Posted on 12/29/2001 5:07:26 PM PST by mfreddy
Today my local newspaper had a nasty response to a LCMS pastor's claim that Christians and Muslims do not believe in the same god. The author goes on to say "This is contrary to all the sources I've seen, which explain that Jews, Christians and Muslims do indeed worship the same god, in what is termed the Abrahamic tradition. Perhaps he is confused my the term "Allah" (Arabic for "the lord"), not understanding that it is a different name for God, not the name of a different god." The letter closes with a personal attack on the Lutheran Church, Missouri Synod.
Can anyone help me understand what the philosophical differences between the three religions and provide me with information to refute the letter if untrue?
Given the nasty nature of the letter and the attack on the Church I feel strongly compelled to at least investigate whether a response is warranted.
St. Simeon Stylites the Elder
St. Simeon was the first and probably the most famous of the long succession of stylitoe, or "pillar-hermits", who during more than six centuries acquired by their strange form of asceticism a great reputation for holiness throughout eastern Christendom. If it were not that our information, in the case of the first St. Simeon and some of his imitators, is based upon very reliable first-hand evidence, we should be disposed to relegate much of what history records to the domain of fable; but no modern critic now ventures to dispute the reality of the feats of endurance attributed to these ascetics. Simeon the Elder, was born about 388 at Sisan, near the northern border of Syria. After beginning life as a shepherd boy, he entered a monastery before the age of sixteen, and from the first gave himself up to the practice of an austerity so extreme and to all appearance so extravagant, that his brethren judged him, perhaps not unwisely, to be unsuited to any form of community life. Being forced to quit them he shut himself up for three years in a hut at Tell-Neschin, where for the first time he passed the whole of Lent without eating or drinking. This afterwards became his regular practice, and he combined it with the mortification of standing continually upright so long as his limbs would sustain him. In his later days he was able to stand thus on his column without support for the whole period of the fast. After three years in his hut, Simeon sought a rocky eminence in the desert and compelled himself to remain a prisoner within a narrow space less than twenty yards in diameter. But crowds of pilgrims invaded the desert to seek him out, asking his counsel or his prayers, and leaving him insufficient time for his own devotions. This at last determined him to adopt a new way of life. Simeon had a pillar erected with a small platform at the top, and upon this he determined to take up his abode until death released him. At first the pillar was little more than nine feet high, but it was subsequently replaced by others, the last in the series being apparently over fifty feet from the ground. However extravagant this way of life may seem, it undoubtedly produced a deep impression on contemporaries, and the fame of the ascetic spread through Europe, Rome in particular being remarkable for the large number of pictures of the saint which were there to be seen, a fact which a modern writer, Holl, represents as a factor of great importance in the development of image worship (see the Philotesia in honour of P. Kleinert, p. 42-48). Even on the highest of his columns Simeon was not withdrawn from intercourse with his fellow men. By means of a ladder which could always be erected against the side, visitors were able to ascend; and we know that he wrote letters, the text of some of which we still possess, that he instructed disciples, and that he also delivered addresses to those assembled beneath. Around the tiny platform which surmounted the capital of the pillar there was probably something in the nature of a balustrade, but the whole was exposed to the open air, and Simeon seems never to have permitted himself any sort of cabin or shelter. During his earlier years upon the column there was on the summit a stake to which he bound himself in order to maintain the upright position throughout Lent, but this was an alleviation with which he afterwards dispensed. Great personages, such as the Emperor Theodosius and the Empress Eudocia manifested the utmost reverence for the saint and listened to his counsels, while the Emperor Leo paid respectful attention to a letter Simeon wrote to him in favour of the Council of Chalcedon. Once when he was ill Theodosius sent three bishops to beg him to descend and allow himself to be attended by physicians, but the sick man preferred to leave his cure in the hands of God, and before long he recovered. After spending thirty-six years on his pillar, Simeon died on Friday, 2 Sept., 459 (Lietzmann, p. 235). A contest arose between Antioch and Constantinople for the possession of his remains. The preference was given to Antioch, and the greater part of his relics were left there as a protection to the unwalled city. The ruins of the vast edifice erected in his honour and known as Qal `at Sim `ân (the mansion of Simeon) remain to the present day. It consists of four basilicas built out from an octagonal court towards the four points of the compass. In the centre of the court stands the base of St. Simeon's column. This edifice, says H.C. Butler, "unquestionably influenced contemporary and later church building to a marked degree" (Architecture and other Arts, p. 184). It seems to have been a supreme effort of a provincial school of architecture which had borrowed little from Constantinople.
