{"id":1323,"date":"2012-08-10T21:55:02","date_gmt":"2012-08-10T19:55:02","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/investigate-islam.com\/web\/web\/?p=1323"},"modified":"2012-08-10T21:55:24","modified_gmt":"2012-08-10T19:55:24","slug":"1323","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/investigate-islam.com\/web\/?p=1323","title":{"rendered":"Story of a New Muslim"},"content":{"rendered":"<div>\n<p><span style=\"font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: medium;\">\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 \u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: medium;\">Introduction<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: medium;\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: medium;\">This title is not meant to offend anyone. It is my \u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: medium;\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: medium;\">own personal feeling. I was a Christian for 40 years and still could not understand what the Minister was saying. I was reading the Bible, sometimes. Like most Christians I didn&#8217;t understand it. I kept telling myself I want to go to Heaven. What do I have to do? I believed I had done what God wanted me to do. My family was teaching me from the Bible. When I read on my own I couldn&#8217;t understand it. I was going to Sunday school every week, Bible Study on Wednesday, Revival Meetings with my uncle, and Bible camp in the summer. I can still remember waking up crying in the middle of the night. Dreaming I was going to go to Hell. I called my uncle on the telephone and woke him up. I really wanted to know the truth and I couldn&#8217;t find it. I just couldn&#8217;t understand from the teaching of the Bible.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: medium;\">Looking back I now realize why I was so confused.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: medium;\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: medium;\">Because as a Christian, I never believed I would go to heaven. This hopelessness led me to ask questions that no Christian could answer.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p><!--more--><\/p>\n<div>\n<p><span style=\"font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: medium;\">Why &#8220;In Jesus Name&#8221; We Pray?<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: medium;\">When I was about sixteen years old I heard the Minister say; &#8220;In Jesus name we pray&#8221; I was in shock. My whole life I had been taught to pray to God. Now they say we are supposed to pray in Jesus name?<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: medium;\">I went and ask the Minister why he said &#8220;In Jesus name we pray&#8221;? He showed me in the Bible the verse he was using for reference. In Colossians 3: 17 &#8221; And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.&#8221;<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: medium;\">This went against what I was taught by my family and I couldn&#8217;t accept it. In the Bible it says; Exodus 20:3-6 God said to Moses; &#8220;Thou shalt have no other gods before Me. Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image, or any likeness of anything that is in the heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth:<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: medium;\">Thou shalt not bow down thyself to them, nor serve them: for I the Lord thy God am a Jealous God,&#8221;<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: medium;\">2<\/span><\/p>\n<p><br clear=\"all\" \/><span style=\"font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: medium;\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: medium;\">As a young man it seemed to me that praying in Jesus name was going against God.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: medium;\">The other point is, this is not the way Jesus told us to pray. In Mathew 6:9 &#8220;Pray then like this; Our Father in Heaven, hallowed be your name. Your kingdom come, Your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread, and forgive us our debts, as we have forgiven our debtors. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.&#8221; Nowhere in the Bible did he say pray in my name. I later found out this was the teaching of Paul not Jesus.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: medium;\">My true intention is to reach heaven. I had to find the right way. All through my life as a Christian I became more curious and as the title of this story says; I&#8217;m concerned with honesty, after all, our eternal life will be based on honesty. In the Old Testament, Deuteronomy 5: 19-20, two of the Ten Commandments, &#8220;And you shall not steal. And you shall not bear false witness against your neighbor&#8221;.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: medium;\">..,<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: medium;\">&#8211;&#8216;<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<div>\n<p><span style=\"font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: medium;\">Both of these verses deal with honesty. Honesty must be very important to God.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: medium;\">Honesty &amp; Truthfulness<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: medium;\">Webster&#8217;s New World Dictionary&#8217;s definition of honesty can be summed up as &#8220;The state or quality of being honest; refraining from lying, cheating, or stealing; being truthful, trustworthy, or upright; sincere; fair; straight forward&#8221; .<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: medium;\">The Muslims give a good example of honesty, although some of them don&#8217;t follow it, it is still a good example.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: medium;\">In Islam, &#8220;Truthfulness leads to piety. Piety leads to Paradise. A Man continues to speak the truth until he is recorded in the sight of God as a sincere lover of truth. Falsehood leads to iniquity. Iniquity leads to Hell. A Man will continue to speak falsehood until he is recorded in the sight of God as a liar&#8221;. This hadeeth came from the Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) as reported by Bukhari and Muslim.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: medium;\">I have decided to start at the very beginning and do my own research to find out where the truth is and who is being honest about the teachings of Jesus?