that they had never believed in the gods in the first place. What had saved them from that superstition was their belief in One True God, Creator of heaven and earth.”

How did that belief protect them from superstition? For one thing, the true God revealed to them that he governs the universe by precise laws, or statutes. For example, more than 3,500 years ago, Jehovah God asked his servant Job:

“Have you come to know the statutes of the heavens?” (Job 38:33)

In the seventh century B.C.E., the prophet Jeremiah wrote about “the statutes of heaven and earth.”—Jeremiah 33:25.

Hence, all who lived in ancient times and had faith in the writings of the Bible prophets could know that the universe was governed, not by mythical, temperamental deities, but by rational laws. As a result, those God-fearing individuals neither bowed down to created entities, such as the sun, the moon, or the stars, nor did they have a superstitious attitude toward them.

15 “Therefore, watch yourselves closely*—since you did not see any form on the day Jehovah spoke to you in Ho′reb out of the middle of the fire— 16 that you may not act corruptly by making for yourselves any carved image having the form of any symbol, the representation of male or female,+ 17 the representation of any animal on the earth or the representation of any bird that flies in the sky,+ 18 the representation of anything creeping on the ground or the representation of any fish in the waters under the earth.+ 19 And when you raise your eyes to the heavens and see the sun and the moon and the stars—all the army of the heavens—do not get seduced and bow down to them and serve them.+ Jehovah your God has given them to all the peoples under the whole heavens. (Deuteronomy 4:15-19)

Rather, they saw God’s works as objects of study that reveal his wisdom, power, and other qualities.

3 When I see your heavens, the works of your fingers, The moon and the stars that you have prepared,+ 4 What is mortal man that you keep him in mind, And a son of man that you take care of him?+ 5 You made him a little lower than godlike ones,*And you crowned him with glory and splendor. 6 You gave him dominion over the works of your hands;+You have put everything under his feet: 7 All the flocks and cattle,As well as the wild animals,*+ 8 The birds of the heavens and the fish of the sea, Whatever passes through the paths of the seas. 9 O Jehovah our Lord, how majestic your name is throughout the earth! (Psalm 8:3-9)

19 Jehovah founded the earth in wisdom.+ He solidly established the heavens in discernment.+ 20 By his knowledge the watery deeps were split apart And the cloudy skies dripped with dew.+ (Proverbs 3:19, 20).

In harmony with today’s views

In harmony with the views of many scientists today, the ancient Hebrews also believed that the universe had a beginning.

“In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth,” says Genesis 1:1.

bibles (Photo credit: fancycwabs)

Also, some 3,500 years ago, God revealed to his servant Job that the earth ‘hangs on nothing,’ or is suspended in space. (Job 26:7) And finally, more than 2,500 years ago, the prophet Isaiah wrote that the earth is a circle or sphere.

22 There is One who dwells above the circle* of the earth,+ And its inhabitants are like grasshoppers. He is stretching out the heavens like a fine gauze, And he spreads them out like a tent to dwell in.+ (Isaiah 40:22).* {For a more extensive discussion on the existence of God and the accuracy of the Bible, please read the brochure Was Life Created? and the book Is There a Creator Who Cares About You? published by Jehovah’s Witnesses.}

Yes, the Bible does harmonize with scientific truths about the natural world. In fact, the two fields of study are more than compatible — they beautifully complement each other. To disregard either one is to leave unopened a door to the knowledge of God.

105 Your word is a lamp to my foot, And a light for my path.+ (Psalm 119:105)

26 “Lift up your eyes to heaven and see. Who has created these things?+ It is the One who brings out their army by number; He calls them all by name.+ Because of his vast dynamic energy and his awe-inspiring power,+ Not one of them is missing. (Isaiah 40:26.)

We may conclude that in the Bible we can find a scientific accuracy in describing basic “kinds” of life. Those description which have been proven by the years strengthens also the credibility in other areas, including history and prophecy.

We should find the God of gods as the Source of infinite power, or energy.

²³ Understanding the Almighty is beyond our reach;+ He is great in power,+ And he never violates his justice+ and abundant righteousness.+ (Job 37:23)

Standing still at God His wondrous works

We cannot order God His speech by reason of darkness, but we can stand still and consider the wondrous works of God in everything we can see around us. Human beings do want to have an explanation for everything, but they just can not. Never shall human being have the same knowledge as the Supreme Being Who is the Source of the “vast dynamic energy” that produced the universe. (Isaiah 40:26)

Scientist shall not be able to change the system in the essence, but it will be God Who shall use his supreme power to sustain His creation. Many people even would like to tell others that the world would become destroyed and shall not exist any-more after some time, but the Bible says regarding the sun, moon, and stars that the Creator God shall keep them established forever and ever.

148 1 Praise Jah!* Praise Jehovah from the heavens;+ Praise him in the heights. ² Praise him, all his angels.+ Praise him, all his army.+ ³ Praise him, sun and moon. Praise him, all shining stars.+ ⁴ Praise him, O highest heavens* And waters above the heavens. ⁵ Let them praise the name of Jehovah,
For he commanded, and they were created.+ ⁶ He keeps them established forever and ever;+ He has issued a decree that will not pass away.+ (Psalm 148:1-3-6).

Many human beings searched for explanations and wanted to explain the beginning of the universe. Though in simple terms the the Bible explains creation in a way that harmonizes with science and also gives answers to questions that science cannot, — such as, What is God’s purpose for the earth and for mankind? *

The astronomer Allan Sandage once said:

“Science cannot answer the deepest questions. As soon as you ask why is there something instead of nothing, you have gone beyond science.”

Preceding articles:

Bible containing scientific information

The mythical conflict of science and Scripture (1)

The mythical conflict of science and Scripture (2)

Science and the Bible—Do They Really Contradict Each Other?

Next: Reconciling Science and Religion

Dutch version / Nederlandstalige versie: Stemt de Bijbel overeen met de wetenschap

Additional reading:

