Questions about Christianity

[Bataal]

A leading question which is deceptive. Are you Muslim? It will help me to understand your POV if I know.

I understand your perspective, but my intention was to gather information for better understanding.
Yes, I'm Muslim

God gave authority over the earth to Adam and Eve. Adam gave that authority to Satan. Satan corrupted Adam's nature to the extent that Adam was estranged from God.

God has never rescinded that authority. Instead, He sent His only Son to become the last Adam and so recover fallen mankind to Himself. However, the vast majority of people reject Christ so they stay under the control of Satan. Satan is the Destroyer, the Murderer and Deceiver. He is ultimately responsible for the evil on the earth. However, he can do nothing without the cooperation of people.

God has a plan and purpose which He is working out for the good of those who follow Him and the destruction of those who do not. People make that choice. People can either seek the broad path to destruction or the marrow path that leads to life. Jesus is the Way, the Truth and the Life. Receive Him and live. Reject Him and stay dead in trespass and sin.

It's not looking good for you. The one requirement to be saved by God is an honest heart. You reject the truth about natural issues and insult those who try to help you. Not a good start. Still, nothing is impossible for God. I do not know you and I have nothing against you personally. I hope and pray that you see the light and come to Jesus.

Thank you very much for this informative information. I find a similar concept in Islam: when Adam disobeyed God, He sent him to Earth and expelled him from Paradise. Adam, Eve, and Satan were all expelled to Earth.

Can I understand from your reply that criminals and those who continue to commit sins and terrible acts will end up in Hell on Judgment Day if they die before the coming of Jesus and do not repent?

Another question please, is it not acceptable for someone to commit sins and terrible acts while claiming to believe in and follow Jesus? They don't seem to align, do they?

 

[Gideon300]

I understand your perspective, but my intention was to gather information for better understanding.
Yes, I'm Muslim



Thank you very much for this informative information. I find a similar concept in Islam: when Adam disobeyed God, He sent him to Earth and expelled him from Paradise. Adam, Eve, and Satan were all expelled to Earth.

Can I understand from your reply that criminals and those who continue to commit sins and terrible acts will end up in Hell on Judgment Day if they die before the coming of Jesus and do not repent?

Another question please, is it not acceptable for someone to commit sins and terrible acts while claiming to believe in and follow Jesus? They don't seem to align, do they?

Every person in born a sinner. God is perfect in every way. No one can match His standard of perfection. The vast majority of people think that they are good. They are wrong. God's judgement is not what most people understand it to be. God determines if person is spiritually alive or spiritually dead. Those who have not accepted Christ in this lifetime are dead spiritually. Those who have accepted Christ are alive. Those who are alive are received into heaven. Those who reject Christ are rejected themselves and will spend eternity in hell.

This may seem harsh, but see it from God's point of view. He sent His own Son, who was without sin, to die for the sins of mankind. There is no greater love, no greater sacrifice and no greater gift. There is no more that God can do. Would you have a dead person in your home for your whole life? Sounds disgusting, doesn't it. God also will not have the dead in His home. And sinners will not be able to tolerate heaven anyway. They will not want to be there.

The wonderful thing about being a Christian is that you receive a new nature. The old, dead spirit is removed and a new, live spirit replaces it. I can still remember the moment this happened. I did not understand it, but my life began to change from that moment. I had many problems that needed to be overcome. I still do, but I am not the same person as I was 50+ years ago. Christianity is new life in Christ, not just a ticket to heaven when you leave this life.

No one gets immediate perfection. We should be changing as we learn more of what it means to be Christian. Some change is immediate, some takes time. The devil is real and Christians are under attack from him. Real Christians no longer want to sin. The new nature we receive from God has new desires and new motivation.

I had no idea what being a Christian entailed when I first was saved. I heard the good news from my boss one night. I was scared to death when I realised that I was a sinner and that I would face hell. Until that moment, I thought I was a good person. A depressed, suicidal drunk, but a good person. How self deceived can you be? I gladly accepted Christ.

The first thing i realised was that I was forgiven. A great weight of guilt lifted off me. The second thing was that I had found what I was searching for. Until then, I'd had no meaning to life. The great Solomon said that without God, all is meaningless. I knew nothing of the Bible, but that was how I felt. It's the human condition. Life can be challenging, but there is always a purpose, and a hope for the future. I wish that the whole world would accept Christ. Life would be vastly better for everyone.