<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: medium;\">4<\/span><\/p>\n<p><br clear=\"all\" \/><span style=\"font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: medium;\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: medium;\">Christianity &amp; the Teaching of Jesus (pbuh)<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: medium;\">The definition of a Christian can be found in the Webster&#8217;<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: medium;\">New World Dictionary, it says;<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: medium;\">&#8220;A Christian is a person professing belief in Jesus as the Christ or in the religion <em>based on the teachings of <\/em><em>Jesus<\/em><em>.&#8221; <\/em><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: medium;\">From the definition, we learn that a Christian is a person \u00a0who follows the teachings of Jesus Christ.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: medium;\">The next question is where do you find the teachings of Jesus Christ?<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: medium;\">There must be a book without contradictions and half truth that I can understand. In my heart, I believed God wouldn&#8217;t make it difficult for me to find the truth if I was really looking for it.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: medium;\">Myself as a Christian, I believed the Bible was a Holy Book of God with all the correct teachings of Jesus. The Bible I bought to do my research is the 2001 English Standard Version of &#8220;The Holy Bible.&#8221; It is divided into two Parts<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: medium;\">5<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<div>\n<p><span style=\"font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: medium;\">called &#8220;The Old Testament&#8221; and &#8220;The New Testament&#8221;.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: medium;\">&#8220;The Old Testament&#8221; has 39 books and &#8220;The New Testament&#8221; has 27 books. This version of the Bible has 66 books written by forty different authors.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: medium;\">The Original Sin<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: medium;\">As a Christian we are taught that Jesus died on the cross so that God would take away our original sin. What original sin?<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: medium;\"><em>Genesis <\/em>3: 1-16. &#8220;Now the snake was wiser than any beast of the field which the Lord God had made. And he said to the woman, Has God truly said that you may not take of the fruit of any tree in the garden? And the woman said we may take of the fruit of the trees in the garden:<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: medium;\">But of the fruit of the tree in the middle of the garden, God has said; if you take of it or put your hands on it, death will come to you. And the snake said death will not certainly<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: medium;\">6<\/span><\/p>\n<p><br clear=\"all\" \/><span style=\"font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: medium;\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: medium;\">come to you: For God sees that on the day when you take its fruit, your eyes will be open, and you will be as gods having knowledge of good and evil. And when the woman saw that the tree was good for food and a delight to the eyes, and to be desired to make one wise, she took of its fruit, and gave it to her husband. And their eyes were open and they were conscious that they had no clothing and they made themselves coats of leaves stitched together.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: medium;\">And there came to them the sound of the Lord God walking in the garden in the evening wind: and the man and his wife went to a secret place among the trees of the garden, away from the eyes of the Lord God. And the voice of the Lord God came to the man, saying, Where are you? And he said, Hearing your voice in the garden I was full of fear, because I was without clothing: and I kept myself from your eyes. And he said, who gave you the knowledge that you were without clothing? Have you taken of the fruit of the tree which I said you were not to take? And the man said, the woman whom you gave to be with me, she gave me<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: medium;\">7<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<div>\n<p><span style=\"font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: medium;\">the fruit of the tree and I took it. And the Lord God said to the woman, what have you done? And the woman said, I was tricked by the deceit of the snake and I took and the Lord God said to the snake, because you have done this you are cursed more than all cattle and every beast of the field; you will go flat on the earth, and dust will be your food all the days of your life. And there will be war between you and the woman and between your seed and her seed: by him will your head be crushed and by you his foot will be wounded.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: medium;\">To the woman he said, Great will be your pain in childbirth; in sorrow will your children come to birth; still your desire will be for your husband, but he will be your master&#8221;.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: medium;\">Who Was The Snake?<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: medium;\">Right away I had a question. Why was the snake talking? I did some research and found out the snake was Satan. <strong>In <\/strong>the Bible it says;<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: medium;\">Revelations 12:9 &#8220;And the great dragon was forced<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: medium;\">8<\/span><\/p>\n<p><br clear=\"all\" \/><span style=\"font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: medium;\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: medium;\">down, the old snake, who is named the Evil One and Satan by whom all the earth is turned from the right way; he was forced down to the earth, and his angels were forced down with him.&#8221;<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: medium;\"><strong>In <\/strong>the Bible God punished Adam, Eve and the Devil in Genesis 3: <strong>14 <\/strong>God cursed the Snake for his sin to crawl on the earth, Genesis 3: 16 God cursed the woman to have pain from childbirth and in Genesis 3: I 9 By the sweat of your face you shall eat bread till you return to the ground.