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Why I Love the Bible (richardmansel.com)
the Bible is more than just a book. It is a living thing, breathing wisdom and power. It is a message from God and a window to the future. Nothing else exists like the Bible in the entire universe.
Answers in Genesis takes on Bill O’Reilly over Bible comment (tnchristiannews.wordpress.com)
The Bible is the history of mankind; to call it only a theological book is to miss the whole point of Christianity.
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The Bible Is a book of history–it’s a book of historical science. That’s why I teach thousands of kids each year to say “The Bible is the history book of the universe.’
Costco apologizes for labelling Bible as fiction (sunnewsnetwork.ca)
A California pastor who tweeted a photo of a Bible labelled as fiction at his local Costco says a boycott of the chain is unnecessary.But Caleb Kaltenbach told the show Fox and Friends it is at times like this that “Christians in America need to stand up for their faith.”
Abusing Love: Why God’s “Love” Makes Me Cringe (n8carlson.wordpress.com)
God’s love is manifest in the Gospel. The Gospel is “the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes” (Romans 1:16). The Gospel is for the salvation from sin for believers. It is offensive. The Gospel tells an individual that they are a sinner, that they have rebelled against God, and that they cannot do anything to fix that. The Gospel does not affirm people as good people. It is not tolerant. Jesus said, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” It is God’s way and no other’s.
Unified Truth: Faith and Reason (str.typepad.com)
Personally, not a huge fan of Thomas Aquinas. Greek philosophy is not compatible with Christian theology, except in a few areas. In Greek philosophy, the body is bad. In Christian theology, the body is good and will be redeemed eventually by God. Greek philosophy has brought us off course in our understanding of eschatology and other important things on many occasions in the church. I am a bit wary about some of what Thomas Aquinas believes because of that. (Jared Berryman)
+
As Aquinas did, Evangelicals conflate reason with truth. With their puffed-up minds, they think that if an argument can be made concerning Scripture using reason, then their reasoning constitutes the truth. For example, some of these wisdom lovers claim that God’s greatest attribute is His sovereignty. Surely reason tells us this apparent fact, but it isn’t found anywhere in Scripture; rather, it is their philosophical presupposition. (Sebastian Gonzales)
Thomas Aquinas on Wisdom by Robert M. Woods (facebookapostles.org)
prior to the Enlightenment, wisdom was closely connected to reason. For them to reason, reflect, imagine, conjecture, was part of what it meant to act faithfully in accordance with being in the image of God. As it related to the four causes expounded by Aristotle and adhered to by Thomas, wisdom is an understanding of the final cause. Sadly, this has all but been lost in science and philosophy today.Is it possible that one reason Philosophy is ridiculed by so many today as irrelevant and outdated is because it lost its way a few hundred years ago and has never fully found the way back to the path. If philosophy was still about the blending of the theoretical and the practical, the reflection and the proper moral action, one can imagine that there would be many who would come to love and live wisdom.
Jerry Coyne’s Twisted History of Science and Religion (forbes.com)
What’s truly amazing is just how much science early Christians were doing. John Philoponus (c. 490 – c. 570) was one of the first Christian professors in Alexandria. Historians today are stunned by his achievements.As a Christian, Philoponus was happy to ditch pagan orthodoxy and start afresh. So he was the first to actually do the experiment of dropping stones, proving Aristotle wrong about falling objects. Alas, shortly after he died, Egypt was invaded by the Persians and then by the Arabs. Alexandria lost its status as an important center of learning, while the Byzantine Empire went into siege mode as it fought an existential struggle for survival. Not a great environment for science!
+It is truly amazing how many alleged instances of Christianity holding back science turn out to be completely bogus. Legends that the Church banned zero, fought lightning rods or anesthesia, excommunicated Halley’s Comet, and forbade human dissection all turn out to be false. The most widely cited example – the persecution of Galileo – was as much about politics as science. (Galileo purposefully insulted the Pope, which was not a wise move. For more on Bruno, the trial of Galileo, and a whole lot more, see James Hannam’s book, The Genesis of Science: How the Christian Middle Ages Launched the Scientific Revolution.)Dr. Coyne continues:

There was and still is, of course, opposition to science by Christians. The greatest opponent of biology’s greatest theory—evolution—has always been Christianity.

Untrue. The writings of influential Church Father Thomas Aquinas hint that he would have accepted evolution. Besides, singling out Christianity as uniquely opposed to “biology’s greatest theories” overlooks the biggest enemy of genetics in the 20th Century: Soviet Communism. Communists rejected the work of Charles Darwin and Gregor Mendel (the latter, of course, a Catholic monk). Instead, they embraced the Stalin-approved Lamarckian vision of Trofim Lysenko, setting back Soviet genetics by decades.
How to falsify a religion using scientific or historical evidence (winteryknight.wordpress.com)
The absolute origin of the universe out of nothing is also incompatible with atheism, Buddhism, Mormonism, etc. because they also require an eternally existing universe.
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If you prove that the universe is eternal than would falsify the Bible’s claim that God created the universe out of nothing. That would be a scientific disproof. If you could find the body of Jesus still inside a tomb, that would falsify the Bible’s claim about a resurrection. That would be a historical disproof. The nice thing about Christianity is that we make lots of testable claims. Christianity is about forming beliefs that are in line with the available evidence.
What Caused the Big Bang? A Master Mason and Knight Templar Offers a Unique New Approach to Multiverse Cosmology (prweb.com)
“When you understand that Consciousness and Identity are convertible, your spiritual understanding explodes. You no longer need any form of religion, belief, doctrine, or even a conventional identity,” Augustine stated. “My work can expand a person beyond their boundaries and into a new and higher level of Consciousness and spiritual understanding. This is why my subtitle of my book is ‘Consciousness and Enlightenment in the Internet Age and Beyond.'”
Creation (illustrationstoencourage.wordpress.com)
Modern science agrees that the universe had a beginning. A recent scientific model suggests it to be almost 14 billion years old.
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The false ideas of creationists could lead you to dismiss the Bible altogether. On the other hand, if the Bible actually contains a credible account of creation, you stand to benefit from its storehouse of “practical wisdom.”—Proverbs 3:21.
What Is the Meaning of Life? (illustrationstoencourage.wordpress.com)
The question of the meaning of life may be asked in many ways, such as Why are we here? or Does my life have a purpose? The Bible shows that our purpose in life is to build a friendship with God. Consider some of these fundamental truths that the Bible reveals.
I Don’t Feel Good About My Life—Can Religion, God, or the Bible Help? (illustrationstoencourage.wordpress.com)
The Bible, an ancient book of wisdom, provides answers to life’s important questions and can help you to feel better and have a sense of well-being.
Jehovah’s Witness Systematic Theology: Doctrine of Jehovah (trueforms.wordpress.com)
“True, you cannot see God because he is an invisible spirit. (John 1:18; 4:24; 1 Timothy 1:17) By learning about him through the pages of the Bible, however, you can come to know him as a person.”
(What Does the Bible Really Teach?, What is the Truth about God?)

“No human has ever seen God because he is a Spirit, which means that he is a higher form of life than the physical creatures who live on earth. (John 1:18; 4:24) Nevertheless, we can discern God’s personality from the things he has made. For instance, the variety of fruits and flowers tells us of his love and wisdom. The size of the universe tells us of his power.—Read Romans 1:20.

We can learn even more about God’s personality by reading the Bible. For example, it tells us what God likes and what he does not like, how he treats people, and how he reacts in different situations.—Read Psalm 103:7-10.”
(JW, Good News from God, Who is God?)

Patriarch Abraham, Muslims, Christians and the son of God

Posted on 2013/11/12 by Christadelphians

Lazy Christians

English: Faithful praying towards Makkah; Umay...

