Methodist Bishop: God of Christianity, God of Islam -- One and the Same

American Family Association ^ | April 10, 2003 | Jim Brown

[Kuksool]

Methodist Bishop: God of Christianity, God of Islam -- One and the Same

By Jim Brown April 10, 2003

(AgapePress) - While the U.S. is waging a battle against Muslim terrorists around the world, a controversial United Methodist bishop is claiming the god of Islam -- Allah -- is the God of the Bible.

Bishop Joe Sprague of Chicago has become a controversial figure in the United Methodist Church with his public denials of the virgin birth, blood atonement and bodily resurrection of Jesus Christ.

Many in the denomination have already called for his resignation, including conservatives like Mark Tooley, with the Institute on Religion and Democracy. Tooley believes leaders like Sprague, who seek to undermine Biblical authority, represent the denomination's past and not its future.

Bishop Joseph Sprague But Sprague says the views of orthodox Christians mean nothing to him.

"We surely understand Jesus differently," the bishop says, "but to take one person's orthodoxy or one large segment of Christendom's orthodoxy and then put it in your own test tube -- and because it varies from yours, to adjudge those persons adversely, as Mr. Tooley and some others do -- is the height of arrogance."

In further demarcation from United Methodists who hold traditional Christian beliefs, Sprague is now professing that Muslims worship the same God born-again Christians worship. The bishop says those who believe otherwise are limiting God's ability to reveal his heart.

"I believe they're worshiping the same god, albeit from a very different vantage point -- and I would say the same for the Jewish community," Sprague states.

A United Methodist committee of bishops recently dismissed a heresy complaint filed against Sprague, who classifies himself as a "christo-normative inclusivist," instead of a "universalist."

© 2003 AgapePress

[rising tide]

Don't Muslims believe they are worshiping the God of Abraham?

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[Uri’el-2012]

Bishop Joe Sprague of Chicago has become a controversial figure in the United Methodist Church with his public denials of the virgin birth, blood atonement and bodily resurrection of Jesus Christ.

.................................

1 posted on 04/10/2003 5:26 PM MDT by Kuksool

It's too bad he is not a follower of the Christ.

He falls victim to the same sin as Satan.

Matthew 23:39 For I tell you, you will not see me again until you say,
`Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord.'" [Psalm 118:26]


Barukh haba b'Shem Adonai
Blessed is He who comes in the Name of the Lord
Y'shua HaMashiach

chuck <truth@YeshuaHaMashiach>

[Sherlock]

Don't Muslims believe they are worshiping the God of Abraham?

No. The bible says Ishmael went east and was the progenitor of the Arab people. However, this was more than 2500 years before the birth of Mohammed and the founding of Islam. In the Christian Old Testament, of course a mirror of the Hebrew scriptures, when God's name is used it is written LORD in all capital letters. The Hebrew writers thought the name of God was so holy they would not write the vowels in it so we're not sure exactly what it is, but it's believed to be either Jahveh (Yahweh) or Jehovah.

There is no indication to my knowledge the Arab people ever worshipped Jehovah. Jehovah said he is God and there are no others. Mohammed was born into a society that worshipped several hundred gods. There were stones that represented each of these gods. Mohammed picked out the stone of one of these many gods, the moon god, and declared him to be the god of his religion Islam, thus the crescent moon as the symbol of Islam.

[Sherlock]

...public denials of the virgin birth, blood atonement and bodily resurrection of Jesus Christ.

This man may be a bishop in good standing in the Laodicean United Methodist Church but he's certainly not a Christian, who would possibly care what this guy thinks about anything related to any religion?

[Salvation]

Now the Pope got bashed when he said this. Will it also happen with this bishop?

[Sherlock]

The pope, as I understand, has motives of hoping to bring Islam under the Catholic religious umbrella. You will notice his views are always pro-Arab on issues related to the Middle East.

[Corin Stormhands]

Will it also happen with this bishop?

I'm not United Methodist, but I am a Wesleyan. And yes, I'll trash this heretic every chance I get.

But let me go on. I'm not Catholic either. Sprague is a heretic. The Pope is not.

[LiteKeeper]

Apostate heretic

[JohnGaltSpeaking]

Maybe we should send this guy a copy of the Bible and a copy of the koran. Im sure if he read them, he would understand that the koran makes a lot of claims, but most are false. If he were to look into pre islamic arab history, he would find that allah was a generic term for a poly theistic god. He would also find that as mohammad could get support for his ideas, so he dabbled in poly and mono theism before finally settling on the arabian moon god. Ever wonder why there is a cresent moon on mosques?

Case in point - Muslims believe the koran is without falt, it being the word of allah after all. In one sunna (verse) creation took 6 days, in another it took 7 days and yet another it took 8. The Bible was pretty clear on how long it took, so if they are the same diety in both books, why the descrepency?

[Blessed]

What makes you think he would read the Koran when he obviously has never read the Bible he comments on?

[Commander8]

The God of the Moslems is not my God. "Allah" is a pagan moon diety, worshipped by the militarily successful Qurayash tribe who converted people by the sword. Which is why the crescent is very prominent in Moslem symbolism.

[tHe AnTiLiB]

Those Muslims who believe in peace are liberal Muslims. The Koran preaches conversion by the sword, therefore, ALLAH IS NOT A god. PERIOD.

[Kuksool]

PING!

On another thread you wrote to me:

{A UMC Bishop recently came to the conclusion that to worship Christ is to practice idolitry. He's still a Bishop and hasn't been reprimanded!}

Is this the bishop you were talking about?

[tessalu]

Muslims do believe that they follow the God of Abraham and Moses, but they do not. The God of the bible would never be pimping out 72 virgins for every man. The God of the bible would not be teaching men to kill the kafirs, or unbelievers. The God of the bible has the 10 commandments to tell us what sin really is. Mohammed made up his own rules about sin. The God of the bible wanted men to have the opportunity to have immortal life. The Quran teaches that Jesus will come again, then follow Mohammed, then live for 40 years and then die. But Jesus has conquered death, and he will not have to die. In no way is the God of the bible the same as allah in the Quran.

[rising tide]

"Muslims do believe that they follow the God of Abraham and Moses, but they do not."

Aggreed. They follow Mohamad who in my opinion leads them away from the God of Abraham and Moses.

[Extremist]

Yep, that's our guy. He was also arrested recently protesting the war.