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Originally posted by Romantic_Rebel
reply to post by Serizawa
That's fine with me. Everyone has different beliefs in life and some are more mild then others. Just keep an open heart and mind while discovering mysteries.
Originally posted by FamiliarBoyOfGoodFortune
You seem to have a more open mind than most, that's at least a requirement to accept the truth, and as you know there is no compulsion in religion, but I must also warn you of a fire who's fuel is men and stones.
Originally posted by FamiliarBoyOfGoodFortune
reply to post by Romantic_Rebel
Well not really.
The Quran mentions these revelations:
1) The Suhuf Ibraheem (The Scrolls of Abraham)
2) The Injeel - The Gospels - That were given to Jesus (AS)
3) The Zaboor - Psalms given to Daood (AS) The Prophet David
4) The Torah - Given to Moses
5) The Quran - Given to Prophet Muhammad (SAW)
All are OK in their unchanged original form. The question is, which version of the Bible do you have?
Clement of Rome was martyred in 100 AD. In his writings, he quoted from Matthew, Mark, Luke, Acts, 1 Corinthians, 1 Peter, Hebrews, and Titus. Clement's quotes totally correspond with the Bible we read today. In fact, even if we lost all of the 5,300 early Greek manuscripts, all of the 10,000 Latin vulgates, and all of the 9,300 other ancient manuscripts, we would be able to reconstruct all but 11 verses of the New Testament from the writings of the early Church leaders who quoted from them extensively. We have over 36,000 preserved quotes from the New Testament. In a nutshell, the Bible stands today as the best-preserved literary work of all antiquity, and it's overall reliability is without question!
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Originally posted by Vonour
reply to post by EnactedEgoTrip
.. you haven't read the bible.. . at all.. or you have no understanding of it .. for . there can only be peace until the 2nd comming you would know this if you had read it in the bible...
...All religion leads to the True God .. .. what shall your belief .lead you to ..
...? to the Kingdom of Heaven ... the power to change the world is in you ... You are your own savior .. If you want peace .. then peace you shall have ..but you must want this and carry this within in you .. right now I see only anger and lack of understanding ... you can not bring about peace ..if there is no peace within your soul..
...the discorse in your soul only emmits negative energy about you .. try to calm you mind and have faith .. faith in a new begining to come .. and prey that all shall reach this point of understanding so that all my reach the Kingdom of Heaven ... ..Bless You and Yours ..
Originally posted by Fromabove
The reason Muhammad is a false prophet, is because he denies the fact that Jesus is the incarnate Son of God. Also he rejects Jesus as Savior. That Jesus died on the cross for all our sin. That Jesus blood is the atonement for sin. That Jesus is the only way to God the Father. Muhammad's followers are "anti-Christ" as was he. Not only do they believe the falsehoods taught to them concerning Jesus, but they also hate and kill the followers of Christ.
Muhammad is never mentioned by name in the Bible. The word cited as his name is actually translated "my cousin".
No one should believe a word of the Quran as the word of God because of what the Quran itself teaches. Muhammad couldn't read or write a single word. The words written therefore were not his own. Since he did not have the ability to proof read it or know for sure, anything could have been written by the actual writers. Additionally, Muhammad may not have even know there was a Quran created in the first place, so his name may be subscribed to something for which he had no knowledge of. Then there is the thing about the "right hand" and what it possesses. Since Muhammad could not write, he could not claim to be the author as told him from God. His right hand could not possess what it was they say he claimed. So in the end, all of it could just be something some Arabs created to make a name for themselves and to create another god to worship for power. There may not have even been a Muhammad at all.
So there you go. Figure that out if you think you can. There is more doubt in Islam than any other religion of the Earth.
edit on 23-9-2010 by Fromabove because: (no reason given)
And, according to Saying # 13 of the Gospel of Thomas--a Gospel which, of course, is considered "heretical" by the Christian theologians--"stones" are a symbol for the thoughts of the 'thinker'; specifically, the nitwit doctrines of the Jewish, Christian and Muslim religious 'authorities'; while "men", in this context, refers to "selves".
Although Muslims proclaim they have a Koran that dates to the time of Muhammad, the Reality is different.
There are no ancient copies of the Koran dating before 750 AD in museums.
Two ancient partial copies of Koran that are in existence are the Samarqand MSS is in Tashkent, and the MSS housed in the Topkapi Museum in Istanbul. What many Muslim's do not know, is that because these two manuscripts were written in a script style called "Kufic", practicing Muslim scholars generally date these manuscripts no earlier than 200 years after Muhammad died. Had these two manuscripts been compiled any earlier, they would have been written in either the Ma'il or Mashq script style. John Gilchrist, in his book, "Jam' Al-Qur'an" came to this same conclusion. (John Gilchrist, Jam' Al-Qur'an, Jesus to the Muslims, 1989)
Further, only one-third of the original Samarkand MSS in Tashkent survives. There are about 250 pages written in a bold Arabic script on deerskin. It is written in "Hejaz" in Saudi Arabia, so the script is Hejazi, (Kufic script).