St. Simeon's life is principally known to us from an account by THEODORET, who was a contemporary; also from the biography of a disciple Antonius and from a more or less independent Syriac source. All these materials have been edited by LIETZMANN in HARNACK AND GEBHARDT, Texte und Untersuchungen, XXXII (Berlin, 1906), no. 4; Acta SS., Jan., I, 234-74. See also DELEHAYE in Revue des questions historiques, LVII (1895), 52-103; STOKES in Dict. Christ. Biog., s.v., Simeon (12) Stylites; HOLL in Philotesia P. Kleinert zum 70. Geburtstag (Leipzig, 1907). Upon the architecture of Qal `at Sim `ân see BUTLER, Architecture and other Arts of Syria (New York, 1904), 184-93; DE VOGöE, Syrie centrale, I (Paris, 1885), 141-54; JULLIEN, Sinai et Syrie (Lille, 1893), 246-61; LECLERCQ in CABROL, Dict. d'arch. chrét. I, 2380-88.
HERBERT THURSTON
Transcribed by Robert B. Olson
Offered to Almighty God for Timothy MearesThe Catholic Encyclopedia, Volume XIII
Copyright © 1912 by Robert Appleton Company
Online Edition Copyright © 1999 by Kevin Knight
Nihil Obstat, February 1, 1912. Remy Lafort, D.D., Censor
Imprimatur. +John Cardinal Farley, Archbishop of New York
It would certainly be Islamic to say that. From several books I have recently read about Islam, it's exactly what Muslims believe: that Islam is the culmination and perfection of the earlier and "imperfect" Judaism and Christianity. How convenient of you to characterize the Koran as the "most successful" of the revelations.
In Arabic, "Allah" means "God". Arabic-speaking Christians in many countries pray to "Allah".
Muslims believe Allah is the Creator of the Universe and the giver of the moral law, and they believe that there is only one God. Jews and Christians believe this too. These are the most important attributes of God.
Muslims, Jews, and Christians all believe different OTHER things about God, and it logically follows that at least two of the three religions must be MISTAKEN about many of God's other attributes. The question is, are the attributes they are correct about sufficient to IDENTIFY God, so that when they address a prayer to "God", the real God LISTENS to them.
It does not make sense that God would only regard prayers of people who were 100% theologically correct as addressed to Himself, and would ignore prayers of anyone else. It seems to me that when you insist there is only one God and recognize him as the Creator and Lawgiver, you are providing sufficient information that the God you worship is actually God. Of course, you may be praying a wicked and evil prayer if you misunderstand certain other things about God (for example, if as a Muslim you pray for the destruction of the Jews), but on the other hand you are simply thanking God for your existence or praying for the health of your children or something good like that, God will not require you to figure out exactly which propositions about Himself are true and which are false before paying attention.
Anyone who disagrees with me about this, please answer the following:
1) Does God ignore all the prayers made by Muslims?
2) Does God ignore all the prayers made by Jews?
3) Does God ignore all the prayers made by Catholics?
4) Does God ignore all the prayers made by Eastern Orthodox?
5) Does God ignore all the prayers made by Episcopalians?
6) Does God ignore all the prayers made by Lutherans?
I am completely serious here -- if you don't agree with my opinions above, I would like the benefit of your theological expertise so I can know exactly who God listens to.
The only prayer God hears from the unsaved is the prayer of repentence and the acceptance of His free gift of salvation through Jesus..
1 Samuel 8:18 And ye shall cry out in that day because of your king which ye shall have chosen you; and the LORD will not hear you in that day.
Isaiah 1:15 And when ye spread forth your hands, I will hide mine eyes from you: yea, when ye make many prayers, I will not hear: your hands are full of blood.
Isaiah 59:2 But your iniquities have separated between you and your God, and your sins have hid his face from you, that he will not hear.
Psalm 66:18 If I regard iniquity in my heart, the Lord will not hear me:
Proverbs 28:9 He that turneth away his ear from hearing the law, even his prayer shall be abomination.
Jeremiah 7:16 Therefore pray not thou for this people, neither lift up cry nor prayer for them, neither make intercession to me: for I will not hear thee
Jeremiah 11:14 Therefore pray not thou for this people, neither lift up a cry or prayer for them: for I will not hear them in the time that they cry unto me for their trouble.
