Russian Orthodox Church

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Stalinist era

The main target of the anti-religious campaign in the 1920s and 1930s was the Russian Orthodox Church, which had the largest number of faithful. Nearly all of its clergy, and many of its believers, were shot or sent to labor camps. Theological schools were closed, and church publications were prohibited.

The sixth sector of the OGPU, led by Eugene Tuchkov, began aggressively arresting and executing bishops, priests, and devout worshippers, such as Metropolitan Veniamin in Petrograd in 1922 for refusing to accede to the demand to hand in church valuables (including sacred relics). In the period between 1927 and 1940, the number of Orthodox Churches in the Russian Republic fell from 29,584 to less than 500. Between 1917 and 1935, 130,000 Orthodox priests were arrested. Of these, 95,000 were put to death, executed by firing squad.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Russian_Orthodox_Church

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Famous Atheists

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The 20th Century has been the bloodiest century in all of history. And humanism has proven to be the most destructive religion of all time. Far more people have been killed in the name of atheism than by all other religions combined.

The triumph of secular humanism with its atheism, evolutionism and situation ethics has led to the rise of gangster statesmen such as Vladimir Lenin, Joseph Stalin, Mao Tse Tung, Fidel Castro, Pol Pot, Robert Mugabe and many more like them.

Joseph Stalin was responsible for killing over 40 million people. Joseph Stalin closed down over 48 000 churches, and attempted the liquidation of the entire Christian Church.

Similarly, communist dictator of China Mao Tse Tung launched the Great Proletariat Cultural Revolution, ”History’s most systematic attempt ever, by a single nation, to eradicate and destroy Christianity…” Mao was responsible for killing about 72 million people.

The communist takeover of Cambodia in 1975 resulted in the death of up to 3 million people - a full third of the total population. When we add to these the death toll of communist regimes in Korea, Vietnam, Laos, Afghanistan, Ethiopia, Angola, Mozambique, Poland, Czechoslovakia, Hungary, Cuba, and Zimbabwe, the body count is staggering.

As Dostoevsky so eloquently put it: ”If God is dead, then all things are possible!”

See here




Here are some famous atheists. They were terible people and they all had their Godless dogma.

Pol Pot, Prime Minister of Cambodia. Killed or displaced millions of people.

Slobodan Milosevic, President Serbia and Yugoslavia. Genocide, crimes against humanity, and war crimes.

Mao Tse-Tung, co-founder of the Communist Party of China.

Joseph Stalin, General Secretary of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union.

Vladimir Lenin, Marxist, Head of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union.



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Mao Tse-Tung quotes:

"Communism is not love. Communism is a hammer which we use to crush the enemy."

"Political power grows out of the barrel of a gun."

"Passivity is fatal to us. Our goal is to make the enemy passive."

“War can only be abolished through war, and in order to get rid of the gun it is necessary to take up the gun”

"In the struggle to defend the legacy of Leninism . . . [Stalin] proved himself to be an outstanding Marxist-Leninist fighter. . . . Stalin's works should, as before, be seriously studied."


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Joseph Stalin quotes:

"Death solves all problems - no man, no problem."

"Gratitude is a sickness suffered by dogs."

"The death of one man is a tragedy. The death of millions is a statistic."

"When we hang the capitalists they will sell us the rope we use."

“I believe in one thing only, the power of human will.”

“Sincere diplomacy is no more possible than dry water or wooden iron”

“The only real power comes out of a long rifle.”

“I trust no one, not even myself.”



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Vladimir Lenin quotes:

“A lie told often enough becomes truth”

“It is true that liberty is precious - so precious that it must be rationed”

“There are no morals in politics; there is only expedience. A scoundrel may be of use to us just because he is a scoundrel.”

“We need the real, nation-wide terror which reinvigorates the country and through which the Great French Revolution achieved glory”

“No amount of political freedom will satisfy the hungry masses”

“Our program necessarily includes the propaganda of atheism”

“The press should be not only a collective propagandist and a collective agitator, but also a collective organizer of the masses”

“Literature must become party literature. Down with unpartisan litterateurs! Down with the superman of literature! Literature must become a part of the general cause of the proletariat.”

“When there is state there can be no freedom, but when there is freedom there will be no state.”




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Karl Marx quotes:

"The theory of the Communists may be summed up in the single sentence: Abolition of private property."

"We should not say that one man's hour is worth another man's hour, but rather that one man during an hour is worth just as much as another man during an hour. Time is everything, man is nothing: he is at the most time's carcass."

"Nothing can have value without being an object of utility."

"Society does not consist of individuals but expresses the sum of interrelations, the relations within which these individuals stand."

"The meaning of peace is the absence of opposition to socialism."

“The production of too many useful things results in too many useless people.”

“Philosophy is to the real world as masturbation is to sex”

“The only antidote to mental suffering is physical pain.”

“The first requisite for the happiness of the people is the abolition of religion”



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Pol Pot quotes:

“The only good bourgeois is a dead bourgeois.”

“Since he is of no use anymore, there is no gain if he lives and no loss if he dies.”

“I did not join the resistance movement to kill people, to kill the nation. Look at me now. Am I a savage person? My conscience is clear.”



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God is Good

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God is Old English for Good. The two go together providing we are talking about the God of the Bible. When people talk about God's wrath it is because He hates all that is evil but loves that which is good.

Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men. (Luke 2:14)

We know that all things work together for good to them that love God, (Romans 8:28)

Do not conform yourselves to the standards of this world, but let God transform you inwardly by a complete change of your mind. Then you will be able to know the will of God---what is good and is pleasing to him and is perfect. (Romans 12:2)

The Spirit of the Lord GOD is upon me; because He has chosen me and sent me to bring good news to the poor, and to heal the broken-hearted. (Isiah 61:1)

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)

And God is able to make all grace abound toward you; that ye, always having all sufficiency in all things, may abound to every good work: (2 Corinthians 9:8)

Now our Lord Jesus Christ himself, and God, even our Father, which hath loved us, and hath given us everlasting consolation and good hope through grace, comfort your hearts, and establish you in every good word and work. (2 Thessalonians 2:16)

I exhort therefore, that, first of all, supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks, be made for all men; for kings, and for all that are in authority; that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and honesty. (1 Timothy 2:1)

All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: That the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good works. (2 Timothy 3:16)

Unto the pure all things are pure: but unto them that are defiled and unbelieving is nothing pure; but even their mind and conscience is defiled. They profess that they know God; but in works they deny him, being abominable, and disobedient, and unto every good work reprobate. (Titus 1:15)

Remind your people to submit to rulers and authorities, to obey them, and to be ready to do good in every way. Tell them not to speak evil of anyone, but to be peaceful and friendly, and always to show a gentle attitude toward everyone. (Titus 3:1)

Beloved, follow not that which is evil, but that which is good. He that doeth good is of God: but he that doeth evil hath not seen God. (3 John 1:11)

Finally, brethren, farewell. Be perfect, be of good comfort, be of one mind, live in peace; and the God of love and peace shall be with you. (2 Corithians 13:11)

There are landslides, earthquakes, avalanches etc. but without rain we wouldn't be here, I know it causes flooding but the rain is good. The earth is a very good place and all that is good comes from God. However, our actions whether they are for good or evil are down to us, so stop complaining and make sure you always walk in paths of righteousness (doing the right thing) because it is people who do the harm, so stop blaming God. People even invent their own false gods and make out they are doing it because their god tells them to. As Jesus said (paraphrasing) you can tell people by their actions.

