Immanuel Can wrote: ↑Fri Sep 18, 2020 1:37 pm
Averroes wrote: ↑Fri Sep 18, 2020 3:55 am
One way or another, we have to end this conversation, and as I said if you don't want to further it, just say so and we are done.
No, I'm quite happy if you are interested in these things.
That's good that you be happy as my interest is in knowing the sources of your belief that biblical Jesus was God. As you agreed, this is indeed such an important subject particularly when biblical Jesus clearly said he was not God. For example, it is reported by some unknown authors of the Christian Bible that biblical Jesus admitted to being ignorant, weak, and dependent while clearly saying that only God is All-Knowing, Almighty and Absolute:
In John 5:30, biblical Jesus admits being weak:
- By myself I can do nothing; I judge only as I hear, and my judgment is just, for I seek not to please myself but him who sent me. (John 5:30)
In John 14:28, biblical Jesus said that there is someone greater than himself:
- "You heard me say, 'I am going away and I am coming back to you.' If you loved me, you would be glad that I am going to the Father, for the Father is greater than I.(John 14:28)
And in Mathew 24:36, biblical Jesus admits being ignorant of the hour and such knowledge belongs only to the Father, which in biblical language is a metaphorical reference to God.
- "But about that day or hour no one knows, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father. (Matthew 24:36)
In Mathew 26:39 it is said that biblical Jesus fell on his face to the ground and prayed like a Muslim to God:
- Going a little farther, he fell with his face to the ground and prayed, "My Father, if it is possible, may this cup be taken from me. Yet not as I will, but as you will." (Matthew 26:39)
Immanuel Can wrote: ↑Fri Sep 18, 2020 1:37 pm
I'm just not sure everybody else is; and my concern is that nobody here wants to see us take this strand and turn it into a debate on something very different from the main topic. After all, people do have a right to decide what threads they want to participate in, without others dragging them away from it.
If that be your concern, then rest assured as we are spot on topic of the OP. I think of it this way, if some Christians can still believe that Jesus was God in spite of very clear biblical verses to the contrary, then there must be a great amount of mental gymnastics being played with their scriptures. And fortunately for us the OP talks about this by denying the possibility of such interpretation of the Christian scriptures:
kentdavidge wrote:
Another possibility is of course, that the Quoran allows for the interpretation that violence is accepted, while the Christian and Jewish holy books (bibles) are not so open for interpretations.
What you think?
I think the OP is wrong and that indeed there is a great deal of interpretation of the Christian scriptures inorder to fit beliefs clearly not in the Christian scriptures. And as an example of such interpretations, I put forward the unscriptural Trinitarian belief that Jesus was God. So, now the discussion that I am interested in has been cleanly related to the OP; your concerns has been intelligently addressed, the hurdles have been removed and we have the green light, so let's finally get to it, God willing. If you are still happy about my interest, then please tell me what are your sources for believing that biblical Jesus was God. The Christian Bible is no longer an option as nowhere in the Bible did Jesus ever claimed to be God, rather the contrary is true in that he clearly said he was not God.
However, if you be no longer "quite happy" about my interest or just don't want to discuss a subject addressed in the OP, I still would understand.
Immanuel Can wrote: ↑Fri Sep 18, 2020 1:37 pm
I recommend:
http://www.nabeelqureshi.com/no-god-but-one. Nabeel was a convert from Islam, one who remained very sympathetic to persons of Islamic background, and who deals with the questions with wisdom and tact. I think you'll enjoy his book.
Thank you for the attention but Nabeel Qureshi did not convert from Islam to Christianity. Nabeel Qureshi converted to Christianity from a religion known as Ahamadiya. I know his story. Depending on the person, some may find his story ironic while some others may consider it tragic. Some background context for others reading this is in order.
In the Ahamadiya religion, the adherents thereof follow a 19th century man from India by the name of Mirza Gulam Ahmad, who died as one might say colloqially by shitting himself to death ( ie he died of dysentry in medical jargon).
Mirza Gulam claimed a lot of clear cut nonsenses. For example, he claimed the second coming of Prophet Jesus(peace be upon him), awaited by the Muslims, was in fact himself!! And a lot more nonsensical claims like that. This is the religion that Nabeel Qureshi was following, and from such a religion, unsurprisingly, he got great doubts. So, David Wood, then his friend, found fertile ground to entice him to Christianity. So, he embraced Christianity from Ahamadiya. But in Christianity, he got far worse than just doubts; in Christianity he got stomach cancer and died in agonizing pain in 2017 at the age of 34. As to your thought of me enjoying his story, well I already knew that embracing Trinitarian Christianity is a very bad idea. I didn't need Nabeel's story to come to that conclusion. For others, however, this might be helpful.