Muslims Attacking New Christians (help!)

Hello everybody. So, I'm looking for YOUR help. At York University in Toronto there is a HUGE Muslim population to the point where they have essentially take over the public chapel open to all religions (its almost impossible to find a place to pray without booking ahead of time because they are always there. they LITERALLY pack the place (and its pretty big) Recently, Muslims have been singling out Christians, and approaching them when they're alone. What they do is they try to do the Islamic version of "evangelism", and they try to bring about doubt in our Christian faith. The main emphasis is 1) They do this when you're alone and 2) They attack your faith.

The Spiritual warfare is really real and I know of cases where believers come out of a conversation with a Muslim having been ripped in pieces by a wolf they are literally crying, filled with so much doubt and hurt. It makes me angry. I too with my first encounter with a Muslim was very shaken and felt very powerless against him! I do not know of any "victories" so to say when it comes to Muslims at York it seems like the believers here have come to a giant wall there are times when doors are opened and we are able to speak truth into their lives but no conversions that I know of although no doubt there are a few.

They are really tricky in doing this they ask you a series of questions that Christians do believe such as is God all powerful and did not the prophets all say to worship one GOd and to stop idolatry? and essentially they proceed to explain why Islam is right using your own agreements to their previous questions against you.

Now, I'm not doing this so that we have a tool to DEBATE or ARGUE with them. This is not the case at all. I'm doing this so that we can ROOT ourselves in the WORD OF GOD to SOLIDIFY/STRENGTHEN our faith. They've approached about 4 different people that I know of (including myself), and when they make these attacks, if we do not have answers in the Bible, our faith MAY be shaken.

So, I've compiled a list of 62 questions/statements that attack Christianity. Most of them are from a Muslim perspective, but some of them are common answers.

I am asking for help in regards to answering these questions and accusations using THE BIBLE, the HOLY SPIRIT, and COMMON SENSE (some of the accusations are stupid). So, in short, answer as many of these as you can, solidify ALL of your answers in SCRIPTURE, and post them please!

Once all of you (God willing) send your answers, I can compile all the answers, and send it out to believers at York University, so that if they ever are attacked in this way, they can be firm in their faith instead of panicking/doubting the Bible/the God we serve.

For the sake of order since there are so many questions please paste the original question and number you are answering and the response below it in sequencial order. (ex. 3,5,10,20) Thanks again!

(Also, please realize that these questions are not MY VIEWS, I had to ask the questions/make the statements that others make. Some of the questions/accusations are quite disgusting)

here goes:

1. If God is one, what is the trinity? How does it work? How are three separate entities one? How do they all have different purposes and are one? How does the trinity work, while still being monotheistic (Belief in One God alone)

2. If God is good, why is there evil in the world? Why is there so much bloodshed, sickness, natural disasters, and so on? If He's good, why does He allow these things to exist? Does He contribute to these things? Shouldn't His goodness stop these things from hurting innocent people?

3. If God can forgive sins, why would Jesus die for our sins? Isn't God all powerful, and capable of anything? Doesn't His mercy and love surpass His judgement? Why do we need Jesus to die for our sins? How can an innocent man die for my sins, when they're mine? Why Jesus?

4. If God is the trinity (Father, Son, Holy Spirit), and if God is One (Father, Son, Holy Spirit = One), how was Jesus cut off from the God Head (Father, Why have you forsaken me)? God can't stand sin, so when Jesus became sin, God had to get rid of Jesus. If God is one, and Jesus is part of God, how was Jesus cut off from the God Head? How does that work? How was God cut off from Himself?

5. What do you say about the Bible being changed? What do you say about it being edited over time? What do you say about it losing it's original meaning, and it's accuracy? If the Bible is the Word of God, shouldn't it be credible? If it was changed (in any way, shape, or form), how is it credible?

6. Why do you worship the way you do? The Qu'ran tells us to worship prostrate. Men of God always worshipped Prostrate. Jesus worshipped and prayed Prostrate (Garden of Gethsemane). Why do you worship with music, dance, and song? Isn't it a distraction? Why do you worship the way God has not commanded us to worship?

7. Why do you abandon God's commandments in the old testament? Why do so many Christians eat pork, not follow the Sabbath, and not follow many of the other Old Testament Commandments? What is your reason? How could you do away with God's commandments, if He is the same today, yesterday, and forever. Why would He change His mind and change His commandments?

8. Jesus says He came to fulfill the law, not to abolish it. Paul practically demolished the law by telling Christians not to follow it. Paul is contradictory to Jesus. Why do you follow Paul's commandments instead of Jesus'? Why have you done away with something from God, and compromised?