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Famous Scientists who believed in God

50 Nobel Laureates includes chapters on the following individuals:

PART I. Nobel Scientists (20-21 Century)

Albert Einstein Nobel Laureate in Physics Jewish
Max Planck Nobel Laureate in Physics Protestant
Erwin Schrodinger Nobel Laureate in Physics Catholic
Werner Heisenberg Nobel Laureate in Physics Lutheran
Robert Millikan Nobel Laureate in Physics probably Congregationalist
Charles Hard Townes Nobel Laureate in Physics United Church of Christ (raised Baptist)
Arthur Schawlow Nobel Laureate in Physics Methodist
William D. Phillips Nobel Laureate in Physics Methodist
William H. Bragg Nobel Laureate in Physics Anglican
Guglielmo Marconi Nobel Laureate in Physics Catholic and Anglican
Arthur Compton Nobel Laureate in Physics Presbyterian
Arno Penzias Nobel Laureate in Physics Jewish
Nevill Mott Nobel Laureate in Physics Anglican
Isidor Isaac Rabi Nobel Laureate in Physics Jewish
Abdus Salam Nobel Laureate in Physics Muslim
Antony Hewish Nobel Laureate in Physics Christian (denomination?)
Joseph H. Taylor, Jr. Nobel Laureate in Physics Quaker
Alexis Carrel Nobel Laureate in Medicine and Physiology Catholic
John Eccles Nobel Laureate in Medicine and Physiology Catholic
Joseph Murray Nobel Laureate in Medicine and Physiology Catholic
Ernst Chain Nobel Laureate in Medicine and Physiology Jewish
George Wald Nobel Laureate in Medicine and Physiology Jewish
Ronald Ross Nobel Laureate in Medicine and Physiology Christian (denomination?)
Derek Barton Nobel Laureate in Chemistry Christian (denomination?)
Christian Anfinsen Nobel Laureate in Chemistry Jewish
Walter Kohn Nobel Laureate in Chemistry Jewish
Richard Smalley Nobel Laureate in Chemistry Christian (denomination?)

PART II. Nobel Writers (20-21 Century)
T.S. Eliot Nobel Laureate in Literature Anglo-Catholic (Anglican)
Rudyard Kipling Nobel Laureate in Literature Anglican
Alexander Solzhenitsyn Nobel Laureate in Literature Russian Orthodox
François Mauriac Nobel Laureate in Literature Catholic
Hermann Hesse Nobel Laureate in Literature Christian; Buddhist?
Winston Churchill Nobel Laureate in Literature Anglican
Jean-Paul Sartre Nobel Laureate in Literature Lutheran; Freudian; Marxist; atheist; Messianic Jew
Sigrid Undset Nobel Laureate in Literature Catholic (previously Lutheran)
Rabindranath Tagore Nobel Laureate in Literature Hindu
Rudolf Eucken Nobel Laureate in Literature Christian (denomination?)
Isaac Singer Nobel Laureate in Literature Jewish

PART III. Nobel Peace Laureates (20-21 Century)
Albert Schweitzer Nobel Peace Prize Laureate Lutheran
Jimmy Carter Nobel Peace Prize Laureate Baptist (former Southern Baptist)
Theodore Roosevelt Nobel Peace Prize Laureate Dutch Reformed; Episcopalian
Woodrow Wilson Nobel Peace Prize Laureate Presbyterian
Frederik de Klerk Nobel Peace Prize Laureate Dutch Reformed
Nelson Mandela Nobel Peace Prize Laureate Christian (denomination?)
Kim Dae-Jung Nobel Peace Prize Laureate Catholic
Dag Hammarskjold Nobel Peace Prize Laureate Christian (denomination?)
Martin Luther King, Jr. Nobel Peace Prize Laureate Baptist
Adolfo Perez Esquivel Nobel Peace Prize Laureate Catholic
Desmond Tutu Nobel Peace Prize Laureate Anglican
John R. Mott Nobel Peace Prize Laureate Methodist

Part IV. Founders of Modern Science (16-21 Century)

Isaac Newton Founder of Classical Physics and Infinitesimal Calculus Anglican (rejected Trinitarianism, i.e., Athanasianism;
believed in the Arianism of the Primitive Church)
Galileo Galilei Founder of Experimental Physics Catholic
Nicolaus Copernicus Founder of Heliocentric Cosmology Catholic (priest)
Johannes Kepler Founder of Physical Astronomy and Modern Optics Lutheran
Francis Bacon Founder of the Scientific Inductive Method Anglican
René Descartes Founder of Analytical Geometry and Modern Philosophy Catholic
Blaise Pascal Founder of Hydrostatics, Hydrodynamics,
and the Theory of Probabilities Jansenist
Michael Faraday Founder of Electronics and Electro-Magnetics Sandemanian
James Clerk Maxwell Founder of Statistical Thermodynamics Presbyterian; Anglican; Baptist
Lord Kelvin Founder of Thermodynamics and Energetics Anglican
Robert Boyle Founder of Modern Chemistry Anglican
William Harvey Founder of Modern Medicine Anglican (nominal)
John Ray Founder of Modern Biology and Natural History Calvinist (denomination?)
Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz German Mathematician and Philosopher,
Founder of Infinitesimal Calculus Lutheran
Charles Darwin Founder of the Theory of Evolution Anglican (nominal); Unitarian
Ernst Haeckel German Biologist,
the Most Influential Evolutionist in Continental Europe
Thomas H. Huxley English Biologist and Evolutionist,
Famous As "Darwin's Bulldog"
Joseph J. Thomson Nobel Laureate in Physics, Discoverer of the Electron,
Founder of Atomic Physics Anglican
Louis Pasteur Founder of Microbiology and Immunology Catholic
Part V. Great Philosophers (17-21 Century)
Immanuel Kant One of the Greatest Philosophers
in the History of Western Philosophy Lutheran
Jean-Jacques Rousseau Founder of Modern Deism born Protestant;
converted as a teen to Catholic
Voltaire French Philosopher and Historian,
One of the Most Influential Thinkers of the Enlightenment raised in Jansenism
David Hume Scottish Empiricist Philosopher, Historian, and Economist,
Founder of Modern Skepticism Church of Scotland (Presbyterian)
Spinoza Dutch-Jewish Philosopher,
the Chief Exponent of Modern Rationalism Judaism; later pantheism/deism
Giordano Bruno Italian Philosopher, Astronomer, and Mathematician,
Founder of the Theory of the Infinite Universe Catholic
George Berkeley Irish Philosopher and Mathematician, Founder of Modern Idealism,
Famous as "The Precursor of Mach and Einstein" Anglican
John Stuart Mill English Philosopher and Economist,
the Major Exponent of Utilitarianism agnostic; Utilitarian
Richard Swinburne Oxford Professor of Philosophy,
One of the Most Influential Theistic Philosophers
PART VI. Other Religious Nobelists
60 more Nobel Prize winners are listed
(32 scientists, 17 writers, 11 Nobel Nobel Peace Laureates)
PART VII. Nobelists, Philosophers, and Scientists on Jesus
Quotes by 16 individuals about their beliefs about Jesus
- Alexis Carrel
- Albert Einstein
- Arthur Compton
- Robert Millikan
- Francois Mauriac
- Sigrid Undset
- T.S. Eliot
- Mother Theresa
- Albert Schweitzer
- Theodore Roosevelt
- Frederik de Klerk
- John R. Mott
- Kim Dae-Jung
- Martin Luther King, Jr.
- Jimmy Carter
- Blaise Pascal

