THE "GOD" THAT NEVER WAS

THE "GOD" THAT NEVER WAS

By Ahmed Deedat

Islam is the only religion which teaches the existence of a PERFECT God. A
perfect God means that there is no sharer in His Nature and His Attributes:

"Say: He is God, the One and Only; God, the Eternal, Absolute; He begetteth
not, nor is He begotten; and there is none like unto Him." (Holy Qur'an,
112:1-4)

There has appeared a man in Benoni. He is not qualified in theology, but is
fondly cherishing the self-delusion that he is an apostle of Christ,
appointed by God to convert Muslims to Christianity. Because he is a lawyer
by profession, he is adept at juggling with words and quoting the Holy Qur'an
totally out of context without knowing a word of Arabic. He wants Muslims to
believe that Jesus was also a God, a belief that is abhorrent to us, because
it is an antithesis of the Absolute perfection of Allah Subhaanahoo Wa Ta
'Aala!

Thus intent upon reversing the process of Truth, which is: "And say: The
Truth has come and falsehood vanished. Surely falsehood is ever bound to
vanish." (Qur'an, 17:81). In this he will never succeed because the process
of Truth is irreversible.

TWO REASONS

He has given two reasons to prove that Jesus is God, viz: (i) "When we say
Jesus is deity (or even God for that matter), we do not make him the Father!
He is one with the Father and therefore HE SHARES HIS NATURE", and (ii) "HE
IS IN EVERY WAY LIKE THE FATHER but he is not the Father".

In short, according to him, Jesus is God because He SHARES THE NATURE OF GOD,
and HE IS IN EVERY WAY LIKE GOD. These two reasons given by him to prove the
divinity of Jesus are so puerile that they speak volumes of his legal
training.

Numerous quotations from the Bible are given below to prove that Jesus
neither SHARED THE NATURE OF GOD, nor is he IN EVERY WAY LIKE GOD. He can,
therefore, NEVER be GOD. We have given the quotations from the Bible without
comment, because the Bible speaks for itself! TO SAY THAT JESUS IS GOD OR SON
OF GOD IS NOT ONLY A MOCKERY OF GODHOOD, BUT BLASPHEMY OF THE LOWEST ORDER
AND AND INSULT TO THE INTELLIGENCE OF MEN! (Note: Unless otherwise stated,
all quotations from the Bible are given from the Authorized Version. In our
headings and subheadings we have referred to Jesus as "God" in inverted
commas in order to show the ABSURDITY of the claim of this man that Jesus is
God!)

IS THE BIBLE GODS WORD?

IS THE BIBLE GODS WORD?

By Ahmed Deedat

CHAPTER ONE

WHAT THEY SAY

CHRISTIANS CONFESS

Dr. W. Graham Scroggie of the MOODY BIBLE INSTITUTE, Chicago, one of the most prestigious Christian Evangelical Mission in the world, answering the question — "Is the Bible the Word of God?" (also the title of his book), under the heading: IT IS HUMAN, YET DIVINE. He says on page 17:

"Yes, the Bible is human, though some, out of zeal which is not according to knowledge, ¹ have denied this. Those books² have passed through the minds of men, are written in the language of men, were penned by the hands of men, and bear in their style the characteristics of men." (Emphasis added).

Another erudite Christian scholar, Kenneth Cragg, the Anglican Bishop of Jerusalem, says on page 277 of his book, "The Call of the Minaret":

"Not so the New Testament³ . . . There is condensation and editing; ⁴ there is choice, reproduction and witness. The Gospels have come through the mind of the Church behind the authors. They represent experience and history." ⁵

If words have any meaning, do we need to add another word of comment to prove our case? No! But the professional propagandists, after letting the cat out of the bag, still have the face to try to make their readers believe that they have proved beyond the shadow of any doubt that the Bible is the "irrefragable ⁶ Word of God." Their semantic gymnastics — equivocating, and playing with words — is amazing!

1. Out of ignorance.

2. The Bible is not Just a Book. It is a selection and compilation of many books.

3. As opposed to the Qur'an.

4. Another word for Interpolating.

5. Emphasis are mine.

6. Indisputable.

Both these Doctors of Religion are telling us in the clearest language humanly possible that the Bible is the handiwork of man, all the while pretending that the are proving to the contrary. An old Arab saying goes: "IF SUCH ARE THE PRIESTS, GOD BLESS THE CONGREGATION."

With this sort of drive, the hot-gospeller and the Bible-thumper is "inspired" to harry the "heathen." ¹ A theological student — a not-yet-qualified young evangelist — from the University of Witwatersrand, became a frequent visitor to the Newtown Mosque in Johannesburg, with the "noble" thought of "witnessing"² to the members of its congregation. When I was introduced to him, (and having learnt his purpose), I invited him to lunch at my brother's residence — a stone's-throw from the Mosque. While discussing the authenticity of the Bible over the dinner table and sensing his stubborn dogmatism, I put out a feeler: "Your Professor Geyser, (The Head of the Department of Theology) does not believe the Bible to be the Word of God." Without the slightest surprise he answered, "I know." Now I personally had no knowledge of the Professor's conviction about the Bible. I had only assumed so from a controversy which raged around him about the "Divinity of Christ." ³ He had taken issue with the orthodox believers on this point some years ago. I continued further, saying, "Your lecturer does not believe the Bible as being God's Word." The young evangelist, responded again, "I know" but he continued this time-with the words, "but I believe that it is the Word of God!" There is no real remedy for such people. Even Jesus bewailed this sickness:

Who Was Jesus?

Who Was Jesus?
Islam honors all the prophets who were sent to mankind. Muslims respect all prophets in general, but Jesus in particular, because he was one of the prophets who foretold the coming of Muhammad. Muslims, too, await the second coming of Jesus. They consider him one of the greatest of Allah's prophets to mankind. A Muslim does not refer to him simply as "Jesus," but normally adds the phrase "peace be upon him" as a sign of respect.

No other religion in the world respects and dignifies Jesus as Islam does. The Quran confirms his virgin birth (a chapter of the Quran is entitled "Mary"), and Mary is considered to have been one of the purest women in all creation. The Quran describes Jesus' birth as follows:

{Behold!' the Angel said, God has chosen you, and purified you, and chosen you above the women of all nations. Mary, God gives you good news of a word from Him, whose name shall be the Messiah, Jesus son of Mary, honored in this world and in the Hereafter, and one of those brought near to God. He shall speak to the people from his cradle and in maturity, and he shall be of the righteous. She said: "My Lord! How shall I have a son when no man has touched me?' He said: "Even so; God creates what He will. When He decrees a thing, He says to it, 'Be!' and it is} [Noble Quran 3:42-47].