9. Jesus came for the Jewish people, not Gentiles. But Paul opened up Christianity to Gentiles. How does this work out? Paul is going against Jesus. Jesus doesn't care about Gentiles, He cares about Jews. Why is Christianity open to Gentiles when the figurehead of Christianity (Christ) came for Jews?

10. Jesus contradicts God's law. He ate heads of corn on the Sabbath. He worked on the Sabbath by healing. He stole a donkey when He asked His disciples to bring the donkey from that place. Jesus tells the Pharisees that the only reason for divorce is adultery, when Moses, a prophet of God, allowed divorce for other reasons. Why is Jesus rebellious to the law of God, and to God's commandments (whether major or minor)?

11. Christianity steals from Ancient Near East religions and traditions. Odin was crucified and rose again, and so was Jesus. Sound familiar? The story of Jesus is just a duplication of other epic myths, from Ancient Near East religions, Ancient Sumaritan Texts, and so on. What do you have to say about your fabricated Jesus who is a myth/exaggerted at best?

12. The Bible has been edited so many times. All versions say different things, usually in small ways, but some are completely opposite, and some even add stuff that other bibles dont have (Verses, faulty translations, stories, etc). What do you have to say about this? Your Bible is unreliable. Why are all the versions so different? Which one is the right, accurate version? It's simply unreliable.

13. How do you explain the cannonization of the Bible? Firstly, certain books were ommitted (Apocrypha - Infancy Gospel of Thomas, Gospel of Judas, Gospel of Eve, etc). Secondly, the Catholic Bible and the Protestant Bible have different books. If God devinely inspired the cannonization of the Bible, which one is from God? How do we know this? How can you prove this? Thirdly, how did they choose which books to cannonize? Wasn't this merely human intellect and human will, there's no way God chose which books were right or wrong.

14. How can you explain the divisions within Christianity? There are so many different denominations. Some are inreconciably different in major theological/doctrinal ways. Some are different in practices (Worship, prayer, outreach). Shouldn't the body of Christ be one? If this really was the religion of God, shouldn't it be consistent, and not inconsistent?

15. If God is love, and if God is good, how do you explain the Old Testament? God commanded the Israelites to destroy entire towns, killing the women, men, civilians, and even DEFENCELESS BABIES. Why would a loving God do this?

16. God destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah. God killed nearly all mankind with a flood. How is God merciful, when He's almost destroyed all of mankind, without saving many possible people who were simply sinful by nature/lost? Why would a loving God do this? This God seems angry and childish.

17. How do you explain all the bloodshed done in the name of Christianity? Throughout history, MILLIONS of people have been slaughtered by Christians, for having different beliefs and practices. The crusades are an example. Christianity is DANGEROUS and HATEFUL, how do you explain this?

18. How do you explain the partiality of God's decisions? He often does things out of His emotions. He makes decisions based on anger and jealousy. Why would an all-knowing God make decisions based off of feelings (anger, jealousy, etc)?

19. If God is all knowing, and if God is perfect, why does He change His mind? Many times in the Bible, God was going to do something, but He changed His mind. If He is perfect, His first decision would have been right, changing His decision means He was wrong, or flawed, or limited.

20. If God is all knowing and perfect, why are human beings, in the Bible, able to speak with God and change His mind? God is perfect and shouldn't be changing His decisions, especially when a flawed Human asks Him to do this. How do you explain this

I am going to post this in two sections since there are so many questions please read the FIRST post to understand why there are so many questions being asked!

21. If God is good and all-knowing, why did He create Satan? Couldn't He have seen what Satan was going to do, and just stopped Him beforehand? Satan causes so much pain and hate, but God created Satan, so isn't God the root of all pain and hate in the world?

22. If God is good and all-knowing, why didn't He know of sin before He created the world, and why didn't He stop it, or change creation to be different so that sin wouldn't exist? Doesn't He hate sin?

23. If all fall short of the glory of God, and if all sin, that means everyone is going to hell. But Jesus stops us from going to hell. What happens to people who existed/died before Jesus came and died on the cross? Are they going to hell? Is that fair? How does that work?

24. If God is loving and good, why are Old Testament laws (which came from God) so harsh? A child acts disobediently/lies to their parents, and the punishment is stoning? How is this right? A woman caught in adultery is stoned? How is this love? Why was God such a jerk instead of being loving?

25. If sacrifices covered people's sins in the Old Testament, why don't they cover sin now? What went wrong? Isn't God perfect, so wouldn't His solution for sin be correct? Why would He need to change the solution? Why are animal sacrifices not enough now, when that was what men did to cover their sin before? That doesn't make sense. God never changes.

