Bible

Obama on the Bible

Lisa

 

Someone might ask, well aren’t these valid talking points?

They are misguided. Let’s address his message and see. I will not address whether the US is still or no longer a Christian nation. Or whether or not the nation should be ruled via Christian principles. What I will address are the passages that Obama misrepresents. For some Christian, he sure doesn’t seem to have much faith in what’s written in the Bible. But that too I won’t bother to get into.

Whose Christianity would we teach? Biblical Christianity. Explain scripture with scripture, and things iron out very easily. So then it is not JtM’s Christianity or Obama’s Christianity, but Biblical Christianity that’s important.

There are some things which, with a non-seared conscience (1 Timothy 4:2), people just know inherently are either morally right or wrong.

“Indeed, when Gentiles, who do not have the Law, do by nature what the Law requires, they are a law to themselves, even though they do not have the Law, since they show that the work of the Law is written on their hearts, their consciences also bearing witness, and their thoughts either accusing or defending them. ” – Romans 2:14-15

Slavery

It really is something else that Obama would stand there and suggest that the Bible is condoning the cruel form of slavery that we know of today. If it did, then why even bother to free the Israelites from the Egyptians? Scripture makes it clear about how we are to treat others.

“And masters, treat your slaves in the same way. Do not threaten them, since you know that he who is both their Master and yours is in heaven, and there is no favoritism with Him” – Ephesians 6:9

So obviously, if a passage seems to be speaking favorably of someone owning slaves, then there are also rules on how those people are to be treated. And once we understand these rules, we see Scripture is in no way condoning mistreatment of others. So the slave-master relationship, is really as we have today an employee-employer relationship.

Eating Shellfish

Back then, they didn’t have the methods of cooking or certain sciences (at least not without divine revelation) as we do now. Shellfish needs to be prepared properly.1 God wanted to prepare a healthy heap of people to bring the Messiah out of. Not a set of sickly people. Who would listen to the Gospel from a bunch of miserable looking people?

“And at the end of ten days their features appeared better and fatter in flesh than all the young men who ate the portion of the king’s delicacies. Thus the steward took away their portion of delicacies and the wine that they were to drink, and gave them vegetables.” – Daniel 1:15-16

Daniel’s testimony influenced the Babylonians. A sick looking Daniel would have hurt the mission.

Straying from the faith

Deut 21:18-21
I suppose he is referring to Deuteronomy 21:18-21. Obviously it is not referring to no light rebellion since: “Fathers, do not exasperate your children; instead, bring them up in the training and instruction of the Lord.” – Ephesians 6:4

This obviously lets us know how parents are to treat their children and how to train them up. So if a parent were to be stoning their child to death, obviously it is concerning serious matters.

In fact, Obama’s quotation of the passage is in err since the verse is not even talking about straying from the faith, though obviously someone in such rebellion has already strayed. If straying from the faith was the problem, then what’s up with the story of the Prodigal Son? Obama makes it seem as if the Bible is saying if a child decides to no longer be a Christian, they are to be stoned. Sorry Obama, but that’s Islam.2

Deut 13:6-10
If Obama is speaking of Deuteronomy 13:6-10 in regards to leading people away from the faith to worship other gods, then we know from other areas in Scripture that idol worshipping often involved human sacrifice and other forms of wickedness.

“He followed the ways of the kings of Israel and even sacrificed his son in the fire, engaging in the detestable practices of the nations the LORD had driven out before the Israelites.” – 2 Kings 16:3

“They have built the high places of Baal to burn their children in the fire as offerings to Baal–something I did not command or mention, nor did it enter my mind.” – Jeremiah 19:5

Even so, how could the Messiah come from a people who were busy worshipping idols? Who would even recognize Him? They struggled to recognize Him even when they were at their “best” or “most religious”.

“Philip said to Him, “Lord, show us the Father, and that will be enough for us.” Jesus replied, “Philip, I have been with you all this time, and still you do not know Me? Anyone who has seen Me has seen the Father. How can you say, ‘Show us the Father’?” – John 14:8-9

“Then they said to Him, “Where is Your Father?” Jesus answered, “You know neither Me nor My Father. If you had known Me, you would have known My Father also.” – John 8:19

I don’t see anywhere in Scripture which teaches that people are to be stoned for straying from their faith; strays can be found. Stoning is the punishment for a deeper, much more treacherous kind of rebellion. Even if there were such teachings about stoning for “straying from the faith” in the Old Testament, then it is clear from the New Covenant, that Christ’s sacrifice offers mercy for the stray, which was so beautifully described from the story of the Good Father, normally called the Prodigal Son.

Summary

The Bible must be read full-circle. Can’t just pick out a bunch of passages and call it George or call it a day.3 It is very easy to fall into the lime light or same line of thinking if we are not careful to study or do the research ourselves, even if the talking points are favorable for our own worldview or ideology.

References:
1. http://healthyeating.sfgate.com/risk-shellfish-2026.html
2. http://wikiislam.net/wiki/Persecution_of_Ex-Muslims
3. https://www.usingenglish.com/reference/idioms/let’s+call+it+a+day.html

Comparing the Bible to the Koran?