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: medium;\">Did Jesus (pbuh) Really Die for the Original Sin?<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: medium;\">I understand now where they got the idea of original sin but did Jesus really die so God would forgive us for Adam<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: medium;\">and Eve&#8217;s sin?<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: medium;\">If Jesus died on the cross and now we are forgiven for the original sin, then why is Man still working for food, Women still screaming from childbirth and Snakes don&#8217;t; have legs. As these three are still cursed I guess we haven been forgiven or the book is wrong.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: medium;\">9<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<div>\n<p><span style=\"font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: medium;\">I personally believe the book is wrong because in the Bible, Ezeiekel18:20 it says:<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: medium;\">&#8220;The soul which does sin will be put to death: the son will not be made responsible for the evil-doing of the father, or the father for the evil-doing of the son; the righteousness of the upright will be on himself, and the evil-doing of the evil\u00addoer on himself.&#8221;<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: medium;\">Who is The Only Begotten Son?<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: medium;\">Another questions I had as a Christian was Jesus really the only Begotten Son? John 3: 16 &#8220;For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life&#8221;.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: medium;\">I found another who was begotten. David said in Psalm 2:7 &#8220;I will declare the decree: the LORD hath said unto me, Thou art my Son; <em>this day have I begotten thee&#8221;. <\/em><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: medium;\">Was Jesus the only Miracle Birth?<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: medium;\">How about Adam, he had no Mother or Father and he<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: medium;\">10<\/span><\/p>\n<p><br clear=\"all\" \/><span style=\"font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: medium;\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: medium;\">was made by the hands of God from clay.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: medium;\">How about Eve she had no Mother or Father and made by the hands of God from a single rib of Adam.<\/span><\/p>\n<p align=\"center\"><span style=\"font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: medium;\">Did Jesus Call Himself the Son of God, Son of Man, or Son of David?<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: medium;\">Harper&#8217;s Bible Dictionary, under the heading &#8216;Son of man,&#8217; points out that, &#8220;With one exception Acts 7:56 \u2026the term (Son of man) is used exclusively by the earthly Jesus reference to himself.&#8221;<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: medium;\">The New Catholic Encyclopedia, under the heading &#8216;Son of man,&#8217; complements this view by stating, &#8220;This title is of special interest because it was the one employed by Jesus by preference to designate Himself and His mission.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: medium;\">Jesus described himself as &#8216;son of man&#8217; a total of 88 times in the New Testament, it is doubtful that he ever called himself &#8216;son of God.&#8217; The term &#8216;son of God&#8217; is encountered 47 times in the New Testament, but always 0 the lips of others.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: medium;\">11<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<div>\n<p><span style=\"font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: medium;\">\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 \u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: medium;\">\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 \u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: medium;\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: medium;\">Jesus is identified as &#8216;son of David&#8217; 14 times in the New<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: medium;\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: medium;\">Testament, starting with the very first verse, of the book of Matthew.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: medium;\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: medium;\">What Message was Jesus Sent to Give?<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: medium;\">We know the message Jesus brought because he told us.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: medium;\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: medium;\">He said in Mathew 5:17&amp;18 Jesus said, &#8220;think not that I come to destroy the law (Torah) or the Prophets: I come not to destroy but to fulfill. I say unto you, till heaven and earth pass one jot or tittle shall in no wise pass from the law, till all is fulfilled.&#8221;<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: medium;\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: medium;\">Why are Christians Allowed to Eat Pork and Muslims are not?<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: medium;\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: medium;\">I found Christians are not allowed to eat it either.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: medium;\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: medium;\">Leviticus 11: 7 &#8220;And the swine, though he divides the HOOF, and be CLOVEN footed, yet he cheweth not the cud; he is unclean to you&#8221;.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: medium;\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: medium;\">12<\/span><\/p>\n<p><br clear=\"all\" \/><span style=\"font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: medium;\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: medium;\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: medium;\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><br clear=\"all\" \/><span style=\"font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: medium;\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: medium;\">Deuteronomy 14:8 &#8220;And the swine, because it divideth the HOOF, yet cheweth not the cud, it is unclean unto you ye shall not eat of their flesh, nor touch their dead carcass&#8221;.