Faithful praying towards Makkah; Umayyad Mosque, Damascus. (Foto Antonio Milena/ABr – hor – 08) (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Having to reply to some blogs on the saying that “Christians are to lazy to study and have no zeal for the deep things of God. I fear that they will not stand against the wiles of the devil as we enter into the tribulation. People will rush to Islam because it makes more sense the trinity is nonsense created 350 years after Christ from Greek and Roman Pagon tradition…” on a.o Shining light blog defies scripture! Where has the Lord God gone? and some other blogs pointing at the “stupidity of Christians” who consider Jesus to be a son of God, we would like to publish some of answer here too.

To consider Christadelphians and other Bible Students lazy to study and having no zeal for the deep things of God we would call unbecoming, because it are people who have no paid ministers, do their own searching and Bible study, organise themselves their own meetings and ecclesiae (‘churches’).

According to us it is inappropriate language to insult those who try after their working hours, to earn their living, to daily read in the Holy Scriptures and to regularly come together to discuss the Daily Bible Readings. Uncalled-for reproach we would like to defend all those who sincerely take a lot of their time, daily, to study the Bible and to look into the spiritual things of life.

Preaching Christians against not witnessing Muslims

The last hundred years in the so called civilised countries the citizens could find all sorts of Christians preaching at their doors or in public places. How many people are you able to encounter who never had a Jehovah Witness, a Mormon, a Pentecostal or Evangelical Christian at their doorstep? Those so called lazy Christians dared to go out and speak in the language of the people and present the words of God in the language of the people. How many Muslims offer the Word of God in the language of the people? How many people translated the Quran/Quoran/kor-Ahn/Koran in the many world languages? Would you describe all those scribes who tried to get the Word of God made clear in the tongue of the many nations as lazy Christians?

Muslims and Christians united for Egypt by Carlos Latuff. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Many Christians do go out in the world and are active on many platforms, internet sites to proclaim the Word of God. Can this also be said about the Muslims? Most what people hear form Muslims is the hate bearing words against Christians and non-believers. But where is their call to the love of God and the love for the neighbour? How many Muslims actively show that brotherly love God wants his creation to show? How many People did you already got on your doorstep or visit you at home to share their Islamic faith with you?

On the streets, on the internet, in special places open to every one, we can find more Christians, proclaiming the Word of God and trying to get people becoming a God loving person, than we can find Muslims doing that.

Thinking all Christians and all Muslims are of the same lot

Looking at certain reactions on Islamic websites we can not fail to see that many Muslims do have a wrong idea about ‘all’ Christians, thinking that all Christians are the same and do think the same. Many of the Muslims put every Christian in the same box, like we can find many Christians who put all Muslims also in the same category.

Like many Christians do not know that there are many other non-trinitarian Christians than the Jehovah Witnesses, the majority of the Muslims consider all Christians as Trinitarians and blasphemous Islam haters.
Both would better go over those different people with a fine-tooth comb.

An earth-father or patriarch

Many Muslims also do not seem to understand the sonship of Christ, though themselves consider Avram/Abraham as their patriarch or “aartsvader” = “earthy father” or “stamvader” = “tribe father” or “father of their tribe” the imam of their nation.

“And remember that Abraham was tried by his Lord with certain commands, which he fulfilled: He said: “I will make thee an Imam to the Nations.” He pleaded: “And also [Imams] from my offspring!” He answered: “But My Promise is not within the reach of evil-doers.”” (Koran 2:124 Yusufali)

Meaning of Islam

Harper’s Muslims and Christians (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Several Muslims, Christians and irreligious people forget what “Islam” really means. The Jews and Christians have and speak about the “Shalom” or the “Peace be with you”.

That peace, purity, submission and obedience brings “Islam” from the Arabic root of “Salema”. As such “Islam” means “submission to the Will of God and obedience to His Law“. It is considering oneself part of the Peace of the Creator God. Calling yourself as part of the ‘Islam’ would mean you are willing to give yourself to the Creator God, Allah, the Elohim Hashem Jehovah.

Everything and every phenomenon in the world other than man is administered totally by God-made laws, ie. they should be obedient to God and submissive to his laws. Those that are in a ‘State of Islam’ are persons who have given their inner being to the Most High, willing to give their ‘body and soul’ in submission to that God. We all may Man posses qualities of intelligence and choice, but they all are their and we only can exist because God allows us to exist. We as creations of the One God are all invited by the Creator to submit to the good Will of Him, Allah/God and to obey His law, ie, become a God fearing and God loving being. For the Jews this is becoming a good Jew, for Christians this would mean to accept also the one send by God and to follow the teachings of that Nazarene Jew Jeshua/Jesus Christ. For the followers of the teacher Abū al-Qāsim Muḥammad ibn ʿAbd Allāh ibn ʿAbd al-Muṭṭalib ibn Hāshim it would mean to become a Muslim or Bahá’í.

According to the Bahá’í, Jewish and Christian teachings the human purpose is to learn to know and love God through such methods as prayer, reflection, and being of service to humanity.

The word Allah in the Arabic language means God, or more accurately, The One and Only Eternal God, Creator of the Universe, Lord of all lords, King of all kings, Most Compassionate, Most Merciful. The word Allah to mean God is also used by Arabic speaking Jews and Christians.

Already from the early ages there were people who considered that there was /is a Most High Supreme Being that created everything around us. Through the ages there have always been faithful people who wanted only to honour that Almighty God of gods. There where also people who wanted to love that God or Allah so deeply they also wanted to know who He was and what His Name was. For that reason Allah let his beloved people know Who He was and how he could be named.

(1) And יהוה {Jehovah} said to Mosheh, “Now see what I do to Pharaoh, for with a strong hand he is going to let them go, and with a strong hand he is going to drive them out of his land.” (2) And Elohim spoke to Mosheh and said to him, “I am יהוה {Jehovah}. (3) “And I appeared to Aḇraham, to Yitsḥaq, and to Yaʽaqoḇ, as Ěl Shaddai. And by My Name, יהוה {Jehovah}, was I not known to them? (4) “And I also established My covenant with them, to give them the land of Kenaʽan, the land of their sojournings, in which they have sojourned. (5) “And I have also heard the groaning of the children of Yisra’ĕl whom the Mitsrites are enslaving, and I have remembered My covenant. (6) “Say, therefore, to the children of Yisra’ĕl, ‘I am יהוה {Jehovah}, and I shall bring you out from under the burdens of the Mitsrites, and shall deliver you from their enslaving, and shall redeem you with an outstretched arm, and with great judgments, (7) and shall take you as My people, and I shall be your Elohim. And you shall know that I am יהוה {Jehovah} your Elohim who is bringing you out from under the burdens of the Mitsrites. (8) ‘And I shall bring you into the land which I swore to give to Aḇraham, to Yitsḥaq, and to Yaʽaqoḇ?, to give it to you as an inheritance. I am יהוה {Jehovah}.’ ” (Exodus 6:1-8 The Scriptures 1998+)

” (5) Thus said the Ěl, יהוה {Jehovah}, who created the heavens and stretched them out, who spread forth the earth and that which comes from it, who gives breath to the people on it, and spirit to those who walk on it: (6) “I, יהוה {Jehovah}, have called You in righteousness, and I take hold of Your hand and guard You, and give You for a covenant to a people, for a light to the gentiles, (7) to open blind eyes, to bring out prisoners from the prison, those who sit in darkness from the prison house. (8) “I am יהוה {Jehovah}, that is My Name, and My esteem I do not give to another, nor My praise to idols. (9) “See, the former predictions have come, and new ones I am declaring; before they spring forth I let you hear them.”” (Isaiah 42:5-9 The Scriptures 1998+)

Those who love and recognise יהוה {Jehovah} should all be united in the same love as their Creator. Submission to the good Will of God, together with obedience to His beneficial Law, ie, would be becoming a child of God or belong to the People of God, either by what the world would call becoming a Jew or becoming a Christian or like the followers of ‘their prophet Muhhamad’ would call themselves to be a Muslim, as the best safeguard for man’s peace and harmony.

