Posted by Mohamed Ghounem on February 27, 1998 at 21:27:58:
In Reply to: Re: Unity against Against Satan (i.e. Materialism) posted by Barbara on February 21, 1998 at 23:06:40:
Dear sister Barbara,
Hi
You wrote;
Flattery will get you nowhere :).
I respond:
You are a nice person (how about double flattery :-))
You wrote;
{I believe Christianity holds the truth and it would not matter to me if I were not in any kind of unity with anybody, so long as I am in one accord with my Lord.}
I respond:
Is the Creator of the Heavens and the Earth, the God of Christians only? This question is for Jews as well as they have a simmilar preciption as you do sister Barbara, the Jews think that God is the God of the Jews only, and everyone else is out of the picture.
'so what about unity as long as my Christian Gof or My Jewish God is with me' that is a Christian and Jewish attitude that the Qur'an is Here to Remove.
Islam teaches that Jews and Christians are people of the Book, My God sister Barbara is also your God and the Jewish God, I am not exclusive with the relationship with humanity and God nor is My God limmited to certain people only.
Think about it sister Barbara, Muslims are almost 2/5 of the world population, who believe in Only One God, would God logically want there to be seperation of our world or Unity.
You wrote;
{My loyalty is to Christ, otherwise how will others find the way?}
I respond:
Christ Was and Is Guided by "The Father, Our Holy Supreme Being", we ask God to Guide us, not Jesus, We pray to God, not Jesus, Please show me One Single Prophet that Prayed to Jesus!
You wrote;
{By the way, the teachings of Jesus call for us to put our faith on him and his blood. Matthew 26:28,John 3:16.}
I respond:
John 3:16 "For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, [1] that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life."
This is similar message in the Qur'an. Son is a common Hebrew expresion which means close to, at the time of Jesus, if I am not mistaken, Jesus was the only Prophet/Son of God.
Qur'an 4:159 "And there is none of the People of the Book but must believe in him before his death; and on the Day of Judgment he will be a witness against them;-
Same Message, only clarified. Matthew 26:28 can be better explained by reading:
http://debate.org.uk/weboard/debate/messages/1053.html
{Wouldn't we be unified if we all believed Jesus died on the cross, and rose again, as He Himself said and Paul testified?}
Jesus then would not be United with the Teachings of Moses, can Prophets contradict each other's teachings, and Paul is a false teacher, your reply to that is rich in a need for researched re-reply which time sort of slows me down from doing, just because the time is there does not mean there is no reply, I enjoy replying and exchanging posts with you very much as you have taught me alot about the Christian view point and you are a person willing to Learn More.
You wrote;
I will value truth over unity. Jesus says truth sometimes brings strife and disunity. Read Matthew 10: 34-38. He says even Satan has unity within his ranks. Read Matthew 12: 25-30. But what is important here, unity on earth or... For what is a man profited, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul? or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul? Matthew 16:26. Truth? Then said Jesus to those Jews which believed on him, If ye continue in my word, then are ye my disciples indeed; And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free. John 8:31,32. Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me. John 14:6.
I respond:
I agree with you sister Barbara, Truth is the Right thing to do, even if it Breaks up the Unity of our own home.
When you look outside, is that reality, is that Truth, the Trees and the Sky and Clouds? Is that all True. Beyond the Clouds, the stars and other galaxies, is that all True. If the Bible does not match that Truth and the Qur'an Does, then Which Sister Barbara is the Truth.
Peace and Blessings,
Your Brother in Islam: Mohamed