 

[Bataal]

Every person in born a sinner. God is perfect in every way. No one can match His standard of perfection. The vast majority of people think that they are good. They are wrong. God's judgement is not what most people understand it to be. God determines if person is spiritually alive or spiritually dead. Those who have not accepted Christ in this lifetime are dead spiritually. Those who have accepted Christ are alive. Those who are alive are received into heaven. Those who reject Christ are rejected themselves and will spend eternity in hell.

This may seem harsh, but see it from God's point of view. He sent His own Son, who was without sin, to die for the sins of mankind. There is no greater love, no greater sacrifice and no greater gift. There is no more that God can do. Would you have a dead person in your home for your whole life? Sounds disgusting, doesn't it. God also will not have the dead in His home. And sinners will not be able to tolerate heaven anyway. They will not want to be there.

The wonderful thing about being a Christian is that you receive a new nature. The old, dead spirit is removed and a new, live spirit replaces it. I can still remember the moment this happened. I did not understand it, but my life began to change from that moment. I had many problems that needed to be overcome. I still do, but I am not the same person as I was 50+ years ago. Christianity is new life in Christ, not just a ticket to heaven when you leave this life.

No one gets immediate perfection. We should be changing as we learn more of what it means to be Christian. Some change is immediate, some takes time. The devil is real and Christians are under attack from him. Real Christians no longer want to sin. The new nature we receive from God has new desires and new motivation.

I had no idea what being a Christian entailed when I first was saved. I heard the good news from my boss one night. I was scared to death when I realised that I was a sinner and that I would face hell. Until that moment, I thought I was a good person. A depressed, suicidal drunk, but a good person. How self deceived can you be? I gladly accepted Christ.

The first thing i realised was that I was forgiven. A great weight of guilt lifted off me. The second thing was that I had found what I was searching for. Until then, I'd had no meaning to life. The great Solomon said that without God, all is meaningless. I knew nothing of the Bible, but that was how I felt. It's the human condition. Life can be challenging, but there is always a purpose, and a hope for the future. I wish that the whole world would accept Christ. Life would be vastly better for everyone.

You shared nice personal experience.
Thank you

 

[Magenta]

Yes, Christian denominations are like various brands of gas: you put them in the tank and they all burn. :^)

More biblically: A crisis that threatened a Philippian jailer with death prompted him to ask Paul and Silas the most important question in life: “What must I do to be saved?” (ACTS 16:30) This question is most important, because—as sinful and mortal souls—we need saving from corruption, both moral and physical. We need saving from physical death if we value or enjoy life, and we need saving from immorality or evil-doing if it results in unhappy existence, especially after this lifetime.

The reply of Paul and Silas was this: “Believe in the Lord Jesus.” (ACTS 16:31) This is God's requirement for salvation (GRFS) in a nutshell. Jesus Himself expressed GRFS even more succinctly using three, four and five letter words: “Ask… seek… knock…” (MT 7:7). As Hebrews 11:6 states: “he [God] rewards those who earnestly seek him” (cf. IS 45:19).

Acts 10:43~ All the prophets testify about Him that everyone who believes in Him receives forgiveness of sins through His name.

 

[Bataal]

I hope you weren't too offended by my skepticism about your motives or tactics. Again I only feel that way because I've actually encountered this type of approach from specifically Muslim apologist so many times it just seems a regular approach. That's the only reason, I wasn't trying to accuse you or anything, just have to approach these things with wisdom and shoot strait with each other. I'm actually pretty familiar with the Muslim apologist and polemic argument against the Christian faith and this has been an interest of mine for a while. I pretty familiar with the Quran both it's contents and historicity and how it came to be what it is today.

You said, "I believe that anyone who believes in God should be willing to defend and respond to doubts or inquiries about their religion. It is important not to shy away from answering and seeking understanding. I'm not a devout or practicing Muslim,"

I agree with this 1000%, right up to the part I made bold. What are you saying here exactly? That you don't know very much about Islam? Every Christian is called to give a reason defense for the love that's inside of them, yet I hear this nearly every time I engage with a Muslim. To me it seems to be some kind of preemptive exit ramp in case something uncomfortable is asked. This also highlights one of the biggest red flags of Islam in my opinion. It's only "properly" spoken and understood in Arabic, so that becomes a "go to" excuse when something more uncomfortable comes up. Also please do understand I am not trying to dump these accusation all over you like you're guilty of any of them. I'm just trying to lay out where I stand in a very open and honest fashion.