Worshipping prophet not followed

Quran, Mus’haf_Al_Tajweed. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Many Muslims do not want to believe that Christians would worship the One and only one God, Creator of heaven and earth and everything around יהוה. But lots of Christians consider Abraham also as their patriarch who witnessed the Wisdom of God and who received the promise for all God loving people, first given to the Judean People of God, afterwards also to gentiles, Christians and Muslims.

“Were ye witnesses when death appeared before Jacob? Behold, he said to his sons: “What will ye worship after me?” They said: “We shall worship Thy god and the god of thy fathers, of Abraham, Isma’il and Isaac,- the one [True] Allah: To Him we bow [in Islam].”” (Koran 2:133 Yusufali)

“Abraham was not a Jew nor yet a Christian; but he was true in Faith, and bowed his will to Allah’s [Which is Islam], and he joined not gods with Allah.” (Koran 3:67 Yusufali)

Chosen people and their faith

Christians do believe in God (in several languages a title also said like in Arabic: Allah) and in the ones He had chosen, like Abraham, Ishmael, the other patriarch Jacob and many other prophets whose books we now have assembled in the Holy Scriptures, the Bible.

“Say: “We believe in Allah, and in what has been revealed to us and what was revealed to Abraham, Isma’il, Isaac, Jacob, and the Tribes, and in [the Books] given to Moses, Jesus, and the prophets, from their Lord: We make no distinction between one and another among them, and to Allah do we bow our will [in Islam].”” (Koran 3:84 Yusufali)

Son of a mother

First of all there is the sonship, like we can find Jeshua, the prophet Jesus to be the son of Miriam (Miryam, Mary/Maria)

Koran 2:87 We gave Moses the Book and followed him up with a succession of Apostles; We gave Jesus the son of Mary Clear Signs and strengthened him with the Holy Spirit. Is it that whenever there comes to you an Apostle with what ye yourselves desire not, ye are puffed up with pride? — ome ye call impostors, and others ye slay!

Koran 2:87 And most certainly We gave Musa the Book and We sent messengers after him one after another; and We gave Isa (Issou/Jeshua/Jesus/Jezus/Chesu), the son of Marium (Miriam/Mary/Maria), clear arguments and strengthened him with the holy spirit, What! whenever then a messenger came to you with that which your souls did not desire, you were insolent so you called some liars and some you slew.

Koran 2:253 Those apostles we endowed with gifts, some above others: To one of them Allah spoke; others He raised to degrees of honor; to Jesus the son of Mary we gave Clear Signs, and strengthened him with the holy spirit. If Allah had so willed, succeeding generations would not have fought among each other, after Clear Signs had come to them, but they chose to wrangle, some believing and others rejecting. If Allah had so willed, they would not have fought each other; but Allah fulfilleth His plan.

Son of a father

Many people in the world do receive sons and call themselves children of that father, but we also find other children who consider the previous prophets their father. Like for us Christians the prophet Abraham is our patriarch and father.

About the Nazarene Jewish man Jeshua, who fitted the Plan of God, it is also know that many say he is the son of Allah, the Only One God:

Koran 2:116 They say: “Allah hath begotten a son”: Glory be to Him. — ay, to Him belongs all that is in the heavens and on earth: Everything renders worship to Him.

Koran 3:47 She said: “O my Lord! How shall I have a son when no man hath touched me?” He said: “Even so: Allah createth what He willeth: When He hath decreed a Plan, He but saith to it, ’Be,’ and it is!”

A son to Allah

Allah has taken to himself a son which we consider to be the son of man in the line of Adam and many prophets:

Matthew 1:1 this is the genealogy of Jeshua/Yeshua the Messiah, son of David, son of Avraham/Abraham:

“The book of the generation of Jesus Christ, the Son of David, the Son of Abraham.” (Matthew 1:1 KJ21)

The Bible with the Gospels telling the world about the son of David and son of God (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Matthew’s first gospel tells us about an angel of Adonai who appeared to Yosef (Joseph), son of David, not to be afraid to take Miryam as his wife; for what has been conceived in her is from the Ruach haKodesh, the Power of God or Holy Spirit. That what she bears does come directly from the Most High Elohim and the angels tell Joseph and Mary that she will give birth to a son, which they have to name Jeshua/Yeshua/Yashua/Yahushua, (which means ‘Jehovah saves’). It is because this son fostered by this two common people will save his people from their sins.

The virgin conceived and brought a son on this earth, and they called him ‘immanu el” or “God with us”

“20 But while he thought on these things, behold, the angel of the Lord appeared unto him in a dream, saying, Joseph, you son of David, fear not to take unto you Mary your wife: for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Ghost. 21 And she shall bring forth a son, and you shall call his name Yashua: for he shall save his people from their sins. 22 Now all this was done, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken of the Lord [Yahweh] by the prophet, saying, 23 Behold, a virgin shall be with child, and shall bring forth a son, and they shall call his name Immanuel, which being interpreted is, God with us. 24 Then Joseph being raised from sleep did as the angel of the Lord had invited him, and took unto him his wife: 25 And knew her not till she had brought forth her firstborn son: and he called his name Yashua.” (Matthew 1:20-25 KJBPNV)

When the son of those God fearing people grew up, he learned everything from them. (In case he would have been God he could not learn anything from them because he would have known everything already.) Becoming an adult he went into the river Jordan to become baptised by his nephew John and when he came out of the water people were astonished to suddenly hear a voice from the air. All the onlookers could hear the voice of Allah, the God of heaven and earth, who let everybody present hear that they could see His only begotten beloved son.

“16 And having been baptized, Jesus immediately went up out of the water: and, the heavens were opened to him, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove, and lighting upon him: 17 And a voice from heaven, said, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.” (Matthew 3:16-17 KJV_2011)

Son of David who received from his Father in heaven

Jeshua went to many places where people could see him (remember that nobody can see God or they would die) and found also witnesses who shouted for example “son of David! take pity on us!”

