Yesterday I spoke with the Rev. of the church I use to attend, and he confused
me more than ever. I wanted to know if Jesus is God and if so how can he be. He
replied that God came down from heaven, implanted himself in Mary's womb and
that was how Jesus was formed. So I asked if all of God came down and if that
left no one in charge in heaven, and he said not all. So I said maybe 1/2 or
1/3 of God, and he said yes. He said God is like man - he can be more than
one: He is the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. I became too confused
because this was all I have been taught at the church while growing up but
it was taught differently at home. At home I was told that God is Jesus's
Father as He is the Father of all creation, Joseph was Jesus's Father, only
taught at home that Jesus died on the cross never a reason as to why, and he
was coming back some day, and God created Jesus in a special way and he could
do special things all for reason. We did not celebrate Christmas at home, we
did not ask why and were never told why. And at home we were taught to pray
to God for all things and ask Him for forgivness at all times, never to pray
to Jesus. Than the church taught differently and the confusion began.
He said it isn't there and I cannot find in the bible that Adam and Eve asked
God for forgivness. I feel in my heart they asked for forgivness and God
forgave them. The Rev said death is not a natural process and we all must die
because Adam and Eve committed the first sin. In the bible it says Eve is the
curse for all women. We were taught that in the church, to the point it scared
me to become a woman, a natural process I had no control over. When I asked the
Rev yesterday if she was the curse for women he said no. Maybe he is as
confused as I am because for him to say no he is not believing his bible.
The Rev. feels that I am not in touch with my spiritual side and that's why I
cannot believe or accept that Jesus is God. I know I am in touch with my
spiritual side and my common sense will not allow me to believe such a thing.
It is not at all possible, no logic in it at all.
My questions are:
Is death a natural process?
How can there be 1/2 or 1/3 of God? I dont even know how to word that question.
Was Jesus ever put on the cross? Was he ever arrested?
Thank you Brother for any help you may give to me.
- Brooks, 12 July 2001
Answer
Rather than personally answering your questions, I had decided to write an
article addressing these issues so that it might benefit others like you as
well. The article is named Understanding God Through
Reasoning. In the article, I tried to provide a historical background to
the development of the Trinity and tried to show the correct notion about God.
There is one question that I did not address in the article: Eve's alleged
misleading of Adam to violate God's order. First of all, this story has no
place in Islam. Secondly, even if Eve were guilty (and she was not), it would
be inconceivable in Islam to have blamed the entire female race for the
alleged wrongdoing of one person.
Islam is synonymous to Justice and both the story of Eve and the concept of
the Original Sin and Atonement are fundamentally opposite to what Justice
is about.
- Mushfiqur Rahman, 16 July 2001
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