Questions and Answers about Christianity, Judaism, Islam

[Tigran of Sasoun]

Ok, i want to start this thread because i think a lot of people are very confused about religions and do not know much about them. I get this a lot from muslims: 'dont christians have like 3 Gods". And athiest really do not know what christianity is about or try to bash it (just look at: "how to break a christian") OK PLEASE DO NOT BASH ANYONE, OR THE RELIGION, OR CLAIM IT IS FALSE!.

Well i really would like to know more about Judaism because i am a Christian. But when i get money i will go to Isreal and study the old testament, and talk to Jews about it. But now i would just like to clarify some things.

For some questions about Judaism:
1.Do you believe that there will be a Mesiah? and that will come down, just like Isiah said?
2.How will you know he is the Mesiah?
3.Will he be killed for the Sin of man, or why will he be killed? because in Isiahs account, he is persicuted.
4.How different do you think his story will be from the Christian version?
5.Do you understand the story of Jesus, the meaning, and everything.
6.Will there be an end of the world?
7.In jewish views (and msulim) Jesus was a "prophet", so than the whole idea of Christianity is false and they beliefe is false?(no athiest bashing here please, i just want to know the Jewish veiw.)


To muslims I have a few questions too:
(if you have any questions about Jihad, there is a Jihad thread here so try to minimize jihad questions please)
1.If Christ was a "prophet", do you believe what the Bible teaches?
2.Do you believe that the Bible and the Jewish books were changed?
3.Will there be an end of the world like in the christian view?
4.What are the sins? Is it the 10 commandments? or just "Eye for an eye, tooth for a tooth"?
5.Will there be a messiah to change people that are not muslim into believers?

For Jews, Muslims and Athiest if you have any questions about Christianity or the meaning of things i will be more than happy to answer them. But like i said before, do not start things up about "God is evil", or try to disprove something or argue about something or bash something. This is just to understand the religions more clearly. So if we try to understand each other we will live better with each other!.

[Tom Paine]

For Christians:
1. What is the Trinity, that is how does it work in relation to monotheism? I've never had that properly explained.
2. What are the sins, and what happens if yo commit them? Jesus died for our sins, so are we forgiven or do we have to repent?
3. Are the Ten Commandments always applicable, that is are there any situations where it is virtuous to break them?
4. Simple knowledge: What is Christ? God, man, somewhere in between?

[Ummon]

1) Man is made in the likeness of God according to Christians. Human mind, to all psychological and physiological observation, happens to be divided in three parts. It's a very complicated argument (could take twenty or so pages to explain roughly). It could be suspected that God, although one, has semi-indipendent parts himself.

4) Christ is the son of god and himself God for the Christians.

[Tom Paine]

I'm not sure I understand the first one. Does that mean that the Son, father, Holy Spirit are facets of one single deity? Fragments of its personality or something like that?

[Ummon]

My PERSONAL OPINION on Christian metaphysical teachings is that the Son is the projection of God's love in the material world, which is Satan itself. The Son is the divine grace meant to redeem the mind of the material universe (man, created in the likeness of God) from the (lost) rebellion of Satan (partly conscious evil matter, "the universe is calculating itself" according to information theory) against the divine Logos which is outside matter and creation. As thus he is separated (by the borders of the universe) but not different from God.

The Spirit is the unthinking innate force and wisdom of God. They're three, but one.

[Søren]

For Jews, Muslims and Athiest if you have any questions about Christianity or the meaning of things i will be more than happy to answer them.

As would I.

1) Firstly, God as the trinity mostly surpasses human understanding, as human understanding is ot absolute. (This (My point) is not a good arguement on it's own, I do not seek to avoid your question, but I have no time at the moment. (Perhaps, indeed a new thread would be appropriate for this large topic))

2) Both, we are fogiven if we repent.

3) No, it is not virtuous to break them. However, their full meaning is not always apparent, as they must be taken in context with the rest of the law.

4) Jesus is,was and will be God. Yet took, for a time, the body of a man.

[Tom Paine]

OK, give us a moment. I really would like to understand how the Trinity works, without peopel saying things like "God is ineffable, don't try to eff him."

[Breath]

Tigran, the reason why Muslims ask if Christians have 3 gods, is because they are very confused on the subject of trinity. The thing is, I know if I ask a Christian, "how many Gods do you worship" I will get the answer of "one." Please clarify trinity up just a bit though.