Muslims believe that Jesus was born immaculately, and through the same power which had brought Eve to life and Adam into being without a father or a mother.

{Truly, the likeness of Jesus with God is as the likeness of Adam. He created him of dust, and then said to him, 'Be!' and he was} [Noble Quran 3:59].

During his prophetic mission, Jesus performed many miracles. The Quran tells us that he said:

{I have come to you with a sign from your Lord: I make for you out of clay, as it were, the figure of a bird, and breathe into it and it becomes a bird by God's leave. And I heal the blind, and the lepers, and I raise the dead by God's leave} [Noble Quran 3:49].

Muhammad and Jesus, as well as the other prophets, were sent to confirm the belief in one God. This is referred to in the Quran where Jesus is reported as saying that he came:

{To attest the law which was before me, and to make lawful to you part of what was forbidden you; I have come to you with a sign from your Lord, so fear God and obey me} [Noble Quran 3:50].

Prophet Muhammad emphasized the importance of Jesus by saying: «Whoever believes there is no god but Allah, alone without partner, that Muhammad is His messenger, that Jesus is a servant and messenger of God, His word breathed into Mary and a spirit emanating from Him, and that Paradise and Hell are true, shall be received by God into Heaven» [Bukhari].

What do Muslims believe about Jesus?

What do Muslims believe about Jesus?

Muslims respect and revere Jesus (peace be upon him) , and await his second coming. They consider him one of the greatest of God’s messengers to mankind....

A Muslim never refers to him simply as `Jesus', but always adds the phrase "peace be upon him." The Qur’aan confirms his virgin birth (a chapter of the Qur’aan is entitled `Mary') in her time, and Mary is considered the purest woman in all creation. The Qur’aan describes the creation of Jesus as follows (interpretation of the meaning):

"Behold! the Angel said, `God has chosen you, and purified you, and chosen you above the women of all nations. O Mary, God gives you glad tidings of a word from Him, whose name shall be the Messiah, Jesus son of Mary, honored in this world and the Hereafter, and one that shall speak to the people from his cradle and in maturity, and shall be of the righteous.' She said: `O my Lord! How shall I have a son when no man has touched me?' He said: `Even so; God creates what He wills. When He decrees a thing, He but says to it, "Be!" and it is." [Quran 3:42-7]

Jesus (peace be upon him) was born miraculously through the same power which had brought Adam (peace be upon him) into being without a father:
"Truly, the likeness of Jesus unto Allaah is as the likeness of Adam. He created him of dust, and then said to him, `Be!' and he was." [ Quran 3:59 ]

During his prophetic mission, Jesus (peace be upon him) was granted and performed many miracles. The Qur’aan tells us that he said (interpretation of meaning):
"I have come to you with a sign from your Lord: I make for you out of the clay, as it were, the figure of a bird, and breathe into it and it becomes a bird by Allaah’s leave. And I heal the blind and the lepers, and I raise the dead by Allaah’s leave." [Quran 3:49]

Other miracles include speaking soon after birth in defense of his mother's piety. God's other gifts to him included healing the blind and the sick, reviving the dead, and, most importantly, the message he was carrying. These miracles were granted to him by God to establish him as a prophet. According to the Qur’aan, he was not crucified, but only appeared so; instead, Allaah raised him unto Heaven. (Quraan, Chapter Maryam)
Neither Muhammad (peace be upon him), nor Jesus (peace be upon him), came to change the basic doctrine of the belief in one God, brought by earlier prophets, but to confirm and renew it. In the Quran Jesus (peace be upon him), is reported as saying that he came:

" To attest the law which was before me. And to make lawful to you part of what was forbidden you; I have come to you with a sign form your Lord, so fear God and obey me." [Quran 3:50]

We Believe in Jesus

We Believe in Jesus

We are presenting this not to placate you out of policy or diplomacy. We are only articulating what our Creator had commanded us in the Qur'an (which is translated as follows):
"Say (O Muslim), "We believe in Allah and that which has been sent down to us and that which has been sent down to Abraham (Abraham), Isma'il (Ishmael), Ishaque (Isaac), Ya'qub (Jacob), and to Al-Asbat [the twelve sons of Ya'qub (Jacob)], and that which has been given to Musa (Moses) and 'Isa (Jesus), and that which has been given to the Prophets from their Lord. We make no distinction between any of them, and to Him we have submitted (in Islam)".
(Qur'an, Al-Baqarah 2:136)

"We believe in One Creator, we believe in all His Prophets, we believe that Jesus (peace be upon him) was one of the mightiest Prophets of God, That he was the Messiah as well as the Word of God, that he was born miraculously - without any male intervention (which many modern-day Christians do not believe today), that he gave life to the deeds by God's Permission, and that he healed those born blind and the lepers by God's Permission."

Islam respects all religions. Nevertheless, Muslims consider the view of Christendom to be a misguided one. The Qur'an highlights the important aspects of Jesus (peace be upon him) mother, his birth, his mission and his ascension to heaven.

Virgin Mary

The story of Jesus (peace be upon him) in the Qur'an starts with the conception of his mother, Mary, when the wife of Imran, Mary's mother, vowed to dedicate her child to the service of God in the temple. This is mentioned in the following verses (which is translated as follows):


"(Remember) when the wife of 'Imran said: "O my Lord! I have vowed to You what (the child that) is in my womb to be dedicated for Your services (free from all worldly work; to serve Your place of worship), so accept this, from me. Verily, You are the All-Hearer, the All-Knowing."

"Then when she delivered her child [Maryam (Mary)], she said: "O my Lord! I have delivered a female child," - and Allah knew better what she delivered, - "And the male is not like the female, and I have named her Maryam (Mary), and I seek refuge with You (Allah) for her and for her offspring from Shaytan (Satan), the outcast."

"So her Lord (Allah) accepted her with goodly acceptance, He made her grow in a good manner and put her under the care of Zakariya (Zachariya). Every time he entered Al-Mihrab (a praying place or private room) to (visit) her, he found her supplied with sustenance. He said: "O Maryam (Mary)! from where have you got this?" She said "This is from Allah" Verily, Allah provides sustenance to whom He wills, without limit."

