Posted on 10/07/2007 8:01:14 PM PDT by JSDude1
President George Bush has repeated his belief all religions, "whether they be Muslim, Christian, or any other religion, prays to the same God" – an assertion that caused outrage among evangelical leaders when he said it in November 2003.
(Excerpt) Read more at wnd.com ...
Nor is there ONE god. But there is only one God.
They are the same, they are both one God and three Persons.
That is what the Trinity means, not 3 parts of one, or God and 2 other things.
So if you believe in the Holy Trinity, you believe that the Holy Spirit is God and Jesus (the Word) is God.
If you don’t believe that, then you either don’t believe in the Trinity, or you don’t understand the concept.
Not trying to get on your case, but those are the facts.
That’s not true at all. There was faith in the savior before Christ came. Just look at the story of Abraham. He knew that God would provide “the lamb” for the sacrifice. That’s why the Bible says Abraham believed in God, and it was accounted to him for righteousness. Many Old Testament people had this same faith.
Thanks.
I understand how you feel. However, I would just say that there are plenty of answers to your question that don’t come from the opinions of anyone on this board. Consider this from John 1:
“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things were made through Him, and without Him nothing was made that was made. In Him was life, and the life was the light of men.”
Then, in verse 14: “And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth.”
In John 10:30, Jesus said “I and the Father are one.”
In John 14:7-10 - “ If you really knew me, you would know my Father as well. From now on, you do know him and have seen him.” Philip said, “Lord, show us the Father and that will be enough for us.” Jesus answered: “Don’t you know me, Philip, even after I have been among you such a long time? Anyone who has seen me has seen the Father. How can you say, `Show us the Father’? Don’t you believe that I am in the Father, and that the Father is in me? The words I say to you are not just my own. Rather, it is the Father, living in me, who is doing his work. “
From the Old Testament prophecy, in Isaiah 9:6-7, we see this: “For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. Of the increase of his government and peace there will be no end. He will reign on David’s throne and over his kingdom, establishing and upholding it with justice and righteousness from that time on and forever.”
Who is this child that these verses speak of? It’s Christ, of course, and yet in the same verses, he is called “Mighty God” and “Everlasting Father”.
This is another one that is drawn from both the Old and New Testaments. In Exodus 3, where Moses encounters God in the burning bush. God tells Moses that he is the one He has chosen to lead the Israelites out of Egypt. Moses says to God, “Suppose I go to the Israelites and say to them, ‘The God of your fathers has sent me to you,’ and they ask me ‘What is His name?’ Then what shall I tell them?” God replies to Moses, “I AM WHO I AM. This is what you are to say to the Israelites: ‘I AM has sent me to you.’”
So, God has said that His own name, His personal name, is “I AM.”
Now, turning to John 8:56-58, we see that Jesus is talking to the unbelieving Jews. “Your father Abraham rejoiced at the thought of seeing My day; he saw it and was glad.” “You are not yet 50 years old,” they said to Him, “and you have seen Abraham?” “I tell you the truth,” Jesus announced, “before Abraham was, I AM!”
Jesus was the great I AM from before the beginning of time; He existed before Abraham ever was. He is claiming here to be the I AM of the Old Testament. Christ is God, and yet he is also the Son of God - this is a mystery we will never be able to comprehend in our little minds.
That's not how I read it. To me it's pretty clear that the God of the Old Testament was a pretty scary dude. If He says sacrifice your son, you'd better comply. Or else.
Abraham took his son to the alter in terror and grief, not in a certainty of redemption.
Only then, after He had made His point, did God show mercy.
Have you no sense of history? It's only been a little over a century since the "best" Christians were described as "God Fearing Christians". God Fearing, not the current namby-pamby theetie-wheetie God is love, and all forgiving form of Christianity.
The Bible also says in John 3:18 “He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.”
But those are your facts as taught to you in your faith. Again, not all Christians believe that Jesus is God.
I understand and accept that others believe differently. And that's ok by me. But, it is simply not what I was taught, nor how I (or those I know who go to the same church as I) believe. There is a physical difference between God and Jesus. They may be united in one by the Word, but God is the Almighty, the one God.
Nice of you to send me your photograph.
I’m typing slowly so you can understand.
I...........don’t.....believe.....in.........your.........religion.......I.......don’t........accept........your......scripture..........or..........your.................doctrines.
Therefore.........your...........arguments........based.......on..........your.........religion...........scripture............and...........doctrine.............is..............beyond...........pointless.............Got..............It.............?
Your entire argument (if it can be called that) is believe in my religion because my religion says that it is the one true religion. This is known as tautology. Again, so none should misconstrue my comments, I respect your right to believe what you want to believe, but not your right to tell me what I believe or should believe.
Amen to that.
I would agree they are in serious error. But they claim to worship the God of Abraham.
Um, okay. Did you think I was trying to say that anyone was worshipping Abraham? If so, I apologize for any lack of clarify. I was refering to the God who Abraham worshipped.
Food for thought here: President Bush, as President of the U.S. and the leader (in name) of Democracy, has an obligation to reach out to everyone regardless of faith or non-faith. Just because he chose to do so in what most of us feel is an inappropriate way, does not mean he’s not also a man of faith. It is hard having to separate a person’s faith in order to do the job that he’s required to do, and oft he does not fulfill that to the satisfaction of all. The comments on this thread are, in my mind, a testiment to just how difficult having a discussion on Religion and Faith really is, and the reason why there is often so much warring surrounding this issue.
Amen
Pres Bush doesn’t count Buddhism as a religion.
It’s funny how much anger this thread has seemingly generated over a topic that most of us here are in general agreement on (the issue of Faith and who our Lord is).
I’m not really questioning his faith, I’m wondering whether he truly believes that we all pray to the same God, and how he came to that conclusion. More curious than anything- just like those here who vehemently disagree with my believes.
Well, this IS literally true in a Clintonesque sort of way - since there is only 1 God to hear prayers, He takes the call no matter who the caller was calling. Doesn’t mean He listens or responds. Maybe that’s what the President was trying to say......
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