That all said I do also agree that these things should be dealt with in a respectful and honest manner. Just calling each other names, or hurling lies and misunderstandings at each other doesn't benefit anyone at all. I am a firm believer that there is a truth and we can know that truth, so seeking it out is the most important thing we can do, so I am all for this as well.

What exactly are your biggest "hang ups" with Jesus, not Isa, but the Jesus that was crucified on the cross and died? I want to point out that this fact alone makes this two different people, it has to be by the law of noncontradiction. So I am not asking about Isa, but the true Jesus that died on the cross and is written about in the Old and New Testaments, or Torah and Al-Injil, what are your problems with Him? Or you can just give your biggest problem, but I'm most curious to know what you think of my Jesus.

I sincerely apologize for my late reply. As I mentioned earlier, this is due to the difficult circumstances and war in my country. However, I want to express my admiration for your response; I see it as honest, even though it contains a lot of skepticism

I agree with this 1000%, right up to the part I made bold. What are you saying here exactly? That you don't know very much about Islam? Every Christian is called to give a reason defense for the love that's inside of them, yet I hear this nearly every time I engage with a Muslim. To me it seems to be some kind of preemptive exit ramp in case something uncomfortable is asked. This also highlights one of the biggest red flags of Islam in my opinion. It's only "properly" spoken and understood in Arabic, so that becomes a "go to" excuse when something more uncomfortable comes up. Also please do understand I am not trying to dump these accusation all over you like you're guilty of any of them. I'm just trying to lay out where I stand in a very open and honest fashion.

Don't worry. I will never try to escape if you ask uncomfortable questions because it’s easy to answer any questions.

That all said I do also agree that these things should be dealt with in a respectful and honest manner. Just calling each other names, or hurling lies and misunderstandings at each other doesn't benefit anyone at all. I am a firm believer that there is a truth and we can know that truth, so seeking it out is the most important thing we can do, so I am all for this as well.

Thank you

That all said I do also agree that these things should be dealt with in a respectful and honest manner. Just calling each other names, or hurling lies and misunderstandings at each other doesn't benefit anyone at all. I am a firm believer that there is a truth and we can know that truth, so seeking it out is the most important thing we can do, so I am all for this as well.

What exactly are your biggest "hang ups" with Jesus, not Isa, but the Jesus that was crucified on the cross and died? I want to point out that this fact alone makes this two different people, it has to be by the law of noncontradiction. So I am not asking about Isa, but the true Jesus that died on the cross and is written about in the Old and New Testaments, or Torah and Al-Injil, what are your problems with Him? Or you can just give your biggest problem, but I'm most curious to know what you think of my Jesus.

I don't have any issues with Jesus or Christianity at all. I just want to understand the differences between the various groups in Christianity and whether they are similar to the Sunni and Shia denominations in Islam. I found the answers above to be very good. I'm not here to ask uncomfortable questions or make anyone angry.

 

[Bataal]

but I'm most curious to know what you think of my Jesus.

For me, as a Muslim, I believe that Jesus is just a prophet and messenger of God as mentioned in our Islam. But this is not what I am trying to understand.

 

[Gideon300]

For me, as a Muslim, I believe that Jesus is just a prophet and messenger of God as mentioned in our Islam. But this is not what I am trying to understand.

I would like to understand how Muslims can call a mass murdering paedophile the "Ideal man". Jesus gave His life as a ransom for many. His Kingdom is not of this world. Jesus warned about false prophets rising up after His ascension to heaven. Mohamed is one of many, and probably the most successful.

Muslims are free to go to Christian nations and revile Christianity. In most Muslim countries, Christians witness for Christ knowing that they are risking their lives. And these days, that is true even in supposedly "Christian" Britain.

 

[Bataal]

I would like to understand how Muslims can call a mass murdering paedophile the "Ideal man". Jesus gave His life as a ransom for many. His Kingdom is not of this world. Jesus warned about false prophets rising up after His ascension to heaven. Mohamed is one of many, and probably the most successful.

