can christians answer some questions

[Gharib]

hi everyone im eselam and i'm a muslim.

the reason why i've posted this thread is because i have some questions to ask about Christianity so is it alright with you Christians if i ask some questions, or can a christian open a new thread in comparative religions so i can ask my questions.

please tell me if its ok to use this thread or not

 

[Gharib]

the questions that i want to ask are many so i'll take it one at a time.
christians beleive that there is only one god right.
you also beleive that prophet Isa (as) or Jesus (as) was and is the son of god Subhanallah true, right, and then there also is the holy spirit.

so can someone answer this question for me:
if you beleive that there is only one god, then the son of god , Subhanallah, who you guys claim is prophet Isa (as)/ Jesus (as), is also a god and so is the holy spirit right.
doesn't that somehow equal 3 gods or am i confused

 

[Jeremy Mason]

the questions that i want to ask are many so i'll take it one at a time.
christians beleive that there is only one god right.
you also beleive that prophet Isa (as) or Jesus (as) was and is the son of god Subhanallah true, right, and then there also is the holy spirit.

so can someone answer this question for me:
if you beleive that there is only one god, then the son of god , Subhanallah, who you guys claim is prophet Isa (as)/ Jesus (as), is also a god and so is the holy spirit right.
doesn't that somehow equal 3 gods or am i confused

Just like a team has several players, it's still one team.

 

[Gharib]

Just like a team has several players, it's still one team.

friend that explains nothing to me, to tell you the truth.
if there is any other answer that you have then please post it, i'll be pleased to read it
but if you can't too bad.

 

[Gharib]

is there any christian on RF who can answer my questions please respond.

 

[Breathe]

I'm an ex-Christian, can I answer?

As far as I am aware, the majority of Christian denominations believe that Jesus is the Son of God, but this does not mean that God has had intercourse (except for Mormons and a couple of people "here and there"). The majority of Christians believe that Jesus is God in human form on Earth, yet since God is omnipresent (everywhere at the same time)...etc. I can't go into too much detail, it gets confusing.

I have my own personal view on what "Son of God" means, but if you wish to know you can PM me, eselam.

 

[Dunemeister]

There are several threads that involve explanations and debates about what Christians call the Trinity. It's hard to do the doctrine justice through slogans. But as an answer, we say that there is only one divine BEING but there are three divine PERSONS. So there's only one God, yet in whatever way God the Father is divine, so is Jesus divine, and so is the Holy Spirit divine. Yet there is only one divine being.

Another way of thinking about it is to say that the one God subsists as three foci of personality.

 

[Clear]

1)

"As far as I am aware, the majority of Christian denominations (except for Mormons and a couple of people "here and there") believe that Jesus is the Son of God,

Odion, perhaps you are mixing up Mormons with some other group. The Mormon DO believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God.


2) THE PROBLEM WITH SIMPLE "LABELLING"

The various definitions that people apply to other religions in terms of what is and what is not "Christianity", or what is and what is not "monotheism" say as much about the attitude and belief of the "definers", as it says about the people being defined. To avoid self-deception, I believe we must let people describe and define themselves.

I do understand why some Muslims are content to force the label of "Polytheism" onto Christianity (just as others desire to mis-apply a dishonest label of "terrorists" onto islam, or "greedy" onto jews). Such labels often suit individual biases more than it reflects the true nature of what the individual Christian (or Muslim, or Jew) actually believes.

Forced "labels" don’t reflect reality very well. They are "caricatures" of reality; skewed versions which becomes abused by those using them as reality.

It was Budge, the great Egyptologist, who first pointed out, that the ancient Egyptian religion, (which has as many characters that we moderns have "labeled" "Gods" as any religion), was always monotheistic since, he points out, there was always a single Lord God over all other beings.


This Egyptian Lord God "had no partners" in his distinct role as "Lord" over all other Gods, though he had many lesser beings we moderns call "gods" who served various capacities the Lord God delegated to them. Islam’s angel Gabriel is NOT a partner with Allah as a God, but Gabriel is a partner (That is, Gabriel does his part) with Allah in the work of achieving Allah’s ultimate purposes.

The point is, that Islam and other religions might view Christianity (in it’s various forms) as polytheistic due to a trinity of individuals who have claim to a status of "deity", but it is an oversimplified characterization since there is only ONE LORD GOD in All christianities that I am aware of. I think all christianities (that I am aware of) will also allow that there are not multiple LORD GODS, and that in this capacity of LORD GOD, there are "no partners" who play this role of LORD GOD (over all other beings that may be called "gods", or angels, or any other servant who may represent God and serve his purposes).

Clear
(vifu)
P.S. Dunemeister - Frubals if you can tell me the name of the shepherd boy who discovered the Dead Sea Scrolls.... (without looking his name up) (hint: It's in your favorite Sci Fi classic....)

 

[Breathe]

Odion, perhaps you are mixing up Mormons with some other group. The Mormon DO believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God.

That's what I said. Check again.

