₦airaland Forum

malvisguy212:
There are differences between Christianity and religion, Many are GOING TO CHURCH but few are GOING DOWN THE ROAD WHICH LEADS TO LIFE. Many are RELIGIOUS but few are RIGHT WITH GOD.

Religion is DOING while Christianity is DONE. When Jesus cried on the cross, "it is finished" The work of our salvation was FINISHED, DONE, ACCOMPLISHED and COMPLETED. A religious man may be likened as a man who try to swim from river kaduna to niger by his own strength, he will never make it. But the man who is save by faith is likened to be a man who get on a ship, hoping it will take him to his destination. This man simply rests upon the ship and lets the ship do all the work.

THIS ARE THE DIFFERENCES BETWEEN RELIGION AND CHRISTIANITY.
1. RELIGION: "Salvation is something I must do. I must somehow earn or gain salvation by the way I live."

CHRISTIANITY: "Salvation is something only God can do. Salvation is of the LORD!" (Eph. 2:8-9).

2. RELIGION: Religion is summed up in one word: DO--man trying to DO different things to please God and earn His favor.

CHRISTIANITY: Christianity is summed up in one word; DONE--Christ dying on the cross to save sinful man (John 19:30).

3. RELIGION: The religious man is busy
"working" (doing good works) in order to
be saved.

CHRISTIANITY: The saved person is "not working" (Rom. 4:5) but is RESTING upon the finished work of Another. Although he must beware (1 peter 5:

4. RELIGION: RELIGION is man trying to BRING HIMSELF TO GOD (by human effort, good works, ritualism, traditionalism, sacraments, etc.).

CHRISTIANITY: CHRISTIANITY is Christ BRINGING US TO GOD on the basis of what He did for us on the cross, NOT by our own effort. (1 Peter 3:18).

5. RELIGION: Man trying to please God in the wrong way (Rom. 8:8--"So then they that are in the FLESH cannot please God".

CHRISTIANITY: Man truly pleasing God in the only way (Hebrews 11:6--"But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him".

6. RELIGION: The religious man is seeking to establish his own righteousness by ignoring the way of the righteousness of God (Rom. 10:3).

CHRISTIANITY: The saved man is satisfied with the perfect righteousness of Jesus Christ (2 Cor. 5:21).

7.RELIGION: Religion is pictured in Genesis 3 by the fig leaves that Adam and Eve made for themselves--a terrible covering (Gen. 3:7).

CHRISTIANITY: Salvation is pictured in Genesis 3 by the coats of skin which God provided by way of the shedding of BLOOD--a perfect covering (Gen. 3:21).

8.RELIGION: CAIN'S RELIGION--"I bring to God the labour of my own hands" (Gen. 4:3).

CHRISTIANITY: ABEL'S FAITH--"I bring to God a blood sacrifice. An innocent substitute must die to save me" (Gen. 4:4).

Good works done by sinful man can never please a holy God. The greatest good work is GOD'S WORK accomplished by Jesus Christ who offered Himself on the cross as the sinner's Substitute.Thus we are not saved by good works but we are saved unto good works: "For we are
his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them" (Ephesians 2:10). "For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure" (Philippians 2:13).

Are you resting fully in the finished work of Christ? Are you trusting in Jesus Christ, WHO HE IS, WHAT HE HAS DONE FOR YOU and WHAT HE HAS SAID IN HIS WORD? "Look unto me, and be ye saved, all the ends of the earth: for I am God, and there is none else" (Isaiah 45:22).

malvisguy212:
Can we really understand the trinity ? We can't , how can a finite being understand an infinite God ? Our responsibility is to believe what God has said about Himself.

The old testament prove the fact that there is ONLY ONE GOD. Isreal is surrounded with many nation that worship different gods. God people needed to know that there is only ONE GOD:

Deut. 6:4
"Hear, O Israel, the LORD our God is ONE LORD"

This verse give two details about God. 1. The nature of God (God's ONENESS) and 2. Jehovah is the only God.The old testament emphasizing of the UNITY of God, is not silent with respect to
the PLURALITY of God's Nature. The old testament lay the groundwork for the new testament revelation.