(Qur'an, Al-'Imran 3:35-37)

The Qur'an stated also that the Almighty Allah chose Mary, purified her and raised her above all other women of the world. This is mentioned in the following verses (which is translated as follows):

"And (remember) when the angels said: "O Maryam (Mary)! Verily, Allah has chosen you, purified you (from polytheism and disbelief), and chosen you above the women of the 'Alamin (Mankind and Jinns) (of her lifetime)."

"O Mary! "Submit yourself with obedience to your Lord (Allah, by worshipping none but Him Alone) and prostrate yourself, and Irkai (bow down etc.) along with Ar-Raki'un (those who bow etc.)"

(Qur'an, Al-'Imran 3:42-43)

In Judaism, who is the Messiah?

In Judaism, who is the Messiah?

The messiah is a G-d fearing, pious Jew, who is both a great Torah scholar and a great leader as well. He is a direct descendent of King David, and will be anointed as the new Jewish King. (In fact, the Hebrew word for messiah - "Moshiach" - means "anointed one.").

When the messiah comes, there will be a universal recognition of the truth of Torah and the G-d Who gave that Torah at Mount Sinai. All Jews will return to the Land of Israel, where they will throw off the yoke of their enemies and undergo a complete spiritual revival. They will embrace the faith of their forefathers and dedicate themselves to G-d's service forever.

They will re-build the Holy Temple, from where the Divine presence will shine forth, spreading the light of truth, justice, tolerance and peace throughout the world.

The Moshiach
The moshiach will be a great political leader descended from King David (Jeremiah 23:5). The moshiach is often referred to as "moshiach ben David" (moshiach, son of David). He will be well-versed in Jewish law, and observant of its commandments. (Isaiah 11:2-5) He will be a charismatic leader, inspiring others to follow his example. He will be a great military leader, who will win battles for Israel. He will be a great judge, who makes righteous decisions (Jeremiah 33:15). But above all, he will be a human being, not a god, demi-god or other supernatural being.

It has been said that in every generation, a person is born with the potential to be the moshiach. If the time is right for the messianic age within that person's lifetime, then that person will be the moshiach. But if that person dies before he completes the mission of the moshiach, then that person is not the moshiach.

8- Will you worship Jesus, or the one Jesus worshiped?

One glaring problem the Christians have is that Jesus prayed, and had a God himself. This logically lets us conclude that Jesus cannot be God. The logical thing to do is worship and pray to the one Jesus prayed to. If Jesus told you that he had a God, would you honestly take Jesus as God? The logical answer is no, but Christians throw all logic out when it comes to their Bible.

Matthew 26:36-44

36. Then Jesus went with his disciples to a place called Gethsemane, and he said to them, "Sit here while I go over there and pray."
37. He took Peter and the two sons of Zebedee along with him, and he began to be sorrowful and troubled.
38. Then he said to them, "My soul is overwhelmed with sorrow to the point of death. Stay here and keep watch with me."
39. Going a little farther, he fell with his face to the ground and prayed, "My Father, if it is possible, may this cup be taken from me. Yet not as I will, but as you will." 40. Then he returned to his disciples and found them sleeping. "Could you men not keep watch with me for one hour?" he asked Peter.
41. "Watch and pray so that you will not fall into temptation. The spirit is willing, but the body is weak."
42. He went away a second time and prayed, "My Father, if it is not possible for this cup to be taken away unless I drink it, may your will be done."
43. When he came back, he again found them sleeping, because their eyes were heavy.
44. So he left them and went away once more and prayed the third time, SAYING THE SAME THING.

10 Reasons why Jesus is not God!

10 Reasons why Jesus is not God!

1- Jesus is not all knowing:

Mark 24: 32-36:
32 Now learn a parable of the fig tree; When his branch is yet tender, and putteth forth leaves, ye know that summer is nigh: 33 So likewise ye, when ye shall see all these things, know that it is near, even at the doors. 34 Verily I say unto you, This generation shall not pass, till all these things be fulfilled. 35 Heaven and earth shall pass away, but my words shall not pass away. 36 But of that day and hour knoweth no man, no, not the angels of heaven, but my Father only

God is all knowing, Jesus fails this main qualification. This alone is enough to prove that Jesus is not God. Also note the verse says ONLY the Father meaning nobody else, including the divine Jesus.
2- Jesus never said I am God.
Is this a coincidence? I think not. If you make a claim on someone, then you would expect that someone to back your claim up. If I claim somebody is a king, you would expect that king to say he is a king, at least once. In the OT God says he is God several times, why not once with Jesus in the NT? Did God change his ways? I think not, since the OT says God does not change. Here are the passages from the OT where God says he is God:
Gen 35:11 And God said unto him, I [am] God Almighty: be fruitful and multiply; a nation and a company of nations shall be of thee, and kings shall come out of thy loins
Gen 46:3 And he said, I [am] God, the God of thy father: fear not to go down into Egypt; for I will there make of thee a great nation:

Exd 16:12 I have heard the murmurings of the children of Israel: speak unto them, saying, At even ye shall eat flesh, and in the morning ye shall be filled with bread; and ye shall know that I [am] the LORD your God.


Exd 20:2 I [am] the LORD thy God, which have brought thee out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage.



Psa 46:10 Be still, and know that I [am] God: I will be exalted among the heathen, I will be exalted in the earth.



Psa 50:7 Hear, O my people, and I will speak; O Israel, and I will testify against thee: I [am] God, [even] thy God.



Psa 81:10 I [am] the LORD thy God, which brought thee out of the land of Egypt: open thy mouth wide, and I will fill it.



Isa 41:10 Fear thou not; for I [am] with thee: be not dismayed; for I [am] thy God: I will strengthen thee; yea, I will help thee; yea, I will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness.



Isa 45:3 And I will give thee the treasures of darkness, and hidden riches of secret places, that thou mayest know that I, the LORD, which call [thee] by thy name, [am] the God of Israel.

Isa 45:5 I [am] the LORD, and [there is] none else, [there is] no God beside me: I girded thee, though thou hast not known me:

The Truth about Jesus

The Truth about Jesus

The Qur'aan is the last version of God's revelation and what it says is the ultimate truth. This might not mean much for those who do not believe in the Qur'aan as such. However, the history of the Qur'aan, modern textual criticism and scientific research of the content of this scripture leave no doubt about the truth it contains. The frequently made statements that the Qur'aan is the word of Muhammad who copied his information from Jewish and Christian sources is made by people who do not know the history of the world, the Qur'aan or Muhammad. The first Arabic translation of the Bible appeared two centuries AFTER Muhammad's mission. If we add to this Muhammad's illiteracy and the scarcity of religious books in any language outside churches and temples in the sixth century we can understand the absurdity of these allegations.

