[Michael Hezekiah Esq]

Re: Towards the Christian understanding of Islam.

Islam was unknown to most Jews during the Prophet Muhammad’s lifetime. It wasn’t until the Muslim conquest of Iraq, shortly after his death, that the leaders of Banu Yisrael first investigated Islam and ruled the Jewish people should consider Muslims as fellow monotheists. As time passed Judaism’s spiritual leaders, particularly those living in Muslim caliphates, began exploring the teachings of Muhammad and his companions. Upon immersing himself in Islamic study one of Judaism’s greatest rabbis, Maimonides, declared that the Muslim understanding of monotheism was without fault.


By the modern era the Jewish people, now familiar with the Message of Islam, fostered a deep respect for the Ummah recognizing their submission to One G_d, Allah, as righteous and exemplary.


The Christian version of Jesus is unacceptable to Jews, who consider the belief that G_d had a son, the trinity and praying to Mary are all acts of heresy. However, the Islamic account which rejects these positions by teaching that Jesus was a mortal man continuing the message of Noah, is compatible with Judaism and even shared by a few rabbis (although no major rabbis consider him a prophet).


We await Messiah just as our Islamic brothers await Muhammad Mahdi. My prayer is that all people can come together and live as one until our glorious Messiah reaches out His hand to the Jews as His chosen people and that Christians will repent of their heresy before the terrible judgment that will surely come.


I repeat my statement that the Jews did all we could to save Jesus of Nazareth but his stubbornness and delusions were far too ingrained within his psyche. At his death, he was little more than a rambling zealot, not willing to save himself because of his martyr complex. It's sad, because he was innately a good person. Had he listened to us, we could have kept him from facing Pilate and incurring the wrath of the Sanhedrin.


What a pity!

[Johny Joe Hold]

Re: Towards the Christian understanding of Islam.

I repeat my statement that the Jews did all we could to save Jesus of Nazareth but his stubbornness and delusions were far too ingrained within his psyche. At his death, he was little more than a rambling zealot, not willing to save himself because of his martyr complex. It's sad, because he was innately a good person. Had he listened to us, we could have kept him from facing Pilate and incurring the wrath of the Sanhedrin.
What a pity!

Mr. Jew, the Bible does not say he was a "rambling zealot."

Further, the Jews did not do "all we could to save Jesus of Nazareth." He had to whip the money changers out of the Temple by himself. You Jews could have helped.

And at the crucifixion, you Jews could have stormed the cross and taken it down. Football fans take down goalposts all the time.

I think you Jews have some explaining to do.

[Alvin Moss]

Re: Towards the Christian understanding of Islam.

Mr. Jew, the Bible does not say he was a "rambling zealot."

Further, the Jews did not do "all we could to save Jesus of Nazareth." He had to whip the money changers out of the Temple by himself. You Jews could have helped.

And at the crucifixion, you Jews could have stormed the cross and taken it down. Football fans take down goalposts all the time.

I think you Jews have some explaining to do.

Brother Mr. Mayor, this Jew is practicing and refining his excuse for when he has to go before the Lord God for that final interview. We see the same thing when criminals of the secular sort are practicing their excuses ere they have to face the judge.

Whether it is lying to a judge or the Judge, the result is the same: They have heard it all before and it goes in one ear and out the other.

God has been sending the Jew to Hell for nearly two thousand years and this one here will join them before he knows it.

[MitzaLizalor]

Re: Towards the Christian understanding of Islam.

Upon immersing himself in Islamic study one of Judaism’s greatest rabbis, Maimonides, declared that the Muslim understanding of monotheism was without fault.

Well now I was rather sceptical, not that Maimonides should be internally contradictory but that his ravings would be cited on a Christian forum where adding to God's words is anathema. Maranatha.

