<<...of course, I would think that any way but the belief that Jesus is the savior is not the right way.>>
There are some common myths adhered to by Christians and uneducated Muslims alike in your post. I'll start with this one. The Quran documents the authenticity of Jesus on this Earth, Emaculate Conception, Miracles, Resurection etc. It requires Muslims to revere him and his message from God. At the time of Jesus' appearance on the Earth it was common to call some people the child or children of the devil in reference to their behavior or attitudes. It was also common to call people the child or children of God for their righteousness. Jesus as Gods messenger, of course, was sinless and the most deserving of any term representing righteousness. And some would fairly say the only one worthy at all. He also is deserving of the term savior since no one could enter heaven if they denied the message he brought. People do have to go through him (through the message God sent him to deliver) to be judged by God worthy of the rewards of heaven. None of this contradicts Islam. The stretch his followers make saying, he is Gods "begotten" son is a problem because it makes the claim that the all powerful God has the same base animal needs that we have. Muslims find this offensive as should Christians if not merely because it represents God as having needs or limits represented by his creation. We say he merely wills something and it is. So by his will alone the Emaculate conception was made possible. Jesus references God not himself in, the message, prayers, in performing miracles, and in his strength to resist temptation. Although all of the universe may attest to our sins and good deeds on judgement day, God and God alone has the power to pass judgement on souls. God to us is "One" who defies temporal descripters that would be limiting. The alpha and omega before creation and beyond it. Jesus was a man who had needs, he slept, ate, prayed, was tempted, fasted, etc. In other words he was a member of the temporal created universe.
Now, I am sure you are seeing some disparity between you and I in this. But I doubt that it is as great as the differences you felt previously. The difference between a faithful and practicing Christian and a faithful and practicing Muslim has been described as one strand of hair compaired to the entire physical universe. The geopolitical differences can easily be dismissed as cultural non religious differences. The description I gave above without adding Muslim practices would easily be agreed to by many Christian sects, if not your own.
<<Now, I really do hope that you can say I am completely wrong about the radical Muslims.>> Nope. I'm sure there is a corner of the Earth where all the claims against Muslims can be verified. The Quran itself attests to the evil among mankind in all corners of the Earth. It also explains it similarly to the Bible as having a source in materialistic power, greed and desires of the flesh. Take the Military dictators for example, very non-representative of the one billion Muslims worshipping the God of Peace, Compassion and Charity. They're probably pointing to Bundy and Dommer (serial murderers) as what Christianity produces. If you think that is fair, then go ahead and throw your handful of extreme examples of bad people or pockets of culture that you have little insight to, out as examples of Muslims and why all Christians should want to kill me.
There have been plenty of enemies of our nation in history who were not Muslim. But if the USA has a problem with Moamar Khadafi (Military dictator of Libia) then its the "Muslims" you think we must hate.
Well my horns are getting tired of pecking at this key board. I'll give them a rest. |