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: medium;\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p align=\"center\"><span style=\"font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: medium;\">So if Jesus Came to Reaffirm the Message Given to Moses. What message was Moses Given?<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: medium;\">The message Jesus came to confirm, not to change was simple, as we see here, in Exodus 20:3-6 God said to Moses &#8220;Thou shalt have no other gods before Me. Thou shall not make unto thee any graven image, or any Iikenes\u00ads of anything that is in the heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth: Thou shall not bow down thyself to them, nor serve them: for I the Lord thy God am a jealous God,&#8221;<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: medium;\">Isaiah 46:9 &#8220;I am God unrivalled, God who has no like.&#8217; Isaiah 40:18 &#8220;To whom could you liken God? What image could you contrive of him?&#8221; Isaiah 40:25 &#8220;To whom could you liken me and who could be my equal?&#8221; Says the Holy One.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: medium;\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: medium;\">13<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<div>\n<p><span style=\"font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: medium;\">\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 \u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: medium;\">\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 \u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: medium;\">What was the Law Jesus was Supposed to Follow?<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: medium;\">Exodus 19:5 The Law or Ten Commandments were a covenant between God and his people. God told Moses to tell his people, &#8220;Now therefore, if you will indeed obey My voice and keep My covenant, then you shall be a special treasure to Me above all people.&#8221;<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: medium;\">Mark 12:29-31, Jesus was asked by a scribe what was the first commandment Jesus said, &#8220;The first of the commandments is, Hear O Israel; The Lord thy God is One Lord; and thou shall love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind, and with all thy strength, this is the first commandment&#8221;.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: medium;\">Where did Trinity Come from?<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: medium;\">History indicates that the word &#8216;Trinity&#8217; was first proposed by <span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">Tertullian, <\/span>a third-century lawyer in Carthage, who put forth his theory on co-sharing of Divinity between God, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: medium;\">The formal doctrines of the Trinity and Divine sonship<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: medium;\">14<\/span><\/p>\n<p><br clear=\"all\" \/><span style=\"font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: medium;\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: medium;\">of Jesus collectively sprung from the interpretation of the council of Nicea in the year 325 CE.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: medium;\">It may have come from the Gospel of Mark 16:9-1 where it says: &#8220;in the name of the Father, and of the Son \u00adand of the Holy Ghost.&#8221; While it is generally admitted Mark&#8217;s Gospel is the oldest of the four Gospels. All the ancient Greek manuscripts do not contain the last twelve verses.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: medium;\">Did Jesus Believe in the Trinity or Three God&#8217;s to Make One God?<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: medium;\">The Encyclopedia of Catholicism admits, &#8220;The doctrine of the Trinity as such is not revealed in either Old Testament or the New Testament&#8221;<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: medium;\">The New Catholic Encyclopedia observes that devotion \u00adto the Trinity was delayed until as late as the 8<sup>th<\/sup> century which time it began to take hold in monasteries at Aniane and Tours.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: medium;\">15<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<div>\n<p><span style=\"font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: medium;\">Jesus himself said on his Sermon on the Mount: &#8220;No<\/span><\/p>\n<p><br clear=\"all\" \/><span style=\"font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: medium;\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: medium;\">grace&#8221;.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><br clear=\"all\" \/><span style=\"font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: medium;\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: medium;\">I know all children in the Philippines are<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<div>\n<p><span style=\"font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: medium;\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<div>\n<p><span style=\"font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: medium;\">man can serve two Masters&#8221;. (Yet Paul wants us to serve<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: medium;\">three).<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: medium;\">With lack of Biblical evidence to substantiate the Trinity, some have asserted that Jesus taught this element of creed to his disciples, but in secret. Even this claim has an answer, for Jesus presented his message for all to hear, stating in John 18:20, &#8220;I spoke openly to the world. I always taught in synagogues and in the temple, where the<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: medium;\">Jews always meet, and <em>in secret I have said nothing&#8221; <\/em><\/span><\/p>\n<p align=\"center\"><span style=\"font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: medium;\">Is this the Only Time Paul Goes Against the Teachings of the Prophet Jesus?