[Tom Paine]

I've actually posted a thread on this subject. Ummon gives a very clear explanation of it, I think. Not proof that it must exist, just an explanation of how it works; and a nice, simple one at that.

[ShangTang]

Can somebody answer his questions? I'm very curious about them.

[Simetrical]

For some questions about Judaism:
1.Do you believe that there will be a Mesiah? and that will come down, just like Isiah said?

Yes. The concept of a Messiah is a fundamental tenet of Judaism, or Orthodox Judaism at any rate. (All my answers pertain to Orthodox Judaism only.) The precise details of his coming are not necessarily considered important, and there's some debate over them.

2.How will you know he is the Mesiah?

Just as we would know any prophet. We will be given miraculous signs.

3.Will he be killed for the Sin of man, or why will he be killed? because in Isiahs account, he is persicuted.

He will not be killed. I don't know about persecution, that might be—there's generally considered to be something of a time lapse between the Messiah's coming and, e.g., the resurrection of the dead, the end of war, everyone's certain knowledge that God is the One and Only God, etc.

4.How different do you think his story will be from the Christian version?

The Messiah will not tell us to abandon any of God's commandments, as Jesus did—any "prophet" who would tell us to abandon a single commandment is automatically a false prophet, even if he can produce miraculous signs, only sent to test us. The Messiah will also come only once, and will bring the End Times with him—he will not die before the various prophecies come to pass.

5.Do you understand the story of Jesus, the meaning, and everything.

I know some of the basic elements, yes. The precise interpretations of the various aspects of the story are, of course, not agreed upon even by Christians.

6.Will there be an end of the world?

Sort of, yes. An end to the world as we know it, certainly.

7.In jewish views (and msulim) Jesus was a "prophet", so than the whole idea of Christianity is false and they beliefe is false?(no athiest bashing here please, i just want to know the Jewish veiw.)

In Jewish belief, Jesus was a false prophet.

-Simetrical

[ShangTang]

What commandments did Jesus tell people to abandon?

[Breath]

To muslims I have a few questions too:
(if you have any questions about Jihad, there is a Jihad thread here so try to minimize jihad questions please)
1.If Christ was a "prophet", do you believe what the Bible teaches?
2.Do you believe that the Bible and the Jewish books were changed?
3.Will there be an end of the world like in the christian view?
4.What are the sins? Is it the 10 commandments? or just "Eye for an eye, tooth for a tooth"?
5.Will there be a messiah to change people that are not muslim into believers?

First Tigran, I know how it feels when your religion is getting bashed, and I did not want my thread, which was simply to clear things up about Jihad, to turn out that way.

1) Christ is a prophet, born to Mary as a virgin. However, the doctrine of trinity and God having a son is rejected in Islam. Christ was also not crucified, rather taken up to God. Muslims accept the Torah, Zabur (Psalms), and Injeel (Gospel of Jesus) as valid books from God to his prophets, Moses, David, and Jesus. However, Muslims believe that these books were changed, and they are not in their true state. Still, many of the teachings of the books are simply reitirated in the Quran.

2) Yes, see above.

3) There is a Last Day, it is considered secondary only to the belief in an Absolute One God who is All Powerful.

4) Um, this could get into a long answer but yes, Muslims accept the 10 commandments. All of them are reitirated in the Quran except the Sabbath which was abrogated. In place of it, there is a mandatory congregation on Friday (for men, women=optional if they can) which is less strict (they can go back to work). As for law, there is qisas, (eye for an eye so to speak) but if the victim or his family (in case of death) wish to forgive, it is considered better.

5) Muhammad was the last prophet and he has died but traditional Muslim teaching says that Christ will come back to the Earth before the Day of Judgement. There is also an antichrist figure.

[Tigran of Sasoun]

The Messiah will not tell us to abandon any of God's commandments, as Jesus did—any "prophet" who would tell us to abandon a single commandment is automatically a false prophet, even if he can produce miraculous signs, only sent to test us. The Messiah will also come only once, and will bring the End Times with him—he will not die before the various prophecies come to pass.
-Simetrical

What did Jesus say to abandon? the sabathe? He did not say to abandon it, he said that it is not the most important thing. Because they (rabbis) were saying he is evil because he worked miracles on the sabathe day, but he said how David also did the same on the sabath and also ate unleavened bread, that only the Priest could eat on the sabath and he was not with sin. The sabath is still in christianity but witht the form of Christ and his death and forgivness of sin, instead of the excodus from Eygyt.

