“I am trying here to prevent anyone saying the really foolish thing that people often say about Him: “I’m ready to accept Jesus as a great moral teacher, but I don’t accept His claim to be God.” That is the one thing we must not say. A man who said the sort of things Jesus said would not be a great moral teacher. He would either be a lunatic–on a level with the man who says he is a poached egg–or else he would be the Devil of Hell. You must make your choice. Either this man was, and is, the Son of God: or else a madman or something worse. You can shut Him up for a fool, you can spit at Him and kill Him as a demon; or you can fall at His feet and call Him Lord and God. But let us not come with any patronizing nonsense about His being a great human teacher. He has not left that open to us. He did not intend to.”
The submitter’s blogs (with extracts from his various writings: articles, books and new manuscripts) are at http://sharefaith.wordpress.com and https://craigsblogs.wordpress.com/2011/09/09/craigs-list-of-blogs-updated-sept-2011/
We hope that the following thoughts may be interesting, informative, helpful and especially thought-provoking to your e-zine readers, or on your web site. This piece (as with all my writings) may be freely reproduced electronically or in print (with acknowledgement to the sources, thanks). If it helps others “out there” in any way on the ‘amazing journey of life’, then we’re very happy.
“We share what we know, so that we all may grow.”
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C.S. Lewis on Jesus Christ: Lord, Liar or Lunatic?
“God does work in amazing ways”
“What is impossible with man is possible with God.”
Submitter’s Thoughts:
I am fascinated by the life and immense spirit of Jesus, as well as the controversy and varying beliefs about this most written about “figure” in human history. So in my research for my latest Amazon book The Spirit of a True Champion: A Look into the Mind of Jesus Christ, I came across these thoughts of CS Lewis on the www, so thought I’d share. No matter what you may or may not believe… enjoy
Is Jesus Christ a Legend, Lunatic, Liar, or Lord and GOD?
In his famous book Mere Christianity, C.S. Lewis makes this statement, “A man who was merely a man and said the sort of things Jesus said would not be a great moral teacher. He would either be a lunatic–on the level with a man who says he is a poached egg–or he would be the devil of hell. You must take your choice. Either this was, and is, the Son of God, or else a madman or something worse. You can shut him up for a fool or you can fall at his feet and call him Lord and God. But let us not come with any patronizing nonsense about his being a great human teacher. He has not left that open to us.”
Jesus could only have been one of four things: a legend, a liar, a lunatic–or Lord and God. There is so much historical and archeological evidence to support his existence that every reputable historian agrees he was not just a legend. If Jesus were a liar, why would he die for his claim, when he could easily have avoided such a cruel death with a few choice words? And, if he were a lunatic, how did he engage in intelligent debates with his opponents or handle the stress of his betrayal and crucifixion while continuing to show a deep love for his antagonists? Christ said he was Lord and God. The evidence supports that claim.
(My thought, I need to study the above statement/claim in more depth…purely for myself)
Here are some of the key claims Jesus made about himself.
The Claims of Jesus
Christ claimed to live a sinless life
Jesus could look at a crowd of people angry at his claims to share God’s nature and ask, “Which of you can point to anything wrong in my life?” Even more amazing is that none of them could give a reply! No human being has ever lived a sinless life, except for Jesus Christ.
John 8:28-29 “So Jesus said, ‘When you have lifted up the Son of Man, then you will know who I am and that I do nothing on my own but speak just what the Father has taught me. The one who sent me is with me; he has not left me alone, for I always do what pleases him.’”
John 8:46-47 “Can any of you prove me guilty of sin? If I am telling the truth, why don’t you believe me? He who belongs to God hears what God says. The reason you do not hear is that you do not belong to God.”
Jesus Christ claimed to be the ONLY way to God
Not one of several ways, but the one and only way. Not to teach the way, but to be the way to God. Nobody has ever made claims like that before and backed them, but Jesus did through his love, balanced life, and miracles.
John 14:6 “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father but by me.”
Matthew 11:27 “All things have been committed to me by my Father. No one knows the Son except the Father, and no one knows the Father except the Son and those to whom the Son chooses to reveal him.”
Note: No other world religious leader, such as Buddha, Confucius, or Mohammed ever made this claim.
Christ claimed to have shared the glory of God in Heaven
Jesus claimed to have pre-existed the people he spoke with. The apostle John–who shared bread with Jesus–wrote that Jesus was with God in the very beginning, and that “all things came into being through him, and without him not one thing came into being.” (John 1:1-5)
John 17:5 “And now, Father, glorify me in your presence with the glory I had with you before the world began.”
This is a claim distorted by groups like the Mormons or Jehovah’s Witnesses.
Jesus Christ claimed to be able to forgive sins
(my note : indirectly. Also see *)
One of the reasons that the Jewish leaders were so angry with Jesus was his continual practice of forgiving people’s sins. The religious leaders understood clearly that since sins were rebellion against God Himself, only God could forgive sins.
Luke 5:20-21 “When Jesus saw their faith, he said, ‘Friend, your sins are forgiven.’ The Pharisees and the teachers of the law began thinking to themselves, ‘Who is this fellow who speaks blasphemy? Who can forgive sins but God alone?’”(emphasis: web author)
Luke 7:48-49 “Then Jesus said to her, ‘Your sins are forgiven.’ The other guests began to say among themselves, ‘Who is this who even forgives sins?’”
Christ claimed to be a Heavenly king
Luke 22:69 “But from now on, the Son of Man will be seated at the right hand of the mighty God.”
Luke 23:1-3 “Then the whole assembly rose and led him off to Pilate. And they began to accuse him, saying, ‘We have found this man subverting our nation. He opposes payment of taxes to Caesar and claims to be Christ, a king.’ So Pilate asked Jesus, ‘Are you the king of the Jews?’ ‘Yes, it is as you say,’ Jesus replied.”
John 18:36-37 “Jesus said, ‘My kingdom is not of this world. If it were, my servants would fight to prevent my arrest by the Jews. But now my kingdom is from another place.’ ‘You are a king, then!’ said Pilate. Jesus answered, ‘You are right in saying I am a king. In fact, for this reason I was born, and for this I came into the world, to testify to the truth. Everyone on the side of truth listens to me.’”
Christ claimed to be able to give everlasting life
Jesus didn’t just tell people how they could find everlasting life, or deepen their own life experience. He actually claimed to give life himself.
John 6:40 “For my Father’s will is that everyone who looks to the Son and believes in him shall have eternal life, and I will raise him up at the last day.”
John 6:47 “I tell you the truth, he who believes has everlasting life.”
John 10:28-30 “I give [my followers] eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one can snatch them out of my hand. My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all; no one can snatch them out of my Father’s hand. I and the Father are one.”
John 11:25 “Jesus said to her, ‘I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in me will live, even though he dies; and whoever lives and believes in me will never die…’”
Jesus claimed that he would die and come back to life
John 10:17 “Just as the Father knows me and I know the Father–and I lay down my life for the sheep. The reason my Father loves me is that I lay down my life–only to take it up again. No one takes it from me, but I lay it down of my own accord. I have authority to lay it down and authority to take it up again. This command I received from my Father.”
John 12:32-33 “‘But I, when I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all men to myself.’ He said this to show the kind of death he was going to die.”
John 16:16 “In a little while you will see me no more, and then after a little while you will see me.”
Luke 18:31-33 “Jesus took the Twelve aside and told them, ‘We are going up into Jerusalem, and everything that is written by the prophets about the Son of Man will be fulfilled. He will be handed over to the Gentiles. They will mock him, insult him, spit on him, flog him and kill him. On the third day he will rise again.’”
Christ claimed that he would return again to judge the world
* (my thought: Yet Jesus also claimed that only God could judge)
Matthew 24:27-30 “So as the lightening comes from the east and flashes to the west, so will be the coming of the Son of Man… At that time the sign of the Son of Man will appear in the sky, and all the nations of the earth will mourn. They will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of the sky, with power and great glory.”
Matthew 25:31-32 “When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, he will sit on his throne in heavenly glory. All the nations will be gathered before him, and he will separate the people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep and the goats.”
Mark 14:61-62 “Again the high priest asked him, ‘Are you the Christ, the Son of the Blessed One?’ ‘I am,’ said Jesus. ‘And you will see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of the Mighty One and coming on the clouds of heaven.’”
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MINE!
“Together, one mind, one life (one small step at a time), let’s see how many people (and lives) we can encourage, impact, empower, enrich, uplift and perhaps even inspire to reach their fullest potentials.”
PPS
A life lived in the spirit of Christ will never die!
As my good friend, Lindsay ‘the Prophet’ often says: “Get yourself right with Jesus, man!”
“You are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hidden.Nor do they light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a lamp-stand, and it gives light to all who are in the house.Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven.”
Those within the church are as likely to be divided over same-sex marriage as those in secular society. Photo / Brett Phibbs
Sam Clements’ article on these pages entitled “Irrelevant churches have no right to dictate what happens in a secular society” belittles the role of religion, not only in the context of the debate over legalising same-sex marriage, but in society generally. He argues that “educated, enlightened and humanly progressive societies” have no need of the churches’ moral teachings. He also tars all Christians with the same brush, arguing that “the church grooms its victim to accept its claims of moral ascendancy and to unquestioningly accept its authority, and that of its leaders.”
Both arguments are way off the mark. The church I attend actually supports same-sex marriage. Furthermore, it encourages dissent from established dogma (after all most of Jesus’ teachings were aimed at discrediting and ridiculing the Jewish religious leadership of the time) and independent and critical thinking on doctrinal issues. The Christians I know are deeply involved in the social issues that concern us such as income inequality, child abuse and human rights abuses here and overseas. It is their faith that moves them to be involved with these matters.
Moreover, we may now be a secular society but the values that underpin it, our moral compass, is almost entirely a result of the influence of religion on Western civilisation. Much of our criminal law is based on the Ten Commandments: “Thou shalt not kill”, “Thou shalt not steal” etc. Besides, many more of its injunctions are cogent reminders of where we have gone astray as a society due to a lack of values to guide us.