“And when Yahshua departed therefrom, two blind men followed him, crying, and saying, You Son of David, have mercy on us.” (Matthew 9:27 KJBPNV)

The son of man promised for many years had come into being and received the power from his Father, without Him Jesus could do nothing.

“But when they persecute you in this city, flee you into another: for truly I say to you, You shall not have gone over the cities of Israel, till the Son of man has come.” (Matthew 10:23 KJBPNV)

“Then answered Yahshua and said to them, Truly, truly, I say to you, The Son can do nothing of himself, but what he sees the Father do: for whatever things he does, these also does the Son likewise.” (John 5:19 KJBPNV)

“You have heard how I said to you, I go away, and come again to you. If you loved me, you would rejoice, because I said, I go to the Father: for my Father is greater than I” (John 14:28 KJBPNV)

Jesus himself clearly speaks about his Father in heaven who has handed over everything to him for a while. Because Jesus comes directly from the Father he, like any child, knows his father better than anybody else.

“25 In regard to that, Jesus then said, I thank you, O Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because you have hidden these things from the wise and prudent, and have revealed them unto babes. 26 Yes, Father: for that was your gracious will. 27 All things have been given to me by my Father: and no one really knows the Son, except the Father; nor does anyone really know the Father, except the Son, and he to whom the Son chooses to reveal him. 28 Come to me, all you who labor and are carrying a heavy load, and I will give you rest. 29 Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and you will find rest for your souls. 30 For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.” (Matthew 11:25-30 KJV_2011)

A son of glad tidings

We have Jesus who is … “the son of man … lord of shabbat!” (Matthew 12:8) but also “Mashiach, the son of the living God.” (Matthew 16:16)

“And Simon Peter answered and said, “Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God.”” (Matthew 16:16 KJ21)

Allah is the One who gives the world everything we can see. He is the One who gave the glad tidings of a Word from Him that this man from Nazareth would be the Christ or Christos, the Messiah.

“Behold! the angels said: “O Mary! Allah giveth thee glad tidings of a Word from Him: his name will be Christ Jesus, the son of Mary, held in honour in this world and the Hereafter and of [the company of] those nearest to Allah;” (Koran 3:45 Yusufali)

But it would be wrong to consider that son of man, son of David, son of Abraham, son of Adam (see the genealogy of Christ in the different Bible books or gospels) as being Allah or the One Elohim Hashem Jehovah, God Himself.

“In blasphemy indeed are those that say that Allah is Christ the son of Mary. Say: “Who then hath the least power against Allah, if His will were to destroy Christ the son of Mary, his mother, and all every-one that is on the earth? For to Allah belongeth the dominion of the heavens and the earth, and all that is between. He createth what He pleaseth. For Allah hath power over all things.”” (Koran 5:19 Yusufali)

“And in their footsteps We sent Jesus the son of Mary, confirming the Law that had come before him: We sent him the Gospel: therein was guidance and light, and confirmation of the Law that had come before him: a guidance and an admonition to those who fear Allah.” (Koran 5:49 Yusufali)

“They do blaspheme who say: “Allah is Christ the son of Mary.” But said Christ: “O Children of Israel! worship Allah, my Lord and your Lord.” Whoever joins other gods with Allah,- Allah will forbid him the garden, and the Fire will be his abode. There will for the wrong-doers be no one to help.” (Koran 5:75 Yusufali)

Son of the One Greatest Elohim

Jesus (Jeshua/Ishi), who never claimed to be God, told not to worship him but to honour the one greater than him, the Only One God to whom Jesus prayed himself and told us also to pray to.

“Therefore the Lord Himself shall give you a sign: Behold, a virgin shall conceive and bear a Son, and shall call His name Immanuel.” (Isaiah 7:14 KJ21)

“But when the fullness of the time had come, God sent forth His Son, made of a woman, made under the law,” (Galatians 4:4 KJ21)

“30 And the angel said unto her, “Fear not, Mary, for thou hast found favor with God. 31 And behold, thou shalt conceive in thy womb and bring forth a Son, and shalt call His name Jesus. 32 He shall be great and shall be called the Son of the Highest; and the Lord God shall give unto Him the throne of His father David, 33 and He shall reign over the house of Jacob for ever; and of His Kingdom there shall be no end.” 34 Then said Mary unto the angel, “How shall this be, seeing I know not a man?” 35 And the angel answered and said unto her, “The Holy Spirit shall come upon thee, and the power of the Highest shall overshadow thee. Therefore also that Holy Being who shall be born of thee shall be called the Son of God.” (Luke 1:30-35 KJ21)

” (21) And it came to be, when all the people were immersed, יהושע {Jeshua} also being immersed, and praying, the heaven was opened, (22) and the Set-apart Spirit descended in bodily form like a dove upon Him, and a voice came from heaven saying, “You are My Son, the Beloved, in You I did delight.” (23) And when יהושע {Jeshua} Himself began, He was about thirty years of age, being, as reckoned by law, son of Yosĕph, of Ěli, (24) of Mattithyahu, of Lĕwi, of Meleḵi, of Yanah, of Yosĕph, (25) of Mattithyahu, of Amots, of Naḥum, of Ḥesli, of Noḡah, (26) of Maʽath, of Mattithyahu, of Shimʽi, of Yosĕph, of Yehuḏah, (27) of Yoḥanan, of Rephayah, of Zerubbaḇel, of She’alti’ĕl, of Neri, (28) of Meleḵi, of Addi, of Qosam, of Elmoḏam, of Ěr, (29) of Yehoshua, of Eliʽezer, of Yorim, of Mattithyahu, of Lĕwi, (30) of Shimʽon, of Yehuḏah, of Yosĕph, of Yonam, of Elyaqim, (31) of Melea, of Menna, of Mattattah, of Nathan, of Dawiḏ, (32) of Yishai, of Oḇĕḏ, of Boʽaz, of Salmon, of Naḥshon, (33) of Amminaḏaḇ, of Ram, of Ḥetsron, of Perets, of Yehuḏah, (34) of Yaʽaqoḇ, of Yitsḥaq, of Aḇraham, of Teraḥ, of Naḥor, (35) of Seruḡ, of Reʽu, of Peleḡ, of Ěḇer, of Shĕlaḥ, (36) of Qĕynan, of Arpaḵshaḏ, of Shĕm, of Noaḥ, of Lemeḵ, (37) of Methushelaḥ, of Ḥanoḵ, of Yereḏ, of Mahalalĕl, of Qĕynan, (38) of Enosh, of Shĕth, of Aḏam, of Elohim.” (Luke 3:21-38 The Scriptures 1998+)

“40 One of the two who heard John speak, and followed Him, was Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother. 41 He first found his own brother Simon and said unto him, “We have found the Messiah” (which is, being interpreted, “the Christ”).” (John 1:40-41 KJ21)

“Then answered Jesus and said unto them, “Verily, verily I say unto you, the Son can do nothing of Himself, but what He seeth the Father do; for what things soever He doeth, these also doeth the Son likewise.” (John 5:19 KJ21)

“Jesus said unto her, “Touch Me not, for I am not yet ascended to My Father; but go to My brethren and say unto them, ‘I ascend unto My Father and your Father, and to My God and your God.’”” (John 20:17 KJ21)

Anointed and given tasks by his Father

“how God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with power, and how He went about doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil, for God was with Him.” (Acts 10:38 KJ21)

“22 For the Father judgeth no man, but hath committed all judgment unto the Son, 23 that all men should honor the Son, even as they honor the Father. He that honoreth not the Son honoreth not the Father who hath sent Him.” (John 5:22-23 KJ21)

Prayed to his Father

Jesus did never asked for himself something to himself, but asked that not his will but the will of his Father would be done. It was to this Father he prayed and wanted all people to pray to.