DIVINITY of JESUS

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The woman saith unto him, I know that Messiah cometh (he that is called Christ): when he is come, he will declare unto us all things. Jesus saith unto her, I that speak unto thee am he. And upon this came his disciples; and they marvelled that he was speaking with a woman; yet no man said, What seekest thou? or, Why speakest thou with her? (John 4:25)

The divinity of Jesus Christ is further illustrated in John 8:58. Jesus said, “Truly, Truly, I say to you, before Abraham was born, I am”, which means that Jesus existed before His human life on earth.

Father forgive them for they know not what they do." (Luke 23:34)

“And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth.” (Matthew 28:18.)

“from now on the Son of Man shall be seated at the right hand of the power of God." (Luke 22:69)

"I and the Father are one." (John 10:30.)

“the Father is in me and I am in the Father." (John 10:38.)

And Jesus cried out and said, "Whoever believes in me, believes not in me but in him who sent me.”(John 12:44)

"Believe me that I am in the Father and the Father is in me," (John 14:11)

“Whatever you ask in my name, this I will do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son.” John 14:13

“In that day you will know that I am in my Father, and you in me, and I in you.” John 14:20

“he who loves me will be loved by my Father” (John 14:21)

“And the word that you hear is not mine but the Father's who sent me.” (John 14:24)

“I do as the Father has commanded me, so that the world may know that I love the Father. “John 14:31

"Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in me. In my Father's house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also.

And whither I go ye know, and the way ye know. Thomas saith unto him, Lord, we know not whither thou goest; and how can we know the way? Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me." (John 14:1)



Other people

Mat 8:29 And behold, they cried out, "What have you to do with us, O Son of God?


Mar 1:24 "What have you to do with us, Jesus of Nazareth? Have you come to destroy us? I know who you are--the Holy One of God."


Mar 3:11 And whenever they saw him, they fell down before him and cried out, "You are the Son of God."


Luk 4:41 And demons also came out of many, crying, "You are the Son of God!" But he rebuked them and would not allow them to speak, because they knew that he was the Christ.

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FORMATION of the EARTH

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FORMA'TION, n. [L. formatio.]

1. The act of forming or making; the act of creating or causing to exist; or more generally, the operation of composing, by bringing materials together, or of shaping and giving form; as the formation of the earth; the formation of a state or constitution.

Scientists say life came from primaeval mud. The Bible says: You will have to work hard and sweat to make the soil produce anything, until you go back to the soil from which you were formed. You were made from soil, and you will become soil again." (Genesis 3:19)

There is no conflict between science and the Bible.

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If I wore a burka
You wouldn't see my toes
If I wore a niqaj
You wouldn't see my nose

If I wore a hijab
You wouldn't see my hair
If I wore dark glasses
You really wouldn't care

I could be invisible
Be a peeking tom
Or if I was adventurous
Wear an atom bomb

Burka, Niqaj, Hijab clothes
Signs of feminine oppression
Symbols of women slaves in chains;
Of husband's sad possession

If I wore a mini skirt
You'd see more than my toes
If I wore a jewelled stud
It could be through my nose

If I did a Britney
I'd shave off all my hair
If I wore contacts
Would you really care?

I could stand out in the crowd
Be a drama queen,
Get drunk on a Saturday night
You know what I mean?

Mini skirts and skimpy tops
Lots of material possessions;
Greed and lust and gluttony,
Different oppressions

Written by Carolyn 2008

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Prophisies Fulfilled

Below are 54 specific prophecies concerning the sufferings of the Messiah, all of which were fulfilled in Jesus of Nazareth during the last 54 hours of His life, up through His resurrection.

You are invited to look up these Scriptures. [Note: Certain texts are in acjacent verses in the Hebrew OT. For example, Ps.55:17, would be 55:18 and Mic.5:1 is 4:14 in the Hebrew text].

Beginning with Jesus prayer in the Garden of Gethsemany [9 P.M., Thursday, April 2] and concluding with His resurrection [3 A.M., Sunday, April 5, 30 A.D.].

The Sufferings of the Messiah Foretold:

1. He was to pray in sorrow, foreknowing His death.
Prophecy: Ps.55:17; 69:20.
Fulfilled: Mt.26:38-39; Mk.14:34-36.

2. He was to be betrayed by a friend.
Prophecy: Ps.55:12-14.
Fulfilled: Mt.26:24-25, 47-50; Mk.14:43-45; Lk.22:47-49; Jn.13:21, 18:2-8.

3. His betrayer was to lift up his heel against Him.
Prophecy: Ps.41:9.
Fulfilled: Jn.13:18.

4. His betrayer was to greet Him with soft words.
Prophecy: Ps.28:3; 55:21; 57:4; 62:4; 64:3.
Fulfilled: Mt.26:49, 50; Mk.14:45.

5. His betrayer was to eat bread with Him.
Prophecy: 41:9.
Fulfilled: Mt.26:20-23; Mk.14:18; Jn.13:18.

6. His enemies were to fall to the ground.
Prophecy: Ps.27:2.
Fulfilled: Jn.18:6.

7. He was to be sold for 30 pieces of silver.
Prophecy: Zech.11:12.
Fulfilled: Mt.26:14, 15.

8. The money obtained was to be cast down to the potter. Into the house of the Lord.
Prophecy: Zech.11:13.
Fulfilled: Mt.27:3-10.

9. The Shepherd was to be smitten and the sheep scattered [His disciples were to forsake Him].
Prophecy: Zech.13:7.
Fulfilled: 26:31, 56; Mk.14:27.