2. The oneness and universality of God's message requires that people accept all the messengers of God. Rejecting one of them amounts to rejecting them all. The Jews reject Jesus' mission and Muhammad's mission; the Christian reject Muhammad's mission; whereas the Muslims accept them all, but reject incorrect historical interpretations and human elements in these missions.

3. Because of the Qur'aan, Muslims love and respect Jesus as they love and respect the Prophet Muhammad. Moreover, the Qur'aan reports some of Jesus' miracles which are not reported in the present gospel. For example, the Qur'aan tells us that Jesus spoke in the cradle and was able to tell people what they ate or treasured in their houses, to mention a few.

4. It is common knowledge that the divinity of Jesus was introduced by Saint Paul and his followers and was established on the dead bodies of millions of Christians through history which evoked the Castillo's well known remark, 'To burn a man is not to prove a doctrine'.

5. The choice of the present four gospels was imposed in the conference of Nicea 325 CE under the auspices of the pagan Emperor Constantine for political purposes. Literally hundreds of gospels and religious writings were considered apocrypha i.e. books of doubtful authenticity. Some of those books were written by Jesus' disciples. If they were not more authentic than the four gospels they were of equal authenticity. Some of them still are available such as the GOSPEL OF BARNABAS and the SHEPHERD OF HERMAS which agree with the Qur'aan.

6. The Unitarian concept and the humanness of Jesus is not only held by Muslims but also by Jews and by some early groups of Christianity such as the EBIONITES, the CERINTHIANS, the BASILIDIANS, the CAPOCRATIANS and the HYPISISTARIANS to name several early sects. The Arians, Paulicians and Goths also accepted Jesus as a Prophet of God. Even in the modern age there are churches in Asia, in Africa, the Unitarian church, and Jehovah Witnesses who do not worship Jesus as God.

The True Narrative of Jesus the Son of Mary as Revealed in the Qur'an

The True Narrative of Jesus the Son of Mary as Revealed in the Qur'an

First mention of Jesus (may the peace and blessings of Allâh be upon him) in the Qur'an 

"And indeed, We gave Mûsa (Moses) the Book and followed him up with a succession of Messengers. And We gave 'Iesa (Jesus), the son of Maryam (Mary), clear signs and supported him with Rûh-ul-Qudus [Jibrael (Gabriel)]. Is it that whenever there came to you a Messenger with what you yourselves desired not, you grew arrogant? Some, you disbelieved and some, you killed." [The Noble Qur’ân, Chapter Al-Baqarah (no.2), Verse 87] 

Mention made of some of the Prophets of Allâh  

"And that was Our Proof which We gave Ibrâhim (Abraham) against his people. We raise whom We will in degrees. Certainly your Lord is All­Wise, All­Knowing.    And We bestowed upon him Ishâque (Isaac) and Ya'qûb (Jacob), each of them We guided, and before him, We guided Nûh (Noah), and among his progeny Dawûd (David), Sulaimân (Solomon), Ayub (Job), Yûsuf (Joseph), Mûsa (Moses), and Hârûn (Aaron). Thus do We reward the good­doers.    And Zakariyâ (Zachariya), and Yahya (John) and 'Iesa (Jesus) and Iliyâs (Elias), each one of them was of the righteous.    And Ismâ'il (Ishmael) and Al-Yas'â (Elisha), and Yûnus (Jonah) and Lout (Lot), and each one of them We preferred above the 'Alamîn (mankind and jinns) (of their times)." [The Noble Qur’ân, Chapter Al-An’âm (no.6), Verse 83-86] 

The religion followed by the Messengers was one and the same. 

"He (Allâh) has ordained for you the same religion (Islâm) which He ordained for Nûh (Noah), and that which We have inspired in you (O Muhammad (may the peace and blessings of Allâh be upon him)), and that which We ordained for Ibrahîm (Abraham), Mûsa (Moses) and 'Iesa (Jesus) saying you should establish religion (i.e. to do what it orders you to do practically), and make no divisions in it (religion) (i.e. various sects in religion). Intolerable for the Mushrikûn [Those who worship others along with Allâh], is that to which you (O Muhammad) call them. Allâh chooses for Himself whom He wills, and guides unto Himself (he) who turns to Him in repentance and in obedience." [The Noble Qur’ân, Chapter Ash-Shûra (no.42), Verse 13] 

"Say (O Muhammad): "We believe in Allâh and in what has been sent down to us, and what was sent down to Ibrâhim (Abraham), Ismâ'il (Ishmael), Ishâque (Isaac), Ya'qûb (Jacob) and Al-Asbât [the twelve sons of Ya'qûb (Jacob)] and what was given to Mûsa (Moses), 'Iesa (Jesus) and the Prophets from their Lord. We make no distinction between one another among them and to Him (Allâh) we have submitted (in Islâm)."    And whoever seeks a religion other than Islâm, it will never be accepted of him, and in the Hereafter he will be one of the losers.    How shall Allâh guide a people who disbelieved after their belief and after they bore witness that the Messenger (Muhammad) is true and after clear proofs had come unto them? And Allâh guides not the people who are Zâlimûn (polytheists and wrong-doers)." [The Noble Qur’ân, Chapter Âl-‘Imrân (no.3), Verse 84-86] 

