Posts by David Booth7

Harold Reyes3 said:

Even atheists do that (at least a few I know)....

Look, there’s actually a massive distinction here, and let me break it down for you.

When a Muslim does something good, they have to do it solely for God to help others. They shouldn't be doing it just to impress people or to build a reputation as a generous person. They aren't looking for social status or a "good guy" label from the neighbors. That's where the big difference lies.

Now, when an atheist does a good deed, they might genuinely want to help someone without seeking any kind of worldly glory. But since they only care about this life—not the afterlife, not God, and don't believe in a spiritual realm where deeds are rewarded—they won't get anything beyond what happens here on Earth.

Compare that to a believer. A believer performs good deeds strictly in the name of God to please Him. They aren't trying to boost their ego or manipulate how the community perceives them. You know the type: "Look at me giving! Now everyone will think I'm such a saint." If that's the motivation, those deeds are just for show. There's no reward waiting for them on Judgment Day. But if they do it purely for God, seeking His approval rather than public applause or thanks, they earn rewards both in this life and the next.

That’s the fundamental gap between an atheist philanthropist and a believer philanthropist.

God says in the Quran:

20. Whoever desires the reward of the Hereafter—We will increase them in it; and whoever desires the reward of this world—We will give them their share therein, but they will have no enjoyment in the Hereafter.
.

This part applies to the believer philanthropist:
Whoever desires the reward of the Hereafter – We will increase them in it.

They get rewarded in this life AND the next.

And this is for the atheist philanthropist:

but whoever desires the reward of this world—We will give them their share, but they will have no part in the Hereafter.

Well, okay, that makes sense for a Muslim and the Quran.
Sure, you find all sorts of people out there, but I was talking about the ones I personally know—those who don't do it for the sake of others or just to show off. They truly do it SINCERELY!!! Honestly, even a few of those people (just a couple I know) have a much better character than some of the most devout believers...
Anyway, I won't ramble on, but yeah, there are all kinds of people, and we probably shouldn't throw everyone into the same bucket.

Peace.

Harold Reyes3 said:So what's the catch? Does that mean we can just go wild and commit any sin imaginable?🙄

If I go out and kill someone, am I somehow justified before God? "Who kills a man, goes crazy," right? Chill out! Don't you realize Jesus already washed those sins away?

Besides, people always drone on about Jesus's blood instead of explaining how you actually earn eternal life. Look, Heaven is about God's grace through action. You get there by doing good deeds—being kind to people, helping the poor, looking after orphans and the sick, honoring your parents, being a good neighbor, and staying away from sin. That’s the real path to eternal life in Heaven, not some talk about blood.

I mean, atheists do that too (well, at least a few of them that I’ve run into)....

Alex Ramos91 said:You actually called it—you totally predicted what I was getting at earlier regarding God being the very essence of love. Think about it: if God has the power to give and receive love, He couldn't have just existed in total isolation. From the very beginning, there’s been this eternal relationship, this constant flow of love, fellowship, and life shared between the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.
So, we're talking about three distinct persons here—but make no mistake, it’s still just one God.

I know you’re probably going to jump down my throat and claim there are three different gods involved here, but that’s just not what Christians believe. Period. They believe there is only one God, and they stand firmly behind the Jewish Shema—you know, that whole "Hear, O Israel, the Lord your God is one" thing. one".
If you want to actually wrap your head around how Christians believe in one God existing in three distinct persons, it might help to look at how the same word is used for different things. one In the original Hebrew, you see it right there in Genesis 2:23: "That is why a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and the two will become one flesh." One. The body.

Look, I’m not trying to sit here and give you some exhaustive, deep-dive lecture on the Trinity right now—honestly, I couldn't even if I wanted to. I mean, who among us actually has the capacity to fully wrap their head around God? It's impossible. But what I *am* trying to get through to you is this simple point: the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit are three distinct persons, yet they are one single God!

Here it is, including the graphics: Check this out: http://www.bible.ca/trinity/trinity-godhood.gif

Look, you can flip the script on this if you want. But think about it: He existed from eternity in perfect unity with the Father—surrounded by glory, holiness, and absolute purity. And then? He walked away from all that just to settle here on this fallen, filthy planet among people who hated Him and spat in His face.

Just imagine how you'd actually "cope" if you were ripped out of your comfortable little bubble and tossed straight into the absolute gutter of Kolkata. I’m talking about the kind of place where the stench hits you like a physical wall, where the streets are crawling with scavengers picking through remains while rats feast on the scraps. You’re being swarmed from every single direction by people begging for help, but here’s the kicker: you don't even have your damn credit card on you. You're forced to live in the exact same filth and misery as everyone else, and most of them? They wouldn't care if you were the nicest person on Earth—they'd probably kill you just for the hell of it.

He knew. He was saying this stuff when he was just twelve years old, back when he stayed in Jerusalem to debate those legal scholars in the temple. And when Joseph and Mary came looking for him, he told them not to sweat it because he had to be in His Father's house—meaning the temple, which at that time was the House of the Lord.