10. A familiar friend would fear to acknowledge Him.
Prophecy: Ps.31:11.
fulfilled: Mt.26:69075.

11. He was to be accused by false witnesses.
Prophecy: Ps.27:12; 35:11.
Fulfilled: Mt.26:59-60.

12. His accusers were to be liars, hating Him without a cause.
Prophecy: Ps.35:19; 69:4; 109:2-3; Lam.3:52.
Fulfilled: Mk.14:55, 56, 59; 15:9-10; Jn.15:25.

13. The rulers would take council together against Him.
Prophecy: Ps.2:2.
Fulfilled: Mt.26:3, 4, 59; Mk.15:1; Lk.22:1-2; Jn.11:47, 53.

14. He was to be despised.
Prophecy: Ps.22:6-7.
Fulfilled: Mt.27:39-44.

15. Justice was to be denied Him; He would be imprisoned and crucified.
Prophecy: Isa.53:8.
Fulfilled: Mt.27:23-24; Lk.23:24; Acts 8:33; 1 Pet.2:23.

16. He was to be dumb before His accusers.
Prophecy: Ps.38:13; 39:2-9; Isa.53:7.
Fulfilled: Mt.26:62-63; 27:12-14; Mk.15:4-5; Lk.23:9; Jn.19:9; Acts8:32; 1 Pet.2:23.

17. He was to be smitten and spat upon His face and cheek.
Prophecy: Ps.69:26; Isa.50:6; Lam.3:20; Mic.5:1.
Fulfilled: Mt.26:67-68; 27:30; Mk.14:65; Jn.18:22.

18. He was to be scourged.
Prophecy: Ps.129:3; Isa.50:6; Mic.5:1.
Fulfilled: Mt.27:26; Mk.15:15; Jn.19:1.

19. His visage was to be marred.
Prophecy: Isa.52:14.
Fulfilled: Mt.26:67; 27:29-30; Lk.22:64.

20. He was to be wounded and bruised.
Prophecy: Isa.53:5.
Fulfilled: Mt.27:26-29.

21. The serpent and the Son of Man lifted up as a sacrifice for sin.
Prophecy: Num.21:8-9.
Fulfilled: Jn.3:14; 15:12, 32.

22. His side was to be pierced [after His death].
Prophecy: Zech.12:10.
Fulfilled: Jn.19:34-37; Rev.1:7.

23. His hands and His feet were to be pierced [crucifixion].
Prophecy: Ps.22:16.
Fulfilled: Mt.27:35; Mk.15:24; LK.23:33; 24:7; Jn.20:25-27; Acts 2:23.

24. He was to be crucified with thieves.
Prophecy: Isa.53:8, 12.
Fulfilled: Mt.27:38, 44; Mk.15:27-28; Lk.22:37; 23:33, 39, 43; Jn.19:18.

25. He was to pray for His persecutors..
Prophecy: Ps.109:4; Isa.53:12.
Fulfilled: Lk.23:34.

26. The people were to shake their heads.
Prophecy: Ps.22:7; 109:25.
Fulfilled: Mt.27:39.

27. The people were to ridicule and reproach Him.
Prophecy: Ps.22:8; 69:7.
Fulfilled: Mt.27:41-43.

28. He was to cry aloud.
Prophecy: Ps.55:16-17.
Fulfilled: Mt.27:50.

29. He was to be derided.
Prophecy: Ps.22:7-8.
fulfilled: Lk.23:11, 35.

30. The people were to be astonished.
Prophecy: Ps.22:17; Isa.52:14.
Fulfilled: Lk.23:35.

31. His garments were to be parted and lots cast for them.
Prophecy: Ps.22:18.
Fulfilled: Mt.27:35; Mk.15:24; Lk.23:34; Jn.19:23-24.

32. He was to cry: "My God, My God, Why hast thou forsaken Me?"
Prophecy: Ps.22:1; 42:9.
Fulfilled: Mt.27:4; Mk.15:34.

33. He was to thirst.
Prophecy: Ps.22:15; 69:3, 21.
Fulfilled: Jn.19:28.

34. They were to give Him vinegar [and gall].
Prophecy: Ps.69:21.
Fulfilled: Mt.27:34, 48; Jn.19:29-30.

35. He was to commit His Spirit to god.
Prophecy: Ps.31:5.
Fulfilled: Lk.23:46.

36. His bones were not to be broken.
Prophecy: Ex.12:46; Ps.34:20; They were to be "out of joint" [crucifixion pangs]]. "I mauy tell all of my bones."
Prophecy: Ps.22:14-17.
Fulfilled: Jn.19:31-36.

37. He was to be cut off in the prime of life at the time specified by crucifrixion.
Prophecy: Ps.102:23-24: Isa.53:8; Dan.9:24-26.
Fulfilled: Mt.27:31; Mk.14:4; 15:20-25; Jn.11:49-50; 13:1; 18:8, 14. 20.

38. His friends were to stand afar off.
Prophecy: Ps.38:11.
Fulfilled: Lk.23:49.

39. He was to be sinless/guileless.
Prophecy: Isa.53:9.
Fulfilled: Mt.27:24; Lk.23:4, 14, 22, 41, 47; Jn.8:46; 19:4; 1 Pet.1:19; 2:22; 1 Jn.2:2; 3:5.

40. His heart was to be broken.
Prophecy: Ps.22:14.
Fulfilled: Jn.19:34.

41. His death was to be voluntary.
Prophecy: Ps.40:6-8; Isa.53:12 [Ps.22:29; Hebrews, "He kept not His soul alive"].
Fulfilled: Jn.10:11-18; Gal.2:20; Phil.2:8; Heb.9:25-26; 10:5-10.

42. He was to be crowned with thorns.
Prophecy: Jonah 2:5b.
Fulfilled: Mt.27:29.

43. He was to die, knowing beforehand the manner of His death.
Prophecy: Ps.102:10.
Fulfilled: Jn.3:14; 8:28; 12:32-33.

44. The sun was to be darkened at noon.
Prophecy: Isa.60:2; Amos 9:9.
Fulfilled: Mt.27:45; Mk.15:33; Lk.23:44.

45. He was to cry, "It is finished."
Prophecy: Ps.22:31; "He hath done it," or "It is finished." [Hebrew].
Fulfilled: Jn.19:30.

46. They were to look upon Him whom they pierced.
Prophecy: Zech.12:10.
Fulfilled: Jn.19:37.

47. His death was to be vicarious [substitutionary] for the sins of the whole world.
Prophecy: Isa.53:4-6, 12; Dan.9:26.
Fulfilled: Mt.20:28; 27:25; Jn.10:11-18; 1 Cor.15:3; Phil.2:7-8; 1 Pet.1:19; 2:24; 1 Jn.2:2; 3:5; Rev.1:5-6.

48. He was to be buried in a rich man's tomb.
Prophecy: Isa.53:9.
Fulfilled: Mt.27>57-61; Mk.15:43-45; Lk.23:50-53; Jn.19:38-42.

