What are the Bible and the Qur’an Basically About?...

Circumpolar: What are the Bible and the Qur’an Basically About?...: "Watch this 4 minute video (HT: SM) below to answer the question, What is the Bible basically about? Compare this with the Qur’an.  In..."

- Circumpolar

SECOND SUNDAY IN LENT (REMINISCERE)

Mathew 21:28–32; Hebrews 11:1f., 6, 8–10, 17–19

Faith is not, therefore, a standing, but a being suspended and hanging without ground under our feet. Or conversely, in faith we abandon whatever we might otherwise regard as our standing, namely, our standing upon ourselves (including all moral and religious, even Christian standing), because in faith we see that it is a false and unreal standing, a hanging without support, a wavering and falling. We abandon it for the real standing in which we no longer stand on ourselves (on our moral and religious, or even our Christian state), and in which we obviously do not stand on our faith as such but - now at least firmly and securely - on the ground of the truth of God and therefore on the ground of the reconciliation which has taken place in Jesus Christ and is confirmed by Him to all eternity.

Barth, K., Bromiley, G. W., & Torrance, T. F. (2004). Church dogmatics, Volume V: Index, with Aids for the Preacher (353). Edinburgh: T. & T. Clark.

UN urges action over abuse of Afghan children

Afghan Kids Suffer Abuses!

Afghan youth are regularly recruited to join both the army and the Taliban. Children arrested by police also suffer torture and abuse in detention. The UN Security Council has urged Afghanistan's government to do more to protect the young victims of the country's conflict. Al Jazeera's Sue Turton reports from Kabul.

Gunman Strikes US Military in Germany

N. T. Wright Interview with Logos

My son, remember!

Proverbs 3:1

My son, do not forget my teaching: As in Proverbs 2 the teacher of wisdom is speaking to the learner. For My son see Proverbs 1.8. Do not forget is a negative way of saying “Remember!” What is to be remembered is the content of the instruction: “Do not forget all that I have taught you.” Teaching renders the Hebrew word torah, as used in Proverbs 1:8 where the learner was advised not to forsake his mother’s “teaching.” The term should not be translated as “law” in these contexts, even though the law lies behind and supports the teaching given by the wise ones.

But let your heart keep my commandments: Heart, as in Proverbs 2:2, 10, refers to the mind. My commandments was used in Proverbs 2:1 to refer to the instruction given by the teacher of wisdom. The two lines of this verse are parallel, with the same meaning expressed in a negative way in the first line and then in a positive way in the second line. Keep is equivalent to do not forget, that is, it means “remember.” The Hebrew term basically means “guard” or “preserve.” Other translations have “remember,” or "treasure." In other parts of the Old Testament to keep … commandments (in mind) often has the sense of “practice,” “obey,” “put [them] to use,” and some take that to be the meaning here also (“and obey them”).

Reyburn, W. D., & Fry, E. M. (2000). A handbook on Proverbs. UBS handbook series; Helps for translators (70). New York: United Bible Societies.

Ancient moon god!

Exodus 3.1

The name Sinai is probably related to Sin (wilderness of) and may even be an alternate spelling (cf. Exodus 16.1; 17.1; Numbers 33.11–12). Sin is one name of the ancient moon god that desert dwellers worshiped. The mountain is also called Horeb, mostly in Deuteronomy (see also 1 Kings 8.9; 19.8; 2 Chronicles 5.10; Psalm 106.19; Malachi 4.4).

Elwell, W. A., & Comfort, P. W. (2001). Tyndale Bible dictionary.

Picture: St. Catherine's Monastery @ the base of Mt.Sinai

Note: The worship of the Moon god " Sin" was widespread and common during the time of Abraham. Contrary to Muslim claims, Abraham was asked to leave Ur of the Chaldees where the moon god Sin was worshipped and migrate to Canaan and worship Jehovah. The Ur of Chaldees is in the region of Babylon. The names of the moon god in Arabia were Wadd, `Amm, Sin, Il Mukah, Hubal and Allah.

YHWH

Exodus 3.14-15

The most important name for God in the OT is the tetragrammaton YHWH (occurs about 6,800 times), usually pronounced ‘Yahweh,’ though the known pronunciation was lost in the postexilic period. Due to the increasing sanctity attached to the name and the consequent desire to avoid misuse, the title Adonai (Heb., ‘My Great Lord’) was pronounced in place of the tetragrammaton. In written texts the vowels of Adonai were combined with the consonants YHWH to remind readers to pronounce Adonai instead of Yahweh. The incorrect hybrid, ‘Jehovah,’ arose from Christian misunderstanding in the late Middle Ages. The respect for the sanctity of the personal name of God is reflected in modern Judaism.

Achtemeier, P. J., Harper & Row, P., & Society of Biblical Literature. (1985). Harper's Bible dictionary (1st ed.) (p 685). San Francisco.