26. Jesus prayed to God. Jesus told us that the only good One was God (He didn't refer to Himself - Young Rich Ruler). Jesus worshipped God alone, and told us to worship God alone. Why do Christians worship Jesus? Why do Christians pray to Jesus? Why do most Christians literally place Jesus on an equal level, or even above God?

27. The terms "Son of Man" and "Son of God" are used MANY times in the Old Testament. Why do Christians believe Jesus is the ONLY Son of God, when there were people with this same title in the Old Testament?

28. God is God. He's all powerful and perfect. Why does He need to come down as a human being to die for my sins? He could just snap His fingers and my sins would be gone, so why does He need to come as Jesus, or send Jesus? How does that work? That's silly.

29. Would a loving Father kill His son for others? Wouldn't He want His son to live? Isn't a father supposed to sacrifice all for His son? God didn't love Jesus. This isn't the action of a loving Father.

30. Why would God kill Himself so that He could save the world? This comment alone sounds absurd. God killed Himself....

31. God is all powerful, without need, fully sustained by Himself, for He is the creator and the beginning of all things. He has no limitations. If Jesus is God, why did He gave limitations? This goes against the principles of God the Most High. Jesus had to eat, drink, breathe air, sleep, use the washroom, and He also died on a cross. God cannot die, God is not limited or sustained by temporary/partial things. If Jesus is God, why was He weak and limited?

32. Christians talk about how loving and beautiful Jesus was. As a gentile, you might be surprised at how RUDELY Jesus might treat you as a gentile. When the woman who had a sick daughter came to Jesus for a healing, Jesus called her a dog, and said it isn't right for Him to throw bread at her. Does Jesus sound loving when He called this woman a dog? How can you reconcile that? Also, as a gentile, wouldn't Jesus also call YOU a dog?

33. If God is good, and merciful, and loving, why does He punish people? More so than this, why does He punish CHRISTIANS and INNOCENT PEOPLE? For instance, a faithful Christian woman may give birth to a child who is born with physical deformities and/or mental illnesses. How is God being good to this woman? Also, I have a cousin who's niece drowned in a pool. She was 10 years old, and as she was drowning, she shouted out "GOD, PLEASE DON'T LET ME DIE", and she drowned to death. How is God good? He not only punishes/harms/ALLOWS innocent people to die/suffer, but He also does it to His servants/allows it to happen to His servants.

34. Who is Jesus? Is He a prophet? Is He the Son of God? Is He God in the flesh?

35. If God is amazing and loving, how do you explain hateful scriptures towards women? The woman is supposed to be below the man, the woman is supposed to shut up in church, the woman is supposed to cover her head, women in the old testament were also treated badly (considered unclean during certain times, etc). How do you reconcile the fact that God is loving, yet His word is so harsh/demeaning to women?

36. Mohammed is in the Bible. When the Bible speaks of a Spirit of Truth who will come and tell all things pertaining to righteousness, the Bible was actually speaking of Mohammed. The comforted/Holy Spirit is Mohammed. Prove otherwise.

37. Aren't Christians just hypocrites? They become "born again", but they still continue to sin. When you ask them "Well, didn't God take away your sin? Hasn't Jesus changed you? Why are you still sinning and do you have to be forgiven again?" they simply say "God sees Jesus instead of me". Jesus is an excuse to continue in sin. Also, isn't it just hypocritical to see everyone else as sinners in need of repentence/Jesus when Christians still continue in their sin?

38. How do you explain Muslims having legitimate testimonies? The Qu'ran is FILLED with scientific information that was IMPOSSIBLE for a man in a cave (Mohammed) to know at the time period that he lived, and only recently are scientists discovering what the Qu'ran has said for thousands of years. Also, Muslims have testimonies of healing, testimonies of them being changed (sinful to righteous), and so on. How do you explain testimonies of their miracles, change, peace in their lives, and also the scientific discoveries in the Qu'ran?

39. If Christianity is the way, why do SO MANY Christians convert to Islam?

40. If God is the same yesterday, today, and forever, why did He change within the Bible? Before, in the old testament, there were laws to stone children who disobey their parents, to sacrifice animals for sin offerings, and there were strict laws (no park, no shaving of sides, etc). Why did God change? Was He wrong before? Explain the CONTRADICTORY changes from the Old Testament to the New Testament.

41. Why does God hate homosexuals or see them as disgusting? They were born that way.

42. If God is good, why does He cause, or why does He not prevent natural disasters which kill innocents, such as floods, earthquakes, and so on?

