why is it that the more I am told to give my soul to Jesus, the more I can not stand Christianity?

Question

It seems that I started with a basic belief that Christianity was a good Idea.(When looking at the core beliefs and virtues). Yet the more people that talk to me about it and attempt to persuade me to give my soul the jesus, the more I am against Christianity.
There seems to a circular arguement:
1. Jesus is the way truth and the light
2. There is no other way but through 'God'

I ask why; the reply is:
1. The bible says so

If I do not believe in Jesus as my God what makes you think I will believe that the book Jesus/god inspired men to write is an authority or source. The only way I will believe that the Bible is written by God is if I belive in it already. If you have no other arguement to convince me that what you say is truth, I find it hard to accept Jesus as truth.
Basically you are telling me that GOD is true because YOU think he is.

Answer 1

The True Founder of Christianity

Did Jesus or his Apostles follow a religion called Christianity? Who were the first 'Christians' ? Who founded Christianity and do the teachings of Christianity conform to the teachings of Jesus?

The teachings of Paul, the true founder of Christianity, cannot be found anywhere in the teachings of Jesus or in those of prophets before him.
http://www.thetruecall.com/home/modules.php?name=News&file=article&sid=122&mode=&order=0&thold=0







Where are the originals?

If you mean to refer to the Injeel (the book revealed to Jesus /Eesaa, may Allaah exalt his mention) by the term (original bible), then we do not know the location of the copy you are asking about. But what we can say surely and without any doubt is that the Injeel has been altered and changed by human beings throughout history and the original copy no longer exists.

Therefore, a Muslim has no need to search for its original copy after Allaah has sent the great Quran. Allaah Says (which means): {And is it not sufficient for them that We revealed to you the Book [i.e. the Quran] which is recited to them? Indeed in that is a mercy and reminder for a people who believe.}[Quran 29:51].

He also Says (which means): {And We have revealed to you, [O Muhammad, sallallaahu alayhi wa sallam], the Book [i.e. the Quran] in truth, confirming that which preceded it of the Scripture and as a criterion over it.}[Quran 5:48].

On the other hand, if by the term (original bible) you are referring to the book used by the Christians, then we say the following:

In the Quran Allaah informs us that He revealed a number of books, including the pages of Prophet Abraham, the Psalms of Prophet David, the Torah of Prophet Moses, the Injeel (Gospel) of Prophet Jesus, and finally, the Quran of Prophet Muhammad. Of these revealed texts only the Quran remains intact in its original form. All of the others (as complete books) have been lost, their remains have survived only as fragments or tampered with in some way so as to make their authenticity doubtful. No where in the Quran is the Bible even mentioned, to say nothing of its being among the revealed texts of Allaah, or as Christian claim "The Word of God." Further, we know from respected scholars that although some fragments of the Psalms, the Torah, and the Injeel (the teachings of Prophet Jesus) may be found in the Bible, comprised of the Old and New Testaments, the Bible can not rightfully be called "The Word of God." Why is this so?

As one publisher (Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Wheaton, Illinois) stated: 'The Bible may look like one book, but it is actually sixty-six books in one. Thirty-nine books make up what we call the Old Testament, and twenty-seven make up the New Testament. It is possible that more than forty writers were used by God to write all sixty-six books.' (Quoted from the "Holy Bible" – New Living Translation, Gift & Award Edition, l997, p. vii)

So if the Bible is neither narrated by God nor written by Him, and, as such, is not ‘the word of God,' then what is it? By any objective criteria, the Bible is a book containing a compilation of stories, legends, folk tales, folk lore, myths, sagas, narratives, poetry, fragments of scriptures (fragments from the Psalms, the Torah, and the Injeel as already mentioned), letters (esp. in New Testament), visions, dreams, accounts of events from doubtful sources (not eye witnesses), editors’ or scribes’ notes, as well as human errors.