<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: medium;\">No as we see in Galatians 5:2 &#8220;Behold, I Paul say unto you, that if ye be circumcised, Christ shall profit you nothing&#8221;. Galatians 5:3 &#8220;for I testify again to every man that is circumcised, that he is a debtor to do the whole law&#8221;. Galatians 5:4 &#8220;Christ is become of no effect unto you, whosoever of you are justified by the law; ye are fallen from<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: medium;\">16<\/span><\/p>\n<p><br clear=\"all\" \/><span style=\"font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: medium;\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: medium;\">circumcised as this was an order from God to the Prophet Abraham and all the people after him. Jesus himself was circumcised 8 days after birth, as was Paul and all the 12 disciples.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: medium;\">Did Jesus foretell of a Prophet to Come after him?<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: medium;\">In the New Testament, John 14:16 When Jesus found out<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: medium;\">about the plan to have him killed he told the people n worry&#8221; And I will pray to the Father, and He shall give you another Comforter that he may abide with you forever&#8217; .<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: medium;\">John 16:7 Jesus said &#8220;Nevertheless I tell you the truth. It is to your advantage that I go away, the Comforter will not come to you; but if I depart, I will send him to you&#8221;.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: medium;\">John 20:21-22 &#8220;But when the comforter comes, who I will send to you from the Father, the spirit of truth proceeds from the Father, he will testify of me&#8221;.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: medium;\">John 16: 12-14 &#8220;I still have many things to say to you, but you cannot bear them now. However, when the spirit of<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: medium;\">17<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<div>\n<p><span style=\"font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: medium;\">truth (or Comforter) comes, he will guide you into all truth, for he will not speak on his own authority, but whatever he hears, he will speak; and he will tell you things to come.&#8221;<\/span><\/p>\n<p align=\"center\"><span style=\"font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: medium;\">Are There Other Places in the Bible Where They Talk About another Prophet Who Will Come?<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: medium;\">In the Old Testament, Deuteronomy 18:15 &#8220;The LORD thy God will raise up unto thee a Prophet from the midst of thee, of thy brethren, like unto me; unto him ye shall hearken; &#8220;<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: medium;\">Deuteronomy 18: 18 &#8220;I will raise them up a Prophet from among their brethren, like unto thee, and will put my words in his mouth; and he shall speak unto them all that I shall command him.&#8221;<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: medium;\">Who was That Prophet?<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: medium;\">John I: 19-25 &#8220;The rabbis and Levites went to visit John and they ask him are you the Messiah? He said no, are you Elijah? He said no, are you that Prophet? No&#8221;. Who was<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: medium;\">18<\/span><\/p>\n<p><br clear=\"all\" \/><span style=\"font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: medium;\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: medium;\">that Prophet? Muslims and common sense say he is but Muhammad (pbuh).<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: medium;\">Was Jesus a Prophet?<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: medium;\">We know Jesus (pbuh) was the Messiah.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: medium;\">Jesus said John was Elijah in Mathew 11: 1314, &#8220;For all Prophets and the Law prophesied until John, and if you willing to accept it, he is Elijah who is to come&#8221;, I do know why John denied he was Elijah in the gospel of John. The Rabbis and Levis foretold of three Prophets first Elijah, then Messiah, and that Prophet. You must believe John is Elijah, because if you don&#8217;t then Jesus is not Messiah. The choice is yours as Jesus said are you willing to believe?<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: medium;\">Are There Other Books or Gospels Besides the Bible?<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: medium;\">Up until the council of Nicea in 325 AD, there were m than 300 Gospels all were destroyed by the Catholic Church and Romans. If you were found with one of these books you were killed. There were the Gospels of Hebrews, The Gospel<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: medium;\">19<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<div>\n<p><span style=\"font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: medium;\">of James, Timothy, Barnabas and many more. The only ones accepted are the four we have today written by people who never met or knew Jesus. The Gospel of Barnabas was accepted as canonical in the Church of Alexandria up until 325 A.D.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: medium;\">Christian Scholars Becoming Muslim?<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: medium;\">(1) (Abu Yahya) Jerald F. Dirks, M. Div, Psy. D. Dr.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: medium;\">Dirks is a former minister (deacon) of the United Methodist Church. He holds a Master&#8217;s degree in Divinity from Harvard University and a Doctorate in Psychology from the University of Denver. Author of &#8220;The Cross and the Crescent: An Interfaith Dialogue between Christianity and Islam&#8221; (2001), and &#8220;Abraham: The Friend of God&#8221; (2002).