 

[Clear]

Odion Here is your quote:

"As far as I am aware, the majority of Christian denominations (except for Mormons and a couple of people "here and there") believe that Jesus is the Son of God,

Did I read this incorrectly? I’m sorry, but what you wrote seems to indicate that "Christian denominations (except for Mormons and a couple of people...) believe that Jesus is the Son of God".


I was trying to make clear that Mormons DO believe in Jesus as the son of God. They are NOT an exception to Christian denominations that believe Jesus is the Son of God.

I’m not sure if it’s written wrong or I am reading your statement in a different way than you meant it or you meant to say something else.

Clear

 

[Katzpur]

As far as I am aware, the majority of Christian denominations (except for Mormons and a couple of people "here and there") believe that Jesus is the Son of God, but this does not mean that God has had intercourse.

Mormons believe that Jesus is the Son of God. I'm wondering why you think otherwise.

 

[tomspug]

Think of it this way. A man can be, simultaneously, a "father", a "son", a "friend", and a "relative", "lover" and a "fighter", a "savior" and an "enforcer".

The concept of the Trinity isn't an establishment of different gods. It's a revelation into the nature of God, of his mystery. God is more than one simple thing. He is many things. If it is possible for God to become a man, like the Bible claims, would doing so mean that he would STOP becoming the God he was before? And if it is possible for the spirit of God to reside within those who accept it, as the Bible claims, does that mean that God somehow loses his spirit?

We easily accept an idea that God can be everywhere, but we can't accept the idea that God can be more than one thing?

 

[tomspug]

Mormons believe that Jesus is the Son of God. I'm wondering why you think otherwise.

You also believe that you are as equally the Son of God as Jesus. It's all about definitions, but that's a topic for another thread.

 

[Gharib]

There are several threads that involve explanations and debates about what Christians call the Trinity. It's hard to do the doctrine justice through slogans. But as an answer, we say that there is only one divine BEING but there are three divine PERSONS. So there's only one God, yet in whatever way God the Father is divine, so is Jesus divine, and so is the Holy Spirit divine. Yet there is only one divine being.

Another way of thinking about it is to say that the one God subsists as three foci of personality.

so that means that there are 3 gods in the christian religion.
one a human (Jesus) , one a devine being (god) and one a holy spirit. is that right because thats what you are saying.

if a king has a child then then the child becomes a prince right.
so if god has a son, Subhanallah, then the child automatically becomes a god. and if prophet Isa (as)/Juesus (as) is the son of god, Subhanallah, then he too is a god, and so is the holy spirit because as far as i know the words "THE FATHER, THE SON AND HOLY SPIRIT" do not say that god is in three forms or three foci by my understanding they say that there is the father (god) , the fathers son (Jesus), (which makes 2 people or devine beings, a man who is a father is a different person to his son you could say they are 2 people) and then there is the holy spirit which is neither the father nor the son.

may Allah forgive me for saying these things for He is the Forgiver.

 

[Mister Emu]

We believe that God is one ousia with three hypostases.

There is one God with three personages.

edit:

so that means that there are 3 gods in the christian religion.
one a human (Jesus) , one a devine being (god) and one a holy spirit. is that right because thats what you are saying.

No, one being with three personages.

 

[Gharib]

so if god is in three personages then why when he had a human form (Jesus) i assume. did he let its creations to kill it. i mean he is powerfull why let humans embarras the creator (why let your creation embarras you)

 

[Gharib]

and by the way isn't god a being that you cannot kill because if a god could be killed then he isn't a god

 

[Renji]

so if god is in three personages then why when he had a human form (Jesus) i assume. did he let its creations to kill it. i mean he is powerfull why let humans embarras the creator (why let your creation embarras you)

It is written in the book of Romans 5:8 -"But God commendeth his love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us" It's because we are sinners(He allowed Himself to be embarrased by the people that time) and God loves us that he have to give up His divine nature and assume in the form of a man and die for us (to save us from our sins).

 

[tomspug]

Jesus is not a small god, but God in human form, therefore subject to death, pain, desire, suffering, disease, joy, fulfillment, and capable of sin.

God's humanity changes our relationship with Him. All of a sudden, we can have confidence that God understands our struggles and desires, that God knows what it is like to be human. The experience does not benefit God in any way, because he has always been as he is, but the life of Jesus benefits US. We can understand the God we worship so much more.

The same goes for the Holy Spirit. It doesn't change God, but it changes us. It allows us to live life as Jesus did, to be able to endure impossible tasks, to do impossible things, to keep impossible commandments. It is, literally, a godsend.

 

[Renji]

and by the way isn't god a being that you cannot kill because if a god could be killed then he isn't a god

First and foremost, we believe that Jesus is God (Philippians 2:5-7 -" Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus: Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God: But made Himself of no reputation, and took upon Him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men."). He assumed in human form and humans can be killed. However, His case is different. After His death in the Cross, He rised again after 3 days. He won over death and the sin of mankind. If He's not God, He will be dead forever until the judgement day.