Dr Paul Allen

“One may understand   a push for a cease-fire for humanitarian reasons or for tactical military needs, but this call for a cease-fire is directly linked to the advent of a Muslim religious month,” writes Dr. A. S. Ibrahim for World. Ramadan is a time when  Muslims around the world observe a month of fasting, prayer, and reading the Quran. “When Muhammad had the chance, he didn’t seek a cease-fire nor did he voice concerns that the fighting was violating Ramadan.” The backlash of Israel  dishonouring Ramadan should be viewed in the context of Islamic history and the teachings of the Quran. “As Israel knows all too well, the fight goes on, Ramadan or not,” writes Dr. Ibrahim. Go Deeper:   Read the full article by Dr. Ibrahim on World.

 

Jonah was not swallowed by a fish, there was never an exodus, and Moses never existed, according to atheist and biblical scholar Professor Francesca Stavrakopoulou (a Professor of Hebrew Bible and Ancient Religion in the Theology and Religion department at Exeter University ) who appeared on The Weekly on Wednesday evening, making outrageous claims about the Bible. Eternity asked historian John Dickson to respond to some of her comments. Stavrakopoulou claimed that Jonah was not swallowed by a fish, there was never an exodus, and that there’s no evidence for Moses being a historical figure. Should Christians be troubled by her claim that there is no evidence for these events and people? Um, no! If there’s one thing the media has taught us over the last ten years or so it’s that almost nothing that gets aired to the general public represents what mainstream scholars really believe. I don’t think the media is out to get Christians, or scholarship. It’s just that idiosyncratic and ...

(Photo credit: Wikipedia ) The fact remains that Western civilization — and much of the world beyond — is directly threatened by a militant form of Islam that has the allegiance of millions of Muslims . While the vast majority of Muslims in the world are not fighters in a jihad against the West, and for that we must be thankful. WE KEEP HEARING LEADERS SAY: This is not at war with Islam. We can understand why they would say this, and we also need to admit that there is an important element of truth in the statement. The West is not at war with Islam if that means a war against all Muslims and against all forms of Islam.  But, true as that statement may be, we must also be clear that we are facing a great and grave civilizational challenge from millions of Muslims who believe, quite plausibly, that their version of Islam is more faithful to the essence of Islam and the Quran .   This understanding of Islam is growing, not receding.  It is now drawin...

What do you think?  Is this an effective video ? Will it help you in your evangelistic conversations with Muslims ? What else have you found helpful in your efforts to speak the Gospel to Muslims? Related articles Michael Youssef on the Islamist Threat to Christianity (juicyecumenism.com) Islam: You Will Know Them by Their Fruit (compassiondave.wordpress.com) ISIS and Islam: The Ugly Truth (theeventchronicle.com) ISIS and Islam: The Ugly Truth (veteranstoday.com) ISIS and Islam: The Ugly Truth (ashraf62.wordpress.com) Kurt Willems: Muslims have been 'demonised' (christiantoday.com) Is President Obama A Muslim? (tomohalloran.com) ISIS and Islam: The Ugly Truth (therebel.org)

English: Jerusalem, Dome of the Rock Deutsch: Jerusalem, Felsendom (Photo credit: Wikipedia ) When in dialogue with a Muslim, how often do we find ourselves put on the defensive, fending off the same five or six standard questions which seem to repeat themselves time and again? The objection to the Trinity leads the way, pursued hard on its heels by the disbelief that God could have a Son, followed by the contention that these doctrines were erroneously created by the apostle Paul, and therefore not part of the original canon preached by the “ historical Jesus .”  We play the part and answer as best we can, quoting from our Scriptures the oft-repeated responses we have been taught from our days in Sunday school. Yet, sooner or later we find ourselves returning to that which is our foundation—the Bible —just as they do likewise with the Qur’an. Therein lies the problem. Regardless of the topic we may choose, the discussion we have with Muslims leads back inevitably to that ...

Allah in Arabic (Photo credit: Wikipedia ) What is Islam ? Is it one of the three great worldwide monotheistic religions, or is it a pretender to Christ ’s throne, a scourge of the Devil ? Is it an interesting historical and cultural phenomenon to be examined with the care and aloofness of an academician, or a heresy to be denounced and hooted off the stage? Making the question more difficult is the reality that somewhere out there is probably some kind of Muslim publication addressing the issue of the Christian faith . Would I want them to treat Christianity with respect? Would I want them treating the faith once delivered unto the saints as some kind of joke? And mustn’t I do unto others, even if they are outside the church? Here’s a particular issue. The Qur’an capitalizes all references to deity. We quote the Qur’an. We believe Allah to be a false god, and capitalize all references to the true God . What should we do? We decided to follow their style, not because we believ...