Lamentations 3:8 Also when I cry and shout, he shutteth out my prayer.
Lamentations 3:44 Thou hast covered thyself with a cloud, that our prayer should not pass through.
1 Peter 3:12 For the eyes of the Lord are over the righteous, and his ears are open unto their prayers: but the face of the Lord is against them that do evil.
John 9:31 Now we know that God heareth not sinners: but if any man be a worshipper of God, and doeth his will, him he heareth.
Proverbs 15:8 The sacrifice of the wicked is an abomination to the LORD: but the prayer of the upright is his delight.
Proverbs 15:29 The LORD is far from the wicked: but he heareth the prayer of the righteous.
I was told Mohammeds visions were a result of epileptic seizures. Someone I know (can't remember who) told me it was recorded that he had strange "fits" that fit the description of seizures. Mohammed also claimed his writings finished Jesus earlier imperfect work. (as if!)
There is also a big difference in the orders to be followed by Jews, Christians, and Muslims. The Jews wait for their Messiah, which to them is merely a great human leader, they are not looking for the Son of God they missed the hour of their visitation.
Christians are told to "Occupy until I return", which means to spread the gospel of the good news and live in peace with all men, as much as they will allow, and to stay ready at all times by being spiritually upright and law abiding.
The Muslims are told that God cast off Isaac and gave the promises to Ishmael, never does it say that in the Old Testament, only in the Quaran written by a guy who makes a statement like "I constrain myself from performing miracles". Muslims see their duty as not waiting for a Messiah of any kind, they are to themselves conquer the world for their god by cunning, killing, or conversion. Nice group eh what?
I like your words. One could as well say: "I know my religion works for me. Whether other's religions work for them or not I cannot say." or "I am here to get my stomach filled. What use is it to sit and count the number of leaves on the number of branches on the number of trees in the orchard?"
That's exactly right.
________________________________
Jesus was a Jew. Is the God to whom He prayed, different than the God to whom Christians pray?
That's true. What that proves is that their deity is demanding to be called God, and that they are obeying. But that deity teaches things that are completely contrary to the teachings of our Lord, Savior and God, Jesus Christ, and His apostles. Unless you think God can lie, forget and contradict Himself, then these (Mohammed's "God" and the Christian God) are two different deities.
The blood of Jesus Christ was shed for sinners. Most of us fit that discription whether our doctrine is exactly correct or not. Jesus rejected those who thought that they had all of the answers and brought in those who were rejected by them. "All those who were bidden will not taste of the supper..." God will gather his sheep even though they may be mingled among Muslims at the moment and he will reject the self righteous Christians who have no heart for the lost sheep of the house of Israel.
Jesus said He is God. That means He existed eternally before he became a little baby. That means He _was_ the God that the true Israelites worshiped before He came to earth as a man. Many (maybe not most) Jews believed in Jesus as true God and perceived absolutely no contradiction with their religion. Many religious leaders did not actually believe in a God that had any resemblance at all to the one revealed in their own Holy Scriptures. Naturally, they did not recognize Him when he came literally in the flesh.
Do you understand better now?
Please do not fall into the trap of equating race with religion. There are plenty of Arab Christians, as there were on the very first day of the Church, when my ancestors and probably yours were worshipping rocks and trees.
Where, in the Bible, does Jesus claim to be God?
However, in Chapter 15, verse 4, GOD tells Abram that Ishmael will not be his heir; but "a child from your own body" will be his heir. Ishmael was not considered from Abram's own body, because the child was born of a servant, and not of Abram's wife.
If you just continue reading, you will see the whole story unfold. How Sarah gave birth to Isaac; how Ishmael and Isaac fought as children; how Ishmael always lauded it over Isaac, proclaiming he was the first born, not Isaac. When the taunting became too much for Sarah, she had Abraham expell the servant from the camp. Ishmael hated Sarah.
I have always believed this was the seed of the Muslim's hatred of all women; the betrayal by Sarah. There is no chapter and verse for this, just my own personal opinion.
Remember, Ishmael was a child born of the flesh (meaning it was Sarah and Abraham's own fleshly interference in the plan of GOD). GOD had promised Sarah and Abraham a child, but after 25 years of waiting, they got impatient and let the flesh get in the way. However, Isaac was born of the promise, and after GOD had cut the covenant with Abraham; making Isaac the rightful heir of the inheritance - which was all the land promised to Abraham by GOD
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