Lisa

bible-koran

Some in order to defend the Koran will run to the Bible. Notice, when we need to defend the Bible, we use the Bible to defend itself. But almost every other literature wants to defend itself by the Bible, and sometimes they do so by means of “selective reasoning”.

I have heard many try to justify the passages of violence in the Koran by pointing to passages in the Bible. Why can’t the Koran justify its war without pointing to the Bible?

The reason for war in the Bible was always a case for dealing with sin. Moreover, each time there was war it was with a specific nation, closed commands leaving no room for acting on those commands today. And if that isn’t enough, when the soldiers came to arrest Jesus, Peter drew his sword to fight. Jesus rebuked Peter and told him “put your sword back in its place, those who live by the sword will die by the sword” (Matthew 26:52). Even when it appeared most justified (defending the Lord Jesus) to fight or war, Jesus didn’t allow it. Instead, the Bible says things like “For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.” (Ephesians 6:12) So senseless violence, like the Crusades, that would have claimed to be in the name of Christianity would be in direct violation with what the Bible teaches.

Can we say the same for the Koran? I tend to try to avoid these conversations, it is better to let the Muslims use their Koran to defend their Koran. But I will say this much however. We cannot use part of Surah 5:32 (like some only take part of the verse) as a synonym in application to the Bible’s Exodus 20:13. Why? Because Surah 5:32 says “Because of that, We decreed upon the Children of Israel that whoever kills a soul unless for a soul or for corruption [done] in the land – it is as if he had slain mankind entirely. And whoever saves one – it is as if he had saved mankind entirely…”

The verse from the Koran was given to the Children of Israel, the Jews, not to the owners of the Koran, the Muslims. Therefore, a jihadist or muslim extremist can deem himself justified when he kills because the verse was directed to the Jews. That is not to say the verse is not a universal one, being applicable to even the Muslims (it could be or could not), but as it is written currently, having the Israelites as the subject, a jihadist can ignore the verse and not apply it to himself. Unless there are other verses in the Koran to defend itself, the Koran leaves open interpretation as to how Christians and Jews are to be treated.

“Fight in the way of Allah those who fight you but do not transgress. Indeed. Allah does not like transgressors.” – Surah 2:190
“And kill them wherever you overtake them and expel them from wherever they have expelled you, and fitnah is worse than killing. And do not fight them at al-Masjid al- Haram until they fight you there. But if they fight you, then kill them. Such is the recompense of the disbelievers.” – Surah 2:191
“And if they cease, then indeed, Allah is Forgiving and Merciful.” – Surah 2:192
“Fight them until there is no [more] fitnah and [until] worship is [acknowledged to be] for Allah . But if they cease, then there is to be no aggression except against the oppressors.” – Surah 2:193

Muslims claim that Surah 2:191 is taken out of context by critics. But Surah 2:193 shows otherwise. Notice that the condition to stop fighting INCLUDES worship to Allah. It says “there is no [more] fitnah and [until] worship is [acknowledged to be] for Allah”. The important logical operator here being AND. So fight them until they submit or worship Allah. Some have said that these verses are of the past. Well, that’s wonderful if they are, we should cease all this senseless violence now. Moderates, please show the muslim extremists the passages that prove these verses are within a historical timeframe and no longer applicable for today.

I believe it is good to strive for peace. Unfortunately, it will not happen in the way that we are striving for now. Sin is very real, and there are real spiritual forces out there meaning to cause harm. The final war until real peace is recorded in the Bible, a time well known as “armageddon”. Jesus will one day return to throw the devil into the Lake of Fire. Jesus will judge the living and the dead. All those who have accepted His free gift of salvation will live in eternal peace, but to those who have rejected Him will be separated from Him forever in torment by all that is not good.

There is a lot of debate about whether Islam is a religion of peace or not. It is actually irrelevant whether Islam means peace or not. The Koran contradicts itself since even by its standards Jesus is very special. “And [mention] the one who guarded her chastity, so We blew into her [garment] through Our angel [Gabriel], and We made her and her son a sign for the worlds.” – Surah 21:91 Can you really trust a book that declares Jesus to be born of a virgin, yet in the same breath declare that He is not the Son of God? If He was born of a virgin, then exactly of who could He be begotten of if He’s a good prophet? Must He not be begotten of God, hence the Son of God? In the self conflicting Koran, Jesus is more highly spoken of than Muhammad, subjectively speaking of course; depending on whether one would find a miracle birth and miracles more appealing than the legacy that Muhammad left behind.

Dear friends, do not be left behind trying to defend and indefensible cause. Come to Jesus. He has declared that He is the way, the truth and the life, no one comes to the Father but by Him. (John 14:6) Jesus loves you very much. Can you find any where in the Koran where Allah declares his unfailing love for his people? On the contrary, you can find it in the Bible in so many places, and the word of His love is backed with many actions of sacrifice, forgiveness, mercy and grace. What’s there to choose but Jesus? No comparison at all, Jesus forever the eternal Word of agape love and goodness.