I think I already partially answered that by stating the Son is a distinct person from God the Father.
But this specifically refers to Jesus as a man. As a man, he is exalted (through the resurrection and ascension), and as the greatest of all human sons, he deserves a kingdom and authority over this world and all people. And as the man who loves righteousness and hates wickedness(Hebrews 1:9), he will judge on the day of judgment.

As a man, Jesus was filled with the Holy Spirit; He was conceived through Him. During Jesus' earthly ministry, the Holy Spirit dwelt within Him, so in a sense, the Holy Spirit was among the disciples through Jesus.
Near the end of His earthly life, Jesus promised His disciples that once He went to the Father, He would send a new Advocate who was already among them (the Holy Spirit that was in Jesus). He even said it was better for them that He go to the Father, otherwise, the Holy Spirit wouldn't be able to dwell in His disciples.
For the Holy Spirit to live in people, their sins have to be cleansed, and they need to receive a new heart—which was achieved through Jesus' sacrifice on the cross.
And now, Jesus isn't limited to a single human body; instead, through the Holy Spirit, who lives in every believer every single day, He dwells in every individual believer. 😍
"If anyone loves me, he will obey my teaching. My Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our home with him." (John 14:23)

This right here—I believe it’s literal because that’s exactly how Stephen saw Him before those people killed him:
When they heard this, they were gnashed their teeth at him. (55) But he, full of the Holy Spirit, gazed into heaven and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing at God's right hand (56) and said: "Look, I see the heavens opened and the Son of Man standing at God's right hand." (57) Then they were filled with rage, they gnashed their teeth at him, and they both rushed upon him. (Acts 7)

But look, the real point isn't just the vision—it's what it signifies. That Jesus is at God's right hand as the Father's Son. It means everything the Father has belongs to Him; He shares in the Father's rule, power, and authority. He is exalted above every other name.

I have to admit, I actually enjoy responding to you. You just carry a different spirit than most of the other Muslims on here.🙂

I really hope you read this entire thing and actually take it to heart. I'm sure you still have questions, so just keep writing, and I'll get back to you as soon as I'm able.

Best regards,
mš

ps: If you don't mind, I'd love to hear your take on those passages from Isaiah 53 and Psalm 22 regarding the Messiah's suffering at some point.

Wait, you're actually using the Shema as proof for the Trinity????
What are you even talking about here?? Is your Hebrew just something you pulled off a random website??
Deuteronomy 6:4
שמע ישראל יהוה אלהינו יהוה אחד
Shema Yisrael Yahweh Eloheinu Yahweh ehad

That Hebrew word *Ehad* that you're forcefully pulling out of context actually means: one, unique, single, a single entity/being!!!
And honestly, you made a huge mistake by ignoring the nouns right before the word *ehad*. "YAHWEH EHAD" means Yahweh is single alone—as in, the one and only...
So, there is a real difference in Genesis 2:23 when you actually look at the Hebrew text:
עלכן יעזבאיש אתאביו ואתאמו ודבק באשתו והיו לבשר אחד
alken yazaviš, etaviv ve etimov, vedavak beištov, vehaiu levasar ehad
a man and a woman become one flesh when they have a child....
(sourced from: M.G.P.4444)

Best,

Anthony Perez9 said:But Harold Reyes3 actually has a point. I mean, Jesus swore by God three separate times that He’d spare Him from the agony of the cross. In the end, He just sort of mumbled, "Thy will be done," leaving it up to God's call.

So, what was God's actual will? Muslims claim God answered the painful cries of His beloved prophet, Jesus. Maybe Christians just read the room wrong. 🤷

Harold Reyes3:
You'll get a detailed answer from the Gospel you Christians don't recognize, the Gospel of Barnabas, so we can see what it says about this case.

Who should we believe—the Bible we have today, which is full of errors even regarding Jesus' crucifixion, or the Gospel of Barnabas, which doesn't have those contradictions? After all, the Quran also supports the Gospel of Barnabas..

You really shouldn't have gone there. It's been explained a thousand times already: that thing is clearly a forgery.

Anthony Perez9, you absolute legend!!! 😁
Was Jesus actually afraid of dying? Or was he just feeling the weight of it all?
Did it really haunt him that much?
I mean, didn't he predict several times that he’d be betrayed and condemned?
Isn't that literally why he came here in the first place??

-Jesus wasn't praying to escape death itself, but rather to be cleared of the charges used against him during that midnight trial. If you look at the context, it's pretty obvious what his actual request was.

((Taken from: CD 31 M.G.P. 4444 and translated into my humble American English))
Biblical scholars go into way more detail than this, but honestly, the gist is right there above.
Since you're so neutral and unshakable, Anthony Perez9, 🙂 I could send you a much more detailed breakdown in German via your inbox.

Big regards to a great forum regular👍