Religious guidance as relevant now as it has ever been: Gehan Gunasekara
Those within the church are as likely to be divided over same-sex marriage as those in secular society. Photo / Brett Phibbs
Sam Clements’ article on these pages entitled “Irrelevant churches have no right to dictate what happens in a secular society” belittles the role of religion, not only in the context of the debate over legalising same-sex marriage, but in society generally. He argues that “educated, enlightened and humanly progressive societies” have no need of the churches’ moral teachings. He also tars all Christians with the same brush, arguing that “the church grooms its victim to accept its claims of moral ascendancy and to unquestioningly accept its authority, and that of its leaders.”
Both arguments are way off the mark. The church I attend actually supports same-sex marriage. Furthermore, it encourages dissent from established dogma (after all most of Jesus’ teachings were aimed at discrediting and ridiculing the Jewish religious leadership of the time) and independent and critical thinking on doctrinal issues. The Christians I know are deeply involved in the social issues that concern us such as income inequality, child abuse and human rights abuses here and overseas. It is their faith that moves them to be involved with these matters.
Moreover, we may now be a secular society but the values that underpin it, our moral compass, is almost entirely a result of the influence of religion on Western civilisation. Much of our criminal law is based on the Ten Commandments: “Thou shalt not kill”, “Thou shalt not steal” etc. Besides, many more of its injunctions are cogent reminders of where we have gone astray as a society due to a lack of values to guide us.
For example, many of the commandments contain the sanction not to covet. This word essentially encompasses human desire for various items, most notably material possessions. All the worlds’ great religions have advice concerning excessive materialism or attachment for possessions.
New Zealand’s current economic predicament is largely a natural consequence of the latter as our indebtedness as a nation stems from our desire for amassing items whether they are houses, flat screen televisions or the latest iPhone.
Likewise, Jesus’s admonition to “do unto others as you would have them do unto you” would well serve corporate CEOs as they lay off hundreds of workers while they themselves receive bonuses.
Secularism flourishes because most of Christian teaching (and the teaching of other religions) is completely at odds with unrestrained capitalism.
Yet an earlier generation of New Zealand’s leaders, notably the Liberals and Labour politicians who founded our welfare state and made us the envy of the rest of the world, based their actions solidly on their religious convictions, although they did not impose their religious views on others. Today’s largely atheist generation of leaders lack this grounding and their policies suffer as a result. People nowadays simply accept the status quo simply because there are fewer influences – such as sermons from the pulpit – railing against it.
Clements also argues that modern scientific knowledge and discovery eliminates the need for religious teaching. Nothing could be further from the truth. All our new-found scientific expertise has not necessarily yielded wisdom on how to deal with problems as diverse as global warming and income inequality. These are moral or ethical issues squarely within the domain of religious teaching and the secular world ignores their tenets at its peril.
When it comes to issues such as same-sex marriage, no one ought to have a monopoly on determining what is legitimate. However, on these and other social issues the church is as entitled as anyone else to express its opinion and Christians are likely to be as divided over these issues as society is at large.
Gehan Gunasekara is an associate professor in commercial law at the University of Auckland and a parishioner of St Matthews-in-the-City.
I came across these writings on the www and thought I’d share. No matter what you may, or may not believe, think about these thoughts by Michael Berry…and you may even enjoy???
craig
“Let not our different beliefs set us apart as human beings, but rather let the Spirit of our shared humanity be what defines and unites us as common citizens of our planet.”
A lot of people do not really understand the meaning when I say personal development, but everyone seems to understand personality development and they’re one and the same.
The purpose of this article is to stimulate your mind. I really want you to think for yourself and not allow me or anyone else to influence your beliefs. What comes up for you when I make the statement religion was created by man? When I talk about religion everyone has and is entitled to their own belief. My belief about religion is just that, mine. When it comes to religion or any other subject “I can’t show you my truth until you’re willing to relinquish yours” and I’m certainly not here to convince you one way or the other. The dictionary definition of religion is “the belief in and worship of a superhuman controlling power, esp. a personal God or gods”. Before you read the rest of this you should go to a previous post of mine on the Bible Origination http://blog.prosperyourmind.com/?p=316
The church tends to interpret the Bible in a way that would give the church more power over the masses. What has always bothered me about religion is this. If God is all loving how could he/she also punish anyone.
The church talks about the wrath of God and our sins to instil fear in the masses. (It’s much easier to control people who are fearful than those who trust themselves.) The sacred texts therefore appear to be oppressing and cruel.
The Bible was actually written when the church did not exist, therefore it’s not directed at the teachings of the church.
There is a widely known but highly misinterpreted Bible quote. The meek shall inherit the earth. He explains that the meek does not mean poor or disadvantaged in some way. The meek simply means those people who are quiet in nature and showing mildness. The Church came up with the interpretation that the meek means poor to exploit people and use them with the sweet promise that when they die they will have all they want.
I would suggest that the Church halts the progress of the humanity and causes wars. The teaching of Jesus was never actually intended to become a religion that would suppress people rather than let them develop. The words of the great masters are meant to show the way and not be made into institutionalized religions. The great masters are not meant to be worshipped but listened to and understood.
Many societies and individuals throughout ages tried to reveal the meanings of the sacred texts, however mass tortures and other cruel ways were used against them to leave the secret hidden. Religious institutions did not want people to know their real power because they wanted people to believe that religious institutions are more powerful than people. But despite the efforts of such institutions to never let the truth see the light, the secret is becoming more and more available for those who seek.
I’m amazed at how long religious institutions have able to convince the masses that it’s only the religious institutions that hold the key to the meaning of the sacred texts. However because we entered into the Information Age, it has become almost impossible to stop the instant communication between people, therefore the church is losing the power it once had over the masses.
Because of certain movies (like The Secret), Youtube videos and TV channels, religious institutions are under daily attack and therefore become gradually weaker. More and more people understand that the teachings of the church are false, fear-based and are meant to make people obey the church instead of achieving enlightenment.
Many religious institutions were able to convince the masses of the false meanings of the Bible quotes because they quoted the words of the Bible without the context. This made it easy for them to interpret the quotes in any way they liked. For correct interpretation of sacred texts it’s important to follow the stream of thought instead of just picking any quote and interpreting it subjectively.
There are three levels of interpretation of sacred texts. The first level is an objective analysis. These are the literal conclusions that result from reading the text. The second level is subjective. This is a deeper analysis which answers the question -What does this passage mean to me?.
The third level is the spiritual meaning. Not many get that far in interpreting sacred texts because it is left up to the churches to interpret the texts on this level. To interpret sacred texts on this level requires getting detached from your conditioning and beliefs. It requires you to open your mind to receive a deeper understanding. Such level of interpretation can result in personal revelation.
Material wealth quotes. The Church likes to interpret such quotes in a way that suggests that wealth is bad. However religious institutions are extremely wealthy which makes their interpretations questionable.
Bible quotes about wealth, do not indicate that wealth is bad. They simply say that wealth should not be your final destination because if you choose wealth as your final goal you will be unhappy. There is much more to life than wealth. Wealth can be used to achieve something higher, like happiness or freedom, but wealth itself does not make people happy or free.
That’s why Jesus said that “It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God.” It’s not because being rich is bad, but when you see wealth as the be all and end all, you become selfish and lose your own sense of conscience. So that makes it very hard for you to find the heaven inside, because you got attached to the illusion that all material things are.
Therefore I say unto you, Take no thought for your life, what ye shall eat, or what ye shall drink; nor yet for your body, what ye shall put on. Is not the life more than meat, and the body than raiment? Behold the fowls of the air: for they sow not, neither do they reap, nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feedeth them. Are ye not much better than they?
This quote proves that we are deserving everything this life has to offer. We don’t have to work hard to get what we want. We don’t even have to worry about our survival (because worry itself creates the things we worry about). Everything is abundantly provided to us but our negative thinking restricts us from becoming aware of the abundance we are entitled to.
However with so many people believing that there is lack in this world, is hard to block out this influence. Even if you think that you understand that there is enough of everything for all, you probably still have some kind of belief in limitation. Your parents passed it on to you and this belief in lack has been instilled in many generations before you. So it’s not easy to break out of this mass illusion and experience the abundance that this universe has to offer.
Neale Donald Walsch:
I read the books “Conversations with God” by Neale Donald Walsch some years ago and it was a revelation for me. For the first time in my life it all made sense to me. There is an all loving God that accepts you exactly as you are and does not judge you. There is no right or wrong, it just is. This is the part that always confused me about religion. If God is all loving then how could God punish people? Fear of punishment is just a man created way of keeping you in the flock. Another thing I learned is that there is no such thing as time. I have to admit this is hard for me as well as any human to understand, but I believe it none the less. It is all happening NOW. We do not have to understand everything to believe it. We were created by God so therefore we are God.
I do believe that religion may have a purpose in this moment on planet Earth. Maybe we are too young as a society to live without it and there could be total chaos without it and maybe not. What I do believe is that all religion was created by well intending men to keep you in their herd by beliefs they have created and thus creating a culture of we’re right and your wrong mentality. And in some cases it’s been men interpreting what another man has said into their own beliefs about what that man was saying. In any case It’s just their opinion.
I’ve been holding back on writing this for some time because I knew what a controversy it may be. But frankly I don’t care. And I may get comments back like “you’re going to hell”, and if you choose to write such things it’s OK with me. But be careful now. What do most religions say about judging people? I will not argue any points as such and treat them as just your opinion. I spent most of my life thinking I was a sinner (man created) and it did not serve me at all. I’m now happier than I’ve ever been before and living life as I believe God would want me to live it, full out and no holding back, including writing this article.
I am a true student of personal development. I’m 62 years young and have been studying personal development for over 10 years. Someone might ask. There are people that have studied personal development their entire lives; what makes you more qualified than those people to provide me with direction? There are actually two reasons and you can decide for yourself.