“9 In this manner therefore pray ye: Our Father who art in Heaven, hallowed be Thy name. 10 Thy Kingdom come. Thy will be done on earth, as it is in Heaven. 11 Give us this day our daily bread. 12 And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors. 13 And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. For Thine is the Kingdom, and the power, and the glory for ever. Amen.” (Matthew 6:9-13 KJ21)

“Ye have not chosen Me, but I have chosen you and ordained you, that ye should go and bring forth fruit and that your fruit should remain, that whatsoever ye shall ask of the Father in My name, He may give it to you.” (John 15:16 KJ21)

“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 to you.” (John 16:23 KJ21)

” (40) And coming to the place, He said to them, “Pray that you do not enter into trial.” (41) And He withdrew from them about a stone’s throw, and falling on His knees He was praying, (42) saying, “Father, if it be Your counsel, remove this cup from Me. Yet not My desire, but let Yours be done.” (43) And there appeared a messenger from heaven to Him, strengthening Him. (44) And being in agony, He was praying more earnestly. And His sweat became like great drops of blood falling down to the ground.” (Luke 22:40-44 The Scriptures 1998+)

An intercessor or mediator

“For there is one God and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus,” (1 Timothy 2:5 KJ21)

From the texts above we do hope you can see that not only Adam was the son of God and Eva His daughter who created them directly, but that also Jesus was created directly by Allah, and therefore he certainly could call himself son of God. But he offered himself also to be one of God His people, one of the most beloved ones of the Most High, Allah, the One God.

The 2° Adam was like the 1° Adam chosen by Allah:

“Allah did choose Adam and Noah, the family of Abraham, and the family of ’Imran above all people,-” (Koran 3:33 Yusufali)

We as children of Abraham and of Adam should look at the man who made it possible to have the relation between God and man restored.

“O Children of Adam! wear your beautiful apparel at every time and place of prayer: eat and drink: But waste not by excess, for Allah loveth not the wasters.” (Koran 7:31 Yusufali)

Son lower than Father

Today we can enjoy the many things and look forward to a better future because we did receive that son of man, who is also the son of God and now sit at the right hand of his Father, Allah, the only One God Jehovah, who is the greatest and without Him we can do nothing, even Jesus not, who is the faithful witness of God. In this world a son or daughter may become higher or better than his father or mother, but they shall never be able to come in a higher position the the Most High.

” (5) and from יהושע {Jeshua} Messiah, the trustworthy witness, the first-born from the dead, and the ruler of the sovereigns of the earth. To Him who loved us and washed us from our sins in His own blood, (6) and has made us sovereigns and priests to His Elohim and Father, to Him be esteem and rule forever and ever. Amĕn.” (Revelation 1:5-6 The Scriptures 1998+)

” (18) And let them know that You, Whose Name is יהוה {Jehovah}, You alone are the Most High over all the earth.” (Psalms 83:18 The Scriptures 1998+)

” (3) For not knowing the righteousness of Elohim, and seeking to establish their own righteousness, they did not subject themselves to1 the righteousness of Elohim. Footnote: 1Or did not obey. (4) For Messiah is the goal1 of the ‘Torah unto righteousness’to everyone who believes. Footnote: 1Or end purpose; not termination. (5) For Mosheh writes about the righteousness which is of the Torah, “The man who does these shall live by them.” (6) But the righteousness of belief speaks in this way, “Do not say in your heart, ‘Who shall ascend into the heavens?’ ” – that is, to bring Messiah down; or, (7) “ ‘Who shall descend into the abyss?’ ” – that is, to bring Messiah up from the dead. (8) But what does it say? “The word is near you, in your mouth and in your heart” – that is, the word of belief which we are proclaiming: (9) That if you confess with your mouth the Master יהושע {Jeshua} and believe in your heart that Elohim has raised Him from the dead, you shall be saved. (10) For with the heart one believes unto righteousness, and one confesses with the mouth, and so is saved. (11) Because the Scripture says, “Whoever puts his trust in Him shall not be put to shame.” (12) Because there is no distinction between Yehud?ite and Greek, for the same Master of all is rich to all those calling upon Him. (13) For “everyone who calls on the Name of יהוה {Jehovah} shall be saved.”” (Romans 10:3-13 The Scriptures 1998+)

” (21) “And I shall call for a sword against Gog? on all My mountains,” declares the Master יהוה {Jehovah}, “the sword of each one being against his brother. (22) “And I shall judge him with pestilence and blood, and rain down flooding rain and hailstones, fire and sulphur, on him and on his bands and on the many peoples who are with him. (23) “And I shall exalt Myself and set Myself apart, and I shall be known in the eyes of many nations. And they shall know that I am יהוה {Jehovah}.” ’ “(Ezekiel 38:21-23 The Scriptures 1998+)

” (28) “You heard that I said to you, ‘I am going away and I am coming to you.’ If you did love Me, you would have rejoiced that I said, ‘I am going to the Father,’ for My Father is greater than I.” (John 14:28 The Scriptures 1998+)

” (3) And I wish you to know that the head of every man is the Messiah, and the head of woman is the man, and the head of Messiah is Elohim.” (1Corinthians 11:3 The Scriptures 1998+)