For those who believe in it, it is a book that has historical, cultural, moral and ethical values, and a source of spiritual teaching and guidance. It is a book held in high esteem, primarily by Christians who see it as a divine book and the source of their religious beliefs. But, in the final analysis it is only a book with many limitations and imperfections which disqualify it from being called "The Word of God." Whoever makes such a claim then the burden of proof rests with him. On the contrary, the Glorious Quran is the Speech of Allaah and, through the Angel Gabriel, was revealed to Prophet Muhammad, sallallaahu alayhi wa sallam; later compiled into a book more than 14 centuries ago it remains in its original form until today.

Some common misunderstandings about the Bible include the following:

* The Bible is one book, the Old Testament. The Bible contains sixty-six books (or more depending upon the denomination one belongs to).

* The Old Testament (OT) is the Torah followed by the Jews. The OT contains some fragments of the Torah which was lost and the Psalms, but the Talmud is the book followed by the Jews and is totally unrelated to the Bible.

* The New Testament (NT) is the Gospel of Prophet Jesus, or the Injeel. It is neither. It is made up of twenty-seven books, none of which was narrated or written by Prophet Jesus although the NT may contain fragments of the Injeel (sayings and teachings of Prophet Jesus). The Injeel as revealed through Prophet Jesus has been lost. The fragments which may be cited in the NT may not be authentic or in their proper context. So it is erroneous to equate the NT with the Injeel mentioned in the Quran.

* The Bible is a holy book, narrated, dictated by God and is infallible. While this is a claim, this misconception has already been addressed. Since the Bible is 'only' a book, there is no need to call it a forgery, a corrupted text, etc. The Quran is the only authentic "Word of God," His Speech, and Allaah has promised to protect it from distortion of any kind until the Day of Judgment and He has kept His promise. Not one letter or syllable has been changed over the past l4 centuries.



What are the difference between Torah and Qur'an?

The common ground between the Noble Qur'an and the Torah is that both are Books revealed by Allah the Exalted through the Archangel Jibreel (Gabriel), peace be upon him. Yet, the essential differences between these tow Books are the following: 1) The Holy Qur'an is preserved by Allah Almighty against interpolation and adulteration, as Allah Says (interpretation of meaning): Verily We: It is We Who have sent down the Dhikr (i.e. the Qur'ân) and surely, We will guard it (from corruption)[15:9]. As for the Torah, it did not escape such interpolation and adulteration. 2) The Holy Qur'an was sent down on Allah's Messenger, Muhammad, sporadically (in steps) according to separate occasions and events, while the Torah was revealed all at once. 3) The Qur'an constitutes a commanding law whose validity is continuous till Doomsday, whereas the Torah was abrogated by the Qur'an being the last revealed Book and being supremely predominant over all of the previous Scriptures. Allah Almighty Says: And We have sent down to you (O Muhammad SAW) the Book (this Qur'ân) in truth, confirming the Scripture that came before it and Mohayminan (trustworthy in highness and a witness) over it (old Scriptures)[5:48]


Do the Words 'Torat' and 'Injeel' in the Qur'an refer to the Original Uncorrupted Scriptures?

Question:

In your response to the recent article "If the Bible is corrupted..." (17th January), I feel it is also worth mentioning that the verses in question, (10,64) and (5,68) and other related verses obviously do not, and cannot refer to the "mainstream" scriptures that were/are corrupted in possession at the time of the Prophet (pbuh) and those that we have now.

I think, from my general understanding of these verses, the Qur'an obviously refers to the true, original, uncorrupted scriptures that were given to the people aforetime (i.e. Jews and Christians). This is especially apparent in Surah 5, verse 68.

So the Torah and the Injil mentioned in the Qur'an most certainly cannot be the "Old Testament", the "Pentateuch" or the "New Testament" as we have today, but the original Torah and Gospel as was revealed to both Moses (pbuh) and Jesus (pbuh).

Therefore is it not better understood logically that these verses in fact refer to the scriptures that were revealed in a pure state and not the corrupted versions?