Now we do have one ancient copy of the Koran written in the Ma'il style of script, that is housed in the British Museum in London (Lings & Safadi 1976:17,20; Gilchrist 1989:16,144). But scholar Martin Lings, who was not only a practicing Muslim, but also a former curator for the manuscripts of the British Museum, dates this manuscript at 790 AD, making it the earliest. On the other hand Yasir Qadhi notes one Islamic Masters/PhD scholar who believes the Samarqand MSS is the ‘most likely candidate for the original’.
It is unknown, even by Muslims that authorities will not release photographs of the ancient Topkapi manuscript in Istanbul and so there are no known studies on it. This is why the Muslim apologist, M. Saifullah had to state "Concerning the Topkapi manuscript we are not aware of studies done it." (Who's Afraid Of Textual Criticism?, M. S. M. Saifullah, 'Abd ar-Rahman Squires & Muhammad Ghoniem) What is in this manuscript that Muslims are afraid to let the world see? After all in Qur'an 2:111 it says "Produce your proof if you are truthful."
Even the earliest fragmentary manuscripts of the Koran are all dated no earlier than 100 years after Muhammad died.
Add to this the fact that there is no archeological evidence dated at the time when Muhammad was alive, by way of artifact, manuscript or inscription has ever been found were Muhammad is actually referred to as "a prophet".
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Bible Truth - Why is this Book any Different than the Others?
Is there such a thing as "Bible Truth?" Why should we trust this "holy book" any more than any other spiritual, religious or philosophical treatise? How can we be sure that the Bible we read today is the same collection of 66 books that were originally written in ancient times?
Bible Truth - The Reliability of the Ancient Manuscripts
Bible truth? Let's take a look! The Bible is unquestionably the world's all-time bestseller with an estimated 2 billion copies in print. The Bible was completed in its entirety nearly 2,000 years ago and stands today as the best-preserved literary work of all antiquity, with over 24,000 ancient New Testament manuscripts discovered so far (compare this with the second best-preserved literary work of all antiquity, Homer's Iliad, with only 643 preserved manuscripts discovered thus far). The printing press wasn't invented until the 1450's, but we have hand-written copies of the Old Testament dating back to the 200's BC. Remarkably, these ancient manuscripts are nearly identical to the Bible we read today.
As far as the New Testament, the Bodmer Papyrus II contains most of the Gospel of John and dates from around 150-200 AD. The Chester Beatty Papyri contains major portions of the New Testament and dates back to about 200 AD. The Codex Vaticanus, the oldest complete New Testament manuscript we've discovered so far, dates from 325-350 AD. The apostle John, who lived with Jesus and learned from Jesus, penned five New Testament books and died in 100 AD. We have fragments of John's Gospel that date from 110-130 AD, within 30 years of his death. When compared to other ancient works such as Plato, Homer or Tacitus, that short time period between the original and the most recent copy is dramatic!
Clement of Rome was martyred in 100 AD. In his writings, he quoted from Matthew, Mark, Luke, Acts, 1 Corinthians, 1 Peter, Hebrews, and Titus. Clement's quotes totally correspond with the Bible we read today. In fact, even if we lost all of the 5,300 early Greek manuscripts, all of the 10,000 Latin vulgates, and all of the 9,300 other ancient manuscripts, we would be able to reconstruct all but 11 verses of the New Testament from the writings of the early Church leaders who quoted from them extensively. We have over 36,000 preserved quotes from the New Testament. In a nutshell, the Bible stands today as the best-preserved literary work of all antiquity, and it's overall reliability is without question!
Bible Truth - The Passion of the Ancient Writers
When it comes to Bible truth, many critics argue that the early Church deliberately corrupted the Bible's text for its own agenda. As for this argument, ask yourself one question: would a group of men who were willing to suffer terrible persecution and die horrible deaths in defense of the Scriptures be guilty of corrupting those very same Scriptures? That's lunacy! If they corrupted the Scriptures, or knowingly allowed them to be corrupted, that would mean they knowingly suffered and died for a lie! No one suffers and dies for a lie! For example, the September 11th suicide hijackers may have sincerely believed in what they died for, but they weren't in a position to know whether or not what they believed was true; they put their faith in traditions passed down to them over many generations. They didn't knowingly die for a lie; they died for a lie in ignorance.
In contrast, the New Testament's martyrs either saw what they claimed to see or they didn't; plain and simple. Either they interacted with the resurrected Christ or they didn't. They certainly knew whether or not their testimony was true! Nevertheless, these men clung to their testimonies, even to their brutal deaths at the hands of their persecutors, and despite being given every chance to recant, knowing full well whether their testimony was true of false. Why would so many men knowingly die for a lie? They had nothing to gain for lying and obviously everything to lose.
With the discovery of the Dead Sea Scrolls, manuscripts now exist from as early as 168 B.C., and confirm that Hebrew was still the language used by Jews during the time of Christ. In fact, their discovery has helped establish the preciseness and integrity of Hebrew scribes in accurately reproducing manuscripts throughout the ages.