The hebrew word for God is Elohim, plural in form."In the beginning God CREATED" (Genesis 1:1). God is the omnipotent CREATOR! The name for "God" found in Genesis 1:1 is the Hebrew word "ELOHIM" the ending of this word (..IM) is a plural ending,(more than one) just like our english language "S" is the ending word for plural. For example:

1. CHERUBIM (Exodus 25:18-20)
2. SERAPHIM (Isaiah 6:2,6)
3. TERAPHIM(judges 17:5)

The words end with IM , they are plural in form. In Genesis 1:1 the verb "CREATED" is a
SINGULAR verb, and it means "HE (singular)
CREATED." Two answers may be given to the
question, "Who created the heavens and the
earth?"
1. HE DID (singular) because the verb means
"HE CREATED." The verb does not mean
"THEY CREATED."
2. GOD DID (plural) because the word
ELOHIM is a plural word!

So, there is a sense in which God the Creator is
singular. There is only ONE God and He is the
Creator. There is no other God. It is also true
that there is a sense in which He is plural. This
brings us to our next point:

PLURAL UNITY OF GOD.
Deuteronomy 6:4 says: "Hear, O Israel: The
LORD [singular] our God [ELOHIM-plural] is ONE Lord."

God is Love, if God is two, our Love will be DIVIDED and one will not Get our full devotion. So YES, God is ONE and He deserve our Full attention.

The Hebrew word"ONE"found in Deuteronomy 6:4 is a word that can be used to describe a
plural (composite) UNITY (a unity made up of
more than one component). For Example in Genesis 11:5 "Behold, the PEOPLE IS ONE." The
people (plural) at Babel were united together as ONE. It was a UNITY, but it was made up of
many people (a plural unity).

Another example is in Genesis 2:24 where the same word "one" is found: "Therefore shall a man leave his father and his mother and shall cleave unto his wife and they shall be one flesh." Here we have a plural unity. It is a ONENESS made up of two persons" a husband and a wife" They (plural) shall be one (singular) flesh. The two are one.

Just as Genesis 11:5 speaks of a plural unity
(many people being ONE), and just as Genesis
2:24 speaks of a plural unity (two people being
ONE), so also Deuteronomy 6:4 describes God
who is a PLURAL UNITY. Later we will learn that this plural unity is actually a TRI-UNITY.

In Isaiah 6:8 , we have a threefold
declaration of God's holiness: "And one cried
unto another, and said, HOLY, HOLY, HOLY is
the LORD of hosts: the whole earth is full of His
glory" (Isaiah 6:3). we learn elsewhere in Scripture, namely that 1) God the Father is Holy (John 17:11); 2) God the Son is Holy (Heb. 7:26 and compare Luke 1:35); 3) God the Holy Spirit is Holy (as His very Name declares)

In Genesis , God is repeatedly mention as the creator, and in Genesis 1:2 we saw how the Holy spirit is actively involve " was moving in the face of the water. And in john 1:1 we understand that the Word (jesus) was God and everything were created through Him.

johnydon22:
welcome once again... seat back and enjoy the story all the while bear this in mind..
You need not kill yourself over nothing brother, Don't develop a heart attack.
I'm not on an attack against your beliefs here..

when i am, you know it…

Pyrrho:
No, he doesn’t. The bible is too hard to understand, even in english.

johnydon22:
Hahahahaha you are very welcome ... seat back and enjoy!!!

trappatoni:
God is love and it is one of the names of Allah. Ya Wadud means The Love, Ya Waliyu means the loving Friend

Ayishatreal:
175599: Ruling on playing with ouija boards

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I recently found out about a game that is very common in our country, which is called Ouija. Does this game come under the heading of witchcraft and interacting with the jinn?

Published Date: 2016-01-13



Praise be to Allah

The ouija board game poses a danger to the religious commitment and life of the player. With regard to his religious commitment, that is because it involves calling upon and addressing the jinn, responding to them, believing their words, and being afraid of going against their orders. The ruling on playing this game is no different than the ruling on going to fortune tellers and soothsayers, because of what happens of the player asking the jinn about matters that are unseen or unknown to him. With regard to the danger that it poses to his life, that is because of what has happened of many people being affected by mental illness, anxiety and fear that ruined their lives. Hence there have been many statements from psychologists and there is unanimous agreement on the necessity of getting rid of this game and not trying it out, let alone playing it and becoming attached to it.

