Christianity to Islam? A post in the wrong place(Warning, long post). (Jesus, priest)

[Green Gaia]

I suppose you'll have to ask him, Soul.

[SoulTYPE]

I did, Maize. I couldn't understand his answer with all the F**K's and C words he mentioned..

[Paw]

I mean is it not the same as me posting my Anime on RF?

That's what the Off-Topic Discussion is for. Dicussing your Anime.

You know, someone in my class has Abdel-Haqq as a last name. It means "Slave of Truth."
'Abd = Slave; Haqq = Truth

There are tons of posts like this everywhere you go, soul. So, I have a piece of advice that may prove very important for you:

Ignore them.

[SoulTYPE]

Originally Posted by RearingArabian

That's what the Off-Topic Discussion is for. Dicussing your Anime. .

I should rephrase this. I meant posting it in the Debates section

[chuck010342]

Originally Posted by SoulTYPE01

Um I found this posted at one of the ROMS forums I visit. Why it is posted there I do not know. Tell me what you think of it..
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WHO I AM
My name is Abdul Haqq (formerly known as D T F Wong). I am of Chinese origin and was born in Brunei Darussalam (which has a predominantly Muslim population). I am 36 years old and male. I left Brunei Darusalam in 1977 to further my education in UK and am now settled in London, UK. My education has mainly been at a missionary school (from kindergarten) related to the church and later for nearly 2 years at a Christian independent school in UK before entering College

WHAT I WAS BEFORE

I was born into a Christian (Protestant/Anglican) family who were (and still is) actively involved in the Church. In a secular society, one could add that I had also accepted and followed secular laws and customs. I remained a Christian till I was 27.

WHAT I AM NOW
I am now a Muslim - have been for nearly 9 years since I left Christianity.

WHY I CHOSE ISLAM
According to Islam, guidance is of two kinds: a) Guidance of Taufiq i.e. totally from Allah, i.e. Allah opens one's heart to receive the truth (from disbelief to Belief in Islamic Monotheism). Guidance of Irshaad i.e. through preaching by Allah's Messengers and pious preachers who preach the truth, i.e. Islamic Monotheism.
In my case, the guidance from God is guidance of Taufiq. I say this because I was actively seeking the truth and was hardly preached by Muslims. When I was 23 (and in my last year in college), I became God-conscious in a way I was never really taught in Christianity. I looked out of my window and observed the signs of creation (e.g. sky, trees, people, etc.) and developed a strong belief in the existence of God. I was studying Architecture (in College) and for me - when I look at buildings I know that someone designed and built it. Same with the creation - the alternation of night and day, the bodily functions, etc. led me to believe strongly that there was a Creator. Christianity tend to push forward the concept Trinity which many can't explain and many accept to satisfy their spiritual instinct. I had no problems with Christianity at this point. However this new God-consciousness stayed with me. The way the Trinity was being 'pushed to the masses' by the Church as well as Christians left this new God-consciousness a personal experience for me.

I had never studied Islam even though I grew up in a predominantly Muslim country. At that time in Brunei Darussalam, non-Muslims were exempt from Islamic Education. One day I was passing by a Muslim book shop and decided to enter (without any idea what I was looking for). I came across the Qur'an and decided to buy it. As any Muslim will tell you, the Qur'an instructs (time and time again) all mankind to observe the signs of creation around and affirm their belief in the Creator. This matched with the way that I had developed my new God-consciousness and I decided that there was truth in the Qur'an and Islam.

The Qur'an also led me to question the authenticity of the Bible and the Trinity for the first time. I began searching and reading books questioning the authenticity of the Bible and the Trinity. Many Christians answer difficult questions on issues like the trinity with 'God can do anything'.

I couldn't fault Islam and the knowledge I was gaining had a profound impact on me more so than Christianity. I was slowly deciding to switch to Islam. Islam had a simple purity that anyone would appreciate – i.e. without the complexity of issues such as the Trinity. Islam allowed mankind to have an intellectual conviction on fundamental matters of belief. It didn't leave the spiritual instinct in man to be satisfied by an emotional conviction such as one would say of idol-worshipping.

