Diaspora? Shattering a National Mythology

The discrepancies aren't important really... unless one is a fundamentalist.

When one takes the scripture literally as history or science it lends itself to all manner of abuse.. and projections..IMO.

But, I find value in understanding the world that Jesus lived in .. as a way of understanding the language and symbolism... He wasn't operating in a vacuum.

 

I agree that history & traditions can 'amplify or add some light' to the scriptures, and I stay open to anything that 'witnesses to my spirit' concerning their validity. I also know to be wary of biased men who re-write history as revisionists. And so as scriptures states, God sent us a 'comforter & a teacher' to lead us into all spiritual truth. We have been provided enuf, and must 'weigh' all else with the Word.

Just 'dont get lost among the trees'...

 

When I was small I was fascinated with how the Arabs lived.. How they drew water for irrigation... how they planted.. how they built their houses against the elements with camel stairs and the like..

How they slept and cooked on their rooftops...

How they lived in their goat hair tents... and all the clever ways they coped with a harsh environment. The shepherds and camel herders... All that colored the Bible stories I was learning. That was further reinforced by several trips to the Holy Lands.

Who are these "biased" men you keep speaking of?

 

It was 'Biased men' who called Jesus merely a good man and a prophet (they had to because of His large following), but did ignore His words...what was Muhammed? A seeker of truth?!

 

From his sermons.. I think Muhammad was basically a messenger to the people of the Arabian Peninsula.

From the beginning he preached, Save yourselves. I can't save you. Return to the God of Abraham.

I can only speculate that if they had believed in blood sacrifice or that sin could be transferred ... like Azazel, they would have accepted the crucifixion.

Clearly they revere Jesus as the purest man, a prophet without sin,

 

Did Muhammed and the rest of his followers acknowledge that Jesus was a Jew?

 

Yes......... but they see Jesus like Adam.. made from the mind of God.. so His Judaism is not the main concern.. They consider Abraham the father of the Arabs.. and he wasn't a Jew.

 

Aint 'rationalization' (along with 'denial') a great thing!

 

Well... Islam is quite logical or rational in many, many ways..

 

Serial killers can sound rational too....but, it's always the "little foxes" that ruin the vine.

 

Well, they took the story of Abraham and Isaac (of Abraham and Ishmael) to mean that God forbid blood sacrifice of the innocent.

And the crucifixion offends their sense of justice.... that a man who was completely innocent of all sin could die such a cruel death.

And, in the Koran it says, God does not eat, nor is He fed.

So you can see how all that logic sort of hangs together.

 

The ole "tomayto" and "tomahto" paradox, huh? As in 'The eye of the beholder'...the only diference being the revelation by the Holy Spirit...does Islam speak much of the Holy Spirit, or his indwelling?

 

I think the Holy Spirit is mentioned several times in the Koran.

The one that comes to mind immediately is:

" The Holy Spirit has brought the Revelation from thy Lord in Truth, in order to strengthen those who believe, and as a Guide and Glad Tidings to Muslims"

That's pretty close....

Its supposed to provide Divine Guidance to the believers

 

As has been said, "There is nothing so dangerous as 'partial' truth." Many religions & Christian denominations start out with 'partial truth,' as they see it..

 

I cannot imagine that any human being could know the "whole" truth..

 

Scripture says that "we know 'in part,' but will know in total when the Perfect comes." And the Perfect is not the Bible as many Baptists et al believe!

And so, would YOU say that it is a matter of the heart, it's thoughts & intentions, that are evident to God; as in B4 the Grace of God thru the sacrifice of His Son, man was judged according to his conscious? But then, in the OT it says that "some have had their conscious seered as with a hot iron." Was it 'seered' voluntarily by themselves, or possibly by life's experiences and abuse? The soul of man holds these mysteries which are open to the eye of God who knows its thoughts & intentions and judges rightly. I believe that ALL will stand B4 Jesus for judgement..but that He will judge 'rightly' of all mankind thru out history, and with the accepting of His work on the cross as the proverbial 'Get Out of Jail Free' card in regards Believers.

 

I am not familiar with that concept in the Baptist Church..

Is it this:

"But when that which is perfect has come, then that which is in part shall pass away."

1 COR:13:8-10

 

Yes, I quoted from the King OD Version... !

9 For we know in part and we prophesy in part; 10 but when the perfect comes, the partial will be done away.


This scripture is one of the foundational scriptures for the 'Inerrancy and Infallibility' of the Bible (along with all scripture is inspired of God....etc.). But even the supposed 'Full-Gospel' folks weasel-word around certain actualities (like Jesus lips never tasted alcohol, when in fact He was called a drunkard and glutton by the religious ppl of His time for dining with the common folks & sinners, etc.) to fit their Biblical ideology.

 

And indeed the Holy Spirit does provide that Divine Guidance. More people should give it a whirl. IMHO.

 

Yes.......... Muslims evidently believe so as well.

 

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Shattering a 'national mythology'