Answer:

The Qur'an, by the names 'Torah' and 'Injeel' refers to what was called 'Torah' and 'Injeel' in the environment in which the Qur'an was revealed. It is obvious that had the Qur'an implied something else by these words, it was then necessary to clarify that the words were being used to imply something different from what they were commonly used in the environment. It should be kept in mind that the implication of words in a good piece of literature cannot be against the common usage of such words. If such is the case, it can only be considered a flaw of that piece of literature. For example, in the contemporary English language, the phrase "the prophet" (in singular form) is used only for Muhammad (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him)[1]. If any contemporary English writer uses the phrase to imply any other person, it would only be considered a serious mistake and flaw in his writing, unless he/she explicitly or implicitly[2] clarifies in his writing that the phrase has been used in a meaning different from its generally understood connotation.

It may, however, be noted that the 'Torah' and the 'Injeel' (especially the Injeel) that we have in our hands today are not necessarily the ones which were referred to as the Torah and the Injeel by the first addressees of the Qur'an. This is substantiated by a few references of the Qur'an to the Jews and Christians living in the environment of the revelation of the Qur'an. For instance, the Qur'an has referred to a particular sect of Jews, who hold "`uzair" to be the son of God. This obviously is a reference to a particular sect of Jews, who held `uzair to be the Son of God (as the mainstream Jews do not, generally, ascribe to this belief). Furthermore, it should be interesting to note that the Qur'an has referred to the Christians in its environment, by the name of "Nasaara", while, it is known that the general (mainstream) Christians had come to be known as "Christians" or "Maseehee" from a very early period of Christianity (as is mentioned in the Biblical book "Acts of the Prophets"). In view of this fact, it seems quite plausible that the Christians living in the Arabian Peninsula at the time of the revelation of the Qur'an were generally those who ascribed to the Nazarene creed. The Nazarenes were a Syrian Judeo-Christian sect that came to be recognized in the fourth century AD. According to the Encyclopedia Britannica:

Although they [the Nazarenes] accepted the divinity of Christ and his supernatural birth, the Nazarenes also maintained strict observance of Jewish laws and customs, a practice that had been dropped by the majority of Jewish Christians. They used a version of the Gospel in Aramaic called the Gospel According to the Hebrews, or the Gospel of the Nazarenes.

However, it is extremely unfortunate that the Injeel according to the Hebrews or the Gospel of the Nazarenes (which was probably the book referred to as 'Injeel' in the environment in which the Qur'an was revealed) is nowhere to be found anymore, as has been mentioned in the quote of the Encyclopedia.

This is my opinion regarding the references of the Qur'an to the two books. However, do let me know if I have failed to fully clarify my point of view.


[1] Refer to the word 'Prophet' in the Oxford Advanced Learner's Encyclopedic Dictionary, third impression, 1995.

[2] Implicit clarification may be through the context in which the word is being used.


The Qur'ân came to humanity after all the previous revealed scriptures had either been lost or, like the Torah and the Gospel , corrupted. Allah speaks about how people had corrupted the scriptures, saying: “Woe to those who write the Book with their own hands and then say: ‘This is from Allah' to gain from it a paltry price. So woe to them for what their hands have written and woe to them for what they gain from it.” [ Sûrah al-Baqarah : 79]




http://www.islamweb.net/ver2/fatwa/showf...
http://www.islamweb.net/ver2/fatwa/showf...
http://understanding-islam.org/related/t...
http://www.islamtoday.net/english/librar...

Answer 2

Perhaps it is not with Christianity that you cannot stand.

It is probably that you cannot stand the experience you went through when certain people talks to you about it.

Just because the phone is faulty doesn't make the person you are talking to is a failure. The line may be unclear, the sound you hear maybe so bad that you begin to get irritated but please do not blame the person. It is not his fault.

The phone is just not good enough to carry the person's voice.

What I am saying here is the means, the channel that you hear about Christianity is not perfect simply because they are humans. Humans are not perfect, we the human race are imperfect.

Why are humans not perfect?