English: Basic minimal (equilateral triangular) version of the "Shield of the Trinity" or "Scutum Fidei" diagram of traditional Christian symbolism, with translated English-language captions (in place of original Latin). See Shield of the Trinity. Text was converted to paths for improved display. (Photo credit: Wikipedia ) “Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit ”(Matt. 28:19). Scholars of world religions typically name Islam as one of the world’s three greatest monotheistic religions, the other two being Judaism and Christianity . Islam itself emphatically preaches monotheism , believing that to speak of any kind of distinction within God is to blaspheme His name. As such, Islam emphatically rejects the doctrine of the Trinity . Even though orthodox confessions and creeds of the Christian church confess belief in only one God , Muslims typically assert that Christians be...

Jesus is considered by scholars such as Weber to be an example of a charismatic religious leader. (Photo credit: Wikipedia ) “To all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God , who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God” (John 1:12–13). We compare the teachings of Islam with the teachings of Christianity by looking at the fatherhood of God . Christians from all theological traditions look at the intimate relationship we can have with God as His children as one of the most important privileges granted to His people. Many passages in the Qur’an explicitly deny the fact that God can be Father to those who follow Him. To be Father, many of these passages say, would imply some kind of sexual and physical fatherhood, and thus this idea is rejected in Islam. Muslims consider it blasphemous to call God “Father” and can have difficulty relating to the Christian meaning behind this subject....

Miniature of Muhammad re-dedicating the Black Stone at the Kaaba. From Jami Al-Tawarikh, c. 1315 (Photo credit: Wikipedia ) “But even if we or an angel from heaven should preach to you a gospel contrary to the one we preached to you, let him be accursed” (Gal. 1:8). Before we begin our comparisons of the specific doctrines of Islam and Christianity, it will be helpful for us to trace the origins of the Islamic religion . We will do this by offering a brief survey of the life of Mohammed , the founder of Islam. Mohammed was born in 570 A.D. in the city of Mecca, which is located in modern day Saudi Arabia . The culture into which he was born was largely polytheistic, although Jews and marginally Christian sects were also present in Arabia. Mohammed early on grew dissastisfied with the polytheism of his surroundings but remained religious, traveling into the hills surrounding Mecca to pray. At age 40, while on one of these retreats, Mohammed claimed to have been visited by the ange...

Muhammad at the Ka'ba (Photo credit: Wikipedia ) Two things unite most Muslims: their belief in the unity of God and their veneration of Muhammad as the channel through which God’s final revelation was given. Muslims claim that God revealed the Qur’an to Muhammad whom they see as the greatest and last prophet. The Arabic word Islam means submission. Muslims are those who claim to submit to God and His will and law as presented by Muhammad and found in the Qur’an and in the traditions recording Muhammad’s life, deeds, and sayings (hadith). Muhammad’s figure towers over Islam not just as its founder, but as the perfect man who is divinely inspired not only in the Qur’anic revelation, but in all his sayings and deeds. He is infallible, free from sin, and the supreme example all Muslims are obliged to emulate in every detail. Most Muslims in theory affirm the believer’s direct access to God without the need for any intercessor, and the humanity of Muhammad as simply a human channe...

While there are many terrible places on earth to be a Christian ( Sudan , North Korea, Afghanistan, Bhutan, etc.), Pakistan is arguably the worst. Other nations persecute believers, but in Pakistan the entire country has spent generations forming a world view that values the torturing of those that claim the name of Christ. Pakistan used to have a noticeable Christian presence. Presbyterians had a sizeable school system, and those schools were largely responsible for the country’s relatively high literacy. But in 1973 Islam become the nation’s religion and the government seized those schools and replaced their teachers and curriculum. Now the Koran is required to be read and recited in all classes at all levels. When little kids learn science, they memorize passages about how Mohammad prophesied modern inventions. When they learn English, they learn it through the Koran. Meanwhile, it is illegal for Christians to touch or own the Koran. Now, 40 years later, this plan w...