43. How do you explain hypocritical Christians who go to night clubs, have sex, love money, and do drugs?

44. Prophets are supposed to be ROLE MODELS to us. They're supposed to be examples of righteousness and holiness. In the Bible, you can BARELY follow the examples of some prophets because they committed adultery, murder, incest, and so on. How are these Holy Men of God? Surely, the Jews must have edited the Bible to make the prophets (who rebuked Israel) seem like horrible people.

45. If Jesus is God, why did He pray to God? Was He praying to Himself? How does that make sense?

46. Why do Christians celebrate Pagan holidays? (Christmas, etc)

47. Why do Christians bother other people with their beliefs? There are MANY people who serve the same God. There are MANY paths to the same God.

48. Why does God create people who He KNOWS will sin, and will go to hell? If God is loving, why would He create someone only to send them to hell? Also, why does God MAKE some people blind from the "truth"?

49. Why is God allowed to hate, or to be jealous, or to kill, but we're not allowed to. Is God a hypocrite?

50. Why do evil people or sinful people have GREAT lives, and usually RIGHTEOUS people have HORRIBLE lives? Is God rewarding the evil?

51. "I'll come to God when I am ready. I need to deal with my issues first..."

52. Jesus spoke Aramaic, but the Bible is written in Greek. There was a loss with the translation (language loses meaning when it's translated), and also, where is the original Aramaic bible?

53. There is no proof for Jesus. He is a myth. He is a copy from other pagan mythologies.

54. If Jesus was all about peace, why did His disciples carry swords? Why did He say He comes to bring a sword? Why did He encourage a Jihad (to kill unbelievers)? Luke 19:27But as for these enemies of mine, who did not want me to reign over them, bring them here and slaughter them before me.

55. Can God create a rock so heavy that He cannot lift it? You see, if God is all powerful, and can do anything, then He should be able to create a rock so heavy that He cannot lift it, but if He does that, then it means that He isn't all powerful, because He cannot lift the rock. But, if God CANNOT create a rock that is so heavy that He cannot lift it, then that means that He is NOT all powerful.

56. How do you explain non-Christians who perform miracles that are GOOD? (Such as healing of sick). A kingdom cannot stand divided, so that means that these non-Christians are not getting their power from Satan, because if Satan stands against himself, he shall fall.

57. The word Trinity is not in the Bible. Why do you use it?

58. How do you explain the historical/logical Contradictions in the Bible?

59. The concept of the trinity did not exist in the early church. It came about afterwards. How do you explain this?

60. How do you know you hear the voice of God, and not the voice of a demon?

61. Why do you not pray to Saints? Why do you not pray to Mary? It isn't mean you're worshipping them. It just means that they're already in Heaven, closer to God, and you're asking them to pray for you/put in a good word with God.

62. If someone is born transvestite (with both MALE and FEMALE body parts), how do you explain this to them? What did God do to them? Are they a boy or a girl?

thanks so much

I live in an area that is predominantly Muslim and work as a missionary in great part to the Muslim population. I would be delighted if they attempted this. I as yet have never had an encounter with a Muslim "missionary." Evangelism is not usually part of the Muslim faith. I am encouraged by your story, this will give Christians an excellent chance to be a witness. These students have the opportunity to hold up the gospel in difficult areas and share the truth with Muslims.

Most of these questions have basic answers someone with a thorough knowledge of the Bible could answer well. With some questions it's perfectly acceptable to say, "Let me think about that. Here's why I believe in Jesus Christ. . ." and go on to share your testimony. A genuine experience with God and bringing others into that experience can do more than 62 answers to such questions.

I don't have time to write a detailed answer to all these questions right now. Hopefully someone else on the forum will take up the task.

By the way some of these questions seem very odd for Muslims to ask such as 21, 41 and 62. Most of the questions I have dealt with involve the corruption of the biblical text, the trinity and the life and nature of Jesus. Blessings to you and prayers for the situation. I'm hopeful that many Muslims will come to Christ in this context and that many Christians will stand up for the truth and the Gospel empowered by the Holy Spirit to give an answer with wisdom from above.

http://www.answering-islam.net/ will have answers to all these questions are many more.

1. If God is one, what is the trinity? How does it work? How are three separate entities one? How do they all have different purposes and are one? How does the trinity work, while still being monotheistic (Belief in One God alone)

MY ANSWER:

God made man in His image (Muslims do not believe this). We can understand trinity, non-biblical term used to try to describe God, by looking at a human with a body, soul and spirit. These three parts form one being. You can point to my body and say, "Look, its ________," and you are correct, but only because my body contains my soul and my spirit. My body may die, but the Bible says that I immediately get a new one so the analogy remains valid. You can say, "________'s soul is really _________" and you are correct, but my soul is irrevocably tied to my body and my spirit. The same goes for my spirit. The three are part of one another. One cannot be totally separate from the other, yet all three are distinct and we talk about all three with separate attributes. They are different parts of me, yet they are all me. I am one, made up of three distinct parts that exist in communion with each other. God is one and is made up of three distinct parts that exist in perfect communion with each other.