49. His soul did not see corruption, nor was it left in hell.
Prophecy: Ps.16:10; 30:3; 49:9, 15.
Fulfilled: Acts 2:27, 31; 13:35.

50. He was to be resurrected.
Prophecy: Isa.26:19; Hosea 6:2.
Fulfilled: Mt.28:1-7; Mk.16:1-8; Lk.24:1-12; Jn.20:1-10; Acts 2:24,
30, 32.

51. The seed of the woman was to bruise Satan's head, and Satan was to bruise His heel.
Prophecy: Gen.3:15.
Fulfilled: Rom.16:20; Heb.2:14.

52. Justice and mercy would be reconciled.
Prophecy: Isa.43:3, 11; 45:21.
Fulfilled: Rom.3:25-26.

53. All disciples would be saved, except for the son of perdition.
Prophecy: Ps.69:25; 109:8.
fulfilled: Jn.17:12; Acts 1:20.

54. On the third day Christ would rise from the dead.
Prophecy: Hosea 6:2.
Fulfilled: Lk.24:7, 21, 46; Acts 10:40; 1 Cor.15:4.

These events are all fulfilled in detail in 54 hours in the experience of Jesus of Nazareth. According to the laws of compound probabilities, the chance that they would all happen together without a single failure is: -254=18,014,398,509,481,984.

The conclusion is inescapable: The Bible is what the Word of God, Jesus Christ, established it to be - The God breathed truth. Jn.1:1-2, 2 Tim.3:16-17 and Rev.19:13.

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God Cares

Everything has a cause and God cares, He cares for each and everyone of us. The problem is that we imagine he works in certain ways and when he doesn't we are disappointed and blame God rather than realising it may be our idea of God that is wrong and not God himself.

There are two causes of tragedy one is man made, road accidents, war, and drugs, to give only three examples. The second cause is natural, two of which would be volcanic eruption and earthquakes that divide the land from the sea and form new land mass. Without these things happening we wouldn't have the world we have today. Death, decay, and regrowth is what atheists call evolution but some Christians might think of it as creation.

Either way that is the way the world is made and to try to say the natural world should be different is not a possibility. Rain falls and causes land-slides and flooding, snow falls and there are avalanches. To say God should change the natural order of things to avoid natural disaster is frankly impossible and for someone who does not believe in God is simply amazing.

Remember we have a responsibility to ourselves and even the simple act of coming to Jesus for forgiveness is down to us but thankfully we are saved by his loving kindness and grace for he said "Come unto me all ye that labour and I will give you rest."

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Creation

DAY 1 (Between 4 billion and 5 billion years ago. The Sun is dated at 4.5 billion years old, satisfyingly close to the 4.56 billion year age of the Solar System as found from the study of meteorites.)

The Bible says: "In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth. And the earth was without form, and void; and darkness was upon the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters. And God said, Let there be light: and there was light. And God saw the light, that it was good: and God divided the light from the darkness. And God called the light Day, and the darkness he called Night. And the evening and the morning were the first day."


DAY 2 (Precambrian Era, ended about 542 million years ago. Formation of oceans, atmosphere, and continents)

The Bible says: "Let there be a firmament in the midst of the waters, and let it divide the waters from the waters. and God made the firmament, and divided the waters which were under the firmament from the waters which were above the firmament: and it was so. And God called the firmament Heaven. And the evening and the morning were the second day."


DAY 3 (Paleozoic Era, ended about 251 million years ago. From the Greek meaning "Old Animals." Numerous fishes, other sea life; many plants, first trees; wingless insects, swampy forests. Most species become extinct but the tree and plant life remained.)

The Bible says: "Let the waters under the heaven be gathered together unto one place, and let the dry land appear: and it was so. And God called the dry land Earth; and the gathering together of the waters called he Seas: and God saw that it was good. And God said, Let the earth bring forth grass, the herb yielding seed, and the fruit tree yielding fruit after his kind, whose seed is in itself, upon the earth: and it was so. And the earth brought forth grass, and herb yielding seed after his kind, and the tree yielding fruit, whose seed was in itself, after his kind: and God saw that it was good. And the evening and the morning were the third day."


DAY 4 (The extinction of animal life in the Paleozoic Era may indicate a catastrophic occurrence blotting out the sun?)

The Bible says: "Let there be lights in the firmament of the heaven to divide the day from the night; and let them be for signs, and for seasons, and for days, and years: and let them be for lights in the firmament of the heaven to give light upon the earth: and it was so. And God made two great lights; the greater light to rule the day, and the lesser light to rule the night: he made the stars also. And God set them in the firmament of the heaven to give light upon the earth, and to rule over the day and over the night, and to divide the light from the darkness: and God saw that it was good. And the evening and the morning were the fourth day."


DAY 5 (Mesozoic Era, ended about 66 million years ago. Popular name: Age of Reptiles, they evolved from whales and sea life.)

The Bible says: "Let the waters bring forth abundantly the moving creature that hath life, and fowl that may fly above the earth in the open firmament of heaven. And God created great whales, and every living creature that moveth, which the waters brought forth abundantly, after their kind, and every winged fowl after his kind: and God saw that it was good. And God blessed them, saying, Be fruitful, and multiply, and fill the waters in the seas, and let fowl multiply in the earth. And the evening and the morning were the fifth day."


DAY 6 Cenozoic Era. This era began about 66 million years ago and includes the geological present including humankind. Popular name: Age of Mammals.

The Bible says: "Let the earth bring forth the living creature after his kind, cattle, and creeping thing, and beast of the earth after his kind: and it was so. And God made the beast of the earth after his kind, and cattle after their kind, and every thing that creepeth upon the earth after his kind: and God saw that it was good. And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness: and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth.

So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them. And God blessed them, and God said unto them, Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth, and subdue it: and have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over every living thing that moveth upon the earth.

And God said, Behold, I have given you every herb bearing seed, which is upon the face of all the earth, and every tree, in the which is the fruit of a tree yielding seed; to you it shall be for meat. And to every beast of the earth, and to every fowl of the air, and to every thing that creepeth upon the earth, wherein there is life, I have given every green herb for meat: and it was so. And God saw every thing that he had made, and, behold, it was very good. And the evening and the morning were the sixth day."

http://www.infoplease.com/ipa/A0001822.html

Notice the Bible even describes the catastrophe that caused the extinction of dinosaurs etc. In day one there was light with day and night, then after the "blackout" the sun and moon reappeared in day four.

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The Goldilocks Zone

A teacher said to her class, "God so loved the earth, that He put the earth just right from the sun." As a child of six, I was shocked by the simplicity and power of this argument. If God had put Earth too far from the Sun. then the oceans would have frozen. If He had put Earth too close, then the oceans would have boiled off. To her, this meant that not only did God exist, but that He was also benevolent, so loving Earth that He put it just right from the Sun. It made a deep impact on me.