One; not only have I been a student, but it is also my business. Our personal development products are unmatched by any other products. How do I know that? It’s the results people, including myself have had in their lives. Now here is the key. Not only that, but by being with this company I surround myself by thousands of like minded people and I’m part of weekly training calls and events. I’m always learning from other very successful entrepreneurs.
Two; I have experienced going from bankruptcy to where I am now; abundance in all areas of my life and most everything in between. I’ve been there, I’ve walked the walk and I’m able to always tell people what they deserve to hear, even though, it may not be necessarily what they want to hear.
It’s a beautiful thing. I’m still on my journey of discovering myself and assisting people to wake-up and discover their magnificent selves.
To end off… I love these inspiring words, so will share with you…
“It is time for people of good will from every faith and nation to recognise that a terrible danger threatens humanity. We must set aside our international and partisan bickering and join to confront the danger that lies before us. Our goal must be to illuminate the hearts and minds of humanity, and offer a compelling alternate vision for the world: a bright future that banishes the fanatical ideology of intolerance and hatred to the darkness from which it emerged.”
– Abdurrahman Wahid, former President of Indonesia, in the ‘Wall Street Journal’
Former Archbishop Desmond Tutu: “We have come to a time in the history of the world, where we need to rediscover the path to peace, and the path to peace can never be war. This pathway is lined with the concept of co-existence and co-inhabitance of the world.”
“A moment comes, which comes but rarely in history, when we step out from the old to the new, when an age ends and when the soul of a nation, long supressed, finds utterance.”
– Jahrulal Nehru, first Prime Minister of India (1947)
I hope that this information may be of interest to you (as it is to me)…
Those of us who long for (and are passionate about) the ideals of moderation and religious tolerance will continue to hope for a better understanding of complex issues between people of different cultures and faiths through reasoned and ‘informed’ dialogue in a spirit of mutual tolerance and respect. God’s greatest gift to us is to find, then follow our own truths. We can ALL nurture the real values common to ALL humanity: those highest ideals of tolerance, righteousness, justice, mercy and respect for all of life must surely triumph.
“Tolerance implies no lack of commitment to one’s own beliefs. Rather it condemns the oppression or persecution of others.”
– John F. Kennedy
With UNDERSTANDING comes TOLERANCE and with TOLERANCE comes MORE UNDERSTANDING.
So Let each one of us in our own ‘little ways’ attempt to build bridges rather than barriers, openness rather than walls. Let us look at distant horizons together in a spirit of openness, acceptance of our differences, helpfulness, co-operation, mutual tolerance, respect, trust, peace and especially in a spirit of love, the most powerful force in existence. Let our leaders and each ONE of us look at the future with a vision – to see things not as they are, but what they could one day become. What divides us as fellow citizens on planet earth is not nearly as powerful as the force, the divine spirit that UNITES us: The Spirit of God, the Ultimate Source that let’s us accept and even celebrate our differences … and let’s the Love of humanity within EACH one of us to conquer anything at all.
“People fight and die for religion but they seldom LIVE for religion”.
– Jahrulal Nehru, former Prime Minister of India”
“God’s greatest gift to us is allowing us to find, then choose to follow our own truths.”
“The greatest good we can do for others is reveal the rich treasure inside themselves; so shine your own bright light on an often darkened world… with the highest level of humanity …and have great fun along the journey of life.”
“Peace. it does not mean to be in a place where there is no noise, trouble or hard work. it means to be in the midst of those things and still be calm in your heart.”
– author unknown
“There is neither east nor west, tribe nor ethnicity, male or female, Muslim, Hindu, Buddhist. Christian nor Jew. There is only a God-filled humanity.”
“Let each one of us build bridges rather than barriers, openness rather than walls. Let us look at distant horizons together in a spirit of acceptance, helpfulness, co-operation and peace. Let our leaders look at the future with a vision – to see things not as they are, but what they could one day become.”
“When people’s hearts are filled with love, the world is full of hope” – craig
“Let not our different beliefs set us apart as human beings, but rather let our shared humanity be what defines and unites us as common citizens of our planet.”
“Instead of the limits of borders (of countries and of our minds) let us and our leaders expand our sense of possibility… and together let’s look at building bridges to distant horizons, far and great. Lord, help us all lift our eyes a little higher.”
Together, one mind, one heart, one life at a time, let’s plant the seeds, the hope of a better and brighter future.
THESE THOUGHTS MAY BE FREELY PUBLISHED, electronically or in print
“God is leading us to the light. What we learn in the darkness, we are to share in the eternal light
May the Grace of our loving Creator care for and watch over you all… always
Article Title: “THE RELIGION OF ISLAM”: A Comparison Of Islam And Christianity Submitted by: Craig Lock
Category (key words/tags): Islam, The Koran, Christianity, religion(s), faith, beliefs, religious tolerance, spiritual unity, unity of religions
Publishing Guidelines:
All my articles may be freely published. If tghis article is published, please acknowledge the source, thanks. As I share, I learn myself.
d. The issue as to whether Islam is a religion of peace
2. It may be beneficial to look at Islam in comparison with Christianity…
a. What might they have in common?
b. How do they differ on fundamental issues?
[In this study, we shall consider what the two religions believe on various issues as we seek to gain a better understanding of Islam. We begin with…]
I. GOD
A. ISLAM…
1. Teaches there is one God – Qur’an 3:64
2. Rejects the concept of the Trinity
B. CHRISTIANITY…
1. Teaches there is one God – 1Co 8:6
2. Reveals that the Godhead is composed of three distinct personalities – Father, Son, Holy Spirit; one in essence and substance – cf. Jn 1:1-5; Php 2:5-8; 2Jn 9; Mt 28:19
[Closely related to any concept of God is one’s view regarding…]
II. JESUS
A. ISLAM…
1. Considers Jesus a prophet, like Noah, Abraham, Moses (and Muhammad)
2. Rejects the divinity of Jesus, denies his pre-existence – Qur’an 4:171
3. Believes in the virgin birth, however
4. Does not believe Jesus died on the cross nor was raised from the dead – Qur’an 4:157
B. CHRISTIANITY…
1. Declares that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God – Mt 16:13-18
2. Teaches the pre-existence of Christ – Jn 1:1-5; Col 1:16-17
3. Proclaims that Jesus died on the cross for our sins, and was raised from the dead
[What one believes regarding Jesus certainly has a bearing on one’s understanding of…]
III. SALVATION
A. ISLAM…
1. Salvation comes by works
2. Personal righteousness is weighed against personal sin, which ever is greater determines salvation – Qur’an 23:101-103
3. A Muslim can be forgiven by repenting of sin – Qur’an 39:53-54
4. Paradise is assured for one who dies as a martyr for Islam
5. One becomes a Muslim by confessing “There is no other god but God; and Muhammad is the Prophet of God” (la ilaha ill’Allah, Muhammad rasul Allah) from the heart
B. CHRISTIANITY…
1. Salvation is by grace through an obedient faith – Ep 2:8-9; Ti 3:4-7
2. Jesus died on the cross as atonement for our sins – Ro 3:21-26
3. He is the source of eternal salvation to all who obey Him – He 5:9
4. Those whose names are in the Lamb’s book of life will be spared condemnation – Re 20:11-15
5. One becomes a Christian by:
a. Believing that Christ died for your sins – Jn 8:24; Ro 10: 9-10
b. Repenting of your sins – Ac 2:38; 17:30-31
c. Confessing your faith in Jesus as the Christ, the Son of God – Mt 10:32,33; Ro 10:9-10
d. Being baptized into Christ for the remission of your sins
– Mt 28:19; Mk 16:16; Ac 2:38; 22:16; Ro 6:3-6; Ga 3:27;
Col 2:11-13; Tit 3:5; 1Pe 3:21
[Doctrines pertaining to salvation are naturally related to views pertaining to…]
IV. ETERNAL JUDGMENT
A. ISLAM…
1. Believes in a resurrection of the dead and judgment at the Last Day
2. Paradise for the faithful, served by beautiful virgins – Qur’an 56:1-38
3. Hell for unbelievers, with eternal torment – Qur’an 56:39-56
B. CHRISTIANITY…
1. Believes in a resurrection of the dead and judgment at the Last Day
2. The eternal City, New Jerusalem, in the new heavens and new earth for those whose name is in the Lamb’s book of life
– Re 21:1-7,9-27; 22:1-5
3. The lake of fire for the unbelieving and wicked – Re 20:15; 21:8
[What one believes about God, Jesus, salvation and the judgment depends heavily upon what one considers to be…]
V. THE WORD OF GOD
A. ISLAM…
1. Believes in 4 inspired books – the Torah (5 books of Moses),
Zabur (the Psalms), lnjil (the Gospel), and Qur’an
2. The first three have been corrupted; the Qur’an provides the final revelation of God’s Word
B. CHRISTIANITY…
1. Believes Old and New Testaments contains the revelation of God’s Word – 2Ti 3:16-17
2. Believes that God’s Word cannot be corrupted, but is preserved
– 1Pe 1:23-25; Mt 24:35; Isa 40:8
3. Believes that revelation of God’s Word is fully and finally revealed – 2Pe 1:3; Jude 3
[It is of interest to note some of the differences in the two religion regarding…]
VI. PRAYER, FASTING, AND WORSHIP
A. ISLAM…
1. Has set times to offer prayers (five times per day)
2. Has set periods and procedures in which to fast (the month of Ramadan)
3. Places emphasis on ceremonial rituals such as washings, posture in prayer
B. CHRISTIANITY…
1. Calls for fervent and steadfast prayer, with no set times proscribed – 1Th 5:17; Col 4:2
2. Has a place for fasting, but left up to the individual – Mt 6:
16-18; Ac 13:2-3; 14:23
3. Places emphasis upon the spiritual aspect of worship – Jn 4:
23-24; Ep 5:19; Col 3:16
[A major difference between Islam and Christianity in spreading their faiths involve the issues of…]
VII. WAR AND VENGEANCE
A. ISLAM…
1. Allows war and vengeance for self-defense against persecution
2. Allows use of war in promoting the faith against unbelievers and idolaters
B. CHRISTIANITY…
1. Forbids war and vengeance when persecuted for righteousness’ sake – Mt 5:10-12,38-48
2. Forbids use of war to promote the cause of Christ and the gospel – 2Co 10:3-5
[Some other differences between the two faiths relate to…]
VIII. MORALS
A. ISLAM…
1. Forbids alcohol and gambling – Qur’an 5:93-94
2. Forbids eating pork
3. Allows up to four wives, may divorce and remarry them twice – Qur’an 2:229
B. CHRISTIANITY…
1. Forbids drunkenness, covetousness, and other “works of the flesh” – Ga 5:19-21
2. Allows all foods, if received with thanksgiving and prayer
– 1Ti 4:4-5 (with the exception of drinking blood and eating animals that were strangled, Ac 15:20,29; 21:25)
3. Teaches monogamy, divorce only for fornication – Mt 19:9; 1Co 7:2
[Both religions distinguish between the role of men and women, though with important differences…]
IX. TREATMENT OF WOMEN
A. ISLAM…
1. Men have more rights than women – Qur’an 2:228
2. Women do not attend public prayers at the Mosque
3. A husband may punish a wife by withholding what is due, and then beat her if necessary – Qur’an 4:34
B. CHRISTIANITY…
1. Men and women are fellow heirs of the grace of life – 1Pe 3:7; Ga 3:28-29
2. Women do not have leadership roles in the church – 1Co 11:3; 14:34-37; 2Ti 2:11-12
3. Forbids withholding what is due, and requires treating the wife with tenderness and understanding – 1Co 7:3-5; 1Pe 3:7
CONCLUSION
1. This has not been an exhaustive comparison between Islam and Christianity…
a. It has been a simple examination at some of the more notable features of comparison
b. Undoubtedly, many other similarities and differences could be noted
2. In considering such comparisons, one should note the following caveat…
a. Islam contains many different sects; not all professing Muslims might agree with some of the representations of Islamic beliefs made in this comparison
b. In a similar vein, not all professing Christians may agree with what has been offered as that which Christianity teaches
But perhaps this comparison can serve as a starting point in identifying key issues for discussions between Muslims and Christians who seek to better understand one another’s faiths….
