How was you first encounter with the Bible?

I was 11 when I was actually introduced to it. I was going to church (more often after 9-11 happened), but I felt something was missing. when my best friend, who is no longer around, introduced me to it, I no longer felt like a part of me was missing. I was whole. it’s such a great feeling.

Do you think we are created and are on this earth for no reason? do you think that we are here to follow our desires and then rot and die? The distance of the earth to the sun is so perfect for life that if it were a millionth of a centimetre further away or closer life could not exist on this earth! Is that coincidence? The earth is tilted so perfectly that if it were tilted more or less it would not being able to support life! Is that coincidence? A seed is as big as a grain of rice and it grows to a tree nearly as big as a sky scraper. A sperm is microscopic yet it grows into a human being. The existance of every organism from the beginning till now! how can all of this be possible without a force behind it causing the molecules to grow and expand? Even scientist themselves believe that there is a force behind everything controlling and regulating things! We call that force god! Now for someone to believe this force doesnt exist is truly ignorant! The proof of god is all around us and the proof of god is us humans!

Allah says in the Quran:

He it is Who sends down water from the sky; from it you drink and from it {grows} the vegetation on which you send your cattle to pasture; With it He causes to grow for you the crops, the olives, the date-palms, the grapes, and every kind of fruit. Verily! In this is indeed an evident proof and a manifest sign for people who give thought.

Soorat An Nahl {16:10-11}

And He has affixed into the earth mountains standing firm, lest it should shake with you, and rivers and roads, that you may guide yourselves. And landmarks {signposts, etc. during the day} and by the stars {during the night}, they {mankind} guide themselves.] Soorat An Nahl {16:15-16}

And among His Signs is this, that He created you {Adam} from dust, and then [Hawwa {Eve} from Adam’s rib, and then his offspring from the semen, and], - behold you are human beings scattered!] Soorat Ar Ruum {30:20} [ And among His Signs is this, that He created for you wives from among yourselves, that you may find repose in them, and He has put between you affection and mercy. Verily, in that are indeed signs for a people who reflect.] Soorat Ar Ruum {30:21}

Verily! In the creation of the heavens and the earth, and in the alternation of night and day, and the ships which sail through the sea with that which is of use to mankind, and the water which Allaah sends down from the sky and makes the earth alive therewith after its death, and the moving {living} creatures of all kinds that He has scattered therein, and in the veering of winds and clouds which are held between the sky and the earth, are indeed aayaat {proofs, evidences, lessons, signs, revelation, etc.} for people of understanding

I was probley around 9-10. My grandmother gave me a chlidren’s bible. I remember, even at that young at how ridiculous it all sounded to me. Even at such a young age, I couldn’t believe that there was some magic man in the sky that controlled and created everything. I still have the same opinions of it.

I don’t remember my first experience with it, but I do remember when I decided to read the whole thing the first time. I was halfway to atheism by the time I finished reading it.

The Bible is the best antidote for the Christian disease. …most Christians never read it- at least not the whole thing.

I went to a catholic school. But I don’t remember much about the bible. I just remember watching religious episodes of Veggie Tales!

I went to a horse camp (teen ranch) its a christian camp I went in july since then av became a christian and I am glad I went and learned about the bible

If you think so..I respect that, but the Scriptures isn’t a book that can be read as any normal book…it need to be read , studied and is needed to research & to study about the culture & folklore, history , language and most important: the mind of those on that remote time..how they saw the world around them. Is needed years of study to understand it, but is very interesting. It hasn’t diminished my belief in God. On the contrary.

I am reading it would like to read it whole Is not easy cause it is a big book…but I have read nearly all the Old Testament & the 4 Gospels of the New Testament…& now I’m studying Paul’s letter’s…but on the contrary of your experience I believe more as I continue my reading & studying of I. And is not a “Christian disease” ..Is a promise that God made..& in the story you can seeGod as Father who cares & because of that..He scolds His People cause they even when they saw all the miracles and everything didn’t believed…they were a very difficult people…& With Jesus..He gave His Son (God incarnate) to redeem us the way we can’t do it ourselves. With His Grace we will be saved.

I believed in the bible while I was little. but when I started questioning things it all fell apart. every time I asked a question I was answered with either a circular reasoning or dont question just believe. Then I started to find answers, the bible like many ancint things was a book compulated with many cultures stories and ideas, NOT GOD.

I was taught the bible in school. The priest would come in and read passages, then tell us how we need to repent - always repent, for we were sinners, and destined for eternity in hell.

I’m not a christian, to say the least. As a matter of fact, I’m Buddhist, so I don’t even believe in God.

I think that maybe if I had learned things differently, I would have accepted the christian faith more willingly.

Concept of God in Christianity by Dr. Zakir Naik

Position of Jesus (pbuh) in Islam:

(I) Islam is the only non-Christian faith, which makes it an article of faith to believe in Jesus (pbuh). No Muslim is a Muslim if he does not believe in Jesus (pbuh).

(ii) We believe that he was one of the mightiest Messengers of Allah (swt).

(iii) We believe that he was born miraculously, without any male intervention, which many modern day Christians do not believe.

(I’ve) We believe he was the Messiah translated Christ (pbuh).

(v) We believe that he gave life to the dead with God’s permission.

(I’ve) We believe that he healed those born blind, and the lepers with God’s permission.