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Originally posted by Justoneman
Do you want to follow a God who appears to be teaching mankind to love their neighbor, who also teaches we should forgive everyone of their sin because no one is sinless and for us to simply believe in the message? Or, a God who appears to demand you lie to unbelievers to further your practices of worship, have a 'radical' view from that same religion which allows killing and the brutal raping of your very own neighbors?
Originally posted by The time lord
So if they follow these books then why are they not included fully in the Quran and only mention it and rely on the Bible for such evidence? Without the Bible being preserved there is no reference of these books just guess work.
Originally posted by The time lord
What many Muslim's do not know, is that because these two manuscripts were written in a script style called "Kufic", practicing Muslim scholars generally date these manuscripts no earlier than 200 years after Muhammad died. Had these two manuscripts been compiled any earlier, they would have been written in either the Ma'il or Mashq script style.
Originally posted by Fromabove
The reason Muhammad is a false prophet, is because he denies the fact that Jesus is the incarnate Son of God. Also he rejects Jesus as Savior. That Jesus died on the cross for all our sin. That Jesus blood is the atonement for sin. That Jesus is the only way to God the Father. Muhammad's followers are "anti-Christ" as was he. Not only do they believe the falsehoods taught to them concerning Jesus, but they also hate and kill the followers of Christ.
Originally posted by Fromabove
No one should believe a word of the Quran as the word of God because of what the Quran itself teaches. Muhammad couldn't read or write a single word. The words written therefore were not his own. Since he did not have the ability to proof read it or know for sure, anything could have been written by the actual writers. Additionally, Muhammad may not have even know there was a Quran created in the first place, so his name may be subscribed to something for which he had no knowledge of.
Originally posted by Fromabove
Then there is the thing about the "right hand" and what it possesses. Since Muhammad could not write, he could not claim to be the author as told him from God. His right hand could not possess what it was they say he claimed.
Originally posted by Fromabove
Muhammad is never mentioned by name in the Bible. The word cited as his name is actually translated "my cousin".
Originally posted by Fromabove
I have read the Quran. It as hard to put it down.
.....
Yup. I've read the book.
Originally posted by Serizawa
reply to post by Jenisiz
I worship not out of fear, but willingly. I'm not superior to anybody and religion has been my guide to becoming a better person. Trust me if i didn't believe there was a God, I would probably be in Jail or dead.
Why don't you worship? Out of fear?
edit on 23-9-2010 by Serizawa because: (no reason given)
As a mixture of Arabian paganism, Zoroastrianism, Jewish Mysticism, and Apocryphal Christian writings, the Koran contradicts itself several times. For instance, it says that Moses was at the time of Noah. It says that Mary, the mother of Jesus, was the sister of Aaron. Aaron did have a sister named Mary, or Miriam, but she was not the mother of Jesus. Descriptions are contradictory in how Mohammed was called to be a prophet. It says that Mohammed was called by God, that he was called by the Holy Spirit, that he was called by angels, and that Gabriel called him. In some places Muslims are called to love ‘people of the book’, Christians and Jews, and in other places called to kill them. Mohammad's teachings
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I've seen way to many things in my life that have led me to believe there is a god
Originally posted by Serizawa
reply to post by Jenisiz
You believe in a God yet you question why i worship. You surely have seen alot but never forget that you are not alone in your experiences. Do you think it's fair for you, Someone dedicating their lives to building a better society, helping the needy etc and someone like George bush or some money minded idiot to receive the same treatment after death? I doubt it. To me religion is like a knife, in trained hands it can be a tool...In the wrong hands it can be a weapon.
I've seen way to many things in my life that have led me to believe there is a god
Don't you think he deserves some praise from time to time?
edit on 23-9-2010 by Serizawa because: (no reason given)
Originally posted by Jenisiz
Originally posted by Serizawa
reply to post by Jenisiz
I worship not out of fear, but willingly. I'm not superior to anybody and religion has been my guide to becoming a better person. Trust me if i didn't believe there was a God, I would probably be in Jail or dead.
Why don't you worship? Out of fear?
edit on 23-9-2010 by Serizawa because: (no reason given)
How would me not believing in god be out of fear? I've lived a life full of servitude to those less fortunate. I take Therapy cases for kids who can't afford it. I donate time and money to those who need it. I don't lie and have never stolen. I've risked my life dozens of times saving people from shoot outs to pulling a 6 year old kid out of a car that was on fire only to have him die in my arms. It's sad to think that without believing in god you feel you'd be in jail or dead. It's sad to believe that you are incapable of just being a decent human being without there being a heavenly reward. I've seen way to many things in my life that have led me to believe there is a god. To surmise such a being or an aware computation in a book is mere idiocy. Another attempt at humans trying to rationalize things they cannot comprehend.
Edit: It is because of people like you that religion exists. They are incapable of just being "good" without there being an "adult" or authoritative figure watching. Humans are corrupt, and need a parent watching them constantly.
edit on 23-9-2010 by Jenisiz because: (no reason given)
god isn't human...he doesn't need constant reassurance and praise
Humans are corrupt, and need a parent watching them constantly.