To end off… I love these inspiring words, so will share with you…
“It is time for people of good will from every faith and nation to recognise that a terrible danger threatens humanity. We must set aside our international and partisan bickering and join to confront the danger that lies before us. Our goal must be to illuminate the hearts and minds of humanity, and offer a compelling alternate vision for the world: a bright future that banishes the fanatical ideology of intolerance and hatred to the darkness from which it emerged.”
– Abdurrahman Wahid, former President of Indonesia, in the ‘Wall Street Journal’
Former Archbishop Desmond Tutu: “We have come to a time in the history of the world, where we need to rediscover the path to peace, and the path to peace can never be war. This pathway is lined with the concept of co-existence and co-inhabitance of the world.”
“A moment comes, which comes but rarely in history, when we step out from the old to the new, when an age ends and when the soul of a nation, long supressed, finds utterance.”
– Jahrulal Nehru, first Prime Minister of India (1947)
I hope that this information may be of interest to you (as it is to me)…
Those of us who long for (and are passionate about) the ideals of moderation and religious tolerance will continue to hope for a better understanding of complex issues between people of different cultures and faiths through reasoned and ‘informed’ dialogue in a spirit of mutual tolerance and respect. God’s greatest gift to us is to find, then follow our own truths. We can ALL nurture the real values common to ALL humanity: those highest ideals of tolerance, righteousness, justice, mercy and respect for all of life must surely triumph.
“Tolerance implies no lack of commitment to one’s own beliefs. Rather it condemns the oppression or persecution of others.”
– John F. Kennedy
With UNDERSTANDING comes TOLERANCE and with TOLERANCE comes MORE UNDERSTANDING.
So Let each one of us in our own ‘little ways’ attempt to build bridges rather than barriers, openness rather than walls. Let us look at distant horizons together in a spirit of openness, acceptance of our differences, helpfulness, co-operation, mutual tolerance, respect, trust, peace and especially in a spirit of love, the most powerful force in existence. Let our leaders and each ONE of us look at the future with a vision – to see things not as they are, but what they could one day become. What divides us as fellow citizens on planet earth is not nearly as powerful as the force, the divine spirit that UNITES us: The Spirit of God, the Ultimate Source that let’s us accept and even celebrate our differences … and let’s the Love of humanity within EACH one of us to conquer anything at all.
Shared by craig (“Information and Inspiration Distributer, Incorrigible Encourager and People-builder… and a ‘passionate moderate’ for religious tolerance”)
“People fight and die for religion but they seldom LIVE for religion”.
– Jahrulal Nehru, former Prime Minister of India”
“God’s greatest gift to us is allowing us to find, then choose to follow our own truths.”
“The greatest good we can do for others is reveal the rich treasure inside themselves; so shine your own bright light on an often darkened world… with the highest level of humanity …and have great fun along the journey of life.”
“Peace. it does not mean to be in a place where there is no noise, trouble or hard work. it means to be in the midst of those things and still be calm in your heart.”
– author unknown
“There is neither east nor west, tribe nor ethnicity, male or female, Muslim, Hindu, Buddhist. Christian nor Jew. There is only a God-filled humanity.”
“Let each one of us build bridges rather than barriers, openness rather than walls. Let us look at distant horizons together in a spirit of acceptance, helpfulness, co-operation and peace. Let our leaders look at the future with a vision – to see things not as they are, but what they could one day become.”
“When people’s hearts are filled with love, the world is full of hope” – craig
About the submitter:
In his various writings Craig strives in some small way to break down and economic, social, cultural and religious barriers. Craig believes that whilst we should celebrate our differences, what we share in the form of our common humanity is way more important than what divides us.
“The world’s smallest and most exclusive bookstores”
“Let not our different beliefs set us apart as human beings, but rather let our shared humanity be what defines and unites us as common citizens of our planet.”
“Instead of the limits of borders (of countries and of our minds) let us and our leaders expand our sense of possibility… and together let’s look at building bridges to distant horizons, far and great. Lord, help us all lift our eyes a little higher.”
Together, one mind, one heart, one life at a time, let’s plant the seeds, the hope of a better and brighter future.
THESE THOUGHTS MAY BE FREELY PUBLISHED, electronically or in print
“God is leading us to the light. What we learn in the darkness, we are to share in the eternal light
May the Grace of our loving Creator care for and watch over you all… always
Article Title: Sharing Some Information on Religions of the World: The BAHAI Faith Submitter: Craig Lock
Category (key words):
Picture: beautiful and deserted Wainui beach, Gisborne, East Coast , New Zealand…a place where I often get my dose (“fill”) of upliftment and inspiration
Publishing Guidelines:
These writings (as with all my articles) may be freely published, electronically or in print.
“We share what we know, so that we all may grow.”
#
INTRODUCTION:
As he analyses his own “spirituality” and “finds and follows the spiritual path” (how airey-fairey now, craig!), Craig is studying the teachings of different religions (to find ‘common ground’/principles) and as he learns from his research, is sharing these notes in an attempt to ‘enlighten’ (himself and perhaps others). Hope this piece may be of interest to you too.
*
WHAT DO BAHAI BELIEVE?
Their main beliefs are as follows:
* Oneness of Religion: All the world’s religions represent stages in the revelation of God’s will and purpose for humanity.
Prophets are teachers – not saviours. God cannot incarnate himself and reveal himself to man. Therefore Jesus cannot be God. Jesus is seen as one of God’s manifestations sent to human beings to assist in our spiritual evolution. The raising of the body of Jesus was actually the coming to life of Christ’s teachings in the disciples, the restoration of their beliefs and convictions.
“The peoples of the world, of whatever race or religion, derive their inspiration from one heavenly source, and are the subjects of one God.”
– Bahau’uallah
* Oneness of religion: All the world’s religions represent stages in the revelation of God’s will and purpose for mankind.
“Let your vision be world-embracing, rather than confined to your own self.”
– Bahau’llah
* Oneness of Mankind – there is only one human race and we are all connected.
“The well-being of mankind, its peace and security, are unattainable, unless and until its unity is firmly established.”
– Bahau’llah
* Abolition of all prejudices
* The equality of men and women
* The elimination of the extremes of poverty and wealth
The goal of the Bahai is a world governed by order, justice; love and peace: a world culture as the basis for spiritual advancement of all that live on earth, providing a way of life for all that is truly worthy of mankind. Bahai believe that the nature of God is completely unknowable – he/she/it is trancendant to the point of total inaccessibility. Prophets are teachers – not saviours! God cannot incarnate himself and reveal himself to man. Therefore Jesus cannot be God. Jesus is seen as one of God’s manifestations sent to human beings to assist in our spiritual evolution. The raising of the body of Jesus was actually the coming to life of Christ’s teachings in the disciples, the restoration of their beliefs and convictions.
BAHAI work for world peace and believe in freedom of expression.
*
A few personal thoughts to end off..
Everybody’s truth is different, because our experiences, our environments, our cultures, our life paths are different. So every person’s faith is different (even the state of having NO faith). Finally, perhaps no religion can ever represent the Absolute Truth (because ‘Absolute Truth’ has a degree of subjectivity – at least I believe so!). Rather, religions can be different paths to the same Truth, with God, Infinite Spirit, the Grand Designer, the Essence of Life at the centre. (Like spokes leading to the hub, the Ultimate Source of Life). It’s up to YOU to CHOOSE your set of beliefs, those which fit best with YOUR truth, your being.
I am motivated to share these sets of beliefs, these “eternal truths” with others, so people may benefit and enhance their lives in a meaningful way…if they so CHOOSE. I hope that this information may be of interest to you… and that’s my reason for sharing.
With UNDERSTANDING comes TOLERANCE
and
with TOLERANCE comes UNDERSTANDING.
Walk your OWN path to Highest Truth and be happy
craig
“There is neither east nor west, tribe nor ethnicity, male or female, Muslim, Hindu, Buddhist. Christian nor Jew. There is only a God-filled
humanity.”