Breath thank you fro answering it and simetrical too im glad now i am more clear. As for "trinity" i do not know what that means but i will go and get the defintion and tell you later.

Edit: o Breath, so the only thing that is changed in the Bible is that the jesus was said to be the son of god?

Here is the thing i do not actaully know if Jesus was the Son of God or God. But he probably is the Son of God and not God himself. ANd the Holy spirit is the power of god and Jesus to do miricals and to talk to God and all. The holy spirit gives man the chance to do great things. Its hard to explain. But it Jesus is the Son of God, "for becasue of one man was the world filled with sin, and because of one man was the world lifted of sin". There is many more quotes and lines in the Bible that says that Jesus was the Son of man.

[Carousel]

In christianity there is only one god, but many things holy - e.g. the holy trinity

[Angered Roach]

For Christians:
1. What is the Trinity, that is how does it work in relation to monotheism? I've never had that properly explained.
2. What are the sins, and what happens if yo commit them? Jesus died for our sins, so are we forgiven or do we have to repent?
3. Are the Ten Commandments always applicable, that is are there any situations where it is virtuous to break them?
4. Simple knowledge: What is Christ? God, man, somewhere in between?

I can speak only as an (Eastern) Orthodox christian. I am not fully interred into the faith, but I have a good understanding of the faith. Still, i'd advise taking what I say with a grain of salt, if it somehow doesn't jibe with what another, fully christian poster says.

1. Christ is the son of god, and god himself. The lord is the father of god, and god himself. This may sound confusing. Let me break it down to nature of the trinity, before the coming of Christ. There was the word (Christ), the creator (Our lord), and the spirit (The holy spirit, of course). The son proceeds from the father, but both are still god, and the holy spirit is integral to the being of both. They are three inseperable entities.

2. The sins are anything that goes against the commandments, whether done in a purposeful or accidental way. Some of these are more subtle...for instance, fornication is a part of the command "Thou shalt not commit adultery". Lust for any other than your wife/husband is considered fornication of the mind. No sin is above the rest, but all may be forgiven. Christ's coming provided us a way to forgive our sins and enter heaven even having lived an unperfect life, but we have to accept him, as he accepted us. We have to confess our sins to unburden our soul from them. Protestants do this via prayer, while Catholics and Orthodox christians will confess through (not to) a priest.

3. There is no such thing as an excused sin. There are necessary sins, but these are still sins that we must seek forgiveness for. Murder in self-defence is still a sin, but it, like all other sins, may be forgiven.

4. There are many interpretations of this one, and has caused many schisms. The Orthodox belief is that Christ was both fully man, and fully divine. The two natures are inseperable, one in the same.

Again, I speak as an Eastern Orthodox christian. Most of this would apply to Oriental Orthodoxy, but different answers may be needed to represent Protestant and Roman Catholic thought.

[Tigran of Sasoun]

For Christians:
1. What is the Trinity, that is how does it work in relation to monotheism? I've never had that properly explained.
2. What are the sins, and what happens if yo commit them? Jesus died for our sins, so are we forgiven or do we have to repent?
3. Are the Ten Commandments always applicable, that is are there any situations where it is virtuous to break them?
4. Simple knowledge: What is Christ? God, man, somewhere in between?