From theologian Rob Bowman:

The doctrine of the Trinity is biblical if and only if all of the following propositions are biblical teachings:

One eternal uncreated being, the LORD God, alone created all things.

The Father is the LORD God.

The Son, who became the man Jesus Christ, is the LORD God.

The Holy Spirit is the LORD God.

The Father and the Son stand in personal relation with each other.

The Father and the Holy Spirit stand in personal relation with each other.

The Son and the Holy Spirit stand in personal relation with each other.

It is easier to describe the trinity with these seven points than to use words like "One in being and three in person" Muslims will challenge trinitarian wording and the word "trinity."

A Few Scriptures:

Genesis 1:1-3
Genesis 1:26
Genesis 18:1-3
Psalm 2:7
Isaiah 9:6
Psalm 110:1
Matthew 1:23
Matthew 3:16-17
Matthew 12:18
Luke 4:18-19
Matthew 28:18-20
John 10:30
John 14:9-11
John 14:23
John 14:26
John 15:26
John 16:13-15
John 17:21-23

Analogies:

The sun, its rays, its heat
Electricity: light, heat, movement
Water: liquid, ice, steam
Space: length, width, height
A person: spirit, soul, body
A family: father, mother, children
Eye: white, iris, pupil
Egg: shell, white, yolk
ray of light: dispersed into three colors of a prism
triangle: three angles and three sides but is one form

EDIT:

Focus on emphasizing the unity and oneness of God and the deity of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit vs. the number three. Muslims are convinced Christians are polytheistic, shattering that while upholding the deity and distinction of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit will go far.

EDIT:

I should note that the analogies list and scripture references were found in a resource by Grace and Truth. You can read more of their excellent work on Muslim ministry and apologetics at grace-and-truth.net. They will send you free materials if you request them.

This site has 244 questions and anwers including the ones you posted.

www.answers-to-muslims.com/

Also this is an excellent video in 2 parts to watch.

http://vimeo.com/31263562

Brother/Sister, I am trying to give you Scriptures and some answers on the first 20 questions you have given. I hope to do the same for the other 40, but as of right now I am targeting the first 20. I should soon, Lord willing, have them ready. I hope and pray that they will be useful for you. God bless!

Thank you all so much for your responses so far!

In Christ
Evangel

Hello, EvangelTam. I saw your post and how you have went at great lengths to explain your situation and the great need for Biblical, sound answers to be given to the Muslims and to be present in the minds and hearts of the saints within your university. I believe, hope, and pray that the answers in this post will glorify God, be of help to you and our brothers and sisters in Christ, and enter into the hearts and minds of the Muslims to, by the grace of God, bring them to repentance. Sometimes it may be best not to say anything, but remember what Peter said, “But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts: and be ready always to give an answer to every man that asketh you a reason of the hope that is in you with meekness and fear:” (1 Peter 3:15) Remember the words “ready always” and “every man”, but most of all remember to, “sanctify the Lord God in your hearts”. As I said earlier, I will work on the first 20 questions and write explanations when I feel I should. Hopefully I can work on the other 40 soon.

Question 1. The concept of the Trinity is something that I believe no one will ever fully understand, but the Bible has much to say about it. Here are some Scriptures that may help answer your questions:

Luke 3:21-22
Luke 4:1
John 1:1-5
John 1:18
John 4:24
John 14:9-11
John 15: 26-27
John 16:13-14
John 17:22-23
2 Corinthians 3:17-18
Colossians 1:12-19
Colossians 2:9

Notice how these verses speak clearly of the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost. Scripture says over and over how One performs a certain task, but also speaks of the Three being One. How so? Jesus said of Him and the Father, “…we are One.”, and, “Thou in Me.” (John 17:22 and 17:23) John says in the Holy Ghost, “No man hath seen God at any time; the only begotten Son, which is in the bosom of the Father, he that declared him.” (John 1:18) Read the other examples in the Scriptures I listed to see how the Holy Ghost did such and such, the Son did such and such, the Father did such and such, but they are One. Remember the Godhead? Paul says of Jesus, “in him dwelleth all the fullness of the Godhead bodily.” (Colossians 2:9) So the Scriptures are saying the fullness the Godhead dwells in Jesus. But doesn’t John say that Jesus is in the FATHER’S bosom? This can seem confusing to us with the Holy Ghost, Jesus, and the Father saying that they are each in each, but we must remember Who we are speaking of. God is OMNIPRESENT. He is everywhere. So if He is everywhere, all in all (1 Corinthians 15:28, Psalm 139), then each of His Persons can be One and in each other. When Jesus said He would send the Comforter (the Holy Spirit), He was saying that He would send Someone just like Him. If you read and study this you will find that to be true. Also, Jesus said that if we have seen Him we have seen the Father. So the Trinity seems to certainly be three Persons (spirit and body and word) but One. God does things individually but as One even still. We cannot totally comprehend this as humans, “Such knowledge is too wonderful for me; it is high, I cannot attain unto it.”, (Psalm 139:6) but we know it to be true, and we know God is all powerful and is everywhere all the time. So as for reasoning with anyone, I hope everything I have said helps you and any other brother or sister in Christ when speaking to anyone about the Trinity.