“The greatest good we can do for others is reveal the rich treasure inside themselves; so shine your own bright light on an often darkened world… with the highest level of humanity …and have great fun along the journey of life.”
“Let each one of us build bridges rather than barriers, openness rather than walls. Let us look at distant horizons together in a spirit of acceptance, helpfulness, co-operation and peace. Let our leaders look at the future with a vision – to see things not as they are, but what they could one day become.” – craig
“When people’s hearts are filled with love, the world is full of hope.”
“Instead of the limits of borders (of countries and of our minds) let us and our leaders expand our sense of possibility… and together let’s look at building bridges to distant horizons, far and great. Lord, help us all lift our eyes a little higher.”
– craig
“
About the submitter:
In his various writings Craig strives in some small way to break down and economic, social, cultural and religious barriers. Craig believes that whilst we should celebrate our differences, what we share in the form of our common humanity is way more important than what divides us.
“Someday, after we have mastered the winds, the waves, the tide and gravity, we shall harness for God the energies of love. Then, for the second time in the history of the world, man will have discovered fire.”
– Teilhard De Chardin
“”God’s greatest gift to us is allowing us to find, then choose to follow our own truths.”
This piece may be freely published, electronically or in print
“God, The Essence of Life, the Ground of All Being, is leading us to the light. What we learn in the darkness, we are to share in the eternal light.”
*
INTRODUCTION: Craig is studying the teachings of different religions (to find ‘common ground’/principles) and as he learns from his research, is sharing these notes in an attempt to ‘enlighten’ (himself and perhaps others). Hope this piece may be of interest to you too.
HINDUISM
The Four Holy Truths: There is pain and suffering in the world – like birth, death, sickness, old age. Root cause of suffering is DESIRE. Karma is conscious action that has spiritual results. Karma consists of a persons acts and their ethical consequences + universal justice, a kind of natural moral law, rather than through a system of divine judgement. The struggle and suffering decreases as the individual acquires merit and wisdom during their life. Release from suffering. Nirvana is a complete detachment from desires and final nirvana is attained at death. Hindus renounce worldly desires. (Release = moksha)
The 8-fold path:
right
· views
· resolve
· speech
· behaviour
· occupation
· effort
· contemplation and
· meditation.
People attain a state of perfection. Through self effort one can attain the state of peace and eternal peace called Nirvana. Buddha ignored the worship of Gods, but did not deny their existence. What was important to Buddha was not the worship of Gods or of himself, but the following of his teachings. Nirvana is not a place like heaven, but a state of being. It’s eternal – the end of suffering – no desires and individual consciousness comes to an end. It’s more of a moral philosophy, an ethical way of life.
#
BAHAI
The nature of God is completely unknowable – he/she/it is transcendent to the point of total inaccessibility. Prophets are teachers – not saviours. God cannot incarnate himself and reveal himself to man. Therefore Jesus cannot be God. Jesus is seen as one of God’s manifestations sent to human beings to assist in our spiritual evolution. The raising of the body of Jesus was actually the coming to life of Christ’s teachings in the disciples, the restoration of their beliefs and conviction.
BAHAI work for world peace and believe in freedom of expression.
#
MORMONS:
Definition of the Trinity as 3 separate individuals, God the Father and Jesus Christ being physical persons united in purpose; also a belief that human beings, can, if they live the commandments of God to the full, attain the status of godhood in future aeons.
#*
JEHOVAH’S WITNESSES
The main purpose of Jesus coming to earth was to let it be known that he is supreme and exercises sovereignty over the universe. Salvation is only for those who believe in Jesus.
A few personal thoughts to end off..
Everybody’s truth is different, because our experiences, our environments, our cultures, our life paths are different. So every person’s faith is different (even the state of having NO faith). Finally, perhaps no religion can ever represent the Absolute Truth (because ‘Absolute Truth’ has a degree of subjectivity – at least I believe so!). Rather, religions can be different paths to the same Truth, with God, Infinite Spirit, the Grand Designer, the Essence of Life at the centre. (Like spokes leading to the hub, the Ultimate Source of Life). It’s up to YOU to CHOOSE your set of beliefs, those which fit best with YOUR truth, your being.
I am motivated to share these sets of beliefs, these “eternal truths” with others, so people may benefit and enhance their lives in a meaningful way…if they so CHOOSE. I hope that this information may be of interest to you… and that’s my reason for sharing.
With UNDERSTANDING comes TOLERANCE
and
with TOLERANCE comes UNDERSTANDING.
Shared by Craig Lock (“Information and Inspiration Distributer, Incorrigible Encourager and People-builder… and a ‘passionate moderate’ for religious tolerance”)
“There is neither east nor west, tribe nor ethnicity, male or female, Muslim, Hindu, Buddhist. Christian nor Jew. There is only a God-filled humanity.”
“Let each one of us build bridges rather than barriers, openness rather than walls.
Let us look at distant horizons together in a spirit of acceptance, helpfulness, co-operation and peace.
Let our leaders look at the future with a vision – to see things not as they are,
but what they could one day become.”
– craig
“Someday, after we have mastered the winds, the waves, the tide and gravity, we shall harness for God the energies of love. Then, for the second time in the history of the world, man will have discovered fire.”
– Teilhard De Chardin
“”God’s greatest gift to us is allowing us to find, then choose to follow our own truths.”
“When people’s hearts are filled with love, the world is full of hope” – craig
“Instead of the limits of borders (of countries and of our minds) let us and our leaders expand our sense of possibility… and together let’s look at building bridges to distant horizons, far and great. Lord, help us all lift our eyes a little higher.”
Together, one mind, one heart, one life at a time, let’s plant the seeds, the hope of a better and brighter future.
Article Title: Sharing Some Information on Some Major Religions of the World
Submitter: Craig Lock
Category (key words): religion, religions, religious tolerance, religious unity, faith, beliefs, spirituality, spiritual unity, unity of religion(s)
SHARING SOME INFORMATION ON SOME OF THE MAJOR RELIGIONS OF THE WORLD
INTRODUCTION: Craig is studying the teachings of different religions (to find ‘common ground’/principles) and as he learns from his research, is sharing these notes in an attempt to ‘enlighten’ (himself and perhaps others). Hope this piece may be of interest to you too.
HINDUISM
The Four Holy Truths: There is pain and suffering in the world – like birth, death, sickness, old age. Root cause of suffering is DESIRE. Karma is conscious action that has spiritual results. Karma consists of a persons acts and their ethical consequences + universal justice, a kind of natural moral law, rather than through a system of divine judgement. The struggle and suffering decreases as the individual acquires merit and wisdom during their life. Release from suffering. Nirvana is a complete detachment from desires and final nirvana is attained at death. Hindus renounce worldly desires. (Release = moksha)
The 8-fold path:
right
· views
· resolve
· speech
· behaviour
· occupation
· effort
· contemplation and
· meditation.
People attain a state of perfection. Through self effort one can attain the state of peace and eternal peace called Nirvana. Buddha ignored the worship of Gods, but did not deny their existence. What was important to Buddha was not the worship of Gods or of himself, but the following of his teachings. Nirvana is not a place like heaven, but a state of being. It’s eternal – the end of suffering – no desires and individual consciousness comes to an end. It’s more of a moral philosophy, an ethical way of life.
#
BAHAI
The nature of God is completely unknowable – he/she/it is transcendent to the point of total inaccessibility. Prophets are teachers – not saviours. God cannot incarnate himself and reveal himself to man. Therefore Jesus cannot be God. Jesus is seen as one of God’s manifestations sent to human beings to assist in our spiritual evolution. The raising of the body of Jesus was actually the coming to life of Christ’s teachings in the disciples, the restoration of their beliefs and conviction.
BAHAI work for world peace and believe in freedom of expression.
#
MORMONS:
Definition of the Trinity as 3 separate individuals, God the Father and Jesus Christ being physical persons united in purpose; also a belief that human beings, can, if they live the commandments of God to the full, attain the status of godhood in future aeons.
#*
JEHOVAH’S WITNESSES
The main purpose of Jesus coming to earth was to let it be known that he is supreme and exercises sovereignty over the universe. Salvation is only for those who believe in Jesus.
#
MUSLIMS (ISLAM)
Muslims regard the Koran as the speech of God to Mohammed, mediated by Gabriel, the Angel of Revelation. They believe that God himself, not Mohammed, is the author and therefore that the Koran is infallible. Collection of passages revealed in his prophetic life – 610-632. 114 chapters. Earliest teachings – one transcendent and personal God. Last Judgement and social and personal justice. God, he asserted, had sent prophets to other nations throughout history; but having failed to reform, these nations had been destroyed. Mohamed was the last prophet. Monotheistic. Well ordered, harmonious whole – everything has its proper place and limitations. God presides over and governs the universe, which with its orderly functioning, is the primary sign and proof of God and His unity. Mohammed’s miracle is the Koran, the like of which no human can produce. Last Judgement:
The “successful ones” will go to the Garden (heaven) and the “losers” (the evil) will go to hell; although God is merciful and will forgive those who deserve forgiveness. Besides the last judgment, which will be on individuals, the Koran recognizes another kind of divine judgement, which is meted out in history to nations, peoples and communities. Nations, like individuals, may be corrupted by wealth, power and pride, and, unless they reform, these nations are punished by being destroyed or subjugated by more virtuous nations. Islamic Beliefs: ONE God. Thus it’s a monotheistic religion. Muhammad proclaimed that Allah alone is God and that other idols were not to be worshipped. Muslims believe that the faith of Christianity has been corrupted and reject the Christian concept of the Trinity. They believe in angels, who are sinless. God’s messages were brought directly to Muhammad by Gabriel. God is believed to be too exalted to speak directly with men. Belief in God’s prohets: Adam, Noah, Abraham, etc. The Koran is believed to be the exact revelation of God to humanity. Koran is believed to have taken the place of all previous revelations of God’s will – only the Koran is considered binding. A trumpet sounds – the dead will be raised and judged for their deeds – going to paradise or hell. Only those who die as martyrs slain in the battle for Islam are considered to be granted immediate access to paradise.* (see Christianity below). Prosperous and evil nations will ultimately be destroyed by God. “Islam” means surrender or submission to the will of God. Muhammad was closest to God, so his example is to be followed. Muslims believe in and honour many of the prophets of the Old Testament. But they also say that the Bible must have been corrupted; because it points out the errant behaviour of these prophets, and since no prophet of God would ever err, the Bible must be wrong. Muslims have high respect for Jesus, but the view that Jesus is divine or the son of God is, to them, the highest blasphemy. The Koran says that God is not a man, therefore he cannot have a son. He would never stoop to enter our world. Story of Christ’s death reinforces their belief that the Bible has been corrupted over the years.