Because we are limited in outlook, weak in mind and limb, narrowed down by our own regulations and laws, from time to time injured by a less worthy member. For the most part, we are unable to rise to the height even of our own ambitions.

This is probably the answer to your question on why the more you are told to give your soul to Jesus, the more you cannot stand Christianity.

Next, Why is Jesus the way, the truth and the light?
Why not others right? Why has it got to be Jesus? Furthermore, what is the meaning of the way, the truth and the light? If only we can know the meaning, maybe we can link something to Jesus and finally realize and accept that yeah, now I see why Jesus is the way, the truth and the light.

You see, to arrive at the point or at the position where you will say "Yeah, now I see why Jesus is the way, the truth and the light", you will need to understand what is going through in the head of that person. You will also probably need to experience what that person has experienced.

The way, the truth and the light is so subjective because in this world we live in, there are so many choices to choose from, so many options, there's competition everywhere. We are spoilt with choices and varieties.

How can I go home for example, I can take a cab, I can walk, I can take a flight... everything is relative to where you are at the moment, how much money do I have, am I nearby in walking distance? Even so, there are just so many way home and I can freely choose which way I like.

Why should I choose the way YOU chose? Why should I follow YOU? Just because YOU think this is the way doesn't make me think likewise. Sound familiar?

But unfortunately, there are some things in life which we do not have any choice. For example, whether we like it or not, we are born to this world. It's a fact, no choice. We cannot even choose the way we want to be born, or the family we want to be born to. If this is the family I am going to be born to, then this is the family I am going to be born to.

Similiarly, if Jesus is the way the truth and the light, then Jesus is the way the truth and the light. It's a fact, no choice.

So, tell me how do you know which family you were going to be born into and perhaps I can tell you why Jesus is the way, the truth and the light. This is how we can know.... because the doctor scanned and found that you were in your mother's womb. It's a prophecy. Similiarly, phophets told our forefathers that Jesus is the way, the truth and the light.

How did the doctor know that you were in your mother's womb? Because the scanning machine says so. Because the bible say so. But sadly, the inventor of the scanning machine have died and all the doctor could rely on is the scanning machine. Sadly the author of the bible have died and all the "christians" could rely on is the bible.
Well there are other sources too actually. There are also traditions handed on generations to generations.

So, if you mom refuse to believe in the doctor it's okay no problem. She will just have to find out on the day she delivers you. The same here, if you refuse to believe in the people who talks to you, it's okay no problem. You will just have to find out on the day you leave this world and meet the creator,. :)

I hope things are much clearer now.

Conclusion: You can choose to either believe or find out later.

If you ask me, why do I believe Jesus is the way, truth and the light, this is my answer:

Because there are no other figure in this world that inspires me like he does.

I have made my choice to believe. What about you?

Answer 3

I don't think, I know about "proof". I do know, from experience, before you can "give your soul" you have to get to know Him, trust Him, basically believe. The bible is a good place to start, as it describes who He is. I believe in it. But if you aren't at that point you can still look at other ways God shows his presence. Many some can explain with science But many remain a mystery. A theory isn't false until it is proven otherwise, right? Has the bible been proven to be not what it could be? Even if I cannot proove it is His word, you cannot prove it is not. Good and Evil, I believe God and his enemy both have evidence and unproven theories behind them. Can you proove a Oijji board is not demons, or bad spirits? Yet you cannot proove otherwise.

Look for yourself, make your voyage on the road less traveled. People are people, flawed and pushie; eagar to please and judge; basically imperfect. Thus many ways in the world come off wrong. A person proffessing to be christian may just to cover up the other life. At the same time a well mannered christian may just be saying how he feels with give your soul to God. I don't know if I would respond to that, but I do know that giving you yourself to a relationship with God will show you the way, however narrow. If you are looking, and are brave, you can take it.

Lots of questions with Christianity, I have faith. But in that journey the ultimate answer can be found. Hope you find your way.