Question 2. Answers in Scripture:

Exodus 34:6-7
Leviticus 26
Ezekiel 18:31-32
Romans 9:17-23
2 Peter 2:9

Question 3. Answers in Scripture:

Exodus 34:6-7
Romans 6:23
Romans 7
Hebrews 10
1 John 1:5
1 John 3:4-8

Question 4. Answers in Scripture:

Isaiah 53:9-12
Romans 5:8-21
1 Peter 2:24

Question 5. Answers in Scripture:

Mark 13:31
Revelation 22:19

As for any other Scripture, I might be able to find a few verses but I think the answer to this question will be made with a personal explanation by the individual to whom the question is posed. We all have our opinions about the translations of the Bible, and we know several have gone out of their way to make it “easier to understand” and have erred in doing so. In my opinion, the best answer to give is to make that statement I just made in the previous sentence and then mention that there will be a few changes in words once Scripture is translated into a different language due to the difference in languages, but the goal should always be to make it as accurate to the original text as possible and, if needed, include footnotes to words that are different in the text to ensure the reader’s understanding of the original text. God’s Word is ALWAYS credible. This is just a matter of men’s weaknesses and in some cases, errors.

Question 6. Answers in Scripture:

2 Samuel 6:14
Psalm 33:3
Psalm 96:1
Psalm 144:9
Psalm 147:7
Psalm 149:1
Psalm 149:3
Isaiah 42:10
John 4:23-24

You will see that God has indeed commanded us in His Word to worship Him in music, song, and dance. The way He is truly worshiped in these ways, however, is when it is done in Spirit and in Truth.

Question 7. Answers in Scripture:

Acts 10:9-16
Acts 15:1-35
Colossians 2:16-23

Question 8. Answers in Scripture:

All the Scriptures I gave for question 7 work for this as well. It is fairly simple to explain this question. All the old laws point to Christ, the only One who could obey them entirely, perfectly, and fulfill the Old Covenant. Once the law was fulfilled, the New Covenant was brought in where Jesus has fulfilled the rituals and the symbolic laws of sin being taken away and dealt with (remember clean foods and unclean foods, circumcision, the sacrifices, issues with the body being unclean at times, the Passover, etc.). Since Christ has been sacrificed and sin has been taken away from the believers by His blood, there is no need for the rituals of the old covenant. “What God hath cleansed, that call not thou common.” (Acts 11:9) So Jesus fulfilled the Old Covenant and brought in the New Covenant. Paul just realized this fact, as did Peter and all the apostles.

Question 9. Answers in Scripture:

Isaiah 49:6
Isaiah 49:22
Isaiah 62:2
Isaiah 66:19
Hosea 2:23
Mark 16:15-16
John 3:16
Acts 1:8

Jesus Himself said to go out to all the world and declare the gospel to EVERY creature and WHOSOEVER believes shall be saved. God the Father said in the Old Testament that He would call a people His people who were not His people. He would tell them that He is their God and they would declare that He is indeed their God. Jesus is the light of the WORLD. He cares for the whole world and desires every man and woman to be saved. The Lord is not willing that any should perish (2 Peter 3:9) The reason why the Jews were set aside from the world to be His people was because they were the nation He chose for His Son to be born into since Abraham was a man of great faith and pleased God. God honored his faith by choosing his descendents to be the race Jesus would be born into. However, Jesus came so that the WORLD might be saved. (John 3:17) Jesus still honored the faith that Gentiles and Samaritans had in Him (John 4, Luke 7) even though they were not “His people”.

