Christianity for Muslims

Of course, the first quesion is, should a good Muslim even be reading this?

When I went to work in Saudi Arabia I decided to find out more about Islam. Most of you will have noticed that I am interested in religion. In fact, I read much from the Koran and from many other sources, some supplied by Muslims who thought I was a candidate for conversion to Islam. After some months, talking with co-workers about religion, I found out that I knew more about many points of Islam than some Muslims themselves.

Now if I, a Christian, can do some genuine research on Islam, why can't a Muslim read up on Christianity?

Basically, Christianity says we are all sinners. Not because all of us are evil, wicked people, but because God's standards are so high. God also looks at things from a different perspective than we humans do.

Isaiah 55:8-9
8 For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, says the LORD.
9 For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts.

Few Muslims will have problems with that. Now the way God looks at things the punishment for sin, any sin, is eternal death for the sinner.

For the wages of sin is death...
Romans 6:23

"What", you say, "no burning in hell for ever?"

God is not interested in tormenting anybody, even Satan, eternally. Fact is, I don't think God is interested in tormenting anybody.

Ezekiel 18:23 (Revised Standard Version)
Have I any pleasure in the death of the wicked, says the Lord GOD, and not rather that he should turn from his way and live?

Rather than burning for ever in hell, this is what will happen:

Malachi 4:1 (Revised Standard Version)
"For behold, the day comes, burning like an oven, when all the arrogant and all evildoers will be stubble;
the day that comes shall burn them up, says the LORD of hosts, so that it will leave them neither root nor branch.

Revelation of John 20:14, 15 (Revised Standard Version)
14 Then Death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. This is the second death, the lake of fire;
15 and if any one's name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire.

Revelation of John 21:8 (Revised Standard Version)
But as for the cowardly, the faithless, the polluted, as for murderers, fornicators, sorcerers, idolaters, and all liars, their lot shall be in the lake that burns with fire and sulphur, which is the second death."

I know there are even Christians who think the wicked will be tormented for ever and ever. This is due to a misunderstanding arising from how words were used in Biblical times.

Jude 1:7 (Revised Standard Version)
just as Sodom and Gomor'rah and the surrounding cities, which likewise acted immorally and indulged in unnatural lust, serve as an example by undergoing a punishment of eternal fire.

Obviously, Sodom and Gomorrah are not still burning. They burned out. The effects of the fire were eternal.

Luke 13:32 (Revised Standard Version)
And he said to them, "Go and tell that fox, `Behold, I cast out demons and perform cures today and tomorrow, and the third day I finish my course.

The above is Jesus speaking about Herod, the son of the Herod who had he babies killed. Now, obviously the day after tomorrow is the second day from today, not the third. The explanation is really easy: the zero (0), sifr in Arabic, was not used at that time in Palestine. Today would be day one, tomorrow day two etc. So you can see how a different way of using words can lead to misunderstanding.

Enough of that. It is clear that the only way we can pay for our own sins is eternal death. What now? Luckily God provided a way our sins can be paid for without us having to die eternally.

Imagine this (note that this is not accepted Christian belief, but a way I think explains how Christ came to pay the price for our sins): all heavenly beings gathered together. In their midst is Satan. He says Adam and Eve disobeyed God, so rightfully they and all their descendants are his. Satan is then asked what he will accept in place of Adam and Eve and all their descendants.

"The life of one adult human," he says. "Well into adulthood who never committed a single sin. He must die willingly, but he must abhor dying the gruesome death I have in mind for him." At this Satan chuckled. "You'll never find such a man."

In the end there was such a man, Jesus Christ. And Satan had to accept that the price was paid. That is what Christianity is all about. But his dying for our sins does not mean all are automatically saved. It is a matter of choice. And your choice must be grounded in the depths of your being. It is not only a question of saying "I choose to be saved." Your whole life has to show that you choose to be saved and to follow the example Jesus set.

What then shall we say about the Koran and Islam?

Let me take you on a small trip of logic. The milestones along the way are all accepted by Islam.

Jesus Mohammad

Super natural birth by a young virgin Normal birth

Performed many miracles Performed no known miracles

Left the earth alive Died, like any man does

Conclusion, according to Islam

A prophet The greatest prophet ever

You can see that that takes some explaining. And shouting and ranting and raving with spittle flying won't convince anybody.

Here is another one:

The Koran is Allah's final word because Mohammad said so.
Mohammad was a prophet, and the greatest one ever, because the Koran says so.

External Verification

The Bible contains much historical fact that can be externally verified by archeology. This has happened over and over. At some points in time the Bible has been doubted. For example, the Old Testament mentions the Hittites more than 60 times. No archeologists knew of them. "There never were a people like the Hittites described in the Bible," the archeologists said. But they kept on digging and digging... Evidence appeared about the Hittites, and more evidence and more evidence. Today the Hittites are a well documented people from sources outside the Bible. Yes, Pontius Pilate who reluctantly gave permission for Jesus to be crucified really existed. And this is only scratching the surface.

On the contrary, the Koran contains little in the way of historical fact that can be externally verified.

Prophesy

The Bible is full of fulfilled prophesies. No nation has EVER ruled over the whole Mediterranean area after Rome. Babylon fell and was NEVER rebuild. Old Tyre fell in stages separated by centuries and was NEVER rebuild. Modern Tyre is not on the same site. It looks like Egypt is doomed to ALWAYS remain a third rate power, like the Bible predicted. Forty years after Christ said it woud happen the Romans under Titus destroyed Jerusalem. The temple has not been rebuild to this day.

Again, the above is only scratching the surface. There is a 2300 year prophesy in Daniel prediciting when the pope will be taken prisoner to the year. It happened in about 1798 (I may be out by a few years) when one of Napoleon's generals, Berthier, captured the pope and dragged him off. This pope died a prisoner and was not replaced.

Again, in the way of prophesies the Koran does not match what the Bible has. As for them being strikingly fulfilled...

So, you see there is definitely something to Christianity. What won me over were the facts. What impressed me about Islam was the lack of facts.

Like on nearly all these pages, I invite you to e-mail me if you find a mistake, something I missed that needs to be said, or if you have a question. I can answer some of them. Click on the link below.

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