Can Muslims know God? Can atheists? Jews? Are only “born again” Christians part of the Body of Christ?
“I think everybody that that loves Christ, or knows Christ, whether they’re conscious of it or not, they’re members of the body of Christ. And that’s what God is doing today. He’s calling people for ‘eh, out of the the world for his name whether they come from the Muslim world, or the Buddhist world, or the Christian world, or the non-believing world uh they are members of the body of Christ because they’ve been called by God. They may not even know the name of Jesus but uh they know in their hearts that they need something that they don’t have and they turn to the only light that they have. And I think that they are saved and they are going to be with us in heaven.”*
And Mother Teresa, this:
“There is only one God and He is God to all; therefore it is important that everyone is seen as equal before God. I’ve always said that we should help a Hindu become a better Hindu, a Muslim become a better Muslim, a Catholic become a better Catholic.”
C.S. Lewis’s held the same view. His articulation of it is far longer, more literary, and just beautiful. So I won’t be so vulgar as to copy and paste it here. But if you’d like, read about it here in chapter 15 of Lewis’s Narnia series, The Last Battle.
In my work with the Christian-Muslim Alliance, I am often invited to join Muslims for prayers. And when I’m there kneeling and standing and kneeling and standing — practicing their way of worship — I always feel peace. I always feel calm. I always feel a deep connection with fellow journeyers.
I always feel God.
In fact, the more time I spend with Muslims, the more I realize how virtues like humility and wisdom and peace are universal forces of good — that they are present throughout the spectrum of world religions, and even amongst the non-religious.
Some of you are reading this and thinking, Wow, Paul is really losing it.
That’s okay. I get that these views will confuse many, especially my Evangelical Christian friends. If they do confuse you, I’d like to ask you three questions.
First, why do they make you so uneasy?
Second, and respectfully, what do you know that Billy Graham, Mother Teresa, and C.S. Lewis don’t?
Finally, do you think God might just big enough to be okay with people knowing him, but not his exact name?
I’d love to hear your thoughts! You may email me at paul@christianmuslimalliance.com, or connect with me via social media.
*the video of Billy Graham’s statement can be watched here.
Categories: Catholicism, Christianity, God, Islam, Jesus
Blogging Theology 
Prophets Abraham did not worship Jesus, Moses did not worship Jesus, Jesus himself never worship himself but worshiped the only true God who sent him. No prophets who believed in the God of Abraham, ever worshiped a man be it Jesus or not. How dare you(some Christians) tell me that it is only “born again” Christians who knew the God of Abraham?
Some early Christians never believed Jesus is God, hence the councils upon councils to define God. How can you define your own God that is not in the Bible to say I must believe such?
Jews, Muslims, Unitarian Christians and the early Christians believed in the God of the Bible and the proof is as follows.
“there is no one like Yahweh our God.” Exodus 8:10
“Yahweh, He is God; there is no other besides Him.” Deuteronomy 4:35
“Yahweh, He is God in heaven above and on the earth below; there is no other.” Deuteronomy 4:39
“See now that I, I am He, And there is no god besides Me” Deuteronomy 32:39
“Hear, O Israel! Yahweh is our God, Yahweh is one [echad]!” Deuteronomy 6:4
“You are great, O Lord God; for there is none like You, and there is no God besides You” 2 Samuel 7:22
“For who is God, besides Yahweh? And who is a rock, besides our God?” 2 Samuel 22:32
“Yahweh is God; there is no one else.” 1 Kings 8:60
“You are the God, You alone [bad], of all the kingdoms of the earth.” 2 Kings 19:15
“O Lord, there is none like You, nor is there any God besides You” 1 Chronicles 17:20
“You alone [bad] are Yahweh.” Nehemiah 9:6
“For who is God, but Yahweh? And who is a rock, except our God” Psalm 18:31
“You alone [bad], Lord, are God.” Isaiah 37:20
“Before Me there was no God formed, And there will be none after Me.” Isaiah 43:10
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Jesus Al Masih said,
“Unless you are born again by the Spirit of God, you will not enter into the kingdom of God”
John 3:3-5
Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only Son of God.
John 3:18
Romans 10:13-15
Everyone must hear the gospel message about who Jesus Christ is and repent and believe in order to be saved.
“how can they believe in Him in whom they have not heard?”