Question 10. Answers in Scripture:

Matthew 12:1-13
Matthew 19:9-12

In these verses Jesus is by no means rebellious to the law. Regarding the Sabbath He says, “the Son of Man is Lord even of the Sabbath day.” (Matthew 12:8) He most certainly did not steal the donkey, and in my personal opinion He did not do “work” on the Sabbath by healing. Laying of hands or speaking takes less effort than walking, and walking was most definitely permitted in the Sabbath as long as long distances were not covered. The Pharisees however were heretical and made stricter laws than God did regarding the Sabbath. Jesus often reproved them for this. As for divorce, the reason why Moses permitted the Israelites to divorce like he did was because of the hardness of their hearts (Matthew 19:8). From my understanding, it would cause the people to sin more by being married than to be separated. Now we must remember, Jesus is the New Covenant and God in the flesh, so He spoke with authority from on high when He forgave, healed, and spoke new laws. He spoke of this saying, “For I have not spoken of myself; but the Father which sent me, he gave me a commandment, what I should say, and what I should speak. And I know that his commandment is life everlasting: whatsoever I speak therefore, even as the Father said unto me, so I speak.” (John 12:49-50) So God the Father was giving the new commandments and was speaking and working through Christ Jesus in everything Jesus did. And as for the adulteress woman, David spoke from experience when he said, “Blessed is the man unto whom the Lord imputeth not iniquity” (Psalm 32:2)

Question 11. Answers in Scripture:

Deuteronomy 18:15-22
Isaiah 52 and 53

The message of the cross and Messiah is much older than any other religion. Also, the prophecies of the Bible regarding Christ range from hundreds to thousands of years old. Christ fulfilled them ALL. There is nothing in the Quran or any other book that has accomplished the feats of the Bible.

Question 12. Answers in Scripture:

The verses I gave for question 5 are suitable for this as well. The Bible is most certainly not unreliable. There are many ancient languages and texts that have been preserved over the years, and more importantly the disciples who wrote the words of Jesus in Greek wrote under the anointing of the Holy Ghost. (2 Timothy 3:16) So with this being the case, the Scriptures are not unreliable, they are totally reliable. We just have to keep in mind the other things I have mention in my answers for question 5.

Question 13. Answers in Scripture:

Psalm 33:4
Malachi 3:6
Hebrews 13:8

There were many false books supposedly written by certain people. They were not of God, and they were clearly seen as being not of God because they did not add up with the rest of the Scriptures. They were not the same. The books that made it into the canon had a certain style, if you will, in how they were written. They were written with authority and were in line with the rest of the Scriptures.

Question 14. Answers in Scripture:

Romans 14
Galatians 2-3:4
Philippians 2:21
2 Peter 2

Question 15. Answers in Scripture:

Numbers 33:51-53
Deuteronomy 20:16-18

The reason Scripture gives for utterly destroying nations is this, “That they teach you not to do after all their abominations, which they have done unto their gods; so should ye sin against the LORD your God.” (Deuteronomy 20:18) The people of these lands were so sinful (carrying out human sacrifices, infanticide, etc.) that they were cursed in a way that if anything of theirs was spared it would cause God’s people to sin. They had to be utterly destroyed.

Question 16. Answers in Scripture:

Genesis 6:1-13

The same answer for question 15 applies to this question.

Question 17. Answers in Scripture:

2 Peter 2
1 John 3:14-18
1 John 4

Anyone who kills in the name of Christianity is a liar, the truth is not in him, and he does not know God nor is he of God. Satan has deceived anyone who does such a thing. They have no part in the kingdom of Heaven.

Question 18. Answers in Scripture:

Exodus 34:6-7
Psalm 25:8
Psalm 73:1
Jeremiah 44:22-23
Hebrews 3
Revelation 4:11

I would give other Scriptures that declare God’s glory and holiness but only a revelation from God of His glory and holiness would put the fear of God in someone so their eyes would be opened to His righteousness and His justness in His actions. I did give Scriptures explaining that God is very patient with the wicked and very merciful. He bears long with them, convicts them, and encourages them to turn to Him and obey Him, but after so long He has to execute judgment on the wicked. God is a righteous God and a holy God. He will by no means clear the guilty. God always judges sin (remember the cross). God shows His righteous anger whenever people are stiff-necked and utterly rebellious towards Him while He continually offers His mercy and shows His love.

Question 19. Answers in Scripture:

Exodus 33:17
2 Chronicles 7:12-22
Matthew 23:37-39

Scripture shows why God changes His mind, and it is clearly based on the response He gets from people. If they are faithful to Him, He blesses, but He will judge them if they are not faithful to Him. He may intend to judge them, but if they repent He will change His mind and bless them. This can happen in many different ways.

Question 20. Answers in Scripture:

Exodus 33

This chapter completely answers the question, especially in verses 15 and 16. Moses wanted God’s presence more than anything. The reason was for God’s sake, that the nations would know, “that I and thy people have found grace in thy sight”. God is glorified when people ask God to change His mind or do anything for His sake, that He be glorified. That is our purpose for existence, that we glorify God and seek to do so.