Today, scientists say that Earth lives in the "Goldilocks zone" from the Sun, just far enough so that liquid water; the "universal solvent." can exist to create the chemicals of life. If Earth were farther from the Sun, it might become like Mars, a "frozen desert." Where temperatures have created a harsh, barren surface where water and even carbon dioxide are often frozen solid. Even beneath the soil of Mars one finds permafrost, a permanent layer of frozen water.

If Earth were closer to the Sun, then it might become more like the planet Venus, which is nearly identical to Earth in size but is known as the "greenhouse planet." Because Venus is so close to the Sun, and its atmosphere is made of carbon dioxide, the energy of sunlight is captured by Venus, sending temperatures soaring to 900 degrees Fahrenheit. Because of this, Venus is the hottest planet, on average, in the solar system. With rains of sulfuric acid, atmospheric pressures a hundred times greater than those found on Earth, and scorching temperatures, Venus is perhaps the most hellish planet in the solar system, largely because it is closer to the Sun than is Earth.

Analyzing my second grade teacher's argument, scientists would say that her statement is an example of the anthropic principle, which states that the laws of nature are arranged so that life and consciousness are possible. Whether these laws are arranged by some greater design or by accident has been the subject of much debate, especially in recent years, because of the overwhelming number of "accidents" or coincidences that have been found which make life and consciousness possible. To some, this is evidence of a deity who has deliberately arranged the laws of nature to make life, and us, possible. But to other scientists, it means we are the by-products of a series of lucky accidents. Or perhaps, if one believes the ramifications of inflation and M-theory, there is a multiverse of universes.

To appreciate the complexity of these arguments, consider first the coincidences that make life on Earth possible. We live not just within the Goldilocks zone of the Sun, we also live within a series of other Goldilocks zones. For example, our Moon is just the right size to stabilize Earth's orbit. If the Moon were much smaller, even tiny perturbations in Earth's spin would slowly accumulate over hundreds of millions of years, causing Earth to wobble disastrously and creating drastic changes in the climate so as to make life impossible.

Computer programs show that without a large Moon (about a third the size of Earth), Earth's axis might have shifted by as much as 90 degrees over a period of many millions of years. Since scientists believe the creation of DNA required hundreds of millions of years of climactic stability, an Earth that periodically tips on its axis would create catastrophic changes in the weather, making the creation of DNA impossible. Fortunately, our Moon is "just right" in size to stabilize the orbit of Earth, so that such a disaster will not happen. (The moons of Mars are not large enough to stabilize its spin. As a result, Mars is slowly beginning to enter another era of instability. In the past, astronomers believe, Mars might have wobbled on its axis by as much as 45 degrees.)

Due to small tidal forces, the Moon is also moving away from Earth at the rate of about 4 centimetres per year; in about 2 billion years, it will be too far to stabilize Earth's spin. This could be disastrous for life on Earth. Billions of years from now, not only will the night sky be moonless, we might see an entirely different set of constellations, as Earth tumbles in its orbit. The weather on Earth will become unrecognizable, making life impossible. Geologist Peter Ward and astronomer Donald Brownlee of the University of Washington write, "Without the Moon there would be no moonbeams, no month, no lunacy, no Apollo program, less poetry, and a world where every night was dark and gloomy. Without the Moon it is also likely that no birds, redwoods, whales, trilobite, or other advanced life would ever grace the earth."

Similarly, computer models of our solar system show that the presence of the planet Jupiter in our solar system is a fortuitous one for life on Earth, because its immense gravity helps to fling asteroids into outer space. It took almost a billion years, during the "age of meteors," which extended from 3.5 billion to 4.5 billion years ago, to "clean out" our solar system of the debris of asteroids and comets left over from its creation. If Jupiter were much smaller and its gravity much weaker, then our solar system would still be full of asteroids, making life on Earth impossible, as asteroids plunged into our oceans and destroyed life. Hence, Jupiter, too, is just the right size. We also live in the Goldilocks zone of planetary masses. If Earth were a bit smaller, its gravity would be so weak that it could not keep its oxygen. If it were too large, it would retain many of its primordial, poisonous gases, making life impossible. Earth has "just the right" weight to keep an atmospheric composition beneficial to life.

We also live in the Goldilocks zone of permissible planetary orbits. Remarkably, the orbits of the other planets, except for Pluto, 244 Michio Kaku are all nearly circular, meaning that planetary impacts are quite rare in the solar system. This means that Earth won't come close to any gas giants, whose gravity could easily disrupt Earth's orbit. This is again good for life, which requires hundreds of millions of years of stability.

Likewise, Earth also exists within the Goldilocks zone of the Milky Way galaxy, about two-thirds of the way from the centre. If the solar system were too close to the galactic centre, where a black hole lurks, the radiation field would be so intense that life would be impossible. And if the solar system were too far away, there would not be enough higher elements to create the necessary elements of life.

Scientists can provide scores of examples where Earth lies within myriad Goldilocks zones. Astronomers Ward and Brownlee argue that we live within so many narrow bands or Goldilocks zones that perhaps intelligent life on earth is unique to the galaxy, maybe even to the universe. They recite a remarkable list of ways that Earth has "just the right" amount of oceans, plate tectonics, oxygen content, heat content, tilt of its axis, and so on to create intelligent life. If Earth were outside just one these very narrow bands, we would not be here to discuss the question.

Was Earth placed in the middle of all these Goldilocks zones because God loved it? Perhaps. We can, however, arrive at a conclusion that does not rely on a deity. Perhaps there are millions of dead planets in space that are too close to their suns, whose moons are too small, whose Jupiters are too small, or that are too close to their galactic centre. The existence of Goldilocks zones with respect to Earth does not necessarily mean that God has bestowed a special blessing on us; it might simply be a coincidence, one rare example among millions of dead planets in space that lie outside Goldilocks zones.

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The Nature of God

1. God is everywhere (omnipresent): Mk 5:10; Jude 6; Rev 20:1-3; 1 Ki 8:27; 2 Chron 2:6; 6:18; Isa 66:1; Acts 7:49; 17:27-28; Ps 139:7-13

2. God is all knowing (omniscient): Ps 139:1-6; Job 42:2; Acts 2:23; 1 Tim 1:17

3. God is all powerful (omnipotent): Gen 17:1; 35:11; Rom 13:1; 1 Tim 6:15; Rev 19:6

4. God is a Spirit, without flesh and bones: Luke 24:39; John 4:24; Matthew 16:17

5. God is invisible: Ex 33:20; John 1:18; 1 John 4:12; 1 Tim 6:16; Col 1:15; 1 Tim 1:17; Heb 11:27

6. God is immutable (unchangeable) in his nature: Mal 3:6; But God can change his mind: Jonah 3:10; Gen 6:6

7. God is love: 1 Jn 4:8,16

8. God is Light (truth): 1 Jn 1:5; John 17:17

9. God is holy: 1 Pet 1:16

10. God is merciful: Ps 103:8

11. God is gentle: Ps 18:35

12. God is righteous: Ps 129:4

13. God is good: Rom 2:4

14. God is perfect: Matthew 5:48

15. God is just: Isaiah 45:21

16. God is faithful: 1 Corinthians 10:13

17. God is graciousness: Psalm 103:8

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HITLER’S ANTI-CHRISTIAN ACTIVITIES

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Hitler and party spokesmen, among them, Alfred Rosenberg, Goebbels, Rudolf Hess, and Goring were determined to rid Germany of Christianity. They removed the Old Testament from the Bible along with Paul's Epistles because of their Jewish authorship stating that Nazi and Christian beliefs were “incompatible” owing to the fact that Christianity came out of Judaism.