You have incorrect and misleading information about Muhammad (peace be upon him). It is important to read about him from reliable sources rather than relying on superficial information from any racist or hateful sources that are against Islam.

Muslims are free to go to Christian nations and revile Christianity.

Let's be honest—there's no need to lie. Christian nations are disrespecting Jesus and Christianity and even going so far as produce films that portray Jesus in a negative light, reflecting poorly on their own faith as well.
Me as a Muslim, I cannot joke about or insult Jesus, nor Christianity, unlike some Christians do.
If Muslims were to insult Jesus or Christians, then they are not true Muslims and they are merely Muslims by name, not by genuine faith.

In most Muslim countries, Christians witness for Christ knowing that they are risking their lives.

There are many Christians working in my country, as well as in all Arab countries, and they are safe. As I mentioned, we need to be honest—Christians are also present in Afghanistan where the terrorism as you claim, and no one can harm them. You need to refresh your misleading information.

 

[Cameron143]

You have incorrect and misleading information about Muhammad (peace be upon him). It is important to read about him from reliable sources rather than relying on superficial information from any racist or hateful sources that are against Islam.



Let's be honest—there's no need to lie. Christian nations are disrespecting Jesus and Christianity and even going so far as produce films that portray Jesus in a negative light, reflecting poorly on their own faith as well.
Me as a Muslim, I cannot joke about or insult Jesus, nor Christianity, unlike some Christians do.
If Muslims were to insult Jesus or Christians, then they are not true Muslims and they are merely Muslims by name, not by genuine faith.



There are many Christians working in my country, as well as in all Arab countries, and they are safe. As I mentioned, we need to be honest—Christians are also present in Afghanistan where the terrorism as you claim, and no one can harm them. You need to refresh your misleading information.

When Muslims do not ascribe deity to Jesus, is this not the ultimate disrespect?

 

[Gideon300]

You have incorrect and misleading information about Muhammad (peace be upon him). It is important to read about him from reliable sources rather than relying on superficial information from any racist or hateful sources that are against Islam.



Let's be honest—there's no need to lie. Christian nations are disrespecting Jesus and Christianity and even going so far as produce films that portray Jesus in a negative light, reflecting poorly on their own faith as well.
Me as a Muslim, I cannot joke about or insult Jesus, nor Christianity, unlike some Christians do.
If Muslims were to insult Jesus or Christians, then they are not true Muslims and they are merely Muslims by name, not by genuine faith.



There are many Christians working in my country, as well as in all Arab countries, and they are safe. As I mentioned, we need to be honest—Christians are also present in Afghanistan where the terrorism as you claim, and no one can harm them. You need to refresh your misleading information.

Yes, I am aware that there are indeed Christians in Muslim majority countries. Don't try to tell me that Christians are safe in Afghanistan or Pakistan. The truth is out there.

I am aware that many Muslims are not aggressive and full of hate. But don't try to tell me that those who are are not true Muslims. The Qu'ran tells Muslims to attack infidels. And don't try to tell me that only Arab speakers can interpret the Qu'ran. I know enough about Islam (not that I'm an expert) to have heard many of the arguments presented by Muslim apologists.

I do not wish to be rude. I am called to love my enemies. That's the teaching of Jesus. Unfortunately, there is no such teaching in the Qu'ran. Jesus was mocked, insulted, spat on, scourged and crucified. Jesus asked God to forgive those who murdered Him. That's the opposite of Mohamed's attitude.

Many Muslims are forsaking Islam. One Turkish woman read Mohamed's biography and asked herself, how can he be the ideal man? She read about Jesus and so became a Christian. She risks her life to preach Jesus to Muslims publicly. I've seen video of her being slashed by an offended Muslim. This is not in Afghanistan or Pakistan. It is in supposedly Christian Britain.

 

[Bataal]

When Muslims do not ascribe deity to Jesus, is this not the ultimate disrespect?

Absolutely not.

As Jesus holds a significant place in Christianity, in Islam, Jesus is deeply respected as one of the greatest prophets and messengers of God. Muslims believe in his miraculous birth, his teachings, and his many miracles. However, they do not ascribe to him the status of deity because Islam emphasizes the oneness of God (Tawhid) and sees Jesus as a human prophet rather than divine.