QUOTE:
"So wait on the Lord, don't study to answer these Muslims, rather study to shew yourselves approved unto God rightly dividing the word of truth.

Keep your shirt on, say nothing and the Lord will strengthen you. If He gives you a word say it, if not, say nothing."

I would AMEN this!

Having said this, it might make for a good study as to why you believe what you do but not to debate with them. They have Christians answers down pat and ready-made answers to make you feel stupid. Do not fall for it. Sound like JW's really but they just go by a different name.

When talking with JWs a personal testimony cannot be refuted but then you do not want to cast pearls before swine, either. To be sensitive to the Spirit's leading is of paramount importance.

Best wishes and God bless you and all the Christians there...

Sometimes they (muslims, heathens, etc), won’t listen to sound Biblical answers because they are UNBELIEVERS!!! This may offend a few people but this is where having the gift of tongues comes in quite handy. It’s a sign to the unbelievers and the unbelieving ‘spirits’ in people. and the Bible speaks of men fleeing when no man pursues and the gift of tongues is one way to get them to flee. You can think I’m crazy but I have seen this first hand when my body and life was in danger and the two men ran away when no one pursued them; they RAN to their car and peeled out there! If God be for us, who can be against us??!!

I’m not trying to bring up “tongues” in this thread; I’m just sharing one way to stop them when they won’t listen to sound biblical answers! Just imagine what God would do if a lot of you at York University had the gift of tongues and operating in it when they tried to confront you!! (huge smile for Jesus!!)

God bless you,
Lisa

http://www.christianheritageuk.org.uk/Media/Player.aspx?media_id=2342&file_id=2837

Here you can hear an enlightening lecture called "The Real Problem with Islam" by a Christian scholar who has studied the religion and worked with them in high places. This message is revealing and riveting - and will help you understand your colleagues.

It is part of a series of lectures: "Civilizations in Conflict." To find downloadable link, visit the following page and enter "Islam" in search box (my recommendation)
http://www.christianheritageuk.org.uk/Media/AllMedia.aspx

Site: Christian Heritage at Cambridge University UK
http://www.christianheritageuk.org.uk/

Diane

Evangel, I would like to comment on #1:
"1. If God is one, what is the trinity? How does it work? How are three separate entities one? How do they all have different purposes and are one? How does the trinity work, while still being monotheistic (Belief in One God alone)"

I would like to share how I understand the Trinity using the law of first mention. Doing so will take care of most of the questions raised in objection to the concept of the Trinity (I believe).

There are three kinds of intelligent beings: The Godhead, the angels, and Human Beings.

1. In the Godhead there are three separate persons: the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit.

2. In the angelic realm you have God's angels and then there are the fallen ones called demons.

3. In the human realm you have Adam and Eve and all their offspring of which we are. (Unless you claim to have descended from some primate!)

Consider the language used in Genesis 1 concerning the creation of man: "26 Then God said, “Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness;" Us - plural; Our - plural - more then one.

Verse 27: "God created man in His own image, in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them." God made two beings in his own image - two human beings. They were separate beings - him and her.

From these verses I gather that God exists in different beings. They are not one in the sense of one creature.

If you consider this carefully, verses that refer to the Believers as being 'one as we are one' will make more sense. John 17:11, 21,22. Jesus prays that the Believers be One as he and the Father are one. He is talking about unity in purpose, mind and thought. The Believers were not to be one physical entity, but one in goal, purpose - a unity. The concept of 'one' in the rest of the scripture refers to UNITY in purpose, mind.

Another example is the husband and wife relationship. They are to be one. Matthew 19:5; Mark 10:8; Eph. 5:31. My husband and I are still two different persons with two different bodies. From my observations this is true of all humans that I know. But in life, work, mind we are to be unified. I know my husbands mindset, how his mind works, what he thinks and does not think. I know what pleases him or displeases him. And the same with me. But we have two different bodies, very different. We also have different responsibilities in life, but all complementary.

If this concept is understood it will answer a lot of critics accusations although I do sense that many do not even want to understand this!

I shared this with a JW one time and they acted horrified! They said you believe there are three gods? Now what do you say to that? Actually, most of these critics are not interested in the TRUTH - all they are interested in is destroying your faith and they work to do so by finding inconsistent loopholes in Christian theology.

I will refrain from quoting more scriptures defending this concept. I think if the concept as revealed in Genesis 1 is understood, the rest will all fall in place real easy. Simple, in my opinion.

Hope this makes sense.