In brief, it consists of a board on which are written all the numbers and letters, and at the top of the board are written the words Yes, No, and Goodbye. Each board is written in the language of the local people and there is a disc in the middle of the board, the edges of which are held by a minimum of two players. The game begins by calling upon “Ouija”, and it is clear in the minds of the players that they are now calling upon a spirit or a jinn, according to the player’s belief, and he is asked about things that are unknown to them of events that have taken place, and the disc moves towards the numbers and letters in order to spell out the answer to the question. If the question is about a specific date, the disc, with their fingers on it, moves towards the numbers in order to answer the question. Similarly, if the question is about a name or an event, then the disc moves towards the letters in order to spell out the answer to the question. Or the answer may be Yes or No, so the disc moves towards one of them. The players cannot choose to exit the game until they ask permission from “Ouija”, then if the disk moves towards the word No, they cannot leave the game, but if it moves towards the word Yes, then they can leave, whereupon they have to thank him, then when the players have thanked him, the disc moves towards the word Goodbye.

Some people try to take the matter lightly and make it merely a game for fun, but in fact it is extremely serious. What appears to be the case is that the word “Ouija” is the name of one of the jinn – a king or someone else– and he sends one of his troops to move the disk towards the numbers and letters to spell out the answers. There are some people who believe that this movement comes from the devil-companions (qareen) of the players, and that what they ask about is known to them only or is known in the realm of the jinn. There are others – Western doctors and scientists – who believe that the phenomenon of the disk’s movement is what is called “unconscious movement”; what is meant is that the mind is able, under the influence of certain emotions, to move the muscles of the body unconsciously, without the individual being aware of this movement, so it appears to him as if the spirits are moving the pointer under his hand.

What is established in the mind of the Muslim is that the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) forbade going to soothsayers and said that “they are nothing.” And he said that if a person goes to them, even if he does not believe in them, then no prayer will be accepted from him for forty days, and that whoever goes to them and believes in them has committed an act of disbelief.

We have discussed all of this – with the relevant evidence – in the answers to questions no. 8291, 60431, 100900 and 135589.

It is not permissible for the Muslim to seek the help of the jinn to find out unknown and unseen matters, even if he does not seek to draw close to them by doing acts of worship or obedience to them. Merely seeking their help is prohibited.

See the answer to question no. 137948.

Because the jinn benefit from the humans who play this game, the jinn submit, in a sense, to the players, by telling them the unknown matters they ask about. The human also submits to the jinn in a sense. It is sufficient to note that they dare not leave the game without seeking the permission of “Ouija”, otherwise they think and believe that they will be harmed. Allah, may He be exalted, says (interpretation of the meaning): “And on the Day when He will gather them (all) together (and say): ‘O you assembly of jinns! Many did you mislead of men,’ and their Auliya (friends and helpers, etc.) amongst men will say: ‘Our Lord! We benefited one from the other, but now we have reached our appointed term which You did appoint for us’” [al-An‘aam 6:128]. The sin and disbelief that affect the player before and during the game, and afterwards, is what Allah, may He be exalted, mentions in the verse (interpretation of the meaning): “And verily, there were men among mankind who took shelter with the masculine among the jinns, but they (jinns) increased them (mankind) in sin and disbelief” [al-Jinn 72:6].

With regard to the ruling on seeking the help of the jinn, please see the answers to questions no. 10815, 11114 and 78546.

Conclusion:

It is haraam for the Muslim to play the Ouija board game, even if in fact it involves no more than unconscious movements, because the player actually and intentionally calls upon the jinn, which comes under the heading of seeking the help of the jinn and the ruling on going to fortune tellers and soothsayers. All of these are haraam things. We have discussed this above and in the answers referred to.

And Allah knows best.

Islam Q&A

Gkemz:
I like your manner of comparison as you carefully and meticulously outlined the reasons why the God of the bible is the only true God of peace, love, repentance, reconciliation as he reconciled man with the father. Allah can't be compared with God of bible just as there's no comparison between light and darkness. l

JackBizzle:
I think what you said is quite fair. Churches shouldn't force tithes out of members. That is all good but we are in Nigeria where most churches look for every avenue to squeeze money out of their members. Imagine that some people are content with saying that a christian brother should pay tithe instead of paying his younger brother's school fees?