Iranium 90 Second Trailer

Iranium!

To the Moderate Muslim: Infidel Observations of islam

I was alerted to this youtube by a professed infidel (atheist).

Translating Jihad: Fatwa: "The People of the Book Disgraced (Themselv...

Translating Jihad: Fatwa: "The People of the Book Disgraced (Themselv...: "This fatwa comes from Shaykh Faysal al-Mawlawi, the Deputy Chairman of the European Council for Fatwa and Research, and is posted on IslamOn..."

Justin Bieber - Pray

"I believe that Jesus died on a cross for my sins," Bieber told Billboard last November. "He's the reason that I'm here."

On his November single Pray, a departure from his typical pop oeuvre, Bieber sings, "I close my eyes and pray / I close my eyes and I can see a better day." The music video, seen more than 21 million times on YouTube, ends with the written message, "God speaks in the silence of the heart. Listening is the beginning of prayer."

Pray!

Bolshevism & Islam

"Bolshevism combines the characteristics of the French Revolution with those of the rise of Islam .... Marx has taught that Communism is fatally predestined to come about; this produces a state of mind not unlike that of the early successors of Mahommet .... Among religions, Bolshevism is to be reckoned with Mohammedanism rather than with Christianity and Buddhism. Christianity and Buddhism are primarily personal religions, with mystical doctrines and a love of contemplation. Mohammedanism and Bolshevism are practical, social, unspiritual, concerned to win the empire of this world". (Bertrand Russell, The Practice and Theory of Bolshevism: London: George Allen and Unwin, 1920 pp. 5, 29, 114).

say cheese!

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Taqiyya

In Islam, Taqiyya, and also kitman, is a doctrine of pious fraud or religious dissimulation, derived from Suras such as III.28, whereby Muslims may under certain circumstances openly deceive infidels by feigning friendship or goodwill provided their heart remains true to Islam. Historian Al-Tabari [died 923 C.E] wrote on Sura XVI.108, "If anyone is compelled and professes unbelief with his tongue, while his heart contradicts him, in order to escape his enemies, no blame falls on him, because God takes his servants as their hearts believe." -- Adapted from The Encyclopaedia of Islam, 2 Edn., and The Al-Qaeda Reader, ed. Raymond Ibrahim

God or god?

"...regarding ‘God’ as the proper name of the Deity, rather than as essentially a common noun, implies that all users of the word are monotheists and, within that, that all monotheists believe in the same god. Both these propositions seem to me self-evidently untrue. It may or may not be true that any worship of any god is translated by some mysterious grace into worship of one god who actually exists, and who happens to be the only god. That is believed by some students of religion. It is not, however, believed by very many practitioners of the mainline monotheistic religions (Judaism, Christianity, Islam) or of the non-monotheistic ones (Hinduism, Buddhism and their cognates). Certainly the Jews and Christians of the first century did not believe it." - Volume One
The New Testament: And The People Of God. N.T. Wright (p. XV).

Jesus saves Muslim seeker(s)!

Babak grew up in Islam only to find out that Allah was not personal and Islam is not peace. Babak discovered that Jesus Christ is the end of the story, not Muhammad. He discovered that God is real, personal, loving, listens to people, forgives, heal, and this same Jesus Christ who lived, died as a payment for our sins, then rose from the dead to give His people new life with God.

Islam and Mormonism?!

Circumpolar: Islam and Mormonism: "Recently in the country where I live in the Middle East, I have noticed some Mormons who are here as missionaries.   Most Muslims in th..."

Here are 12 of the parallels that have been noted (this list is by no means exhaustive):

1. Both claimed that the original meaning of the teachings of Jesus and those who preceded him had either been forgotten or corrupted.

2. Both prophets are reported to have come from humble beginnings with no formal education and were barely literate.

3. Holy Books: Both prophets wrote a new holy book that was apparently inspired by God, and both claimed that their holy book was the most correct and perfect book on earth. Also, they both claimed that their holy books were based upon a record stored in heaven. Both religions claim that their Holy Books have been preserved and are accurate to what was originally recorded by their prophets.

4. Both prophets claimed to have had visions and to have been visited by angels. For Muhammad it was the angel Gabriel, and for Smith it was the angel Moroni. Both visions revealed many new teachings that contradict the Bible.

5. Both believed that no true religion existed on Earth and they were there to restore God’s truth. Islam claims that Adam and Abraham were truly Muslim and that it is restoring 'the true faith of Abraham'. Mormons claim to have restored 'the true faith/church' that was on the earth during and after the time of Jesus, before the supposed "Great Apostasy".

6. Both prophets were practicing polygamists and advocated polygamy (and condemn polyandry) by supposed revelation from God. Additionally, both men married very young girls.

Why I Left Islam?!

Why I left Islam, and am now an Ex-muslim