i would like to know why you left the christian faith? what you have against Jesus?
why do you not like jesus?
The above were two comments posted to my about page last month. I haven’t approved them, because I just didn’t know the appropriate response (I don’t approve all comments, you wouldn’t believe some of them). However, I saved them in my pending comments box for a day like today when I could get a chance to appropriately respond.
Normally, when I get comments like this I take them as a joke and post or delete them outright as some people over the years send me things trying to rile me up, but on this occasion I didn’t so much question the intent of the poster, but moreso felt like there was an underlying question behind the post that I shouldn’t ignore.
I rarely write or speak on this topic, because it’s one of the most sensitive to speak about and I really don’t like to offend and/or alienate those who think differently than me, however being semi provoked, I figured what the heck? 
First of all, let me be clear not only do I like Jesus (as) I love Jesus (as). In fact, contrary to the propaganda these days masquerading as belief, no Muslim could believe the opposite. The Qur’an is replete with verses speaking of the high status that Jesus (as) and his mother Mary (ra) have in Islam. I will not reproduce those scriptures today in the interest of time, as there are a multitude of references on the net on this very topic “Jesus in Islam”. Suffice to say that not only do I personally Love Jesus (as) I’m also obligated in Islam to do so.
The mistake many make concerning converts from Christianity to Islam, is that they tend to think that there was something we felt negative towards Jesus (as) or something told to us that was negative that made us leave, this is far from reality. Many converts like myself, evaluated, and re-evaluated, our positions and beliefs about Jesus (as) more times than you know before me made the life-changing decision and accept Islam. Which is why it’s actually more of an insult than anything else to suggest that our decision was fickle and with little thought.
Let’s make one thing crystal shall we? Muslims believe in Jesus (as) just not in the same way “some” Christians do. That should be a fair statement to make between people of reason, but we all know that our modern politic doesn’t allow for such discourse. I used “some” because if one were to look at a comparison of what Muslims believe about Jesus (as) versus what Christians believe about Jesus (as), one would find that in those issues where there is a difference, other Christians may very well hold those views as well and they are in fact not unique to Muslims.
For instance, Muslims believe:
- That Jesus (as) was foretold by the Angel Gabriel to Mary (as)
- That Mary (as) conceived and delivered Jesus (as) as a virgin
- That Jesus (as) is the Messiah
- That Jesus (as) is a Prophet of God
- That Jesus (as) came to the Children of Israel and gave clear guidance and warnings for the path of salvation
- That Jesus (as) performed miracles and gave revelations
….among other things….
Very few Christians (well I haven’t met any) disagree with those beliefs
Where Muslims and Christians differ:
- Muslims do not believe Jesus (as) was God in the flesh. Muslims believe that Jesus (as) was a flesh and blood man and couldn’t do anything of his own will and served God
- Muslims do not believe that Jesus (as) died on the cross* depending on what Muslim you ask, you may get varying accounts, however the universal Islamic belief is that Jesus (as) was saved from the cross
That’s pretty much it outside of a lengthy discourse in theology, which I’m willing to do at a later date, but would prefer we take that discussion to the radio or messageboard.
As you can see, while the two dissenting points while major to some Christians isn’t necessarily new to Christianity today or in the past. These views have been and are held by other Christians, yet they are never accused of not liking Jesus (as) are they?
Muslims believe that we honor Jesus (as) by accepting him as he was and not limiting God by trapping him within the confines of mortality. Simply put as a recent bumper sticker I read stated “Worship the Creator not the creation”. Muslims believe the “controversial” belief, that God is above any and all things that He creates and that includes Jesus (as) who was a creation born of a woman. Now some may say that Jesus (as) being born of a virgin is proof…well the Qur’an counters with Adam (as) had neither a mother or a father, yet we don’t equate him with God, which is a greater feat?
In short without an Islam 101 lecture, I do not dislike Jesus (as) and why I left Christianity is an oft talked about, written about topic, that horse is out to pasture, feel free to search the archive or go listen to past shows.
Thank you for your question whoever you are.
*** (as) is an abbreviation of the Arabic:
- Alayhis Salam (عليه السلام)
- “Peace be upon him” This expression normally follows after naming a prophet (other than Muhammad), or one of the noble Angels (i.e. Jibreel[Gabriel], Mikaeel[Michael], etc.)
***(ra) is an abbreviation of the Arabic:
Radiyallahu anha, Radiyallahu anhu, Radiyallahu anhuma, Radiyallahu anhum
“May Allah be pleased with her, him, them (feminine), or them” respectively. This expression normally follows after naming a servant of God other than a prophet.
Author Comment In Response To Author Comment In Response To renee
lslkgl4@yahoo.com
76.85.137.168why do you not like jesus?
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lslkgl4@yahoo.com
76.85.137.168i would like to know why you left the christian faith? what you have against Jesus?
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Author Comment In Response To Author Comment In Response To
lslkgl4@yahoo.com
76.85.137.168why do you not like jesus?
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lslkgl4@yahoo.com
76.85.137.168i would like to know why you left the christian faith? what you have against Jesus?
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#1 by Salt on October 13, 2009 - 2:45 am
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Whoever writes for this blog will never win converts to his faith or convey the wisdom of its teachings by being lazy, defensive, and dogmatic. This person, presumably a Christian, asks questions about your religion, and you tell him he is not worthy of an explaination in full, because the questioner is too ignorant of Islam? Good luck with your ministry here in the United States if it is your custom to spurn a possible convert, because it would take too much time & effort to teach him. But, for the sake of argument, let’s say you do have a point that this person needs a rudimentary understanding of Islam to benefit from a deeper discussion; if that is the case, then at the very least convey that thought in a tacit, diplomatic manner.
