The Uk P.M David Cameron (DC) thinks extremism is the problem. If you told DC that he is a conservative extremist he of course would deny it, giving you in his opinion what he considers to be true extremism. Everything that does not fit his criteria, as to what the perfect religion should look like would be in his mind extreme.
As a Christian I have to come down to this fact. God is true and so is His word. Now this would be true for any monotheistic religion. I personally don't like to consider true Christianity as religion but to simplify the point I will here. Monotheistic religions would include:
Judaism, Christianity, Islam, Satanism, Sikhism, Atheism. (no God but self)
Which one is the true one?
When they accused Jesus of doing miracles (healing a blind and mute man) by the working of Beelzebub Matt 12:16-24. Jesus in the following verses then explains what happens when a kingdom is divided against itself. He then determines that Satan can't cast out a demon as he would be working against himself.
Jesus makes the point that good comes from good, bad comes from bad. Good fruit from good trees and so on.
Now this does not mean a deceiver who is bad can't do what appears to be good, in order to make the gullible think good of them. Satan is the father of lies and is a deceiver. Anyone from any religion can do good things but that does not mean that their religion is from the true God. And evil people can do evil things in the name of a religion for example look what Adolf Hitler did in the name of Christianity.
Why say this? Because there have been many false teachers who throughout history have led many to destruction. The scriptures (the word of God that Christians believe) tell us that these are false prophets.
The bottom line is we have to go to what God's word says about Himself then what the prophets say about Him. Then one has to see what His followers did with what God's word said.
That must be true today.
The scriptures that determine the Judaic, Christian faith tells us God is creator, judge and Lord. His ways are righteous and just. Furthermore that He is a Holy and merciful God who is eternal.
As we go through the Old testament (OT)scriptures we learn of the nation (Isarel) that become a nation separated for God's purposes. They where delivered from captivity on more than one occasion starting with Egypt. The deliverance from Egypt was to teach us of a greater deliverance that God would provide when God became a man (Jesus) as a sacrifice for all sin for all time. This event we find written in the new testament.(NT) This became the message of the Gospel that those sent by God through Jesus Christ was to be taken into all the world before the judgment of God comes.
The conclusion that we will obtain from the teaching of true biblical Christianity is God wants to save man from His judgment. And because He is a just and His ways righteous He can not permit sin to go unpunished. He demonstrates His love by giving His son Jesus as the perfect sacrifice for all sin.
Then resurrects Him from the dead. But a gift has to be received and before it can be received one has to believe that the gift given is all sufficient for salvation. This is what the Christian faith is based on. that is that only God's free gift is all we must believe in to receive the gift of salvation and eternal life.
What other religion teaches us of such a God?
Certainly there are things we read in the OT & NT that we find difficult to understand, for example why God sent his people (Israel) to destroy the certain nations and take the land as a possession. “but you shall utterly destroy them: the Hittite and the Amorite and the Canaanite and the Perizzite and the Hivite and the Jebusite, just as the LORD your God has commanded you, (Deut 20:17) See Deut 1:7-11; 20.
Basically God is Lord of all. He created all things and therefore is Lord of all things. He chooses who will posses what, He determines the rules, not man. (see link here for further reading on this)
In Deut 20:17-18 we read “but you shall utterly destroy them: the Hittite and the Amorite and the Canaanite and the Perizzite and the Hivite and the Jebusite, just as the LORD your God has commanded you,“lest they teach you to do according to all their abominations which they have done for their gods, and you sin against the LORD your God.
God is Holy and for His people to be kept from corruption, that will lead them to sin against God.
God gave strict instruction as to how to things where to done whilst making war. In verse we read of fruit bearing trees having to be preserved Deut 20:19-20. Furthermore how women taken captive where to be treated Deut 21:10-14. Note verse 14 says that "she shall not be treated brutally"
So what about Isis? What are their beliefs? Which one is the true one?
When they accused Jesus of doing miracles (healing a blind and mute man) by the working of Beelzebub Matt 12:16-24. Jesus in the following verses then explains what happens when a kingdom is divided against itself. He then determines that Satan can't cast out a demon as he would be working against himself.
Jesus makes the point that good comes from good, bad comes from bad. Good fruit from good trees and so on.
Now this does not mean a deceiver who is bad can't do what appears to be good, in order to make the gullible think good of them. Satan is the father of lies and is a deceiver. Anyone from any religion can do good things but that does not mean that their religion is from the true God. And evil people can do evil things in the name of a religion for example look what Adolf Hitler did in the name of Christianity.
Why say this? Because there have been many false teachers who throughout history have led many to destruction. The scriptures (the word of God that Christians believe) tell us that these are false prophets.
The bottom line is we have to go to what God's word says about Himself then what the prophets say about Him. Then one has to see what His followers did with what God's word said.
That must be true today.
The scriptures that determine the Judaic, Christian faith tells us God is creator, judge and Lord. His ways are righteous and just. Furthermore that He is a Holy and merciful God who is eternal.
As we go through the Old testament (OT)scriptures we learn of the nation (Isarel) that become a nation separated for God's purposes. They where delivered from captivity on more than one occasion starting with Egypt. The deliverance from Egypt was to teach us of a greater deliverance that God would provide when God became a man (Jesus) as a sacrifice for all sin for all time. This event we find written in the new testament.(NT) This became the message of the Gospel that those sent by God through Jesus Christ was to be taken into all the world before the judgment of God comes.
The conclusion that we will obtain from the teaching of true biblical Christianity is God wants to save man from His judgment. And because He is a just and His ways righteous He can not permit sin to go unpunished. He demonstrates His love by giving His son Jesus as the perfect sacrifice for all sin.
Then resurrects Him from the dead. But a gift has to be received and before it can be received one has to believe that the gift given is all sufficient for salvation. This is what the Christian faith is based on. that is that only God's free gift is all we must believe in to receive the gift of salvation and eternal life.
What other religion teaches us of such a God?
Certainly there are things we read in the OT & NT that we find difficult to understand, for example why God sent his people (Israel) to destroy the certain nations and take the land as a possession. “but you shall utterly destroy them: the Hittite and the Amorite and the Canaanite and the Perizzite and the Hivite and the Jebusite, just as the LORD your God has commanded you, (Deut 20:17) See Deut 1:7-11; 20.
Basically God is Lord of all. He created all things and therefore is Lord of all things. He chooses who will posses what, He determines the rules, not man. (see link here for further reading on this)
In Deut 20:17-18 we read “but you shall utterly destroy them: the Hittite and the Amorite and the Canaanite and the Perizzite and the Hivite and the Jebusite, just as the LORD your God has commanded you,“lest they teach you to do according to all their abominations which they have done for their gods, and you sin against the LORD your God.
God is Holy and for His people to be kept from corruption, that will lead them to sin against God.
God gave strict instruction as to how to things where to done whilst making war. In verse we read of fruit bearing trees having to be preserved Deut 20:19-20. Furthermore how women taken captive where to be treated Deut 21:10-14. Note verse 14 says that "she shall not be treated brutally"
Here is a part 1 & 2 video done by Jay Smith at speakers corner in response to the Paris massacre.
God chooses a people for himself first Israel and then those from the gentiles.
To be saved one must believe in Jesus, repenting of sin and living to serve God. God is not a dictator He desires all to be saved but not all will be. That includes you. Have you put your faith in Jesus?
to be continued......
See also Jacob Prasch "questions for our Muslim friends". There are 8 parts and at the end of playing the video it should automatically go to the next part.