The Descent of Isa Glad Tiding for Muslims

The Descent of Isa
Glad Tiding for Muslims

Prophet Isa (as) son of Maryam was raised up to heaven when the Jews wanted to crucify him. His ascension to Heaven and his future return to earth are mentioned in the Qur'an:
"That they say (in boast): 'We killed the Messiah Isa, son of Maryam, the Messenger of Allah, but they killed him not, nor crucified him, but the resemblance of Isa was put over another man (and they killed that man), and those who differ therein are full of doubts. They have no certain knowledge, they follow nothing but conjecture. For surely, they killed him not, but Allah raised him up unto Himself. And Allah is ever All-Powerful, All-Wise. And there is none of the people of the scripture but must believe in him before his death. And on the Day of Resurrection, he (Isa) will be a witness against them." (Qur'an 4:157-159)
Prophet Isa (as) will return at the end of time, as stated in the Qur'an:
"And he (Jesus), shall be a Sign of the Hour"(Qur'an 43:61)
Prophet Isa (as) will descend at the time when Muslims are experiencing the greatest of hardships. He will come to their help and make the religion of Allah prevail on Earth.
The Muslims will recognise him by the features that the Prophet Muhammad (saws) described him:
He said:
"I am the closest of all the people to Isa, son of Maryam, for there is no Prophet between him and myself. He will come again and when you see him, you will recognise him. He is of medium height and his complexion is reddish-white, he will be wearing two garments, and his hair will look wet, although no water had got to it."
Related by Ahmad
The Time Prophet Isa (as) Will Descend
The coming of Isa (as) will be a glad tiding to the Muslims who stood firm and fought for the cause of Allah and did not succumb to the temptations of the Dajjal. At that time, the only two options for humanity will be to embrace Islam or die:
"Allah will send the Messiah, son of Maryam, and he will descend to the white minaret in the East of Damascus, wearing two garments dyed with saffron, placing his hands on the wings of two angels. When he lowers his head, beads of perspiration will fall from it, and when he raises his head, beads like pearls will scatter from it. Every Kaffir (unbeliever) who smells the fragrance (of his breath) will die, and his breath will reach as far as he can see. He will search for the Dajjal until he finds him at the gate of Ludd where he will kill him. Then a group of people whom Allah has protected will come to Isa (as), son of Maryam, and he will wipe the traces of hardship from their faces and tell them of their place in Paradise. At that point, Allah will reveal to Isa (as): 'I have brought forth some of My servants whom no-one will be able to fight. Take my servants safely to Al-Tur.'"
(Muslim)

The Consequence of Attributing Lineages to a Man who had No Lineage

The Consequence of Attributing Lineages to a Man who had No Lineage

The uniqueness of Jesus (Peace be upon him) as the Muslims see it is his miraculous birth, being born of the Virgin Mary. This was a greater miracle than arising out of Royal descent. But Mathew and Luke for some reason couldn't just see it that way, they were hell bent on fulfilling Old Testament prophecies, so what did they do; they manufactured one for him. The story begins at the annunciation.
Luke 1:34-35
Then said Mary to the angel,
"How shall this be, since I don't know any men?"
And the angel said,
"The Holy Spirit shall come on you,
and the potency of the Highest shall cover you..."
Jesus's followers claimed that he was GOD's illegitimate son, conceived out of wedlock and without a biological father. But, regardless, they say Jesus's mother's husband, Joseph, adopted him, so he had a real father after that.
BLUNDER: GUESS WHO ENTERS INTO THE DIVINE LINEAGE OF JESUS
The book of Genesis records in chapter 38 a story in which Judas (the father of the Jewish race) commits incest. He is tricked into sleeping with a harlot; who turns out to be his daughter-in-law. And word went around that she had a child by whoredom. Tamar, the prostitute was to give birth to twins whom would be named Pharez and Zarah. This clear act of illegitimacy and incest conception was in blatant violation of the Law. So when we read at Mathew 1:3
And Judas begat Phares and Zara of Thamar; and Phares begat Esrom; and Esrom begat Aram;
A prostitute and the product of incest becomes honoured in the lineage of Jesus. Despite the many injunctions in Bible ostracising sinners from the house of God for generations.
A bastard shall not enter into the congregation of the LORD; even to his tenth generation shall he not enter into the
congregation of the LORD.
Deuteronomy 23:2
ANOTHER BLUNDER, THE MESSIAH IS GIVEN A CURSED LINEAGE
But, St. Matthew felt that if the Messiah was to come, he had to be specifically descended through the bloodlines of kings David, Solomon, and Asa (see below), just to prove to the Jews that he was the specific Messiah mentioned in several prophecies. Being so eager to present Jesus as fulfilling this requirement, St. Matthew presents his readers with a lineage for Jesus going through his adopted father, Joseph, and through kings Asa and Solomon, all the way back to king David (Matt 1:1).
But, this presents him with a Trilemma, a Trinity of problems:
According to early Christian-Paulian doctrine regarding his birth to a virgin mother, Jesus is not really related to Joseph's (and therefore king David's) lineage, even todays Bible we read in Luke 3:23 "As was supposed".
The lineage Matthew presents conflicts flatly with the lineage that St. Luke came up with decades later (Luke 3:23). Luke's version has many more generations than Matthew's.
In trying to adopt Jesus into David's lineage (Matt 1:12), Matthew presents a family line that goes straight through the Cursed Branch of kings Jehoiakim and his son, Jeconiah (who is also known as Coniah/Jehoiachin). Matthew either intentionally or unintentionally omits king Jehoiakim in the list, which may confuse some Christians. But Jehoiakim (not Jeconiah) is undeniably the son of Josiah, and Jeconiah is the son of Jehoiakim.
Jehoiachin/Jeconiah/Coniah are all names for the same king, son of Jehoiakim, who was carried away into captivity/exile in Babylon, and succeeded by his uncle, king Zedekiah (who was the brother of Jehoiakim). See

Some Thoughts on the 'Proofs' of the Alleged Divinity of Jesus

Some Thoughts on the 'Proofs' of the Alleged Divinity of Jesus

Based on a lecture by Dr. Gary Miller

One of the crucial issues which separates Islam and Christianity is their beliefs concerning the nature of Jesus - peace be upon him. The majority of Christians believe that Jesus is "Divine", i.e. they believe him to be God incarnate. Muslims, on the other hand, beleive that Jesus was only a great Prophet of God and a faultless human being.

Approach to a Muslim--Christian Dialogue

The doctrine of the Trinity says that the three distinct co-equals are altogether God -- or that God is made up of three co-equal "persons". In particular, Jesus is said to be "God the Son", or the "Son of God". In a Muslim-Christian dialogue, inevitably the Muslim will question the details regarding this theology. The Christian, on the other hand, will usually form a common explanation by complaining that Muslims simply do not understand the Trinity, and that what the Muslim accuses the Christians of is one thing which Christians don't really believe. In short Muslims do not understand how the Christians understood the Trinity. The Muslim seeks to find clarifications of the teachings of this doctrine by asking for explanations as to how that would be so, because the term Son of God cannot have a literal interpretation: Sonship and divine nature would be two attributes which are incomparable, because sonship describes someone who receives life while divine nature describes someone who receives life from no one. To be a son is to be less than divine and to be divine is to be no one's son. Eventually the Christians would seek refuge in the response of "these are things which we cannot understand."