” (15) The man went away, and told the Yehud?im that it was יהושע {Jeshua} who made him well. (16) And because of this the Yehuḏim persecuted יהושע {Jeshua}, and were seeking to kill Him, because He was doing these healings on the Sabbath. (17) But יהושע {Jeshua} answered them, “My Father works until now, and I work.” (18) Because of this, then, the Yehuḏim were seeking all the more to kill Him, ‘because not only was He breaking the Sabbath, but He also called Elohim His own Father, making Himself equal with Elohim.’ (19) Therefore יהושע {Jeshua} responded and said to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, the Son is able to do none at all by Himself, but only that which He sees the Father doing, because whatever He does, the Son also likewise does. (20) “For the Father loves the Son, and shows Him all that He Himself does. And greater works than these He is going to show Him, in order that you marvel. (21) “For as the Father raises the dead and makes alive, even so the Son makes alive whom He wishes. (22) “For the Father judges no one, but has given all the judgment to the Son, (23) that all should value the Son even as they value the Father. He who does not value the Son does not value the Father who sent Him. (24) “Truly, truly, I say to you, he who hears My word and believes in Him who sent Me possesses everlasting life, and does not come into judgment, but has passed from death into life. (25) “Truly, truly, I say to you, the hour is coming, and now is, when the dead shall hear the voice of the Son of Elohim. And those having heard shall live. (26) “For as the Father possesses life in Himself, so He gave also to the Son to possess life in Himself, (27) and He has given Him authority also to do judgment, because He is the Son of Ad?am. (28) “Do not marvel at this, because the hour is coming in which all those in the tombs shall hear His voice, (29) and shall come forth – those who have done good, to the resurrection of life, and those who have practised evil matters, to a resurrection of judgment. (30) “Of Myself I am unable to do any matter. As I hear, I judge, and My judgment is righteous, because I do not seek My own desire, but the desire of the Father who sent Me. (31) “If I bear witness of Myself, My witness is not true. (32) “There is another who bears witness of Me, and I know that the witness which He witnesses of Me is true.” (John 5:15-32 The Scriptures 1998+)

Men of God

Abraham, man of God, Sarah and (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Already in the Beréshith, the first book of the Holy Scriptures, we can find The Supreme Being making all things. As the Great Designer He is the Originator of everything, including man. Adam and Eve (Ḥawwah, the mannin) were His direct makings, His children, who could call him Father. Afterwards still many men of God, or men coming from God could call the Almighty Elohim their Father.

” (7) And יהוה {Jehovah} Elohim formed the man out of dust from the ground, and breathed into his nostrils breath of life. And the man became a living being.” (Genesis 2:7 The Scriptures 1998+)

” (18) And יהוה {Jehovah} Elohim said, “It is not good for the man to be alone, I am going to make a helper for him, as his counterpart.”” (Genesis 2:18 The Scriptures 1998+)

” (21) So יהוה {Jehovah} Elohim caused a deep sleep to fall on the man, and he slept. And He took one of his ribs, and closed up the flesh in its place. (22) And the rib which יהוה {Jehovah} Elohim had taken from the man He made into a woman, and He brought her to the man. (23) And the man said, “This is now bone of my bones and flesh of my flesh. This one is called ‘woman,’ because she was taken out of man.” (24) For this cause a man shall leave his father and mother, and cleave to his wife, and they shall become one flesh.” (Genesis 2:21-24 The Scriptures 1998+)

We have received men of God (i.e. children of God having become adult) who brought us the Words of their Father in heaven. The chosen one from God, Abraham was allowed by his Father in heaven to become the witness for God and the father of many.

“And strive in His cause as ye ought to strive, [with sincerity and under discipline]. He has chosen you, and has imposed no difficulties on you in religion; it is the cult of your father Abraham. It is He Who has named you Muslims, both before and in this [Revelation]; that the Messenger may be a witness for you, and ye be witnesses for mankind! So establish regular Prayer, give regular Charity, and hold fast to Allah! He is your Protector-the Best to protect and the Best to help!” (Koran 22:78 Yusufali)

” (17) And יהוה {Jehovah} said, “Shall I hide from Aḇraham what I am doing, (18) since Aḇraham is certainly going to become a great and mighty nation, and all the nations of the earth shall be blessed in him? (19) “For I have known him, so that he commands his children and his household after him, to guard the way of יהוה {Jehovah}, to do righteousness and right-ruling, so that יהוה {Jehovah} brings to Aḇraham what He has spoken to him.”” (Genesis 18:17-19 The Scriptures 1998+)

On those men brought into the world by a man and a woman, allowed by God to have children, God brought His blessings and let them also announce the marvellous action which would take place in the future. (The one of Jesus been born and being risen from death has already come true).

“Those were some of the prophets on whom Allah did bestow His Grace,- of the posterity of Adam, and of those who We carried [in the Ark] with Noah, and of the posterity of Abraham and Israel of those whom We guided and chose. Whenever the Signs of [Allah] Most Gracious were rehearsed to them, they would fall down in prostrate adoration and in tears.” (Koran 19:58 Yusufali)

We, having found a restored relation with Allah, the Most High Almighty God, can now also come to Him (Jehovah) and call Him our heavenly Father.

Please do read also:

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A good example how certain Christians misunderstand the word Allah and what Islam should really mean is seen in Allah has the Same Behavior as Satan (justiceshallovercome.wordpress.com)
In his text the writer does not seem to recognise that in the Bible you shall also be able to find many instances where God call unto destroying of killing other people.
The writer seems to focus on militant fundamentalist Muslims where perhaps “The Altoyah muslims says that Allah is Satan” (Never heard such a thing) “The Terrorists of Bin laden says that Allah is Born out of Lucifer” (where can we see this written or hear him say that?), “this means the same as that Allah is Born out of Devil, this means also the same as that Allah is Born out of Satan.” Where he seems to forget what Satan means. Satan is any adversary, so it would not be abnormal to call Jehovah God the adversary or satan against the evil world. The writer of the article clearly considers the wrong viewpoint of certain Christians where Satan has become a devilish being which has two horns on its face and lives in a underground where people after they die will be tortured.
Conversations at the Mosque – Islam v Christianity (sianarulanantham.wordpress.com)
During my visit to Bahrain I took the tour of Al Fateh Grand Mosque. I was asked to dress in a Hijab and was shown around the building.
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My guide was a young lady called Faiza who had such a sweet humble nature, it was a pleasure to talk to her. She had a profound love of God and a desire to serve him and dedicate her life to him. She was keen to share her faith and I mine.
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So what did I learn? That Muslims believe that:
- There is only one God and our first commandment is to serve Him (although Islam does not attribute a gender to God) and then to serve others
- Abraham had direct communication with God and Abraham, Moses, David, John the Baptist are among the prophets
- Jesus was born of a virgin and was God’s messenger, the messiah who was foretold in Jewish scriptures
- Mary was a very special women, chosen by God
- Jesus healed the sick, raised people from the dead and was without sin
- There will be a second coming of Christ, which will be a time of judgement.
- We can communicate directly with God through prayer, we don’t need priests or rabbi as intercessors
- There are angels who God uses as messengers
In Secular Sunday: Losing My Religion, Part 1: Christianity (rebekkaksteg.com) can be seen how difficult it is for people to understand why God allows certain things to happen. THey donot seem to understand what happened in the Garden of Eden and do not see that when people thought they could do it better than God, when He gave them the right to rule the world, they should not blame Him for the things they did wrong.
She also writes:
I left Islam, and in the end, I couldn’t see any convincing evidence as to why I should believe in god at all. All I see is fairy tales, make-believe and wishful thinking. And I’m sorry, I’d rather be hurt by the truth than comforted by a lie.
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God orders genocides, murder and torture of other people, but that’s okay, because those were heathens who were damned anyway. God is okay with babies being born with horrible birth defects or cancer, but it is our fault for being sinful in the first place.
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At the age of 15, I really began to see the hypocrisy of many of my fellow Christians. The girls who were leading the worship sessions, and spoke about “saving yourself for marriage” were the ones who went all the way with their boyfriends.
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But if God is truly good, why would He allow so much evil in the world? If He is truly all-powerful and all-knowing? If She exists and we are given free will, this world seemed like a test designed to make us fail.
Christian-Jews-Muslims and Concept of God (makashfa.wordpress.com)There are two fundamental points between Islam and Christianity which,for the sake of the truth and the peace of the world, deserved a very serious and deep investigation. As these two religions claim their origin from one and the same source, it would follow that no important point of controversy between them should be allowed to exist. Both these great religions believe in the existence of the Deity and in the covenant made between God and the Prophet Abraham.
Damnable idol of “Catholic Jesus” erected in Syria (ivarfjeld.com)
In the midst of a conflict rife with sectarianism, a giant bronze statue of Jesus has gone up on a the Syrian Cherubim mountain, apparently under cover of a truce among three factions in the country’s civil war.
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There are no limits to lawlessness, when people mock God in the name of “Jesus”. The law is crystal clear. Man shall not make any image, in the likeness of anything in Heaven above or on the Earth below.
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A false lawless copy-cat Messiah has guided the Greek Orthodox Patriarch, lead astray to follow demonic powers. No doubt the Islamic forces agreed on a cease fire, to let the god-mockers set up their gross idol.
Pakistani Police Hunting Down Christian Who Dared To Correct Islamic Misconceptions About Christianity (midnightwatcher.wordpress.com)
“Police and a banned Islamic extremist group in Lahore, Pakistan are searching for a young Christian accused of blasphemy – with the extremist group calling for his death – after he sought to correct misconceptions about Christianity in a Muslim book, sources said. Sources close to Adnan Masih, 26, said he believes that if he turns himself in, he will be killed by either the Islamic extremist Jamaat ud Dawa (JuD) or the Pakistani judicial system, which makes blasphemy against Islam’s prophet punishable by death.
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A Few Simple Questions for Muslim Visitors – “The Qur’an teaches that, according to Christianity, God acquired a son through procreation with Mary. In the eyes of Muslims, the term ‘son of God’ is believed to be, and is therefore understood, in a literal sense. But this misrepresentation is so far from the basic tenets of Christianity that any serious student of the Qur’an should begin questioning the veracity of some of the teachings of Islam on this error alone… Because of Mohammed’s misunderstanding of what Christians believed and practiced, Islam teaches that the Christian belief of the Trinity is a polytheistic teaching of ’three gods’, characterized as the ‘Father’, and the ‘Son’ and the ‘Virgin Mary’ …” Read more.
In A Few Simple Questions for Muslim Visitors the writer misleading says that the teachings of the historic Christian faith that was delivered to the saints would be different to what the apostles believed and the many followers of Christ who kept truthful to the Only One God. The so called midnightwatcher also does not leave an opportunity to react, which shows how much reactions are avoided in the fear to having it answered properly or to let others disagree or show where the person goes wrong in his thinking.
U.S. imam: Muslims can take the property of Christians and Jews (cofda.wordpress.com)
Yasir Qadhi (aka Abu Ammaar Yasir Kazi) is an American imam and college professor who is described by a 2011 New York Times Magazine essay as “one of the most influential conservative clerics in American Islam.”
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In his sermon/lecture in the YouTube audio below, Qadhi begins by calling Christians “shirk” for being “polythesists” who believe in the Triune God (three persons in one God), instead of Islam’s “monotheist” god Allah.Then Qadhi really steps up his verbal abuse. He says, since “there is no deity worthy of worship except Allah wuzza wuzza,” Christians are “by necessity and by definition … the most evil of all evils.” Like all “unbelievers” and “polytheists,” Christians are “filthy.” They are ”najusa” (feces, urine) — “a filthy impure dirty substance.”
Test the Spirit (evangelize4life.org)
My recent (predetermined) encounters, with a Jehovah Witness and two Islamic Saudi Arabian students, supports John’s admonition. Both religions deny that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh (not God), and insist that He was but a mere man or prophet of Allah. The Bible describes Satan as the father of lies and is responsible for promoting error regarding the true identity of Jesus Christ our Lord. According to scripture Lucifer uses false prophets, religions, doctrines, and more to propagate satanic lies in order to blind the eyes of unbelievers from the truth of God’s Word. In this same chapter, John describes the work of the Holy Spirit as “spirit of truth” and the activities of Satan as “spirit of error.”
What is a religion? (jesuschristzfreedom.wordpress.com)
There are several, or dozens, or hundreds of religions in the world. I’m not sure how many, because measuring where a religion stops and where the next one starts is like measuring where Alaskan Inuit becomes a different language than Canadian and Greenlandic Inuit. Because of this, there is really no way to know how many languages there are in the world, either. If these people can understand these people, and they can understand them, but they can’t understand them…
Once again an article on a site which does not give any possibility to react is What is the Bible: A Summary, and Some Important Highlights (servehiminthewaiting.com) were the writer sandra Lloyd also considers the New Testament to be the story of God-man which than would be Jesus. She understands that Christ is a title, rather than a name, and agrees that the prophesied Christ had come, and accomplished the redemptive work which he came to do, that is; “having never sinned, he died for (our) Human Sin, and rose from the dead, thereby buying our pardon, and commissioned.” Acknowledging that Christ Jesus died she also should recognise a sign that this was an element of humanness which God does not have as an eternal Spirit. God, who does not tell lies, can not be tempted, can not sin and can not die, said about that Nazarene Jew: “This is my beloved son”. when Jesus would be God all the promises made in the Old Testament would be false conceptions and would have people to believe that god must have been a terrible tyrant and unjust God, because why did He wait so long before He made an end to the effect of the first sin. And why do we still have to wait so long before we can see and enter that Kingdom of God about spoken in the Old Testament all the time?

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Experiences and Interest in philosophy and spirituality

Experiences and Impressions

Conscious or unconscious direction with second nature

Breath given by Creator

Material and immaterial being and understanding

Given brains and reason

Different ways to go giving different opinions

Trying to perceive more knowledge

Trying to become one with self and environment

Trying to transcend domain of rationale and intellect

Moral philosophy

Trying to Relate things

Door to transcendence

No reason to be afraid of philosophy

To see clear

Sister and brother

Relationship of unity and Oneness

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In harmony with today’s views

Standing still at God His wondrous works

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Lazy Christians

Preaching Christians against not witnessing Muslims

Thinking all Christians and all Muslims are of the same lot

An earth-father or patriarch

Meaning of Islam

Worshipping prophet not followed

Chosen people and their faith

Son of a mother

Son of a father

A son to Allah

Son of David who received from his Father in heaven

A son of glad tidings

Son of the One Greatest Elohim

Anointed and given tasks by his Father

Prayed to his Father

An intercessor or mediator

Son lower than Father

Men of God

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