“and how can they hear about Him without a preacher?”
and how can they preach unless they are sent”
Billy Graham’s statement and interview with the heretic Robert Schueller was indeed a shocking thing, and a contradiction to his early preaching. But it was also kind of unclear and Graham’s organization had to issue a more clarifying statement. To this day, I am mystified as to what he really believes, because he also indicated some more softer stances with others in other interviews and he said as he got older he got softer.
John 14:6
Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.
No one can know God or come to God without coming through faith in Christ as Savior and Lord, as the only way to be saved, the only Truth, and the only one who is life, who died and rose again from the dead.
So, no; Muslims do not know God because they reject the Son and His death on the cross and the resurrection.
“Who is the liar but the one who denies that Jesus is the Christ? This is the antichrist, the one who denies the Father and the Son.”
I John 2:22
Any denial of the eternal Father and Son is an anti-Christ religion. Denies that Jesus is the Messiah = denying that His Messiah-ship is about His atoning death and resurrection and Deity and Lordship at the right hand of God the Father. Isaiah 53; Daniel 9:24-27; Psalm 22:16; Psalm 16, Micah 5:2; Daniel 7:13-14; Mark 14:60-64
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So Billy Graham is the antichrist? LOL
‘Isaiah 53; Daniel 9:24-27; Psalm 22:16; Psalm 16, Micah 5:2; Daniel 7:13-14’
FACT: not one of these passages mentions a messiah. Just Ken trying to con everyone as usual.
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No; Billy Graham is not the anti-Christ; but other religions and philosophies that deny who Jesus is as He is presented in the NT are anti-Christ systems of thought. (especially Islam, as the very root and main things that Islam rejects are what made so blantantly “anti-Christ”, according to 1 and 2 John.
Daniel 9:24-27 has the word “Messiah” twice – His appearance and His cutting off (death) – see also Isaiah 53:8. Daniel 9:24 – the first 3 things about what Messiah is going to do is about atonement for sin, finishing of iniquity, completing of transgression.
Definitely Messianic.
And Jesus, by Mark 10:45 / Matthew 20:28 and Mark 14:23-24 – this cup is the blood of the covenant which is poured out for many – “for many” see the connection to Mark 10:45 – “the son of man came to serve and to give His life a ransom for many.”
Jesus is saying He is the Suffering Servant of Isaiah 52:13-15 and 53:1-12 who suffers death as a ransom substitutionary atonement for sins.
They are all Messianic”. Many, in fact most of the passages that the Jews use for today for their view of the Messiah also do not have the word “Messiah” in them.
So your argument is defeated and you are schooled.
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lol
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Ken Temple will support/defend Nabeel Quraish who is an open liar about other faiths and some Christians attest to that, than accept Mother Teresa who preaches what Christ did and said.
Thanks.
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Ouch!
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Yes, Nabeel is a true Christian. He did not lie, he only does not emphasize enough or say enough about his Ahmadiyeh version of Islam, which I know, I know, is not considered true Islam by Sunni Muslims. He did explain that at least once, but you refuse to listen.
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Nabeel has never been a true follower of Jesus. I am sad to say Jesus would have disowned him as a blasphemer.
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No, his book, “Seeking Allah, finding Jesus” is a great testimony.
You don’t even know who Jesus is; since you turned your back on Him and rejected Him after being in church for a few years.
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I follow the real Jesus not the Christ myth of Christianity.
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no; the NT reveals the true Jesus, not the Qur’an, a 600 year late human book with dead rituals and no Holy Spirit power and no ability to change the heart of sin.
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Jesus did not write the NT. God wrote the Quran.
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“Nabeel is a true Christian. He did not lie”
He has been lying even after he has been diagnosed by cancer, and you’re lying right now by saying he didn’t lie.
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“Mother Teresa” was good in abortion, and rebuked Bill Clinton on abortion; and did lots of “good works” in India of physical relief of suffering (medicine for the dying in relieving physical pain) and providing food and blankets for people, but she did absolutely NOTHING Spiritually in preaching or teaching the gospel of Christ. She admitted she never preached the gospel to Hindus or Muslims or Buddhists – but told the dying to call upon their own gods. That is heresy according to the Bible.
https://www.challies.com/articles/the-myth-of-mother-teresa/
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She was a better christian than you’ll over be Ken.
She didn’t spend her life lying about other faiths. She actually helped people.