Verification and Understanding

Christians seem to be confusing two concepts -- the concept of verification and the concept of understanding. This can be illustrated in the example of hydrogen combining with oxygen to make water. We can verify this statement in a laboratory to see whether this statement is a statement of fact. But after verification, that does not mean what we have understood the nature of atoms. Verification and understanding are two different concepts. Thus, what Muslims should do is to re-direct the discussions because the first issue is more basic than simply resolving all the difficult points of Trinitarian doctrines. It is not the explanation of how to understand the concept of the Trinitarian doctrine that we seek, but rather, to seek verifications of their belief, that is, why in the first place must we believe that Jesus is divine (not how but why).

The Trinity -- A Church Doctrine

If Muslims pursue this approach, ultimately many Christians will usually say that "the Church says so", that is, it is the Church's doctrine. Thus many Christians' arguments stop short of questioning the Church's authority. They will not challenge it to find out the basis for their claim or their teaching. Although many Christians in fact concede that this is the case on the subject of Trinitarian doctrine, there are also others who insist that Jesus did talk about the Trinity himself.

"Let them produce proof"

We have been told in the Qur'an to tell the Christians "Let them produce proof". Thus we demand them to provide documentation that Jesus himself claimed unqualified divinity for himself, and that he said in so many words: "I am God". The Muslims are advised by another Qur'anic verse to tell the Christians: "Say: O people of the Book you have no ground to stand upon unless you stand fast by the Law, the Gospel and all the Revelation that has come to you from your Lord." This demand is reasonable, for Muslims are also told in another verse that Jesus never claimed to be God. Therefore if the Christians were to look into their own scripture they would not be able to find any saying of Jesus, that should him clearly claiming to be equal with God.

Our Beloved ISA (Jesus), the prophet of ALLAH

Our Beloved  ISA (Jesus), the prophet of ALLAH

Introduction
Allah sent many messengers to the humans as a mercy from Him. Allah sent them all to teach the people what is the correct and acceptable worship of Allah--their Creator and the Creator of everything. All the prophets of Allah, the first of whom was Adam and the last of whom is Muhammad, came with one Religion--Islam, one creed--the belief in the Oneness of Allah. They all taught that Allah is attributed with all the perfect attributes and that He does not resemble any of His creations. They taught what Allah ordered us to perform with and refrain from in this life. They taught there is the Judgment Day in which each one of us will be judged as to whether or not we fulfilled our obligations in this life. None of them taught their people what contradicts the belief in the Oneness of Allah. Each one of them ordered their followers to believe in the rest of the prophets. Imam al-Bukhariyy related that Prophet Muhammad, sallallahu ^alayhi wa sallam, said:

<<The prophets are like brothers from the same father with different mothers. Their Religion is one although their Shari^ah (rules of the Religion) differed. I am the most deserving of Prophet ^Isa. There was no other prophet between us.>>

Allah revealed Prophet ^Isa (Jesus) as the messenger before Prophet Muhammad. He was one of the five best messengers of Allah, called Ulul-^Azm, those with the highest status, who were the most patient. He was ^Isa, the son of Maryam, the daughter of ^Imran, from the sons of Israel. Prophet ^Isa, as all the prophets, was truthful in what he conveyed from Allah, and although today we follow the Shari^ah of Prophet Muhammad, Muslims respect, love, and believe in ^Isa and in his prophethood.

MARYAM, THE MOTHER OF ^ISA
Maryam (Mary), the mother of ^Isa, was a pious Muslim woman from the offspring of Israel during the time of Prophet Zakariyya. Prophet Zakariyya was a prophet of Allah revealed to convey to the people to follow the Shari^ah revealed to Prophet Musa. In the Qur'an there is a chapter named Maryam referring to Maryam
(Mary), the mother of ^Isa. This chapter talks about Maryam: her birth, her story, and the birth of Prophet ^Isa, and other things.

Maryam's mother conceived and delivered Maryam when she was an old woman, at an age when women usually can no longer have babies. One day Maryam's mother saw a bird feeding its young and she longed for a baby herself. She made a supplication to Allah to bless her with a child and vowed that she would make him a servant for the Holy House in Jerusalem, dedicated for worship, because she thought the child would be male. Allah answered her supplication and Maryam's mother conceived and delivered a baby girl. She named her "Maryam" and asked Allah to protect her and her offspring from evil.

Jesus, a Muslim, was Neither Killed, nor Crucified.

Jesus, a Muslim, was Neither Killed, nor Crucified.

We have seen that Jesus (pbuh) greeted his disciples like a Muslim, by saying: “Peace be unto you”, when he appeared before them after his so-called ‘resurrection’ (John 20:19). Muslims use the same words to greet, (but in Arabic): Assalaamu Alaikum.

We have also seen that the utterances of Jesus have been supportive of and predicting about the rise of Muhammad (pbuh), and through him the belief Islam and the believing nation of Muslims, to which his followers are required to join.

In John 16: 12 & 13, Jesus says:

“I have yet many things to say unto you,

but you cannot bear them now.

Howbeit when he, the spirit of truth, is come,

He will guide you into all truth; ”

In an , we have seen that this prophecy by Prophet Jesus (pbuh) refers to Prophet Muhammad (pbuh), whose arrival his followers were directed to await. The many things that Jesus would have liked to tell his followers have not been told to them, not because Jesus did not know them, but only because his followers were not ready to bear them at that time: “..... but you cannot bear them now.”

When Jesus (pbuh) states “you cannot bear them now”, it only refers to his followers and does not include himself, because he did not say: “WE cannot bear them now”.

Since Jesus didn't count himself among them in this matter, it means he was ready to bear them: the guidance that the expected prophet will bring. He was aware of them and he was ready to bear them. But did he follow in action what he knew and was ready for? Yes. He did much of what a Muslim would do and is expected to do. In fact, this begins to happen even while he anticipates arrest by the Roman rulers.

