Re: Five Christian Questions A Muslim Cannot Answer

On question 1:
First, the name "Israel" doesn't contain all of the details of the
story mentioned in Genesis. The story could have gone in a different
way and "wrestling" does not necessarily mean wrestling in the manner
two men wrestle. This can be symbolic. Denying the story doesn't
necessarily need denying the name as well.
And second, as I said before, this name can be a nick name. Calling
Jacob, Israel doesn't mean that quran accepts him as the one who
wrestled god.

On question 2:
It is a matter of the original meaning of "Massih" (and "Messiah" if
these are exactly same words).
"Massih" generally means someone who rubs or is being rubbed (an arab's
opinion on this is greatly appreciated). Jesus could have took the name
"Massih" in quran because he was able to rub on blind eyes and make
them see, rub on the body of the diseased and heal them and so on. We
can limit the meaning of this word by translating this to "anointed"
(rubbed by holy oil). The jews used to rub holy olive oil on their
kings to make their kingdom holy and cause it to be protected from
evil. As you mentioned, thats how the jews opposed jesus when he came
as they saw no kinghood in him though the christians and even some
muslim scholars say that this kingdom was not of this world (which can
be just an excuse).
If the chrisitans and jews manuver too much on this word "Messiah" it
doesn't mean that quran should also do the same. There is hardly a
debate on the meaning of this word and why jesus was called "massih"
among the muslims. Why do you insist on taking "saviour" or "king" as
the meaning of "massih" among all the other meanings of this word?
And about the comming saviour, the quran doesn't state directly that
there is a saviour but it talks about a comming era that the believers
will rule the earth in verses 9:33, 61:9, 48:28 and 24:55 among some
others.

On question 3:
You still think that there should be a reason for a week being 7 days?
The reason you see this term "god resting" in the bible is because the
bible has passed through many translations and simplifications. Many
have changed the actual words according to their own understaning.
Apparently someone like you have questioned himself, "why did god
create "the day of rest" or "sabbath" and ordered us to rest on this
day?" then he comes to this conclusion: "Oh, then god must have become
tired himself and thats why he has commanded every one to rest on that
day similar to a commander that would command the whole army to rest
when he gets tired himself!"
I have already told you about the belief of the muslims about the 7th
period in my previous post. If it is too complex for you, consider it
as "god resting".

On question 4:
Vladimir wrote:
"I believe that Muslims are confused about this matter. They saw that
Jews were expecting a Messiah. This is the origin of the belief of a
Mahdi. they also saw that Christians say that Jesus will be back. They
accepted that too. Now they have two Messiahs in their confusion."

Muslims are not confused about this matter. Your confusion on this
doesn't mean the confusion of the muslims. You keep on claiming that
these are copied beliefs from the jews and christianity and still can't
find a similarity between our belief and that of theirs. Thats why you
are confused.
The muslims talk about the comming of mahdi through the hadith accepted
by both shia and sunnie not through the belief of the jews.
One of these hadith from Muhammad (saw) is as follows:
"The end days won't come till the earth is full of cruelty and then
comes a man from my family (ahl albayt) that will fill the earth with
peace the way it was filled with enmity."
You still haven't said why is it a problem to believe in two messiahs?

On question 5:
The former heaven of adam is not necessarily the same heaven that he
ascended to after he was forgiven. Different people are given different
test conditions. The criteria of Adam being tested in the heaven and we
in this world is similar to two people, one living in ultimate peace
and wealth and another living a very poor and miserable life. God tests
one person by giving him/her too much and one by giving him/her
nothing. In case of Adam, he was tested by being given the heaven. This
doesn't mean that we should be given heaven as our test condition too.
It is not true to consider us being in this world because of Adam's
mistake.

.

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