GUIDE FOR THE PERPLEXED scroll down to Chapter XXXVI

I SHALL explain to you, when speaking on the attributes of God, in what sense we can say that a particular thing pleases Him, or excites His anger and His wrath, and in reference to certain persons that God was pleased with them, was angry with them, or was in wrath against them. This is not the subject of the present chapter; I intend to explain in it what I am now going to say. You must know, that in examining the Law and the books of the Prophets, you will not find the expressions “burning anger,” “provocation,” or “jealousy” applied to God except in reference to idolatry; and that none but the idolater called “enemy .. .. adversary,” or “hater of the Lord.”

Now from Maimonides' point of view, idolatry is very well described. It is something specific. Without going into immense detail it definitely includes making an engraved or wooden or cast likeness of any thing that is in heaven above. I say definitely because in chapter thirteen he explains how God's standard is unchanging and given to Moses establishing the nation as distinct in response to a request. He cites Deuteronomy, chapter five and specifically verses five & eighteen. Here they are with some context:

2 The LORD our God made a covenant with us in Horeb.
3 The LORD made not this covenant with our fathers, but with us, even us, who are all of us here alive this day.
4 The LORD talked with you face to face in the mount out of the midst of the fire,
5 I stood between the LORD and you at that time, to shew you the word of the LORD: for ye were afraid by reason of the fire, and went not up into the mount; saying,
6 I am the LORD thy God, which brought thee out of the land of Egypt, from the house of bondage.
7 Thou shalt have none other gods before me.

and here is the second passage

23 And it came to pass, when ye heard the voice out of the midst of the darkness, (for the mountain did burn with fire,) that ye came near unto me, even all the heads of your tribes, and your elders;
24 And ye said, Behold, the LORD our God hath shewed us his glory and his greatness, and we have heard his voice out of the midst of the fire: we have seen this day that God doth talk with man, and he liveth.
25 Now therefore why should we die? for this great fire will consume us: if we hear the voice of the LORD our God any more, then we shall die.
26 For who is there of all flesh, that hath heard the voice of the living God speaking out of the midst of the fire, as we have, and lived?
27 Go thou near, and hear all that the LORD our God shall say: and speak thou unto us all that the LORD our God shall speak unto thee; and we will hear it, and do it.
28 And the LORD heard the voice of your words, when ye spake unto me; and the LORD said unto me, I have heard the voice of the words of this people, which they have spoken unto thee: they have well said all that they have spoken.
29 O that there were such an heart in them, that they would fear me, and keep all my commandments always, that it might be well with them, and with their children for ever!
look up

Maimonides is emphasising that nothing stands between God and His people. When they were apprehensive that was OK, and Moses.–.a man, not a statue of a man or of a fish or the moon or a comet or centipede.–.stepped up so that the communication remained direct. He goes on about verbs for the next twenty-three chapters which you can read in the pdf, then the specific difference is aired. It is idolatry. In Deuteronomy we have a thorough definition for idolatry. Firstly it is the making of images and the moon is very much included. That is actually enough, if you don't make one you can't bow down to the thing. And if you don't make one the question of whether your bowing constitutes veneration or respect or worship or adoration does not arise. In any event once you've made an image of the moon you have already broken the covenant and incurred the very particular wrath identified by Maimonides.

The mohammedan incurs that wrath every day, every time they grovel to their filthy mood idol as defined by God in Deuteronomy 5:8 which I'm using because Maimonides uses it and yet he announced that Muslim understanding of monotheism was without fault?

By the modern era the Jewish people, now familiar with the Message of Islam, fostered a deep respect for the Ummah recognizing their submission to One G_d, Allah, as righteous and exemplary.

TAKE A LOOK AT THIS

I.T .. I.S .. A.N .. I.D.O.L

The reason it is an idol is because it has been made. What I think or you think or whether it is an image of the moon or of an eclipse or what some cleric thinks is irrelevant. God defines idolatry and He does so in Deuteronomy chapter five as well as plenty of other places. A paramount commandment, placed even above the not bowing and not serving, is the not making of any image of anything.

Your version of interpreting The Ten Commandments is not acceptable to Christians, who do not pray to Mary incidentally, would not have been acceptable to Noah and was not acceptable to Moses.

Didn't the Mahdi turn up in the 1880's? Or are you claiming that Maimonides was the Mahdi?