Martin Bormann, the second most powerful official in the Nazi Party after 1941, argued that Nazi and Christian beliefs were “incompatible,” primarily because the essential elements of Christianity were “taken over from Judaism.” Bormann's views were shared by Hitler who criticized the Christian ideals of meekness and guilt on the grounds that they repressed the violent instincts necessary to prevent inferior races from dominating Aryans. They held that Christ had been a blond-haired, blue-eyed Aryan.

Their intention was to ultimately replace Christianity with a racist form of warrior paganism and Protestant and Catholic parents were pressurised into removing their children from religious classes and were to register them for ideological instruction instead. The children began their meals by thanking the Fuehrer and not God for their food.

In the Nazi schools charged with training Germany's future elite, Christian prayers were replaced with Teutonic rituals and sun-worship ceremonies. The Bible was replaced with Indian (Hindu) and German literature and their ceremonies became a sequence of nationalistic sermons, German classical music, and political hymns. The Christian cross was replaced with a “crooked” pagan cross called the swastika which is the symbol of the sun. Its use was abandoned in Pagan magical circles because of Hitler’s association with it.

Catholic newspapers were banned and so were young peoples groups. While this was happening to the Roman Catholics Hitler, Goring, and other Nazi minded clerks were organising the Protestant churches into a government dominated Reich’s church known as "The German Faith Movement." Before Hitler began his "Final Solution" against the Jews he first arrested eight hundred pastors and more were rounded up in 1938 until the Christian church (Lutheran) in Germany ceased to exist.

At the same time Hitler needed the support of the Roman Catholic Church and in 1934 he concluded a concordat that granted the Roman Catholic Church more rights in the German Reich than had ever been granted before. This was viewed by Hitler as his way into the circle of internationally recognized political powers.

The German Faith Movement was anti-Marxist, anti-Semitic and the traditional Christian doctrine of the brotherhood of man was totally rejected. The German Faith Movement was led by a fanatical Nazi called Joachim Hossenfelder. Hitler became the Reichs-bishop while Mueller became the titular head of the old Lutheran Church.

At a meeting at the Berlin Sport Palace Nazi leaders demanded that pastors who refused to accept the new doctrines would be dismissed, tortured and killed. The uproar was so loud and prolonged that Mueller had to forbid further political activity on the part of the German Faith Movement while a third of the true clergymen joined the Pastors’ Emergency Association, founded by Niemoeller to range themselves against the heresy.

Hitler said in Mein Kampf "My feeling as a Christian (the liar) points me to my Lord and Saviour as a fighter. It points me to the man who once in loneliness, surrounded by a few followers (his disciples were Jews), recognized them for what they were and summoned men to fight against them (Jesus never fought against his disciples, Jews-or anyone) and who, God's truth! was greatest not as a sufferer but as a fighter" (the twisted liar).

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Order of Creation

"In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth. And the earth was without form, and void; and darkness was upon the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters. And God said, Let there be light: and there was light. And God saw the light, that it was good: and God divided the light from the darkness. And God called the light Day, and the darkness he called Night. And the evening and the morning were the first day."

This would be reflected light as happens with the moon, the fact the sun appeared visible on the forth day indicates a "day" was an indefinite period.

After the first day in this order came the land masses separating the earth from the sea, then plant life including self-fertilising fruit trees, then the insects that fed off the plants and fruit.

Then out of the waters came every moving creature that had life, and fowl that flew above the earth. These would feed off the insects that fed off the grasses and fruit trees, and then penultimately came the carnivorous animals and last but not least humankind.

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CHRISTIANITY

The whole system of Christianity may be regarded as having its foundation in the existence of one God. (See THEISM.) Next to this may be placed the doctrines of the Fall of Man through disobedience which separates the individual from the service and fellowship of God resulting in punishment in a future and eternal state due to humankind being utterly incapable of bringing about their own deliverance from sin and misery. To this end God sent His Son to save sinners, to deliver them from hell, to make them holy, and partakers of the eternal joy and glory of heaven through the atoning grace of Jesus Christ.

Those who regard Christ as merely human cause atonement or reconciliation with God to depend on the repentance of man for their salvation whilst the life and death of Christ are represented as merely an example to us of obedience, virtue, and piety in the most trying circumstances thus negating the doctrines of a propitiatory sacrifice, a substitutionary atonement, and an imputed righteousness with Christ thus making it impossible for divine redemption to succeed by not acknowledging the divinity of Christ.

The aforementioned doctrines of salvation however, are all consistently maintained in connection with the doctrine of the Trinity and the generally received doctrine as to the person of Christ. The very incarnation of the Son of God is regarded as a glorious display of divine love and a wonderful exaltation of human nature: whilst a personal enjoyment of the highest dignity and bliss of which humanity is capable in the favour and fellowship of God for ever, is to be attained by faith in Jesus Christ.

The indissoluble connection between faith and salvation arises from the divine appointment, and secures a moral harmony, as it provides for bringing into operation in accordance with the intellectual and moral nature of man-of most powerful and excellent motives for all that is morally good, the partakers of salvation being thus fitted for the fellowship of Him into whose favour they are received; and as it prevents the possibility of any of them taking to themselves, or giving to others, the glory that salvation, which they really owe to Christ, and which they must therefore ascribe to Christ, as God is a God of truth, and truth must reign in the kingdom of Heaven.

Salvation is accorded by all Christians to the grace of God. The mission of Christ was an act of supreme sacrifice which must be ascribed to His love for which we are indebted to Christ. The doctrine of grace for Christians generally is due to the personal relationship of the believer to Christ, and faith in Christ is ascribed to the Holy Ghost or Spirit of God, the third person of the God-head, and so to the grace of God.


Bibliography (modem only):
A. C. Bouquet, Is Christianity the Final Religion?, 1921; G. B. Foster, Christianaity in its Modem Expression, 1921; J. H. Jowett, God—Our Contemporary, 1922;.R.. 0. Faithfull, The Word of Christ, 1923, B. G. Parsons and A. S. Peake (ed.), An Outline of Christianity, 1926; 0. Gore, Christ and Society, 1928; W. R. Inge, Christian Ethics and Moral Problems, 1930; W. Temple, Christian Faith and Life, 1931; A. Schweitzer, Christianity and Religions of the World, 1932; A. C. Headlam, Christian Theology, 1934; H. G. Wood, Christianity and Civilisation, 1942; E. W. Barnes, The Rise of Christianity, 1947; W. A. L. Elmslie, How Came Our Faith, 1948.