Instead of saying, “without an Islam 101 lecture…”, show the guy you actually care by directing him to a site where he may learn more about Jesus in Islam; a link to a translated version of your Koran would probably suffice. A word or two of encouragement, perhaps by relating that you would be happy to answer any of his questions after he is done reading, couldn’t hurt either.
You see, people in the United States, and most of Europe for that matter, will not submit to any belief system, idea, or religion unless it appeals to their logical understanding of things. They will not seek out to judge the merits of Islam over Christianity, but they will give you a fair hearing if you present your message in a manner they can understand. When explaining Islam to Christian Americans, cut to the heart of the matter by using their own Bible to defeat their own understanding of Jesus and G-d. Use logic to show the truth; secondly, think of yourself as a lawyer and your audience (mostly Christian) as a jury in court.
There are a whole lot of different translations of the Christian Bible, because each translation tries to twist the scripture to serve the beliefs of their particular sect. Point out that nowhere in the Bible does Jesus claim or proclaim himself to be literally G-d’s son or the King of the Jews. Now is not the time to explain the origin of some of these criticisms. Empart that knowledge on a more advisible occassion; stick to the point for the time being.
Rely on history and a scholarly translation of the Christian Bible to shatter the already flimsy scriptural support for Christ’s divinity, be it based on a mistranslation, ignorance, or outright connivance. Juries will forgive innocent mistakes and move on, but they burn with indignation and fury when they feel as if an institution they have put their faith in has been misrepresenting the truth. Possibly point out that that Pigrims themselves sought out a new society in America to discover and understand the very truths of the scripture that had long been warped by mainstream churches in Europe. Understanding Christ’s non-divinity via accurate scripture is just a continuation of the Puritan tradition.
Tread lightly, but also point out that Christ himself warns in the The Sermon on the Mount-a sermon he gave shortly before the crucifixion I might add-of the many wolves in sheep’s clothing that will decieve the flocks through such a duplicitous manner.
If Christ is not the literal son of G-d, but rather a son of G-d in the same way we are all G-d’s children, relate to the audience the proper place Jesus has in relation to G-d and to mankind. Essentially, explain how debunking the divinity of Jesus was in no means meant to undermine his profound importance in the Bible, but rather convey his true relationship with G-d and humanity.
(For whoever is interested:
I was schooled in the Bible by the Episcopal Church-high church, meaning top down structure-and the Baptists-low church, w/ little if any organizing structure; by coincidence I majored in antiquity as an undergraduate. All three of these parts of my life led me to seek out the historical signifigance of the Bible. I discovered that many of the central themes in Christianity were scripturally false and in some cases were knowingly preserved as false. My interest in religion and history also compelled me to investigate Islam and it’s historical, cultural and religious significance. I am still learning. As far as religion and history goes, seek out the truth like Sherlock Holmes. Rely on logic, common sense, and a keen understanding of human nature. I am an idealist and a realist. My friends have called me “Salt” since my days as a youth, perhaps because I seem to add a grain or two of salt-and sometimes rub it in-to what is said, believed, or argued).
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#2 by Robert Salaam on October 14, 2009 - 9:21 am
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Dear Salt,
I am the afformentioned “lazy” owner of this blog. Before you go on a tirade about my supposed character flaws, it would have been prudent to ask questions first. But since you did not, let me clear up a few matters that concern you:
1. The intention of my blog is not and has never been to win converts to Islam. My blog is merely a place where I muse about the things that affect me and other Muslims. This is not a blog for theology or any other comparative religion studies. There are ample sources and other blogs readily available for that many of which will be featured on this blog in my blogroll once I finish the conversion from my previous site.
2. The person who asked the question may or may not have been sincere, I have been doing this several years now and based on the comments I have approved and rejected, it is a rare occurrence that people are concerning this topic. Usually, I’m asked these questions in other medium such as direct email, message boards, and or in person. Either way, I did not brush off the commentator, I merely noted that one could do a quick search on my blog to see where I explain some of these things in greater detail, highlighting that this post was merely a quick response to what I thought of the question, not a direct and detailed explanation in of itself, I thought I explained that in my opening lines.
Now for the rest of your commentary, I believe it was not even worth the effort, because your initial assumptions were based on an inaccurate portrayal of what this blog is about and for and why I even posted the above thread anyway. I think it’s a great thing that your educated in religious studies to include comparative religion so am I, but I want to reiterate that my blog has not and will not be a forum for lengthy discussions on the topic, other than a side note to a point I happen to be making about something else. In fact, your more likely to see me blog about in more detail about what Xbox 360 games I play than the scholarly merits, study, and comparison between the religions.
Thank you for posting,
Robert Salaam
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#3 by Nadeem on October 28, 2009 - 11:09 am
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Mr.Sodium Chloride (NaCl),
Otherwise known as “Salt”. One of the problems of Salt is that it causes high blood pressure. Besides, there are some benefits of salt, in that it acts as an antibiotic for mouth ulcers and gum problems.
In the Quran the biggest sign given to someone that is highly educated and posseses common sense, logic and a sound mind is the fact that Salt water does not mix with fresh water. How could have prophet Muhammed (sallahu alayhi wa sallam) discover this scientific reality, when he was living in the heartland of a dessert?
The other thing is that Jesus Christ (peace be upon him) was intimately connected to the fishermen; yet he made no mention of this scientific reality in the Bible. If prophet Muhammed (sallahu alayhi wa sallam) had “plagarized” as claimed by certain Christians from the Bible, why can’t we find the salt-water to plain fresh water seperation
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