Basic tenets – the 5 pillars of Islam:
· Confession of faith · Ritual prayer
* Obligatory alms – ‘zakat’ to help those less fortune
· The holy fast of Ramadan: a time where there is no smoking, drinking, swearing, anger, sex – use month of fasting to draw closer to God and renew their spiritual strength.
· Pilgrimage to Mecca, the “Hajj”. Every Muslim who is not sick and can afford must complete. It is a time when all are deemed equal before God, regardless of social or financial position. As part of their purification process, participation heightens their social status.
Mohamed was a prophet, yet he never performed a miracle. He was not a mystic; he had no formal schooling, consequently Mohamed had no gift with words. In addition, he did not begin his mission till he was age 40. The impetus for the rise and raid spread of Islam was three-fold: Based upon the power of words, the efficacy of prayer and man’s kinship with God.
Mohamed observed the decline of Christianity into warring sects (it’s the same today!). The archangel Gabriel appeared to him and said that he was to be the Messenger for God. Mohamed had invited the Jews and Christians to join him, for he was not building a new religion – Mohamed was calling all who believed in ONE GOD to join in a single faith….
but that vision never materialised, as the Jews and Christians did not want to pursue that path.
Mohamed’s legacy is that of persistence. Because after he had been preaching for ten years, he had nothing to show for it: but banishment, poverty and ridicule. Yet before another ten years had passed, he headed the rise of a new religion out of the Arabian desert, a faith spreading rapidly westwards, a flame which would not be extinguished.
Persistence changes the course of history
From ‘The Last Great Prophet’
Reviewed by Thomas Sugrue (as published in ‘Think and Grow Rich’ by Napoleon Hill)
#
CHRISTIANITY
Christianity and Islam are missionary religions. Both faiths believe they have a monopoly over the truth. Both want to share their version of truth with others and both compete in seeking converts. However, there is a fundamental doctrinal incompatibility between the major faiths of Islam and Christianity. Together with the Jews, they worship the God of Abraham. These three religions have many prophets in common and consequently have “shared values” that have shaped societies over the past two millenia.
Most “informed” Christians, however, do not believe the Koran is the un-intermediated word of God. Simply put, the faith of Christianity exists solely on the basis that Jesus Christ is the ‘son of God’*; whereas the faith of Islam exists purely on the basis that God dictated his laws to Mohammed and that the Koran contains God’s actual words.
* (And Christians may take this literally or “metaphorically”, symbolically, depending on their interpretation).
The concept of salvation (instant) coming purely through faith in Christ and not because of one’s life works is unique to Christianity (because there is no guarantee of salvation with Islam…unless one dies as a martyr). It’s the notion of the Trinity (Father, Son and Holy Spirit), which Islam and rationalists find to be the most implausible aspect of Christianity.
This debate of religions is really a battle of ideas, a ‘clash of ideologies and civilisations between east and west’. Catholic Cardinal Ratzinberger once said: “Islam simply does not have the separation of the political and religious spheres which Christianity had from the very beginning. The Koran… insists that the whole order of life be Islamic. One must understand that Islam is not simply a denomination that can be included in the free realm of a pluralistic society.” True Muslims cannot accept either the separation of powers or the freedom under the law which are the hallmarks of Western civilisation. *
* From an article in ‘The Independent’ by Dominic Lawson.
*
A few personal thoughts to end off..
Everybody’s truth is different, because our experiences, our environments, our cultures, our life paths are different. So every person’s faith is different (even the state of having NO faith). Finally, perhaps no religion can ever represent the Absolute Truth (because ‘Absolute Truth’ has a degree of subjectivity – at least I believe so!). Rather, religions can be different paths to the same Truth, with God, Infinite Spirit, the Grand Designer, the Essence of Life at the centre. (Like spokes leading to the hub, the Ultimate Source of Life). It’s up to YOU to CHOOSE your set of beliefs, those which fit best with YOUR truth, your being.
I am motivated to share these sets of beliefs, these “eternal truths” with others, so people may benefit and enhance their lives in a meaningful way…if they so CHOOSE. I hope that this information may be of interest to you… and that’s my reason for sharing.
With UNDERSTANDING comes TOLERANCE
and
with TOLERANCE comes UNDERSTANDING.
Shared by Craig Lock (“Information and Inspiration Distributer, Incorrigible Encourager and People-builder… and a ‘passionate moderate’ for religious tolerance”)
“There is neither east nor west, tribe nor ethnicity, male or female, Muslim, Hindu, Buddhist. Christian nor Jew. There is only a God-filled humanity.”
“Let each one of us build bridges rather than barriers, openness rather than walls.
Let us look at distant horizons together in a spirit of acceptance, helpfulness, co-operation and peace.
Let our leaders look at the future with a vision – to see things not as they are,
but what they could one day become.”
– craig
“Someday, after we have mastered the winds, the waves, the tide and gravity, we shall harness for God the energies of love. Then, for the second time in the history of the world, man will have discovered fire.”
– Teilhard De Chardin
“”God’s greatest gift to us is allowing us to find, then choose to follow our own truths.”
“When people’s hearts are filled with love, the world is full of hope” – craig
“Instead of the limits of borders (of countries and of our minds) let us and our leaders expand our sense of possibility… and together let’s look at building bridges to distant horizons, far and great. Lord, help us all lift our eyes a little higher.”
Together, one mind, one heart, one life at a time, let’s plant the seeds, the hope of a better and brighter future.
This piece may be freely published, electronically or in print
About the submitter:
In his various writings Craig strives in some small way to break down and economic, social, cultural and religious barriers. Craig believes that whilst we should celebrate our differences, what we share in the form of our common humanity is way more important than what divides us.
The various books that Craig “felt inspired to write” are available at http://www.amazon.com/-/e/B005GGMAW4http://www.creativekiwis.com/amazon.htmland http://www.smashwords.com/profile/view/craiglock
C.S. Lewis was an amazing author and a brilliant man. Generally considered one of the brightest apologists of the 20th Century, Lewis has a uniquely practical approach to God and His ways. His supreme applicability and warm, casual tone of writing make reading most of his works a pleasure, while his fascinatingly simple approach to big issues and fiercely-debated topics makes his works worthy of both reading and re-reading.
And each ONE of us can choose to have the mind, the mindset …in a word the consciousness of Christ… to achieve what may appear impossible things in youir own life!
“Hope sees the invisible, feels the intangible and achieves the impossible.”
“For me, God is a Creative Presence (far greater and deeper than my own consciousness). A Presence that I can experience on earth and allows me to be all that I am able to become.”
– craig
“Let not our beliefs, but our shared humanity define us.”
– c
PPS
“Get your next ‘fix’ from Jesus. It costs you nothing…except for his life!”
– my good friend, Lindsay ‘The Prophet’
Article Title: “THE TWO… OR THREE JESUS’S”: Teacher… Prophet…or God? Thoughts of CS. Lewis on Jesus Christ: Lord, Liar or Lunatic?
Shared by: craig
Category (key words): Religion, spirituality, Jesus, Jesus Christ, God, faith, Christianity, CS Lewis, religious questions, hope, possibilities, inspiration
We hope that the following thoughts may be interesting, informative, helpful and especially thought-provoking to your e-zine readers, or on your web site. This piece (as with all my writings) may be freely reproduced electronically or in print (with acknowledgement to the sources, thanks). If it helps others “out there” in any way on the ‘amazing journey of life’, then we’re very happy.
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C.S. Lewis on Jesus Christ: Lord, Liar or Lunatic?
“God does work in amazing ways”
“What is impossible with man is possible with God.”
Submitter’s Thoughts:
I am fascinated by the life and immense spirit of Jesus, as well as the controversy and varying beliefs about this most written about “figure” in human history. So in my research for my latest Amazon book The Spirit of a True Champion: A Look into the Mind of Jesus Christ, I came across these thoughts (excellent) of CS Lewis on the www, so thought I’d share in a “spirit of enlightenment” (together with some of my own thoughts and comments on these writings).No matter what you may or may not believe… enjoy
“Whilst we can (and should) cherish and celebrate our ‘unique’ differences, let not our different beliefs divide us, but let the Spirit of our shared humanity be what defines and unites us as common inhabitants of our planet.”
– me
C.S. Lewis on Jesus Christ: Lord, Liar or Lunatic
C.S. Lewis was an amazing author and a brilliant man. Generally considered one of the brightest apologists of the 20th Century, Lewis has a uniquely practical approach to God and His ways. His supreme applicability and warm, casual tone of writing make reading most of his works a pleasure, while his fascinatingly simple approach to big issues and fiercely-debated topics makes his works worthy of both reading and re-reading.
C.S. Lewis’ Take on God, Jesus, and the Universe
The way it is
“The present state of things is this…the natural life in each of us is something self-centered, something that wants to be petted and admired, to take advantage of other lives, to exploit the whole universe. And especially it wants to be left to itself: to keep well away from anything better or stronger or higher than it, anything that might make it feel small. It is afraid of the light and air of the spiritual world, just as people who have been brought up to be dirty are afraid of a bath. And in a sense, it is quite right. It knows that if the spiritual life gets hold of it, all its self-centeredness and self-will are going to be killed and it is ready to fight tooth and nail to avoid that.” –Mere Christianity, C.S. Lewis
Who Jesus is & why He matters
“…Among the…Jews there suddenly turns up a man who goes about talking as if He was God. He claims to forgive sins. He says He has always existed. He says He is coming to judge the world at the end of time. Now let us get this clear. Among Pantheists, like the Indians, anyone might say that he was a part of God, or one with God: there would be nothing very odd about it. But this man, since He was a Jew, could not mean that kind of God. God, in their language, meant the Being outside the world Who had made it and was infinitely different from anything else. And when you have grasped that, you will see that what this man said was, quite simply, the most shocking thing that has ever been uttered by human lips.