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if she told Hindus to call our to their gods (false pagan idols, millions of gods) then she was not a Christian at all. Just doing good works of philanthropy without the gospel ultimately is no help at all.
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Ken – she was a much better Christian than you.
You are just an American fundamentalist preacher.
She lived the gospel.
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she did not live the gospel – by telling Hindus that they are ok in their paganism – heresy and shows she did not even believe in the Jesus of the NT.
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Yes she DID live the gospel message by feeling the poor, clothing the naked etc.
You dont do that do you?
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read the documented article by Tim Challies, in her books and articles, she admitted she told Hindus and Buddhists to cry out to their own gods. That is not a Christian at all. Belief in other gods is paganism.
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do you clothe the naked, feed the poor, visit those in prison Ken??
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I have fed the poor and visited people in prison, but not as often as I should. But I have done it by the right motivation of after being saved, doing it out of love and gratefulness and a result of being saved; not in order to earn points with God or get God to accept me.
All other religions get it backwards, (including Roman Catholicism) – they do good works in order to get God’s acceptance/ forgiveness rather than as a result of God’s forgiveness and acceptance in Christ. In Islam, you have to first do good works and rituals and maybe Inshall’allah, Allah will accept you on judgement day. you have no assurance or peace. Even Abdullah Kunde admitted, quoting Al Ghazzali, – Allah can send us to hellfire if he wants to, even if we are believers and did good works; and we have no right to question – in his debate with Samuel Green on Salvation.
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I bet she did it much much more than you – her whole life was dedicated to serving the poor and clothing the naked and so on. Very Christ like.
Salvation, in part, is certainly by works – as Jesus taught (contradicting Paul).
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good works are the result of true faith.
If a person does have true faith in Christ first; then good works are filthy rags and sin. Philanthropy falls short of the glory of God.
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No.
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No good works come first, along with faith. As Jesus taught.
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Jesus said repentance and faith must come first – Mark 1:15 – the first thing He preached.
Good works follow that and prove that one is a true believer, as in James 2:14-26 and Ephesians 2:8-10 – verses 8-9 – faith first, verse 10 = good works as a result of true faith.
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Wrong interpretation. Jesus taught salvation by works: Matt 25: 31- 46.
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No, it means they were showing themselves to be sheep by nature (they were changed by faith first, became sheep), rather than goats who don’t do good works.
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salvation is clearly by doing the goods works that Mother Teresa did so well.
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Galatians 2:16
no flesh will be justified by works
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lol you think paul = Jesus
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Paul wrote the inspired words given to him by Jesus.
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Mark 1:15
repent and believe in this good news
John 3:16
whoever believes
John 5:24
Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life. He does not come into judgment, but has passed from death to life.
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You are just a Muslim fundamentalist, as you believe in fundamental doctrines of Sunni Islam. “fundamental” just means “foundational”, “basic”.
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no it does not. In christianity it is a distorted/twisted reading of the bible.
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Actually, Islam is a distorted reading of the Bible, coming 600 years too late and distorting everything we bring from the Bible.
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God corrects the corrupted Bible via the Quran.
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The Bible corrects the false religion of Islam that came 600 years too late and was ignorant of the Scriptures.
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God authored the Quran as it says. Paul confessed to being the “worst of sinners”, yet you trust in his fallible writings!
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there is nothing that gives indication of inspiration in the Qur’an. It is easy to repeat basic principles of Monotheism – from the OT (he was just getting that from already revealed religion in OT) , judgement day, ( more clear in the NT than in the OT.)
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You heart is evidently hardened against God’s truth Ken. You are blind to His Word.
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williams you made a beautiful comment
“she actually helped people”
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Ken she preached the gospel through her good works and inspired a generation of people to dedicate their lives to helping the poorest of the poor.
But she wasn’t a evangelical preacher so it’s irrelevant I guess
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do you think is ok to say to Hindus, “call upon your own gods” ??
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Not all Hindus are polytheists and she didn’t say that
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she did say that. See the article I linked above. Here is just one example:
“In an interview with Christian News a nun who worked with Mother Teresa was asked the following in regards to the Hindus they worked with, “These people are waiting to die. What are you telling them to prepare them for death and eternity?” She replied candidly, “We tell them to pray to their Bhagwan, to their gods.”
That makes her not even a Christian.