The decision to become Muslim was personal. When I told my parents that I had done so, my mother asked two of my uncles (who were in priesthood) to communicate with me - trying to convince me that Christianity was right. They failed and decided that I was not dragged into a cult and that I had made an informed decision - so they left me to continue as a Muslim.

As I continue learning and increasing my knowledge of the deen (religion) of Islam my faith in God increased. I became more aware of Christianity's lack of guidance for mankind. Church services was man-made, Christian festivals/celebrations was man-made, arguments as to whether to accept homosexuality in Christianity or Christians at war, etc. Islam had guidance for relationships between man/woman and God, between man/woman and himself/herself, and man/woman with other men/women. Islam had guidance on issues relating to economics, politics, education, social, legal/penal systems, etc. In Islam there is guidance on how God wants us to pray, how to conduct Friday prayers, what and how to celebrate, what is right and wrong, what the penalties for crimes are, how to set up the state, what the state should implement, how the ruler should rule, etc. Islam offered guidance on establishing a society based on divine guidance.

Christianity placed heavy emphasis on faith/beliefs and seemed happy to co-exist in a secular world. Islam had laws and guidance for individuals and society. I believed this to be right - that the Creator would not leave the Created to argue and make laws of their own. The Creator knows best for the Creation. Anyone would follow instructions from the manufacturer to make best use of the manufactured item. Islam is submission to the will of God, our Creator. A Muslim is one who submits to the will of God, our Creator. Society will only function well and in peace when we all submit to the will of the Creator.

I could not be a Jew - Jews are a chosen people (descendants of Judah of the tribe of Israel). Christianity I now see as a deviation from the real teachings of Jesus - leading mankind from guidance from God to guidance of man/woman. With a world dominated by man-made laws and the evident injustices in society, the time is ripe for a return to laws from the Creator - as Islam offers. I am convinced I made the right choice in becoming Muslim.

This man doesn't understand the difference between Christianity and Jesus.

[SoulTYPE]

Originally Posted by chuck010342

This man doesn't understand the difference between Christianity and Jesus.

One is the base of the other.

[chuck010342]

Originally Posted by SoulTYPE01

One is the base of the other.

I'm afraid not the two teach completly different things.

[oracle]

http://www.historicism.com/misc/666antichrist.htm

I would say that the face of christianity has been changed long ago. Most Christians cannot explain their concepts because they do not even understand that the bible is allegorical. Their mistake is that they take most symbolism literal. And like I have been explaining in recent posts, this is due to the limitations of perception. In this case, mainstream Christianity has limited perspective on was is truth. I am not talking about the bible, because in the bible exist all sorts of truth, I am talking about the perspective of the Church today.

Most christians don't even know that the crucifix is Symbolical.

"The idea that returning to God means a loss of individuality is paradoxical, since God is aware of everything that happens and must therefore be aware of the consciousness of each individual. The return of the soul is the return of the image to that which imagined it. The consciousness of the individual - its soul record - could not be destroyed without destroying a part of God. When a soul returns to God it becomes aware of itself not only as a part of God, but as a part of every other soul, and everything.

What is lost is the ego - the desire to do other than the desire of God. When the soul returns to God, the ego is voluntarily relinquished. This is the symbology behind the crucifixion of Christ." http://www.near-death.com/experiences/cayce03.html

The crucifix is allegory and thus it hits two birds with one stone. Besides its literal meaning, the death and resurrection represents the death of ego and ascent of higher consciousness and unison with God. It is when we let go of the ego and become united with God that we become free from sinful nature.

The literal is just the shadow and not the object casting a shadow. Most Christians only see the shadow. Ask a simple Christian why Christ's death atones for your sin and he or she most likely will not know the answer, but in their own logic they cannot explain, and instead give you an answer that makes no sense at all.

[SoulTYPE]

Originally Posted by chuck010342

I'm afraid not the two teach completly different things.

The overall concept is the same, chucks..

[chuck010342]

Originally Posted by SoulTYPE01

The overall concept is the same, chucks..

really? Remember what christians have done? Crusades? inquisistion? Remember what Jesus said? Love thy enemies. They teach two different things.