This belief isn't intended as disrespect but rather reflects a different theological understanding. For Muslims, honoring Jesus and acknowledging his role as a prophet is very important, even if their beliefs differ from those in Christianity.

So, don't approach people of other religions and impose your beliefs on them while claiming they disrespect your beliefs, as they hold different beliefs.

 

[Bataal]

Yes, I am aware that there are indeed Christians in Muslim majority countries. Don't try to tell me that Christians are safe in Afghanistan or Pakistan. The truth is out there.

Not only do they live in Muslim countries, but they also have churches and practice their worship freely and safely. Regarding Afghanistan, I know some Christians go there for work. For Pakistan, I don't know, but I think is the same there.

The Qu'ran tells Muslims to attack infidels. And don't try to tell me that only Arab speakers can interpret the Qu'ran. I know enough about Islam (not that I'm an expert) to have heard many of the arguments presented by Muslim apologists.

I already mentioned that you have misleading information about Islam and are using unreliable sources. You don’t have the full context and are only presenting excerpts. However, I’m not here to defend or disrespect anyone. I simply hope that the people here can help me answer my questions so I can better understand the things on my mind.

I do not wish to be rude. I am called to love my enemies. That's the teaching of Jesus. Unfortunately, there is no such teaching in the Qu'ran. Jesus was mocked, insulted, spat on, scourged and crucified. Jesus asked God to forgive those who murdered Him. That's the opposite of Mohamed's attitude.

I see that many of you say you are called to love your enemies, but what I experience here feels like hate and attacks against me, even though I have simply asked questions that are not disrespectful to your religion. I started my question by asking about the similarities between groups in Christianity and those in Islam, but some have shifted the discussion toward topics that attempt to portray Islam religion as wrong.
By the way, in our beliefs in Islam, Jesus, Muhammad, and all the messengers of God share the same purpose and attitude.

Many Muslims are forsaking Islam. One Turkish woman read Mohamed's biography and asked herself, how can he be the ideal man? She read about Jesus and so became a Christian. She risks her life to preach Jesus to Muslims publicly. I've seen video of her being slashed by an offended Muslim. This is not in Afghanistan or Pakistan. It is in supposedly Christian Britain.

Yes, if there are many Muslims are forsaking Islam as you said, it is just as there are many Christians who are leaving Christianity or turning to atheism. For me, it’s a personal choice for everyone, and I don’t care because it is up to everyone.

 

[Cameron143]

Absolutely not.

As Jesus holds a significant place in Christianity, in Islam, Jesus is deeply respected as one of the greatest prophets and messengers of God. Muslims believe in his miraculous birth, his teachings, and his many miracles. However, they do not ascribe to him the status of deity because Islam emphasizes the oneness of God (Tawhid) and sees Jesus as a human prophet rather than divine.

This belief isn't intended as disrespect but rather reflects a different theological understanding. For Muslims, honoring Jesus and acknowledging his role as a prophet is very important, even if their beliefs differ from those in Christianity.

So, don't approach people of other religions and impose your beliefs on them while claiming they disrespect your beliefs, as they hold different beliefs.

I understand why Muslims don't ascribe deity to Him. It doesn’t make it any less disrespectful. And I didn't impose this belief on you. I simply proclaimed it.

You are on a Christian site and you have been welcomed. No one has kicked you off or treated you poorly. This would not be the case for me if I went to a Muslim website and made the same proclamation I made to you.

 

[Bataal]

I understand why Muslims don't ascribe deity to Him. It doesn’t make it any less disrespectful. And I didn't impose this belief on you. I simply proclaimed it.

You are on a Christian site and you have been welcomed. No one has kicked you off or treated you poorly. This would not be the case for me if I went to a Muslim website and made the same proclamation I made to you.

I’m sure that if I look for Muslim sites, I’ll find many Christians there who openly discuss and debate various topics against Islam, and they are welcomed by Muslims without being kicked off or treated poorly. I believe that bad exists in all religions, just as good does. I truly appreciate your welcoming attitude and not kicking me off, and I wish you all the best.

 

[ThereRoseaLamb]

I’m sure that if I look for Muslim sites, I’ll find many Christians there who openly discuss and debate various topics against Islam, and they are welcomed by Muslims without being kicked off or treated poorly. I believe that bad exists in all religions, just as good does. I truly appreciate your welcoming attitude and not kicking me off, and I wish you all the best.