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“do you think is ok to say to Hindus, “call upon your own gods” ??”
since she worshiped a god in the flesh, and since hindus also worship god in the flesh, she would be a HYPOCRITE for telling them not too.
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“do you think is ok to say to Hindus, “call upon your own gods” ??”
why should a christian mind ? christian catholics turn to saints and mary who was theotokos
you worship one person who CONSISTS of fully human and fully god. you can’t avoid idolatry since the human flesh currently resides in the divine nature “one yhwh”
hindus believe god incarnates many times. just as jesus was limited by the flesh, some incarnations in hinduism were not limited, they seem to be even more powerful in the flesh.
terresa knew that she would be hypocrite if she called out hindus for their idolatry.
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just another reason Roman Catholicism is false, with its idols / statues / praying to dead people, etc.
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Once Ken gets cornered, he starts crying about his bible which he doesn’t know who wrote it, and about ” 600 years later”.
You’re like the sons of Satan who rejected Jesus pbuh.
” And We did certainly give Moses the Torah and followed up after him with messengers. And We gave Jesus, the son of Mary, clear proofs and supported him with the Pure Spirit. But is it [not] that every time a messenger came to you, [O Children of Israel], with what your souls did not desire, you were arrogant? And a party [of messengers] you denied and another party you killed” QT 2:87
Do you really think the purpose of this great creations to believe in a god man dying on the cross in the 1st century? How dark your life is.
” For such is the state of the disbelievers], until, when death comes to one of them, he says, “My Lord, send me back
That I might do righteousness in that which I left behind.” No! It is only a word he is saying; and behind them is a barrier until the Day they are resurrected.
So when the Horn is blown, no relationship will there be among them that Day, nor will they ask about one another.
And those whose scales are heavy [with good deeds] – it is they who are the successful.
But those whose scales are light – those are the ones who have lost their souls, [being] in Hell, abiding eternally.
The Fire will sear their faces, and they therein will have taut smiles.
[It will be said]. “Were not My verses recited to you and you used to deny them?”
They will say, “Our Lord, our wretchedness overcame us, and we were a people astray.
Our Lord, remove us from it, and if we were to return [to evil], we would indeed be wrongdoers.”
He will say, “Remain despised therein and do not speak to Me.
Indeed, there was a party of My servants who said, ‘Our Lord, we have believed, so forgive us and have mercy upon us, and You are the best of the merciful.’
But you took them in mockery to the point that they made you forget My remembrance, and you used to laugh at them.
Indeed, I have rewarded them this Day for their patient endurance – that they are the attainers [of success].”
[ Allah ] will say, “How long did you remain on earth in number of years?”
They will say, “We remained a day or part of a day; ask those who enumerate.”
He will say, “You stayed not but a little – if only you had known.
Then did you think that We created you uselessly and that to Us you would not be returned?”
So exalted is Allah, the Sovereign, the Truth; there is no deity except Him, Lord of the Noble Throne.
And whoever invokes besides Allah another deity for which he has no proof – then his account is only with his Lord. Indeed, the disbelievers will not succeed.
And, [O Muhammad], say, “My Lord, forgive and have mercy, and You are the best of the merciful.” QT 23
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“just another reason Roman Catholicism is false, with its idols / statues / praying to dead people, etc.”
yeah, i don’t get this practice. some muslims do it too. Allah says “call upon Me by My most beautiful Names” but some prefer calling to the name of a saint in front of grave.
notice Allah says “Names”
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Ken, you yourself worship a human being.
Worshipping a human being will lead you to the hell fire forever. Choose for yourself.
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And those in the boat worshiped him, saying, “Truly you are the Son of God.”
Matthew 14:33
Our worship is to Him as Deity – He is God in the flesh, God incarnate.
John 1:1
John 1:14;
Philippians 2:5-8
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If they had worshipped him, which is not true, then you must not follow them.
Why would you worship a human being( a created being) who himself used to worship his own God?
Jesus himself used to FEAR that God!
Worship that ONE whom Jesus described as the ( only) true God. He is the only ONE who deserved to be worshipped not anyone else!
Worship that ONE whom Jesus can do NOTHING without HIM.
Worship that ONE whom Jesus described as ( greater) than the son!
Worship that ONE who (only) knows when the hour comes.