One part of the claim tends to slip past us unnoticed because we have heard it so often that we no longer see what it amounts to. I mean the claim to forgive sins: any sins. Now unless the speaker is God, this is really so preposterous as to be comic. We can all understand how a man forgives offences against himself. You tread on my toe and I forgive you, you steal my money and I forgive you. But what should we make of a man, himself un-robbed and un-trodden on, who announced that he forgave you for treading on other men’s toes and stealing other men’s money? Asinine fatuity is the kindest description we should give of his conduct. Yet this is what Jesus did. He told people that their sins were forgiven, and never waited to consult all the other people whom their sins had undoubtedly injured. He unhesitatingly behaved as if He was the party chiefly concerned; the person chiefly offended in all offences. This makes sense only if He really was the God whose laws are broken and whose love is wounded in every sin. In the mouth of any speaker who is not God, these words would imply what I can only regard as a silliness and conceit unrivalled by any other character in history.
Yet (and this is the strange, significant thing) even His enemies, when they read the Gospels, do not usually get the impression of silliness and conceit. Still less do unprejudiced readers. Christ says that He is ‘humble and meek’ and we believe Him; not noticing that, if He were merely a man, humility and meekness are the very last characteristics we could attribute to some of His sayings.
I am trying here to prevent anyone saying the really foolish thing that people often say about Him: ‘I’m ready to accept Jesus as a great moral teacher, but I don’t accept His claim to be God.’ That is the one thing we must not say. A man who was merely a man and said the sort of things Jesus said would not be a great moral teacher. He would either be a lunatic — on a level with the man who says he is a poached egg — or else he would be the Devil of Hell. You must make your choice. Either this man was, and is, the Son of God or else a madman or something worse. You can shut Him up for a fool, you can spit at Him and kill Him as a demon; or you can fall at His feet and call Him Lord and God. But let us not come with any patronizing nonsense about His being a great human teacher. He has not left that open to us. He did not intend to.” –Mere Christianity, C.S. Lewis
The difference Jesus makes
“What are we to make of Jesus Christ? This question…has, in a sense, a frantically comic side. For the real reason is not what are we to make of Christ, but what is He to make of us? The picture of a fly sitting deciding what it is to make of an elephant has comic elements about it. But perhaps the questioner meant what are we to make of Him in the sense of “How are we to solve the historical problem set us by the recorded sayings and acts of this Man?” This problem is to reconcile two things. On the one hand you have got the almost generally admitted depth and sanity of His moral teaching, which is not very seriously questioned, even by those who are opposed to Christianity….
The other phenomenon is the quite appalling nature of this Man’s theological remarks. You all know what I mean, and I want rather to stress the point that the appalling claim which this Man seems to be making is not merely made at one moment of His career. There is, of course, the one moment which led to His execution. The moment at which the High Priest said to Him, “Who are you?” “I am the Anointed, the Son of the uncreated God, and you shall see Me appearing at the end of all history as the judge of the Universe.”….
On the one side clear, definite moral teaching. On the other, claims which, if not true, are those of a megalomaniac, compared with whom Hitler was the most sane and humble of men. There is no half-way house and there is no parallel in other religions. If you had gone to Buddha and asked him “Are you the son of Brahman?” he would have said, “My son, you are still in the vale of illusion.” If you had gone to Socrates and asked, “Are you Zeus?” he would have laughed at you. If you had gone to Mohammed and asked, “Are you Allah?” he would first have rent his clothes and the cut your head off. If you had asked Confucius, “Are you heaven?” I think he would have probably replied, “Remarks which are not in accordance with nature are in bad taste.” The idea of a great moral teacher saying what Christ said is out of the question. In my opinion, the only person who can say that sort of thing is either God or a complete lunatic suffering from that form of delusion which undermines the whole mind of man. If you think you are a poached egg, when you are looking for a piece of toast to suit you, you may be sane, but if you think you are God, there is no chance for you….
The things He says are very different from what any other teacher has said. Other say, “This is the truth about the Universe. This is the way you ought to go,” but He says, “I am the Truth, and the Way, and the Life.” He says, “No man can reach absolute reality, except through Me. Try to retain your own life and you will be inevitably ruined. Give yourself away and you will be saved.” He says, “If you are ashamed of Me, if, when you hear this call, you turn the other way, I also will look the other way when I come again as God without disguise. If anything whatever is keeping you from God and from Me, whatever it is, throw it away. If it is your eye, pull it out. If it is your hand, cut it off. If you put yourself first you will be last. Come to Me everyone who is carrying a heavy load, I will set that right. Your sins, are wiped out, I can do that. I am Re-birth, I am Life. Eat Me, drink Me, I am your food. And finally, do not be afraid, I have overcome the whole Universe.” That is the issue.” –God in the Dock, C.S. Lewis
Why this matters to YOU: The individuality of God’s love via Christ
God…has infinite attention to spare for each one of us. He does not have to deal with us in the mass. You are as much alone with Him as if you were the only being He had ever created. When Christ died, he died for you individually just a much as if you had been the only man in the world. –Mere Christianity, C.S. Lewis
The change in the way things are
“When you are not feeling particularly friendly but know you ought to be, the best thing you can do, very often, is to put on a friendly manner, and behave as if you were a nicer person than you actually are. And in a few minutes, as we have all noticed, you will be really feeling friendlier than you were. Very often the only way to get a quality in reality is to start behaving as if you had it already.
Now, the moment you realize, “Here I am, dressing up as Christ,” it is extremely likely that you will see at once some way in which as that very moment the pretence could be made less of a pretence and more of a reality. You will find several things going on in your mind which would not be going on there if you were really a son of God. Well, stop them. Or you may not realize that, instead of saying your prayers, you ought to be downstairs writing a letter, or helping your wife to wash-up. Well, go do it.
You see what is happening. That Christ Himself, the Son of God, who is man (just like you) and God (just like His Father) is actually at your side and is already at that moment beginning to turn your pretence into a reality. This is not merely a fancy way of saying that your conscience is telling you what to do. If you simply ask your conscience, you get one result: if you remember that you are dressing up as Christ, you get a different one. There are lots of things which your conscience might not call definitely wrong (especially things in your mind) but which you will see at once you cannot go on doing if you are seriously trying to be like Christ. For you are not longer thinking simply about right and wrong: you are trying to catch the good infection from a Person. It is more like painting a portrait than like obeying a set of rules. And the odd thing is that while in one way it is harder than keeping rules, in another way it is far easier.
The real Son of God is at your side. He is beginning to turn you into the same kind of thing as Himself. He is beginning, so to speak, to inject His kind of life and thought…into you: beginning to turn the tin soldier into a live man. The part of you that does not like it is the part that is still tin.”–Mere Christianity: C.S. Lewis
When you first begin…
“In reality…it is God who does everything. We, at most, allow it to be done to us. In a sense you might even say it is God who does the pretending. The Three-Personal God [God as the Trinity], so to speak, sees before Him in fact a self-centered, greedy, grumbling, rebellious human animal. But He says, “Let us pretend that this is not a mere creature, but our Son. It is like Christ in so far as it is a Man, for He became Man. Let us pretend that it is also like Him in Spirit. Let us treat it as if it were what in fact it is not. Let us pretend in order to make the pretence into a reality.” God looks at you as if you were a little Christ. : Christ stands beside you to turn you into one. I daresay this idea of divine make-believe sounds rather strange at first. But, is it so strange really? Is not that how the high thing always raises the lower? A mother teaches her baby to talk by talking to it as if it understood long before it really does….” –Mere Christianity: C.S. Lewis
Is Jesus Christ a Legend, Lunatic, Liar, or Lord and GOD?
In his famous book Mere Christianity, C.S. Lewis makes this statement, “A man who was merely a man and said the sort of things Jesus said would not be a great moral teacher. He would either be a lunatic–on the level with a man who says he is a poached egg–or he would be the devil of hell. You must take your choice. Either this was, and is, the Son of God, or else a madman or something worse. You can shut him up for a fool or you can fall at his feet and call him Lord and God. But let us not come with any patronizing nonsense about his being a great human teacher. He has not left that open to us.(emphasis: web author)”
Jesus could only have been one of four things: a legend, a liar, a lunatic–or Lord and God. There is so much historical and archaeological evidence to support his existence that every reputable historian agrees he was not just a legend. If Jesus were a liar, why would he die for his claim, when he could easily have avoided such a cruel death with a few choice words? And, if he were a lunatic, how did he engage in intelligent debates with his opponents or handle the stress of his betrayal and crucifixion while continuing to show a deep love for his antagonists? Christ said he was Lord and God. The evidence supports that claim.
Here are some of the key claims Jesus made about himself.
The Claims of Jesus
Christ claimed to live a sinless life
Jesus could look at a crowd of people angry at his claims to share God’s nature and ask, “Which of you can point to anything wrong in my life?” Even more amazing is that none of them could give a reply! No human being has ever lived a sinless life, except for Jesus Christ.
John 8:28-29 “So Jesus said, ‘When you have lifted up the Son of Man, then you will know who I am and that I do nothing on my own but speak just what the Father has taught me. The one who sent me is with me; he has not left me alone, for I always do what pleases him.'”
John 8:46-47 “Can any of you prove me guilty of sin? If I am telling the truth, why don’t you believe me? He who belongs to God hears what God says. The reason you do not hear is that you do not belong to God.”