(cc Malvisguy212 and analice107 - this is how to behave like a true christian and answer a simple question)

JackBizzle:
I know.

The point is that when good men keep silent, evil prospers.

JackBizzle:
Even though, I'm sure that the tithing in the bible is different from what we have today.

JackBizzle:
Among every 12 there is a Judas abi?

Among every 12 Nigerian christians, 7 are tithe hustlers

Among every 12 Nigerian pastors, 13 are tithe hustlers.


Yet you are here talking about bad eggs. Menn, you have as much rotten eggs in the basket as good ones. Better go and educate your brothers in christ.

JackBizzle:
cc kingebukasblog, analice107, malvisguy212,winner01, Reyginus, Uyiiredia


Can you imagine your christian brothers telling their fellow christian to pay tithe instead of paying his brother's school feels? And you wonder why people leave christianity to become irreligious

https://www.nairaland.com/3096665/should-pay-tithe-pay-brothers

cloudgoddess:
Of course. When all else fails, just blame Satan, another imaginary entity. More illogical excuses for your illogical arguments.

Even if this wasn't just a ridiculous cop-out born of serious religious brainwashing and lazy thinking, what you've basically just conceded is that Satan is more useful, powerful, and trustworthy than god. Satan has the power to make prosperous, safe, lawful nations while god can only sit back as millions who believe in him starve to death, suffer at the hands of corrupt governments, die from curable diseases, and kill eachother.

cloudgoddess:
Ah yes, what a simplistic, satisfying explanation for the (shallow, biased, & likely ignorant) theist. Let's pretend that intellectual honesty, education and rational examination have nothing to do with it. No, people only denounce our superstition because they fear the consequences of not following the rules of said superstition.

Too bad that explanation makes little sense for obvious reasons, nor does it coincide with what the data show. Which is that Christians and non-Christians practice the same amount of pre-marital sex on average, Christians actually get MORE divorces, and that non-Christians throughout the globe are more peaceful, less tribalistic, and commit less crimes on the whole. Widespread secularism has shown to be correlated with higher levels of human rights, better education, more equality for men and women, better healthcare, less homocide and rape, less government corruption. In other words, the only place in which "people become atheists so they can do more bad stuff", is in your own prejudiced and deluded heads.

udatso:

oloboojo:
Misguided Fellow

udatso:
It seems you didn't get my post. The summary of it is that I wouldn't engage you in any debate or argument cos you lack the moral justification to even speak about other faith. So stop trying too hard. I don't engage hypocrites

udatso:
Where can I find this in the Quran?



So it has gotten to a point where you use the Bible to judge the Quran


I'm a Muslim and I have no problem with the true narration of this incidence. Islam isn't forcing this on you. Why take panadol for my headache?

How easy it is for you to deliberately bring up a different hadith in one a different context and apply it another context. Why am I not surprised, it's what majority of you evangelist do. Evangelism by lies and misrepresentation of facts

Shame on you. Your brother Annunaki just told us that the old testament doesn't have any value in the life of a Christian as its just a history Book. And here you are quoting from same history book.
Until you are ready to confront your brother about the things he said about your religion in this thread
https://www.nairaland.com/3086804/annunaki-read-old-testament/3#45406474
and let us all know how you are not in support of his belief, you would be regarded a hypocrite and a shameless man who would help an outsider than help his immediate family.
Charity begins at home.
Now piss off hypocrite

Newnas:
I'm not an atheist.

I'm a Muslim. please explain the hypocrisy in my statement.

Newnas:
Same thing has been explained to you over and over. Must you display your ignorance and super duper slow assimilation

Newnas:
Are you telling me that it's justified to cause public nuisance in the name of preaching. If yes then please go to the bank or enter the cantonment and try it.

@underlined: yes he didn't force me to hear, like the driver runs into potholes and says he didn't force me to swing.

Your point seems to be very weightless and uncivilized to me personally. I don't know what others think.

Anyway, thanks for your contribution.

malvisguy212:
2 Peter 2:20-22, we read of the real
possibility and serious consequences
of backsliding:

2 Peter 2:20-22,
"For if after they have escaped the pollutions of the world through the knowledge of the Lord and Saviour Jesus
Christ,they are again entangled therein, and overcome, the latter end is worse with them than the beginning.For it had been better for them not to have known the way of righteousness,than,after they
have known it, to turn from the holy commandment delivered unto them.But it is happened unto them according to the true proverb, The dog is turned to his own vomit again; and the sow that was washed to her wallowing in the mire."

