Creation Stories

Hinduism - Brahma (God) had a dream and from that dream came everything that appears to exist. Brahma has no characteristics, no feelings, no essence. It is indescribably nothing. Everything in the world is actually maya or illusion. It does not really exist. Man will eventually be dissolved back into Brahma and all of the things that make him unique will disappear back into Brahma.

Islam - Allah was in the beginning totally separate from man. He is utterly transcendent and unknowable. The greatest sin in Islam is to claim any similarity with Allah. This is known as shirk. Jesus is revered as a prophet, but to call him the Son of God is blasphemous. There is no idea of a compassionate God to be found within the Koran.

Atheism - There is no god. God is a creation of the strong to hold the weak in their thrall. God is a concept used to control people. Evolution was an invention by atheists to create a world were a creator was not needed. If pushed to its logic conclusions, atheism concludes that man is nothing more than a cosmic accident. Why not termites as Lords of the universe? Man won the cosmic evolutionary lottery. As a result, atheism ultimately devalues human life. Pol Pot, Stalin, Lenin and Hitler were men who took atheism to its ultimate conclusions. Man simply happened and will disappear once again. He came from no where and is going no where.

Buddhism - They can be either atheists (miniyana) or theists (mahayana). God is either not definable or doesn't exist.

These are creation stories... The myriad creation accounts all stem from the original, unembellished account of Biblical creation.

Merry Christmas - From Iran!

I like to visit Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's blog for a different perspective on world events (The picture at left is of Ahmadinejad stoning the devil while on his Hajj in Mina). I was delighted to find the following letter from Ahmadinejad to the Christians of Iran. It highlights a Muslim's beliefs concerning Jesus -- a very different Jesus than the Lord and Savior of Christianity.

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Merry Christmas to everyone! 2006/12/21

In the Name of Almighty God, the Most Merciful, the Most Compassionate

Merry Christmas to everyone!

My sincere congratulations to everyone for the Glorious and Auspicious Birthday of Divine Prophet - confirmed and authenticated by Gabriel, the angel of Divine revelation - the Obedient of Almighty God,

Jesus Christ, the Messiah (peace be upon Him)

He was a messenger of peace, devotion and love based upon monotheism and justice. He was raised in His Mother's hand - Virgin Mary (peace be upon her) - that Almighty God stood her as impeccable and exalted her above the women of the world. The Mother and the Son that in the Divine Sight are reputable and prestigious. And they are positioned by God - The All Wise- at a sublime level.

There's no doubt, after God - the Peerless Creator, the Beneficent, the Merciful - created the human beings, did not forsake them on their own. By sending and assigning the emissaries - prophets and messengers - along with the righteous individuals, and on top of that, by providing and utilizing the mankind with the gifts of intellect and human nature, they are guided in the right path - in order to achieve the complete perfection. The human generations - one after another - were not created to live in anguish, intimidation, skirmish, aggression, oppression, and misery. And without enjoying an amity and fraternity atmosphere - replete of love and justice - depart this life and leave it for the next generations.

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Unfortunately during the history, some egoistic and tyrant individuals have existed that stood against the convocations and the sermons of the Divine Prophets. And these tyrants and oppressors were the causation of all the adversities and the originator of all wars and animosities.

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Frankly, if Jesus Christ - the Messiah (peace be upon Him) was present today, how would He react? And whom would He stand with and against?

If Jesus Christ (peace be upon Him) was present today, he would order an encounter against those who would propagate corruption, obscenity and perversion, and try to nullify and exterminate the merits and the rights of women and diminish their position - a position that virgin Mary (peace be upon Her) - is their role model and sample.

If Jesus Christ (peace be upon Him) was present today, He would order a contention against those who try to discharge the world from morality, spirituality, intellectuality, justice, and peace. And accordingly, the true followers of the Divine Prophets would follow their steps in regard to strengthening the morality, intellectuality, spirituality, peace and justice in the world.

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Certainly, the implementation of the Divine Prophets' commands and directions would reform and improve our lives in this world and would safeguard a satisfying afterlife conjunctionally.

We believe that the beloved Jesus Christ - the Messiah (peace be upon Him and His Mother) would also reappear for the fulfillment of the promises of all the Divine prophets. And together - accompanying the invited of the nations - would bring all the beauties and goodness for humanity of the world. And we are getting close to that date.

While commemorating the birthday of the Prophet of amity, love and devotion - Jesus Christ, the Messiah (peace be upon Him and His beloved Mother) and congratulating the new year, I beg God - the Merciful, the All-Wise - a year of bliss, and health and a year replete of blessing, abundance, success, and affection for everyone, specially the Christian of Iran and the world.

Written by Mahmoud Ahmadinejad at 22:42

The Price of Good Will - Islam/Christian Dialogue

Muslim scholars authored a historic letter entitled A Common Word Between Us and You. In a bold move, these scholars made an overture of unity with Christians worldwide.

The Yale statement that responded to this document has been signed by many prominent evangelicals. Among them, we may find John Stott (author and theologian), Chuck Colson (Prison Fellowship), Rich Nathan (Senior Pastor, Vineyard Columbus), Brian McClaren (noted heretic, author), Leith Anderson (President, National Association of Evangelicals), etc.

Due to the supremacy of Scripture, I can easily question how such vaunted members of evangelicalism would sign such a document. The document refers to god as the "All Merciful", a clear reference in the Islamic mind to Allah. More specifically, it states "...we ask forgiveness of the All-Merciful One and of the Muslim community around the world." It goes on to describe the foundation of future dialogue to be Islam's and Christianity's common understanding that God is a God of love. This syncretistic hash is expressly forbidden by Scripture.

The signers of this blighted document will no doubt state that the document iterated nothing that they did not intend -- God is a god of love -- Christians can evangelize using this common understanding of God. Unfortunately, what does it mean to the people who read the document from a perspective outside of orthodox Christianity? Have we so succumbed to post modernism that we can lend our good names to a document that will definitely be interpreted in a different light than within the pall of our evangelical tradition? I cannot believe that the evangelical signers for a moment did not understand that this document could be read in many different ways. Ways counter to the Christ-centered Gospel.

While I do not blame these leaders for reaching out to Islam, they have lent their names to a document that will give creedence to universalism and a myriad of other absurdities. Their theological and social capital will be used without their permission to spur all kinds of hopeless ecumenical gatherings that seek to unite Islam and Christianity on a spiritual plane. Christ tells us that such spiritual unity is impossible.

Franklin Graham had it right when he stated that all non-Christian religions are wicked in the eyes of God (Matt. 12:30-31; I Peter 3:4-6). Muslims are lovely people, but they have a deplorable religion.

The best that we can hope for within the Christian-Islam dialogue is a temporary detente or a temporary cessation of hostility. To expect open arms and long lasting harmony is naive at best and idolatrous at worst.

Christ calls us to love those wrapped in idolatry. He also tells us that we will be abused by these same people that we reach out to (John 15:18-25). Unreciprocated love and hopefully a smidgen of respect is all that we can expect.

We should reach out in a non-syncretistic, non-compromising fashion. The politics of ecumenicity can only disgrace the Gospel. Someone should draft a better and more well-thought-out document that does not sell Christianity's soul for an ounce of good will...

Sources:

• Yale Center for Faith and Culture - A Christian Response to A Common Word Between Us and You
• A Common Word Between Us and You
• An interview with one of the authors, Emilie M. Townes.
• Testimony of Joseph Cummings, one of the authors of the Christian response.
  
• Leith Anderson's rationale for signing the response.