1.Ok There is God, than there is his Son, than there is the Holy spirit. Ok Jesus is a part of God in that he is like God, he is the Judge of this world, he is pure, and God bestowed the power of God to him. I dont think that Jesus is God himsleft because there is many lines that say that he is the Son of God rather than God himslef. As for the holy spirit, it is lets say the Voice, mind, heart, launguage of God. It is a way to communice with God. It is very hard to explain for me because my english isnt that great and what i want to say i feel that people already know what I am talking about. I will try to answer later when i can think more clearly.
2.The sins are the 10 comandments. If you commite them there is still forgivness, even if the world does not forgive you but you want forgivness god will provide it for you. Or you go to hell. But there are also other things God says to not do, but if you do them you still go to heaven i think, but he says that you will be rewarded for what you do. Like a young man comes to him and says "lord what can i do to sit on your right hand?" (or somethign like that) and jesus says: "follow the commandments" and the young man says "i have done all those things till my age right now" and jesus says:" than sell all you have and give to the poor" and the young man does not like that idea becuase he has a lot of things and he is rich. Jesus also says "it is easier for a camel to walk through the hair of a needle than for a Rich man to go to heaven". As for why Jesus was killed, it was not because the Jews wanted to kill him, but rather that because the whole world is filled with Sin, even man we view as "pure" or "holy" (rabbis, priests, ect..). So Jesus being the most pure thing in the world, could not be tolerated by a world with Sin. So Jesus was killed for the sake of ALL MAN, that he being without Sin and being killed by Sinners forgives sin through his Blood through his death.
Romans:*
“Do not say in your heart, ‘Who will ascend into heaven?’ that is, to bring Christ down; or, ‘Who will descend into the abyss?’ that is, to bring Christ up from the dead.”
Christians believe that Jews are not supposed to believe in Jesus untill his second coming. Because of lines in the bible but mainly what Isiah and Moses said:
“I will incite you people to jealousy through that which is not a nation; I will incite you to violent anger through a stupid nation.”
“I was found by those who were not seeking me; I became manifest to those who were not asking for me.”
3. No the 10 comandment allways apply. unless if God says for you to do something, or a test. (in the case of Abraham)
4. Ok Christ is in the Form of man but he is a divine spirit, who has lets says gods "powers" he is maybe God himself or he is the son of God, as in God has appionted him to "sit on his right and rule with all the power of god" ( there is a line like this in the corinthians but i cant find it, getting a little late)'because God made jesus sit on his right and did not ask any angels the same, and the angels were only slitly higher than man." a line like that in corinthians again(i think corintians 2)

[Ummon]

Here ( http://answering-islam.org.uk/Shamoun/christians.htm ) you can find this episode:

"When the two had gone, 'Amr said, 'Tomorrow I will tell him something that will uproot them all.' Abdullah, who was the more godfearing of them in his attitude towards us, said, 'Do not do it, for they are our kindred though they have gone against us.' He said, 'By God, I will tell him that they assert that Jesus, son of Mary, is a creature (lit. 'slave'). He went to him in the morning and told him that they said a dreadful thing about Jesus, son of Mary, and that he should send for them and ask them about it. He did so. Nothing of this kind had happened to them before, and the people gathered together asking one another what they should say about Jesus when they were asked. They decided that they would say what God had said and what the prophet had brought, saying, he is the slave of God, and his apostle, and his spirit, and his word, which he cast into Mary the blessed virgin.' The Negus took a stick from the ground and said, 'by God, Jesus, son of Mary, does not exceed what you have said by the length of this stick.' His generals round about him snorted when he said this, and he said, 'Though you snort, by God! Go, for you are safe in my country' ..." (Alfred Guillaume, The Life of Muhammad [Oxford University Press, Karachi, 1995], pp. 150-152)

So, here Muslims, while the Koreishite accuse them to be saying bad things about Christ, define Jesus to the Negus of Ethiopia as slave of god, god's apostle, god's SPIRIT and WORD. Yet this is not the prevalent vision of Christ in Islam, and the crucifixion is denied in the Quran. Christ is seen as a prophet, here the version is (a lot) different. One would suppose that it is because the life of these envoys was at stake? Or maybe something else?

Catholic ritual says: "Generated, and not created, of the same substance of the Father". But it doesn't say the EQUAL of the Father. He is said to be "sitting to the right of the Father" not in the place of the Father.

Notice that Ethiopians were believed to be holy men, beloved of the gods, by the ancients too. The Greeks said that Zeus dines with the Ethiopians often. The Ark of the Covenant is said to be (and may in truth be) kept in Ethiopia.

[Søren]

What commandments did Jesus tell people to abandon?

None of them.

[Breath]

1) Well, Tigran, I'm pretty sure that there are other things changed as well. In older Gospels, there used to be a foreshadowing of the last apostle "Ahmed." But yes, the main difference is the teaching of the divinity of Christ, trinity, and his crucifiction. Therefore, since these huge doctrinal conflicts are present, Muslims do not view the CURRENT Bible as true. Still Muslims believe that the Gospel was sent to Jesus, and there are still some of his teachings which coincide with Quranic ones.