Yes, this is interesting, we find this passage coming from the pen of peter. If anyone know the reality of firsthand backsliding, it must be peter , the night he betrayed our Lord Jesus christ .

The process of backsliding is a gradual one, often overtaking one by surprise (peter could not believe,he will deny Jesus) . And lest we fall from our own steadfastness, We shall carefully examine the process that led to Peter's denial of Christ, followed by noticing how Peter's own words in his epistles are designed to prevent the same from happening to us!

1. PRIDE.
Mark 14:27-31,
"And Jesus saith unto them, All ye shall be offended because of me this night: for it is written, I will smite the shepherd, and the sheep shall be scattered. But after that I am risen, I will go before you into Galilee. But Peter said unto him, ALTHOUGH ALL SHALL BE
OFFENDED, YET WILL NOT I. And Jesus saith unto him, Verily I say unto thee, That this day, even in this night, before the cock crow twice, thou shalt deny me thrice. But he spake the more vehemently, If I should die with thee, I will not deny thee in any wise. Likewise also said they all."

In a boastful manner, Peter claims he
will not fall away or deny Christ! In
doing so, Peter takes the first step in
backsliding: "pride" (Proverbs 16:18).
Why is this the "first" step? Because
the first step in entering the kingdom
is HUMILITY( Mathew 18:3-4). So if we
lose "humility", we take that first step
BACKWARD.

2.COWARDICE.
Mark 14:54,
"AND PETER FOLLOW HIM AFAR OFF , even into the palace of the high priest: and he sat with the servants, and warmed himself at the fire."

Is this not cowardice? When Jesus was healing and the people love Him , peter walk by His side, and now when Jesus was unpopular, he walk afar off,is this not the same peter who vow to follow Jesus ? . Peter was unprepared for the challenge of facing ridicule and persecution. Without diligent preparation, we too can become guilty of cowardice! Ashamed to be seen carrying the scriptures. Ashamed to be seen giving thanks. Ashamed to be seen with other believers in Christ. Perhaps
even ashamed to let others know that
we are believers! And yet, Jesus has made it clear what He thinks of "cowardice" (Mark 8:38)

3. DENIAL.
Mark 14:66-71,
"And as Peter was beneath in the palace, there cometh one of the maids of the high priest: And when she saw
Peter warming himself, she looked upon him, and said, And thou also wast with Jesus of Nazareth.But he DENIED, saying, I know not, neither understand I
what thou sayest. And he went out into the porch; and the cock crew. And a maid saw him again,and began to say to them that stood by, This is one of them.
And he DENIED IT AGAIN. And a little after, they that stood by said again to Peter, Surely thou art one of them: for thou art a Galilaean, and thy speech
agreeth thereto. But he began to CURSE AND SWEAR , saying, I know not this man of whom ye speak."

First he "DENIED" and later he" CURSE AND SWEAR "(which Jesus Himself warn against) Away from Christ, at comfort with those in the world, Peter finds himself denying His Lord and Savior! In so doing, he has put himself in grave
danger (Matthew 10:32-33). Though
we may never actually deny Jesus in
"words", we can easily backslide to
the point of denying Him in "action."

In conclusion, amazingly, it was peter himself who give advice from backsliding christians;

1. To Guard Against Pride:
Peter enjoins "humility" (1Peter 5:5-6).
Indeed, "God resists the PROUD, but gives grace to the HUMBLE."
2. Instead of Cowardice:
Peter charges us to "glorify God" (1 Peter 4:16). Think NOT of what it means to
you, BUT what it means to God!
3. Instead Of Denial:
Peter exhorts us to ever be ready to "give a defense" (1Peter 3:15).
By careful preparation, we will "DEFEND " Christ, and NOT "DENY" Christ!

Demmzy15:
As a Muslim I love and respect Jesus because he's Prophet of God. My faith as a Muslim isn't complete if I don't believe in him. Jesus never said anything as such, in fact when a man came to him asking about how he can inherit the hereafter, Jesus gave a marvelous answer which would suffice anyone.

Shalom!

respect80:
I think you're right. He that has ear let him hear.