<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: medium;\">(2) <strong>In <\/strong>2001, Father Stall Soria, who had served as parish<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: medium;\">priest in various cities and towns in Metro Manila after \u00a0taking his college and theology studies at Xavier University and Loyola School of Theology, both of the Jesuit run Ateneo de Manila University, reverted to Islam. He has since been known as Muhammad Soria, but many,<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: medium;\">20<\/span><\/p>\n<p><br clear=\"all\" \/><span style=\"font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: medium;\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: medium;\">,-<\/span><\/p>\n<p><br clear=\"all\" \/><span style=\"font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: medium;\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: medium;\">including his Muslim friends, still call him &#8220;Father The 64-year-old Soria said his decision was met with condemnation and disgust by most of his relatives and former parishioners, an experience similar to what many of the Muslim reverts, locally known as Balik Islam go through. This, however, did not deter him from leaving the priesthood after 14 years and embracing Islam.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: medium;\">(3) Before he became a Muslim and changed his<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: medium;\">to Abdul-Ahad Dawud, Rev. David Benjamin Keldani. B.D was a Roman Catholic priest of the Uniate-Chaldean sect. He was born in 1867 at Urmia in Persia; educated from early infancy in that town. From 1886-89 (three year) was on the teaching staff of the Archbishop of Canterbury Mission to the Assyrian (Nestorian) Christians at Urmia. In 1892 he was sent by Cardinal Vaughan to Rome, where he underwent a course of philosophical and theological studies at the Propaganda Fide College, and in 1895 was ordained<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: medium;\">21<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<div>\n<p><span style=\"font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: medium;\">Priest.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: medium;\">(4) My name is Yusuf Estes now, but in years past my friends used to call me Skip. I have preached Christianity and worked in the entertainment and music industry since I was a boy in the 1950&#8217;s. My father and I have established music stores, TV and radio programs and outdoor entertainment for fun (and profit). I was a music minister and even used a pony ride and entertained the children as &#8220;Skippy the Clown.&#8221;<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: medium;\">(5) My name is Julianne (Noora) Scasny. I was born in the United States to a mother who is Syrian (Arab) Christian and a father who is white European descent. Both are Catholic. When I was 15 years old I wanted to be a nun in the Roman Catholic Church. So I was close in relationship to God &#8211; or so I thought &#8211; and never really had this so-called personal relationship with Jesus (peace be upon him). I told myself, &#8220;I don&#8217;t care what my parents say. I don&#8217;t care what anyone says! I want this feeling. I want to be a practicing<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: medium;\">22<\/span><\/p>\n<p><br clear=\"all\" \/><span style=\"font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: medium;\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: medium;\">devout Muslim! I am sick of trying to do things my way: submit to the will of Allah Almighty.&#8221; <em>AI-hamdu Iillah, <\/em>that Ramadan I made Shahadah in the back of the masjid in front of a group of women because the imam was afraid of what my parents would do if I made Shahadah out loud front of everyone. I started wearing hijab that Ramadan.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: medium;\">These are only five examples; I&#8217;m sure by now you understand how I believe I have been lied to. I don&#8217;t think it was on purpose but once a lie has been told many times, it becomes fact.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: medium;\">I eventually did what I would ask all of you to do. I read the Qur&#8217;an. I found it to be the Truth. It did not ask me to stop believing in Jesus it said all Muslims must believe in him as a Prophet, if they do not they are not Muslims. I finally said my testimony of faith or Shahada on April 16, 2000.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: medium;\">Since I said there is only One God and Muhammah (pbuh) is His last messenger, I don&#8217;t have any of the confusion or questions about God, the prophets, or how to<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: medium;\">23<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: medium;\">get to heaven.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: medium;\"><strong>If <\/strong>you are seeking real Truth and Salvation like many others before you, give Islam a try.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: medium;\">24<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: medium;\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 \u00a0 Introduction \u00a0 This title is not meant to offend anyone. It is my \u00a0 \u00a0 own personal feeling. I was a Christian for 40 years and still could not understand what the&#46;&#46;&#46;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[10],"tags":[36,275],"class_list":["post-1323","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-new-muslim","tag-convertd","tag-new-muslim"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/investigate-islam.com\/web\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1323","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/investigate-islam.com\/web\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/investigate-islam.com\/web\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/investigate-islam.com\/web\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/investigate-islam.com\/web\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=1323"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/investigate-islam.com\/web\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1323\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1325,"href":"https:\/\/investigate-islam.com\/web\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1323\/revisions\/1325"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/investigate-islam.com\/web\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=1323"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/investigate-islam.com\/web\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=1323"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/investigate-islam.com\/web\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=1323"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}