Jesus Christ claimed to be the ONLY way to God
Not one of several ways, but the one and only way. Not to teach the way, but to be the way to God. Nobody has ever made claims like that before and backed them, but Jesus did through his love, balanced life, and miracles.
John 14:6 “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father but by me.”
My Comment (quick)
True , as Jesus’s concept of God, “The Father” (as was his relationship with “The Father” ) was unique to him, as was Muhammad’s concept of Allah was unique to him… and my concept of what is God is to me… and you can choose what God, Infinite/Ultimate Source means to you!). BTW the concept/term of God as “Father” (and having a “personal relationship” is unique to the Christian faith).
Matthew 11:27 “All things have been committed to me by my Father. No one knows the Son except the Father, and no one knows the Father except the Son and those to whom the Son chooses to reveal him.”
Note: No other world religious leader, such as Buddha, Confucius, or Mohammed ever made this claim.
(My Comment:
As regards Jesus’s claim: “I and the Father are one.” Jesus had the ultimate intimate relationship with God, the Father. However, each ONE of us can be as close to Infinite Source as we want to (it will all depend upon our own beliefs and life experiences), as we all have a Spirit of God within us…as well as the immense power of choice: to live our lives depending on God, the Ground of All Being….to the degree we submit to a Higher Power…another dimension/realm”
“We are all earthly beings on a spiritual journey”… or is that meant to be the other way around?)
Christ claimed to have shared the glory of God in Heaven
Jesus claimed to have pre-existed the people he spoke with. The apostle John–who shared bread with Jesus–wrote that Jesus was with God in the very beginning, and that “all things came into being through him, and without him not one thing came into being.” (John 1:1-5)
John 17:5 “And now, Father, glorify me in your presence with the glory I had with you before the world began.”
This is a claim distorted by groups like the Mormons or Jehovah’s Witnesses.
Jesus Christ claimed to be able to forgive sins
One of the reasons that the Jewish leaders were so angry with Jesus was his continual practice of forgiving people’s sins. The religious leaders understood clearly that since sins were rebellion against God Himself, only God could forgive sins.
Luke 5:20-21 “When Jesus saw their faith, he said, ‘Friend, your sins are forgiven.’ The Pharisees and the teachers of the law began thinking to themselves, ‘Who is this fellow who speaks blasphemy? Who can forgive sins but God alone?'”(emphasis: web author)
Luke 7:48-49 “Then Jesus said to her, ‘Your sins are forgiven.’ The other guests began to say among themselves, ‘Who is this who even forgives sins?'”
Christ claimed to be a Heavenly king
Luke 22:69 “But from now on, the Son of Man will be seated at the right hand of the mighty God.”
Luke 23:1-3 “Then the whole assembly rose and led him off to Pilate. And they began to accuse him, saying, ‘We have found this man subverting our nation. He opposes payment of taxes to Caesar and claims to be Christ, a king.’ So Pilate asked Jesus, ‘Are you the king of the Jews?’ ‘Yes, it is as you say,’ Jesus replied.”
John 18:36-37 “Jesus said, ‘My kingdom is not of this world. If it were, my servants would fight to prevent my arrest by the Jews. But now my kingdom is from another place.’ ‘You are a king, then!’ said Pilate. Jesus answered, ‘You are right in saying I am a king. In fact, for this reason I was born, and for this I came into the world, to testify to the truth. Everyone on the side of truth listens to me.'”
Christ claimed to be able to give everlasting life
Jesus didn’t just tell people how they could find everlasting life, or deepen their own life experience. He actually claimed to give life himself.
John 6:40 “For my Father’s will is that everyone who looks to the Son and believes in him shall have eternal life, and I will raise him up at the last day.”
John 6:47 “I tell you the truth, he who believes has everlasting life.”
John 10:28-30 “I give [my followers] eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one can snatch them out of my hand. My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all; no one can snatch them out of my Father’s hand. I and the Father are one.”
John 11:25 “Jesus said to her, ‘I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in me will live, even though he dies; and whoever lives and believes in me will never die…'”
Jesus claimed that he would die and come back to life
John 10:17 “Just as the Father knows me and I know the Father–and I lay down my life for the sheep. The reason my Father loves me is that I lay down my life–only to take it up again. No one takes it from me, but I lay it down of my own accord. I have authority to lay it down and authority to take it up again. This command I received from my Father.”
John 12:32-33 “‘But I, when I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all men to myself.’ He said this to show the kind of death he was going to die.”
John 16:16 “In a little while you will see me no more, and then after a little while you will see me.”
Luke 18:31-33 “Jesus took the Twelve aside and told them, ‘We are going up into Jerusalem, and everything that is written by the prophets about the Son of Man will be fulfilled. He will be handed over to the Gentiles. They will mock him, insult him, spit on him, flog him and kill him. On the third day he will rise again.'”
Christ claimed that he would return again to judge the world
Matthew 24:27-30 “So as the lightening comes from the east and flashes to the west, so will be the coming of the Son of Man… At that time the sign of the Son of Man will appear in the sky, and all the nations of the earth will mourn. They will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of the sky, with power and great glory.”
Matthew 25:31-32 “When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, he will sit on his throne in heavenly glory. All the nations will be gathered before him, and he will separate the people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep and the goats.”
Mark 14:61-62 “Again the high priest asked him, ‘Are you the Christ, the Son of the Blessed One?’ ‘I am,’ said Jesus. ‘And you will see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of the Mighty One and coming on the clouds of heaven.'”
(My comment on the thoughts of CS Lewis: Is Jesus fully God revealed?
Why not contemplate, meditate on this “great” question, which has caused such division and enmity between peoples, cultures and civilizations for centuries. Or even better “ go directly to the Ultimate Source, The Ground of All Being (God, Allah) in prayer (perhaps even through Jesus as a conduit – “very easy and a nice chat”) and ask the question yourself of “The Father”. … and each one of us will get a different answer…because we are all unique with different beliefs and life experiences…which is great !
In brief, for me, Jesus, like our concept of God, the Creator) is what He means (or represents) to us…thus what we choose to make Him…
and I choose to expand my horizons….as widely as is “humanly” possible)
Shared by craig (“Information and Inspiration Distributor, Incorrigible Encourager and People-builder”)
“The Lord works from the inside out. The world works from the outside in. The world would take people out of the slums. Christ would take the slums out of people, and then they would take themselves out of the slums. The world would mould men by changing their environment. Christ changes men, who then change their environment. The world would shape human behaviour, but Christ can change human nature.” ― Ezra Taft Benson, 27th President of the US
As my good friend, Lindsay ‘the Prophet’ often says: “Get yourself right with Jesus, man!”
“Make Jesus your best friend and you’ve got it made!”
– anon
A life lived in the spirit of Christ will never die!
“For me, God is a Creative Presence (far greater and deeper than my own consciousness). A Presence that I can experience on earth and allows me to be all that I am able to become.”
– craig
PPS
Is Jesus God?
IS JESUS GOD?
Here a few thoughts that came to me at 4.30am today 5th March 2012… so am sharing?
Can Jesus be “God” in human form?
This is one of the great questions puzzling so many people and what creates controversy between Christianity and Islam (and even among Christian “believers”)
Through his sheer enthusiasm and evangelic zeal, the teachings of St Paul regarding the “absolute” divinity of Jesus ultimately won over the beliefs of the disciples and family who actually knew Jesus. And this strand of Christianity, (Paul’s “brand” rather than that of Jesus’s half-brother James) led to it being where the faith is today…(though many aspects/beliefs have always been and still are being challenged!
Here are a few thoughts of mine on this highly controversial subject (from research, but mostly Spirit)…
Jesus did NOT claim to be God, but a conduit TO “The Father” (“Follow me…I am the way, the truth and the light!”! Yet Jesus saw himself as separate from “the Father”, a unique term/concept to the Christian faith (although he had a uniquely intimate relationship with the “Father” as “Son of God” and “son of Man” ) . Jesus continually called on the Father in prayer to accomplish what he could not accomplish on his own. He lived a life totally dependent on this God and in total submission to the will of the Father
And so can we!
God, Infinite Spirit, The Creator of Life, Ground of All Being is beyond our human comprehension. Yet the life of ONE person, Jesus is a, ONE “manifestation” (big word, eh) of God, Ultimate Source, ie ALL that is GOOD!
Thus the “person” of Jesus is a symbol of hope to so many people throughout the globe. Jesus Christ is focus (a focal point) for one’s faith, “something” on which to hang, to pin one’s faith. It’s an “anchor …
and like us each ONE of us can CHOOSE to live a life of faith dependant on God…as well as striving for the ultimate ideal to which we can possibly aspire
And each ONE of us can choose to have the mind, the mindset …in a word the consciousness of Jesus… to achieve what may appear impossible things in your own life!
“Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind…” – Romans 12:2
“Spirit controls your mind.” Romans 8:6
“Let this mind be in you, which is also in Christ Jesus.” – Phillippians 2:5
“But we can understand these things, for we have the mind of Christ.”
“Hope sees the invisible, feels the intangible and achieves the impossible.”
A final quick thought…
For me the person and the spirit of Jesus is MY path to this God of the Universe and He is the doorway…and that’s my reality… and my experience!
“There is neither east nor west, tribe nor ethnicity, male or female, Muslim, Hindu, Buddhist. Christian nor Jew. There is only a God-filled humanity.”
“Let not our beliefs, but our shared humanity define us.”
– c
“The task ahead of you can always be overcome by the power within you…and the often seemingly difficult or even “impassible”) path ahead of you is never as steep with the great spirit that lies within you.”
“We have it within; but we get it all from without. There is a well-spring of strength, wisdom, courage and great imagination within each one of us; but once we draw on this truth, it gets watered from without, by a Higher Source – the Ultimate Source of Life and Love, which is God, the very Ground of our Being.”
“Our Greatest Good is perhaps not to share our material possessions, our money and ‘riches’ with others, but through faith in other people, to so lay the foundation to reveal the rich treasure that lies within themselves.”
WHO IS "THE REAL, THE TRUE, THE LIVING" JESUS? 
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