Ahmad dont be so naive

Submitted by Joe (United States), Mar 19, 2006 at 19:07

Ahmad,

Please get your facts straight. Islam started around 600 years after Christ, not Christianity. Christians first were named Christians after the destruction of the Temple in Jerusalem in AD 70. Before AD 70 Christians were considered apocalyptic Jews, and went to the same temple to worship as other Jews did. After the destruction of the temple Christians became known as Christians specifically.

Nero, the Roman emperor who ruled from 54-68 AD also separated the Christians from the Jews for easier systematic persecution. whether it be in AD 54 or in AD 70, Christians were "Christians" as early as 37 years not 600.

It is true that there were some mistranslations, but most of those have been eliminated by reverting to the original scriptures. Now there are none, unless you contend that the original writers made mistakes.

However, what do you think is more prone to human error? Something that is written down first and remembered second, or something (the Koran) that is remembered first and written down second. I think people's memories usually faulter moreso than their written memoirs. Nothing is free from human error, but most errors found within either the Bible or the Koran do not change their ultimate theme and outlook.

I think over 400-600 years, memories and stories passed down and through many different tribes might faulter just a bit more than stories written down and literally passed along.

The biggest problem with your statement is that Jesus died at the age of 33, or in AD 33. The first Gospel was written in AD 65. There was only a 32 year difference between the death and the first gospel, unlike the 400 year difference between Muhummad and the Koran. Therefore, the Gospel was passed down through at most only one generation before being written down. 32 is a much smaller number than 400, and just might entail less error.

To be a Muslim is outside the Judean-Christian sphere. Islam is essentially denial Unitarianism, outside the sphere because of its veneration of Muhammad and altogether "new" revelations. To be a Christian is to be a Jew first. But, a Muslim is not either a Jew or a Christian first, because it denies the reality of Christ's divinity, and therefore refutes past revelation. Christianity, unlike Islam, embraced and was made up of past revelations; while Islam accepts some and refutes others-and thus cannot be simply a continuation.

To be a Christian is to be a Jew. In fact, to be a Christian, you must be a Jew. Jesus was a Jew as well. The Torah and Old Testament were added to over the centuries (as you said). The Old Testament was never set down at one time or even at one time period. The Gospels were the next books, although called the New Testament because they developed the religion to a point where the eschatology and focus changed.

Luke 22:20), rather "New Covenant," in contrast to the old covenant of works,
which is superseded. "The covenant of grace is called new; it succeeds to the
old broken covenant of works. It is ever fresh, flourishing, and excellent; and
under the gospel it is dispensed in a more clear, spiritual, extensive, and
powerful manner than of old" (Brown of Haddington).

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