Answer 4

When man chose to do what God told them not to do a separation was caused between God and man. God made many covenants with man, all of which were broken by man because man is not perfect and will choose poorly at times. For God to bridge the gap, He had to create a covenant that would be unbreakable, a covenant with Himself. That's what Jesus did when he became the sacrifice. He provided a means to bridge the gap.

Jesus doesn't want your soul. He just wants you to accept the sacrifice He made for you and acknowledge it. He would like to build a relationship based upon mutual communication. The Bible is a means to understand the nature of God so you can build a more meaningful relationship. It's written by people who have progressed through stages in their lives to a point where they understood and talked to God. They relayed the information to us to help us overcome weaknesses and avoid traps.

Answer 5

It sounds like you are looking for some personal experience with the Almighty. Nothing wrong with that!

Start with what you think you know about God. Pray and ask Him to reveal Himself to you. Be honest: God is not interested in getting you to kiss His butt! Just talk to Him.

If you are still uncertain about the Bible, there are a number of books that can help you understand the faith a little better. I highly reccommend "Mere Christianity" by C.S. Lewis. "More than a Carpenter" by Josh MacDowell is supposed to be very good, but I haven't read that one yet.

Good luck with your search.

Answer 6

I understand totally what you are saying, I was challenged to read the bible about 10 years ago I did and I am no longer christian. The old testament is full of horror stories of what
that "God" created or promoted or allowed.
Do not get me wrong I believe in a father/creater of our souls in his image. I believe he dearly wants us to choose love/fellowship while we are here, so we may return to his creation. Search always search for your own truths, seek inward, ask for guidance,
Jesus is not God He was a great prophet, he was a gnostic
gnosis meaning mystical knowledge. google gnostic jesus and you might be pleasantly surprised, godspeed, god bless in your search. ps always choose love.

Answer 7

religion should be spontaneous, that is u should accept it spontaneously. But many people try to hard sell their religion, that is they do a aggressive drive to sell religion, like any other product off the shelf. This makes it repulsive. They make religion a problem, a lie (a marketing lie), and not the truth, the solution that it is supposed to provide.

Answer 8

"Why? Why? Why?"
"Because, Because, Because..."
-from Will & Grace referencing Wizard Of Oz.

That's what I hear in my hear in my head everytime I hear someone selling Christianity...unless I'm listening to music in my head or just plainly zoning out.

I've felt the same way since I was a little kid. Religion, specifically Christianity, has never made any sense to me.

I've never found the point in any of it.

I've sat through numerous hours of church as a kid...the only thing I learned from any of it was How to zone out...which is probably why I'm A.D.D. today.

Answer 9

1 Peter chapter 1...verses 23-25

Dear one...I see where you're coming from...people of Faith, any faith, or lack thereof, Christianity included, can be pushy and overbearing when it comes to defending their beliefs...I can't give you any earth shattering revelations to Convince you one way or the other....I have, however, come to worship God in my Christian Faith as a personal relationship inspired by my own experiences. It's really a one man show....that's where it begins and the circle to which you refer will be broken...look within yourself not anyone else......

Answer 10

Jesus doesn't need you or ur soul he is the Creator of u r soul ur body and spirit he want to save u r soul becouse u cant .He had died on the cross for our sin i am free of the result of my sin the dead becouse i accept him that he had died intead me in rel when U accept him the HOLY SPIRIT who is = FATHER GOD =SON GOD, WILL COME AND LIVE IN Y U WILL SEE WHAT U COULD NOT NOW.u wiill have power against satan and sin, for this u are in war in ur mind from satan to not accept JESUS . AND HOLY BIBLE has writhen by holy spirit across men had know God ,guided by Holy Spirit , it had never changed in bacic (there is tranlation changes and gramer ) there is 1000 s of originals exit until now . ask help from God . he will help you Jesus said "what had u asked in my name u will have " (if u are in Jesus u ask the things in god wish otomotically). GOD BLESS YOU.

Answer 11

Are you sure it's Christianity you can't stand, and not just the Christians? Sometimes, a good thing can be slaughtered by idiots that supposedly represent it.