Jesus said, "Surely, Allah is my Lord and your Lord"

(Qur'an 3:51) Surely, Allah is my Lord and your Lord; so serve Him alone. This is the straight way.'
As with other Prophets, the fundamental points of Jesus' mission were the following:
(1) Man should acknowledge- the exclusive sovereignty of God which demands absolute service and obedience to Him, and Him alone. This principle serves as the basis for the entire structure of human morality and social behaviour.
(2) Man should obey the Prophets since they are the representatives of the true Sovereign.
(3) The Law which should regulate man's conduct by elaborating what is right and what is wrong should be none other than the Law of God. The laws devised by others should be abrogated. There is, thus, no difference between the missions of Jesus, Moses and Muhammad (peace be on them all). Those who think that the missions of the Prophets differ from one another and who believe that their objectives vary have fallen into serious error. Whoever is sent by the Lord of the Universe to His creatures can have no other purpose than to dissuade God's subjects from disobeying Him and assuming an attitude of vanity and disregard towards Him, and to admonish them against associating anyone with God in His divinity (that is, either holding anyone to be a partner with the Lord of the Universe in His Sovereignty or recognizing others beside God as having a rightful claim on part of man's loyalty, devotion and worship), and to invite them all to be loyal to, and to serve, obey and worship God alone.
It is unfortunate that the Gospels in their present form do not offer as clear a picture of the mission of Jesus as that presented by the Qur'an. Nevertheless, we find scattered throughout the Gospels all the three fundamentals mentioned above. The notion that man ought to submit himself totally to God is embodied in the following statement:
You shall worship the Lord your God and Him only shall you serve' (Matthew 4: 10).
In addition, Jesus believed that the object of his efforts was that God's commands relating to the moral realm should be obeyed in this world in the sphere of human conduct just as His commands about the operation of the physical universe are obeyed in the heavens:
'Thy kingdom come,
Thy will be done,
On earth as it is in heaven' (ibid., 6: 10).
The fact that Jesus presented himself as a Prophet and a representative of the Kingdom of Heaven, and that in this capacity he asked people to follow him is borne out by several statements. When, for instance, he began his mission in Nazareth and when his own kith, kin and compatriots turned against him, he remarked: 'A prophet is not without honour except in his own country . . .' (Matthew 13: 57; see also Luke 4: 24 and Mark 6: 4). And when conspiracies were hatched in Jerusalem to put an end to his life, and people counselled him to go away, he replied: 'Nevertheless I must go on my way . . . for it cannot be that a prophet should perish away from Jerusalem' (Luke 13: 33). When Jesus entered Jerusalem for the last time the disciples cried with a loud voice: 'Blessed be the King who comes in the name of the Lord' (Luke 19: 38). This angered the Pharisees, who asked Jesus to rebuke his disciples. But he replied: 'I tell you, if these were silent the very stones would cry out' (ibid., 19: 40). On another occasion he said: 'Come to me, all who labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light' (Matthew 11: 28-30).
The fact that he invited people to obey the Laws of God rather than the laws made by man is evident from his response (found in both Matthew and Mark) to the objection raised by the Pharisees to the conduct of their disciples who ate with defiled hands, that is, without washing.
'Well did Isiah prophesy of you hypocrites, as it is written:
This people honours me with their lips,
but their heart is far from me;
in vain do they worship me,
teaching as doctrines the precepts of men.'
And he said to them: 'You have a fine way of rejecting the commandment of God in order to keep your tradition. For Moses said, "Honour your father and your mother", and "He who speaks evil of his father or mother, let him surely die", but you say, "If a man tells his father or mother what you would have gained from me is Corban (that is, given to God), and then you no longer permit him to do anything for his father or mother, thus making void the word of God through your tradition which you hand on"' (Mark 7: 6-13; see also Matthew 15: 2-9).

Jesus Christ in Islam

Jesus Christ in Islam

By Yahya Ibrahim - Lecture delivered Perth, Australia

All Praise is for Allah alone. He is the Rabb^[1] of all that exists. Surely, we send the highest Salah and Salam^[2] upon the Final Prophet, the leader of the pious and upon his family, companions and those who follow their example with Ih’san^[3] till the Day of Reckoning.

Amma Ba‘du^[4]:

Primer

Before we begin, I will give you a primer on some of the Arabic words that I will use in my lecture today:

Allah: Literally means "the God", "the One who is deserving of worship".
Qur’an: The final scripture according to Muslim tradition; the final Word of God.
Sala Allahu ‘alihi was-Salaam: You may hear me use this phrase after mentioning the names of the prophets. It means "may the peace and blessings of God be upon him".

Introduction

Today’s lecture is intended as an educational discussion. But it will also be useful for us to learn about each others’ beliefs, because the scholars – past and present – have said, "The root cause of hatred is ignorance".

Jesus is known to the Muslims as ‘Issa – this is the name for Jesus that we have been given in our scriptures.

To Muslims, Jesus – or ‘Issa – is a saviour, a reformist, the Messiah (the anointed one), the "Word of God". He was elevated to heaven. He could cure the ill, raise the dead, fashion inanimate objects and blow life into them, all by the Will of God.

We believe that the one who disbelieves in Jesus is not a Muslim, because the person who disbelieves in one the prophets disbelieves in all of them. So Muslims believe in Jesus and in his message. His message was one with all the other messengers. In the Qur’an, it is said that God never sent a messenger to mankind except that he was sent with one warning: Worship Allah alone.

Muhammad (sala allahu ‘alihi was-Salaam) said:

"I am the most worthy of ‘Issa bin Marium in this life and in the hereafter." They (Sahaba) asked: "Why is that O Messenger of Allah (sala allahu ‘alihi was-Salaam)?"

He (sala allahu ‘alihi was-Salaam) replied: "The Prophets are paternal (bloodline) brethren (from fathers side). Their mothers may be different (races, peoples, bloodlines) yet their Deen is always one (Islam)." Reported by Bukhari and Muslim.

Therefore this necessitates that he who disputes the validity of one of the true Prophets and Messengers has in fact reviled and disputed all of them. One cannot believe in Muhammad (sala allahu ‘alihi was-Salaam) and not believe in ‘Issa (Alihi as-Salaam). Equally, one cannot truly believe in ‘Issa and not believe in Muhammad (sala allahu ‘alihi was-Salaam). To truly accept one Prophet or Messenger necessitates the acceptance of all those who came before him and all who will come after him, ending with Muhammad (sala allahu ‘alihi was-Salaam).