A HISTORY OF ISLAM

Mohammedanism, faith of Islam, the religion preached by the prophet Mohammed (q.v.). The sacred book of the faith is the Quran (Koran), compiled after the death of the prophet, who, as far as we know, wrote nothing himself. The original creed was founded on Mohammed's belief in the one God, a loving Father who rules the universe with mercy; later, God was transformed into a hard, unforgiving despot who demanded the eternal destruction of all unbelievers. The creed is simple: ' There is no God but God, and Mohammed is the apostle of God.' However vile a Muslim may be, he can be saved, and however excellent an unbeliever may be, he must be damned for ever. The teaching of the faithful about women is a grave wrong in so great a faith; it destroys at once the sanctity of marriage and of motherhood, and the purity of the man's home.

Mohammed lifted Arabia from its ignorant worship of degraded gods, and he enforced strict laws of prayer, abstinence from wine, fasting, and cleanliness. The Koran embraces the whole teaching of Islam; the four prin. laws regarding the individual are first, worship, i.e. prayers to Allah five times a day, preferably in a mosque, but otherwise with the face turned to Mecca; secondly, fasting during the month of Ramadan from sunrise to sunset, including abstinence from smoking as well as food and drink (this month may occur at any season of the year, as the ceremonial year depends on twelve lunations unconnected with the seasons); thirdly, pilgrimage, to travel once at least during a lifetime to Mecca, and perhaps ) once to Medina; fourth, the giving of alms for the support of the faithful poor.

Women are not compelled strictly to observe these laws; those who can are naturally expected to fulfil their duty, but fasts and pilgrimages are not asked of them unless health and circumstances make it possible. Women pray in the mosques apart from the men, closely veiled as the Mohammedan law compels, but they may not lead the prayer, nor is it considered desirable that they should often offer public prayer.

No other sacred book is exactly parallel to the Koran in the influence it exerts over all parts of life, in the intense realization of the unseen, in its promises of future sensual joys, and in the stupendous but absurd claims made for it. The value of its more crude beliefs must not be judged too absolutely, for they are infinitely superior to many pagan systems, and when compared with many of the grossly superstitious faiths which Mohammad supplanted, its doctrines have their positive value. But with the advance of the world Islam cannot remain as the final form of religion and ethics for the races which now it sways. It hides more than it reveals God, and It makes men virtuous by outward precept rather than out of real love of noble conduct* (J. A. Macculloch, Religion : its Origin and Forms).

Besides the Koran three other books contain foundations of the faith of Islam, the Sunna, or traditional law, the Ijmaa, and the Kias (Kiyas). The Ijmaa are authoritative opinions on points of Mohammedan law delivered by those who were actual companions of the prophet. The Kias are the argument from analogy to support a legal rule for which there is no direct authority. These four comprise the whole religion of the Moslem.

The tact of the prophet being in possession of Mecca, the Arabian sanctuary, and the promise of a paradise which fulfilled all the material desires of the Arab, aided largely to increase the mass of converts. The prophet left no son, and after his death Abu Bekr succeeded as caliph (successor), or religious head of the Mohammedan empire. Each succeeding caliph was to be a direct lineal descendant of the prophet (see CALIPH).

In 654 the third caliph was murdered, and Ali, cousin of Mohammed, and husband of Fatima the prophet's daughter, succeeded as religious head of the empire. This was the beginning of the two great factions in the Moslem church, namely the Sunnites and the Shiites. Orthodox Muslims are known as Sunnites, because they accept the traditional teaching of Mohammed, or Sunna.

These traditions, like those of the Jewish rabbis, have grown to an enormous number, and regulate every detail of life. But even among Sunnites there are several schools called after their respective founders, who interpreted the Koran and the mass of traditions in different ways.

The Shiites reject the Sunna of the orthodox, though they have evolved a Sunna of their own, and in general apply an allegorical method to the Quran.

The Sunnites refused the belief of divine succession, and the Shiites regarded the first caliphs as usurpers, and Ali as the divine leader. Ali was murdered; Hassan, his son, took his place and was poisoned by his wife; then Hussein, his youngest brother, succeeded him, and he was slain at Kerbela and buried there; the place has since become a second Mecca to the Shiites.

Only one of Hussein's children survived the massacre, named Zayn-el-Abidin, and through him the Orthodox Mussulman Church claims the divine succession. The Shiites flourish chiefly in Persia. The Sunnites and the Shiites are often opposed to one another, both in points of law and in the sanctity of their leaders.

The sect of the Wahabis (q.v.) had their origin in Arabia in the eighteenth century, when Mohammed Wahab tried to restore the primitive form of Islam and to remove abuses that had gathered roundthe faith. An interesting attempt to engraft on Mohammedan principles wholly foreign to it is foundin Suflsm (q.v.) a movement within Islam, rather than a separate sect, having for its purpose a mystical union with God.

At the death of the prophet, the Mohammedan empire consisted of Arabia only, but close on a hundred years afterwards the faithful ruled from the Indus to the Pyrenees, compelling all subjects to accept the faith or die. The grandfather of Charlemagne finally drove them from France (A.D. 732). Egypt and Moslem Asia united and placed then- capital at Bagdad.

The Turks (Asiatic people from Turkestan) formed the bodyguard of the caliphs in Bagdad, and becoming stronger than their leaders conquered Asia Minor in 1299; it was then the title of sultan (victorious) came to be used.

The Turks invaded Europe,-1355, and besieged Constantinople in 1356, 1422 and 1453, in which last year they captured it, and it remained their capital until 1923, when Angora (now Ankara) was declared the capital.

Through the eleventh and twelfth centuries the Muslims gradually spread
into India and crossed the Punjab into the Deccan, where the prophet's creed remains one of the principle faiths of that part of the country to-day.

From this brief survey it can be seen how far and wide the teaching of the prophet has been carried; it has borne its fierce followers to win empires, but has not taught them to govern them. The consensus of Western opinion is that the laws of this great faith militate against progress, and destroy the main road to real civilisation; it recognises slavery, and degrades its mothers and daughters, but there is much simple truth and wonderful strength in the creed.

See K. H. Becker, Islam Studien, 1924 ff.; R. Levy, An Introduction to the Sociology of Mohammed Riza Islam, 1931-33; A. J. Arberry and R. Landau, Islam To-day, 1943; and H. A. R. •Gibb, Mohammedanism, 1949. Mohammed Riza Shah Pahlavi


Source: “Everyman’s Encyclopaedia” published J.M. Dent & Sons Ltd 1913-14.