Worship that ONE who doesn’t die الحي القيوم سبحانه
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Ken Temple
August 27, 2017 • 9:46 pm
And those in the boat worshiped him, saying, “Truly you are the Son of God.”
Matthew 14:33
Our worship is to Him as Deity – He is God in the flesh, God incarnate.
John 1:1
John 1:14;
Philippians 2:5-8
I say;
You Ken, worship a man because some people worshiped him. He is God in flesh. Why blame Mother Teresa who said other people must worship their Gods who are also God incarnate into flesh i.e. man, snake, monkey, elephant etc.?
If you are to take a population census of God Men, won’t you count Jesus Christ, Haile Selassie, Sai Baba etc.? Our Jewish, Unitarian Christians and Muslims God cannot be included in that population census because He never changes and never formed as the Bible said below.
“Before Me there was no God formed, And there will be none after Me.” Isaiah 43:10
Trinity believing Christians believed God can become flesh and so are the Hindus and idol worshipers and their Gods are similar just like a Muslim will have the same God of Abraham who is only one and alone with Jews, Unitarian Christians.
My God as a Muslim is the same with Jews, Unitarian Christians because His nature does not permit him to become flesh. The God of the Trinity believing Christians got a nature just like Hindus Gods to become flesh i.e. monkey, man , elephant, snake of the voodoo etc. It is not good to worship God who becomes flesh. It is idolatry.
Thanks.
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Poor Kenny. You are such a troll. The gospel writers NEVER claimed they are writing the inspire words of God. They didn’t claim their gospels were God’s word. They are AUTOBIOGRAPHIES dude! And really bad ones at that. Wake up.
Luke 1:3 It seemed good to me also… Wth is this? No one cares about your OPINION Luke. Cus that’s all it is. Opinion.
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“having investigated things thoroughly about the things have taken place by eyewitnesses and servants of the word (Logos)” Luke 1:2
“that you may know the exact truth / certainty about the words you were taught” Luke 1:4
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You are not answering me Ken. Where do they claim they are WRITING the word of God?
“Having investigated”???? This proves my point. He is writing his opinion (based on his ‘investigation’ whatever that means).
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All these verses are Luke’s words. He is talking about him writing and what seemed good to him.
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“having investigated things thoroughly about the things have taken place by eyewitnesses and servants of the word (Logos)” Luke 1:2
”
2 just as they were handed on to us by those who from the beginning were eyewitnesses and servants of the word, 3 I too decided, after investigating everything carefully from the very first,”
this is what christians say in their churches even today, does that mean today’s christians were eyewitnesses?
he is imagining a past down tradition like christians today. he doesn’t even tell us HOW he knows the information passed down is true. or how he knows they came from eyewitnesses .
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It’s crazy how Christians say they worship only God (Jesus allegedly) but at the same time they say Jesus is 100% man/100% God (logical fallacy, one of MANY). So if you worship Jesus then you worship 100% God but also the 100% man as well. So you worship man. It’s amazing then how they use verbal gymnastics to try and play around the issue which makes it even more cringe like.
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It is just like Hindus and other idol worshipers worshiping God in their cows, monkeys, snakes, elephants, Haile Selaissie, Sai Baba etc. It is the same concept with Trinity believing Christians just like it is the same concept with Muslims, Jews, Unitarian Christians believing in the one God of Abraham and nothing else. No God Man.
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The Christians are not alone in worshiping dual or 2 nature things. Hindus worship cow and consider it God. So it is cow God. If the Christians want us to accept their dual nature beings as possibility then they must accept the possibility of Hindu Gods, voodoo snake Gods, monkey Gods and any idol dual God.
Denis Giron said he accept the possibility of other Gods in dual nature but he does not believe they are true. Well Mr. Denis, the religious adherents accepts their dual nature Gods are true. They don’t believe your dual nature God Man in Christ is true either.
You Christians and the idol worshipers believe God can take a form and that form must be worshiped. The Bible condemns any worship of a form/image. The people of Moses were cursed for worshiping the golden calf(form/image);
At least Denis is sincere in believing there is a possibility of other dual nature Gods but he does not believe they are true. Ken do you believe as Denis, the possibility of other dual nature Gods but they are not true?
It is just like me a Muslim believing I worship the same God with Jews, Unitarian Christians, and any one who believed in one God of Abraham and nothing else. The Trinity believers of God Man have the same understand of God becoming something to be worshiped.
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