Evangelism Exposed

Evangelism Exposed
David Kostinchuk 
THE JUNGLE OF CHRIST

This article is titled "The Jungle of Christ" because there is a labyrinth of Christian television evangelists (Evangelist: a person who brings the gospel to pagan people or nonbelievers) engaged in a massive worldwide well planned, organized onslaught against Hindus and Muslims in an effort to convert them to Christianity. The purpose of this paper is to alert non- Christians about the people involved in this assault on their religions, as well as their plans and methods. At the present time the research I have been doing has yielded more information on India because the people involved feel more secure in their progress to convert Hindus. The information of their assault on the Muslim religion is somewhat more secretive and guarded; however, Muslims should not feel complacent as the plans, methods and objectives of their assault on Islam are slowly surfacing.

The following a list of the organizations engaged in wholesale evangelism (The preaching of the gospel) as well as the organizations that comprise their support systems. This list only includes organizations referred to in this paper.

Trinity Broadcasting Network (TBN):  Many people believe this network to be the world's largest Christian network. It consists of 536 broadcasting stations around the world that are owned or affiliated with CBN. This network was started in 1973 and is presently headed by Paul and Jay Crouch. It is interesting to note that one of its original directors was Jim Bakker who spent five years in prison for fleecing his flock of $158,000,000. At the present time this organization grosses $100,000,000 a year. (The Orange County Register June 1 1999)

Christian Broadcasting Network (CBN): The Christian Broadcasting Network was founded in 1960 by Pat Robertson. CBN is considered to be one of the largest Christian broadcasting television ministries and presently airs programs in the U.S. and 90 foreign countries. Their mission is to convert 5,000,000 people to Christianity by the year 2000.

Life Outreach International (LOI):  James Robiison is the founder. Even though  this organization has relief organizations they use these to support evangelistic endeavors. They state that they se  1,000,000 people convert to Christianity in a  year.

Trinity Television (TTY): This organization was started by Willard and Betty Thiessen and is based in Winnipeg, Manitoba Canada. They are presently engaged in the U.S., Canada, India and plan to expand to convert Muslims. (TTY Newsletter; Nov. 1998)

Did Jesus die on a tree or a cross?

Did Jesus die on a tree or a cross?

The cross is symbolically associated with Jesus Christ, but while the  Bible clearly states in places that Jesus was hung on a tree, there is  no clear statement that Jesus was crucified on a cross. References the  crucifixion tend to allude to these facts rather than simply stating directly that Jesus died by crucifixion on a cross, and statements about the cross and the crucifixion are ambiguous, elusive,
mysterious, and possibly allegorical.

"The God of our fathers raised up Jesus, whom ye slew and hanged on a tree." (Acts 5.30.)

"And we are witnesses of all things which he [Jesus] did both in the land of the Jews, and in Jerusalem; whom they slew and hanged on a tree" (Acts 10.39.)

"And when they had fulfilled all that was written of him, they took him down from the tree, and laid him in a sepulchre." (Acts 13.29.)

"Who his own self bare our sins in his own body on the tree, that we, being dead to sins, should live unto righteousness" (Peter 2.24.)


If Jesus was hung on a tree, perhaps the cross entered Christian symbolism because it has been an important religious symbol since long before the Christian era and before Jesus was crucified.

"Whosoever will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me." (Jesus speaking long before he was crucified, according to Mark 8.34.)

"For many walk, of whom I have told you often, and now tell you even weeping, that they are the enemies of the cross of Christ" (Philippians 3.18.)

"And he said to them all, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me." (Luke 9.23.)


If Jesus was hung on a tree, what is meant by the following verse? "...for it is written, Cursed is every one that hangeth on a tree" (Galatians 3:13.)


References
Christian Bible (King James version), New Testament.

Did God Become Man?

Did God Become Man?

by Dr. A. B. Philips (PhD Theology, University of Wales, U.K.)

  Belief in God

The vast majority of human beings have always believed in God. From the most ancient civilizations to the most primitive of modern societies, religions with God at their center have formed the foundation of human culture. In fact, the denial of God’s existence (atheism) throughout history was limited to a few individuals until the rise of communism in the 20^th century. Even today, in the secular societies of the West, where modern social scientists armed with Darwinian theories have argued that God is merely a figment of the human collective imagination, the overwhelming majority of citizens, laymen and even scientists, hold steadfast to their belief in God.

Consequently, the overwhelming body of archeological data in support of God’s existence has led some anthropologists to conclude that belief in God (deism) must be inborn and not learnt. Although the vast majority of social scientists proposed otherwise, recent scientific discoveries appear to support the minority view that deism is innate. In an article entitled “God Spot is found in the Brain,” Dr. Vilayanur Ramachandran of the University of California at San Diego said that the phenomenon of religious belief in God is hard-wired into the brain.

‘God spot’ is found in brain

by Steve Connor Science Correspondent SCIENTISTS believe they have discovered a “God module” in the brain, which could be responsible for man’s evolutionary instinct to believe in religion. A study of epileptics, who are known to have profoundly spiritual experiences, has located a circuit of nerves in the front of the brain, which appears to become electrically active when they think about God. The scientists said that although the research and its conclusions are preliminary, initial results suggest that the phenomenon of religious belief is “hard-wired” into the brain. Epileptic patients who suffer from seizures of the brain’s frontal lobe said they frequently experience intense mystical episodes and often become obsessed with religious spirituality. A team of neuroscientists from the University of California at San Diego said the most intriguing explanation is that the seizure causes an over-stimulation of the nerves in a part of the brain dubbed the “God module”. “There may be dedicated neural machinery in the temporal lobes concerned with religion. This may have evolved to impose order and stability on society,” the team reported at a conference last week.

The results indicate that whether a person believes in a religion or even in GOD may depend on how enhanced this part of the brain’s electrical circuitry is. Dr. Vilayanur Ramachandran, head of the research team, said the study involved comparing epileptic patients with normal people and a group who said they were intensely religious. Electrical monitors on their skin – a standard test for activity in the brains temporal lobes – showed that the epileptics and the deeply religious displayed a similar response when shown words invoking spiritual belief. Evolutionary scientists have suggested that belief in God, which is a common trait, found in human societies around the world and throughout history, may be built into the brain’s complex electrical circuitry as a Darwinian adaptation to encourage cooperation between individuals. If the research is correct and a “God module” exists, then it might suggest that individuals who are atheists could have a differently configured neural circuit. A spokesman for Richard Harries, the Bishop of Oxford, said whether there is a “God module” is a question for scientists, not theologians. “It would not be surprising if God had created us with a physical facility for belief,” he said.[1]