Perhaps you would be welcomed, but I highly doubt it. In the majority of Muslim countries you will find few Christians, there's a reason for that.

 

[ThereRoseaLamb]

Not only do they live in Muslim countries, but they also have churches and practice their worship freely and safely. Regarding Afghanistan, I know some Christians go there for work. For Pakistan, I don't know, but I think is the same there.

Missionaries and evangelists have a list of countries where Christians are most persecuted. If you check their websites the offenders are always the same, only intensity changes.


North Korea
Somalia -Islam
Yeman- Islam
Libia- Islam
Nigeria-Islam
Pakistan- Islam
Iran -Islam
Afghanistan- Islam
Sudan- Islam
Syria- Islam
Saudi Arabia- Islam
Iraq- Islam

Just to name a few, I won't add the entire 50. I think I see a pattern there...

I see that many of you say you are called to love your enemies, but what I experience here feels like hate and attacks against me, even though I have simply asked questions that are not disrespectful to your religion. I started my question by asking about the similarities between groups in Christianity and those in Islam, but some have shifted the discussion toward topics that attempt to portray Islam religion as wrong.
By the way, in our beliefs in Islam, Jesus, Muhammad, and all the messengers of God share the same purpose and attitude.

I haven't read the entire thread but everyone can't be right. Jesus said He was God. Either He was who He claimed to be or He is a liar. There are no other choices.

Yes, if there are many Muslims are forsaking Islam as you said, it is just as there are many Christians who are leaving Christianity or turning to atheism. For me, it’s a personal choice for everyone, and I don’t care because it is up to everyone.

Yes, now it's a personal choice, but one day it won't be. If you don't mind reading check out books by Lee Strobel. He was once an atheist and came to faith in Jesus. He has several books you may find interesting.

 

[Bataal]

Perhaps you would be welcomed, but I highly doubt it. In the majority of Muslim countries you will find few Christians, there's a reason for that.

It’s the same, you usually find a few Christians in Muslim countries and a few Muslims in Christian countries. So, how can we expect a large number of Christians in Arab countries, or vice versa?

 

[Bataal]

View attachment 270327

Missionaries and evangelists have a list of countries where Christians are most persecuted. If you check their websites the offenders are always the same, only intensity changes.

North Korea
Somalia -Islam
Yeman- Islam
Libia- Islam
Nigeria-Islam
Pakistan- Islam
Iran -Islam
Afghanistan- Islam
Sudan- Islam
Syria- Islam
Saudi Arabia- Islam
Iraq- Islam

Just to name a few, I won't add the entire 50. I think I see a pattern there...

I’ve mentioned many times that similar situations can be found everywhere. If you just search, you will see that Muslims are often more persecuted than Christians. That is the truth.

Yes, now it's a personal choice, but one day it won't be. If you don't mind reading check out books by Lee Strobel. He was once an atheist and came to faith in Jesus. He has several books you may find interesting.

Thank you.

 

[Magenta]

Just as an FYI...
To me, the OP doesn't seem to use English as his primary language...as if he is using some sort of translation software to understand what is being said.

And with English being so different from other languages the softwares out there have a difficult time translating.

From friends who do this sort of thing regularly you have to put it through twice in order to get the best translation.

Even then some cultural differences usually create an empass or two in understanding completely. Especially when making jokes....most jokes fall flat because of the cultural differences.
It's difficult at times....but usually enough can be understood to create clarity. Which the OP is to be commended for. He genuinely wants to understand and is running into the craziness of the internet where people have pet theologies they wish to promote. The general is pushed aside for some small ideology.

Currently, Alpha videos are available in Canada in the following languages, either dubbed or with subtitles:

 

[Magenta]

It’s the same, you usually find a few Christians in Muslim countries and a few Muslims in Christian countries.
So, how can we expect a large number of Christians in Arab countries, or vice versa?

You cannot expect large numbers of Christians in Muslim countries because they could be killed for professing their faith, just as those who depart the Islamic faith risk their lives to do so, since murdering infidels and Jews and those of "the book" is mandated in the Quran. However, the opposite is not true, and too many Muslims have been allowed into countries where they refuse to integrate. In fact, some immigrate with the express purpose of overthrowing the western way of life. Again this is mandated by the Islamic faith. All must submit.