II CONCEPT OF GOD IN CHRISTIANITY:

1. Jesus Christ (pbuh) never claimed Divinity

One may ask, if both Muslims and Christians love and respect Jesus (pbuh), where exactly is the parting of ways? The major difference between Islam and Christianity is the Christians’ insistence on the supposed divinity of Christ (pbuh). A study of the Christian scriptures reveals that Jesus (pbuh) never claimed divinity. In fact there is not a single unequivocal statement in the entire Bible where Jesus (pbuh) himself says, “I am God” or where he says, “worship me”. In fact the Bible contains statements attributed to Jesus (pbuh) in which he preached quite the contrary. The following statements in the Bible are attributed to Jesus Christ (pbuh):

(I) “My Father is greater than I.”[The Bible, John 14:28]

(ii) “My Father is greater than all.”[The Bible, John 10:29]

(iii) “…I cast out devils by the Spirit of God….”[The Bible, Mathew 12:28]

(I’ve) “…I with the finger of God cast out devils….”[The Bible, Luke 11:20]

(v) “I can of mine own self do nothing: as I hear, I judge: and my judgement is just; because I seek not my own will, but the will of the Father which hath sent me.”[The Bible, John 5:30]

2. The Mission of Jesus Christ (pbuh) – to Fulfill the Law

Jesus (pbuh) never claimed divinity for himself. He clearly announced the nature of his mission. Jesus (pbuh) was sent by God to confirm the previous Judaic law. This is clearly evident in the following statements attributed to Jesus (pbuh) in the Gospel of Mathew:

“Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the Prophets: I am not come to destroy, but to fulfil. For verily I say unto you, Till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled.

“Whosoever therefore shall break one of these least commandments, and shall teach men so, he shall be called the least in the kingdom of heaven; but whosoever shall do and teach them, the same shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven.” “For I say unto you, That except your righteousness shall exceed the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees, ye shall in no case enter into the kingdom of heaven.”[The Bible, Mathew 5:17-20]

3. God Sent Jesus’ (pbuh)

The Bible mentions the prophetic nature of Jesus (pbuh) mission in the following verses:

(I) “… and the word which ye hear is not mine, but the Father’s which sent me.”[The Bible, John 14:24]

(ii) “And this is life eternal, that they might know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou has sent.”[The Bible, John 17:3]

4. Jesus Refuted even the Remotest Suggestion of his Divinity Consider the following incident mentioned in the Bible:

“And behold, one came and said unto him, ‘Good Master, what good thing shall I do, that I may have eternal life?’

And he said unto him, ‘Why callest thou me good? There is none good but one, that is, God: but if thou wilt enter into life, keep the commandments.’ “[The Bible, Mathew 19:16-17]

Jesus (pbuh) did not say that to have the eternal life of paradise, man should believe in him as Almighty God or worship him as God, or believe that Jesus (pbuh) would die for his sins. On the contrary he said that the path to salvation was through keeping the commandments. It is indeed striking to note the difference between the words of Jesus Christ (pbuh) and the Christian dogma of salvation through the sacrifice of Jesus (pbuh).

5. Jesus (pbuh) of Nazareth – a Man Approved of God

The following statement from the Bible supports the Islamic belief that Jesus (pbuh) was a prophet of God.

“Ye men of Israel, hear these words; Jesus of Nazareth, a man approved of God among you by miracles and wonders and signs, which God did by him in the midst of you, as ye yourselves also know.”[The Bible, Acts 2:22]

6. The First Commandment is that God is One

The Bible does not support the Christian belief in trinity at all. One of the scribes once asked Jesus (pbuh) as to which was the first commandment of all, to which Jesus (pbuh) merely repeated what Moses (pbuh) had said earlier:

“Shama Israelu Adonai Ila Hayno Adonai Ikhad.”

This is a Hebrew quotation, which means:

“Hear, O Israel; The Lord our God is one Lord.”[The Bible, Mark 12:29]

It is striking that the basic teachings of the Church such as Trinity and vicarious atonement find no mention in the Bible. In fact, various verses of the Bible point to Jesus’ (pbuh) actual mission, which was to fulfill the law revealed to Prophet Moses (pbuh). Indeed Jesus (pbuh) rejected any suggestions that attributed divinity to him, and explained his miracles as the power of the One True God.

Jesus (pbuh) thus reiterated the message of monotheism that was given by all earlier prophets of Almighty God.

III CONCEPT OF GOD IN OLD TESTAMENT:

1. God is One

The following verse from the book of Deuteronomy contains an exhortation from Moses (pbuh):

“Shama Israelu Adonai Ila Hayno Adna Ikhad”.

It is a Hebrew quotation which means:

“Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God is one Lord” [The Bible, Deuteronomy 6:4]

2. Unity of God in the Book of Isaiah

The following verses are from the Book of Isaiah:

(I) “I, even I, am the Lord; and beside me there is no saviour.” [The Bible, Isaiah 43:11]

(ii) “I am Lord, and there is none else, there is no God besides me.”[The Bible, Isaiah 45:5]

(iii) “I am God, and there is none else; I am God, and there is none like me.”[The Bible, Isaiah 46:9]

3. Old Testament condemns idol worship

(I) Old Testament condemns idol worship in the following verses:

“Thou shalt have no other gods before me.”

“Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image, or any likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth:”

“Thou shalt not bow down thyself to them, nor serve them: for I the Lord thy God am a jealous God.” [The Bible, Exodus 20:3-5]

(ii) A similar message is repeated in the book of Deuteronomy:

“Thou shalt have none other gods before me.”

“Thou shalt not make thee any graven image, or any likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or that in the earth beneath, or that is in the water beneath the earth.”

“Thou shalt not bow down thyself unto them, nor serve them; for I the Lord thy God am a jealous God.” [The Bible, Deuteronomy 5:7-9]