Impressive statement

[777]

All of the three faiths demand predominant obedience from their followers, and inculcate the mindset that any other faith is false, defective and a sham. Kinda difficult and strained at best to co-exist when each faith preaches strongly against all others. I hate to burst your bubble, but the Jews and the Muslims have been at each others throats for several thousands of years. Whatever peace shakily existed was between wars when either side was regrouping or working secretly against the other. with either Britain, France or the USA. Christians stood back and watched the ongoing fracas while waiting for a winner to emerge. It hasn't happened yet.

Again I am sorry to disappoint your beliefs, but there is no written history - as opposed to opinion - that I am aware of (and believe me I have studied it) that proves each of those three faiths to believe in the same God. Their own holy writings vehemently deny that any other faith practice can worship a true (in their eyes) deity unless that faith is forsaken for the self-proclaimed "true" one. By their own holy writ, each excludes the other. I cannot imagine what history you have read that contradicts this fact. I sincerely would like to know how you come by this info, as I maintain a lifelong interest in human faith towards deity. THere are many offshoot belief systems which foster the ideal of syncretism - the melding of various faiths into one supposedly harmonious belief. Bah'ai is one of those, with it's basis in Islam. Sadly, the other Islamic sects murdered the founder of the Bah'ai faith........and his (Baha'ullah) writings took root in Islam, with vestiges of Judaism, Christianity and a few other bits and pieces. The problem with any syncretistic religious structure is that there is no definitive standard. Things might be right or might be wrong, depending on which melded-in faith one wishes to cling to.

Those believers of whom you speak are denying their own faith's commandments. I would earnestly love to see peace and common acceptance among all Jews, Muslims and Christians.............but it just ain't so! Your version of the origin of these faiths is interesting and has some fact to it, but many specific and critical events are overlooked that have created completely separate faith structures.

Do you know the history of these faiths? Like, from high school studies? Or if you really want details, university level text books (Theology or Religious Studies) work well.

Muslims didn't exist several thousands years ago. If you talk about Arabs in Palestine nowadays there's both Muslim and Christian in the mix, and they call God with the same name (as in, God in Arabic). I'd recommend reading about Islam and concentrate on getting information other than fundamental interpretation. That goes for all three. But, even in Palestine, most people would just like to live in peace. It's the fundamental and political forces that keep the conflict alive. And that was my point: to co-exist. It doesn't mean that anyone has to say that their faith is wrong, it means that people accept that their neighbours might follow other religion than they themselves do, if they do.

I'd like to know what commandments are my friends denying by believing that the roots (and God) in the three religions are/derive from the same source, since as you should know, they are commonly called Abrahamic religions for a reason.

 

[hawtsean]

Do you know the history of these faiths? Like, from high school studies? Or if you really want details, university level text books (Theology or Religious Studies) work well.

Yes I do know the history of these faiths, not the legends but the facts. After spending over 26 years of study on comparative points of these three faiths (among other things), I've doubtless read and/or own university level texts to which you allude generally. Indeed I have knowledge and personal experience far exceeding that of high school studies, in many disciplines. However, this is not a proper forum in which to debate theology and faith practices.

You haven't offered the historic proof you claimed and of which I asked. Your comments seem to have taken on a somewhat pouting tone, as if I dared to dispute your statements. So, at this juncture - with heed to our Moderators' often-mentioned cautions about strong debate leading to hot disputes, I will invite you to PM me and take this offline privately or forget about it. I have many comments to offer, but not in this venue. The choice is yours.

 

[777]

Yes I do know the history of these faiths, not the legends but the facts. After spending over 26 years of study on comparative points of these three faiths (among other things), I've doubtless read and/or own university level texts to which you allude generally. Indeed I have knowledge and personal experience far exceeding that of high school studies, in many disciplines. However, this is not a proper forum in which to debate theology and faith practices.

You haven't offered the historic proof you claimed and of which I asked. Your comments seem to have taken on a somewhat pouting tone, as if I dared to dispute your statements. So, at this juncture - with heed to our Moderators' often-mentioned cautions about strong debate leading to hot disputes, I will invite you to PM me and take this offline privately or forget about it. I have many comments to offer, but not in this venue. The choice is yours.

Um, what's the pouting tone you're seeing? Please do not try to patronise me. You haven't offered me any proof of your statements either, and while I don't really feel that it's needed when talking about individual beliefs, mine or my friends, or yours, I would like to see more about why I can't be correct in this. I can't offer much in English, so here's a Wikipedia page that doesn't completely suck. I have studied Theology (or Religious Studies) and I tend to believe what they taught me in the classes/studying. Knowledge changes with time of course, so I'm ready and willing to change my views if there's new information about the subject. You may do that through PM if you wish.

 

[gb2000ie]

Am I reading this right? Are we arguing about whether or not the three Abrahamic religions believe in the same God? If so, what a silly argument, all three Abrahamic religions share the Jewish Bible (AKA Christian Old Testament) as a holy book, and all three see the God who chatted to Abraham as their God.

They don't believe in different Gods, they just disagree about how to serve that one same God!

B.

 

[hawtsean]

They don't believe in different Gods, they just disagree about how to serve that one same God!

B.

Actually they do have different Gods, gb. Christian belief in the NT clearly defines any other faith that does not confess Jesus Christ as Lord, as a false cult. Jews and Muslims deny any deity or Lordship of Christ. That just demolished their "togetherness with some difference on how to serve their God". The Qur'an has several Surah (like a bible chapter) that demand belief ONLY in Mohammed as the final messenger and prophet of Allah, without a Saviour. That kills off their oneness with Christians and Jews, since Hebraic belief rides on the OT which in numerous passages admonishes the Hebrews to cleave to God without any intermediary. Moses brought the law but was not biblically accorded higher status as likened to Mohammed.

Sorry, but that's right from the holy writings of those faiths. Any deviation from all those scriptures is accorded the title of sin, and there is no middle ground given. I am certainly NOT saying that there wasn't a common Abrahamic origin, but that term is found nowhere in any of those faith systems - only in commentaries after the fact, most in the 19th and 20th centuries. The Hebrew OT does instruct that the Hebrew and Arabic nations descended from Abraham via Isaac and Ishmael respectively - but that they will be in perpetual enmity. On that prophecy, we see continuous fulfillment.

This will be the last entry on this thread that I make, since we're getting way off topic into religious discussions and debate. PM me if you wish to kick it around further.

 

[hawtsean]

You haven't offered me any proof of your statements either

Further responses already sent via PM

 

[NightLitch]

This Discussion has come to the end. I am closing the thread guys