2) The Negus, converted to Islam later on. Read different accounts, I am not sure this one is accurate. Christ has always been viewed in Islam as a Prophet. As for the Slave of God thing, Muslims refer to themselves as the slaves and servants of God, Muhammad was no different. Messengers are told to spread God's word yes. Jesus was simply a man, a creature of God. He was a great man, indeed a Prophet and Messenger, but a man. No divinity according to Islam. Muhammad was a man as well, just a man. God states that he is too high to have a mortal, or partly mortal, or any type of offspring "he begots not nor is he begotten". This also applied to the belief among the Pagan Arabs who thought that the angels were daughters of God. God admonishes them that they should attribute to him such a falsehood, while they themselves killed their infant daughters.
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In the fifth year of the Prophethood (613 A.C.) the noble Prophet (Sallallahu alaihi wa sallam) had perforce to allow his followers to migrate, because he could not bear to see them cruelly tortured without being able to protect themselves. The place of refuge selected was Abyssinia, because the Prophet (SAWS) had heard of the righteousness, tolerance, and hospitality of its king, and a party of Muslims consisting of eleven men and four women left in secrecy, with no hope of ever being able to return to their beloved motherland. All were disheartened; for to leave their native land was, to them, the greatest calamity possible; but their faith in God kept them resolute.

Most of these belonged to the well-to-do, rich, and influential families, which shows that even for such Mecca was not safe. As to the poor and the slaves, they had neither the means nor the opportunity to migrate. On leaving Mecca, the emigrants travelled as far as Jeddah on foot, whence they took ship.

In the meantime, the Quraysh had learnt of this and at once sent a strong detachment to capture them and bring them back, but fortunately for the exiles the pursuers reached the port after they had sailed.

These people had a peaceful life in Abyssinia. They were neither molested nor ill-treated in any way by the Christian King Negus, and the tidings of their good reception in a foreign land induced more in Mecca to migrate. The Quraysh, of course, could not tolerate this - for to them it foretold defeat - and in consequence sent a deputation to the king to demand the fugitives back.

To facilitate the accomplishment of their purpose, they sent valuable presents to be given to the courtiers and those who had the ear of the king. The deputation, which was headed by 'Abdullah Ibn Rabia, in due course reached Abyssinia and, by distributing the presents lavishly, found themselves in the presence of the Negus to whom they also presented costly gifts and begged that the offenders should be handed over to them. But the king declined to do that until he had heard the case for the other side.

So the next day the Muslims in Abyssinia were sent for and the Negus inquired of them what they had to say to the demand of the deputation. Then one of the Muslims, Ja'far Ibn Abi Talib, rose and addressed the king thus: "O King! We were an ignorant people given to idolatry. We used to eat corpses even of animals that died a natural death, and to do all sorts of evil and unclean things. We never made good our obligations to our relations, and we ill-treated our neighbours. The strong among us would grow fat on the blood of the weak, until at last God raised up Muhammad from among us to reform us by showing us the path of righteousness.

"He is well known to us. We know him to be most noble, truthful, and righteous. He called us to the worship of God, and persuaded us to give up idolatry and stone worship. He enjoined on us to tell the truth, to have love for our kith and kin, to fulfill our promises, and to do good to others, teaching us to shun everything that is bad, and to cease from bloodshed. He forbade all other indecent things-telling lies, robbing and cheating orphans and widows, and bearing false witness. He taught us to keep the chastity of women sacred. So we believed in him, we followed him, and acted up to his teachings so far as in us lay. Thereupon these men began to torture us, thinking that thus we might be induced to give up our new faith and go back to idolatry. When their cruelties exceeded all bounds we came to seek peace and shelter in your country, where we trust we shall come to no harm."

Thereupon the Negus wished to hear the Quran, and Ja'far recited the chapter entitled "Maryam/ Mary." After this he refused to hand over the exiles to the deputation.

So far foiled in their attempts they played a mean trick and, obtaining audience of the king, told him that these Muslims held views about Jesus repugnant to the king. They had thought of this plan to prejudice the king against the Muslims. The Negus sent for them again, and this time they were genuinely afraid that the deputation would succeed in effecting their extradition; for they thought that the replies that they might have would offend the king.

The Negus asked them point-blank what they thought about Jesus and these truthful people, not caring for the consequences, boldly replied that they believed Jesus to be only the Prophet of God, and not the Son of God. The Negus admired this courage of theirs and entirely refused to hand them over to the deputationists, who returned in confusion to Mecca.

[From: "Muhammad a Mercy to all the Nations", by Al-Hajj Qassim Ali Jairazbhoy]