No Offense

I'm sure many Christians would be offended by my previous posts (below). However, as ridiculous as this may sound, no offense is meant. They're just completely dispassionate observations by a non-Christian. Hey, some of my best friends and heros are Christians (shout out to Jimmy Carter) :)

Because I deeply respect many Christians, I have to believe that there's something valid in their religion...for them. I believe that we all "see through a glass darkly", no one religion is 100% right and each religion only has pieces of the larger puzzle. Furthermore, we're all unique beings! So, what works for one person doesn't necessary work for another. God probably allows all these different religions to speak to each person's soul in their own language.

I don't expect anyone to agree with me and it's fine with me if they don't. I, obviously, don't speak for God. People who think they do commit the sin of pride. That's why I really, really don't believe in proselytizing.

Only One God

One of the most important commandments is "Thou shalt have no other gods beside me." What I really don't understand is the Christian practice of worshipping Jesus as God. The Bible states over and over there is only ONE God and God is ONE.

Thomas McElwain makes my point quite well in his article Islam in the Bible. A few excerpts are below:

Jesus himself rejects the implication that he is God. His argument is that absolute goodness belongs only to God. In rejecting this attribute, he also rejects deity. Mark 10:18. "And Jesus said unto him, Why callest thou me good? there is none good but one, that is, God."

Mark 12:29. "The first of all the commandments is, Hear, O Israel; The Lord our God is one Lord." Jesus affirms the unity of God in one person, and calls this the most important fundamental of faith, the first commandment. We are therefore justified in assuming that this point is the first and most essential message in the Gospel of Christ. The questioner did not lead Jesus on to refer to this text. He gave him complete liberty to choose what he considered to be the first and most important issue. That Christ chose this text is a devastating argument. The importance of this truth was not lost on his questioner. Mark 12:32, "Well, Master, thou hast said the truth; for there is one God; and there is none other but he."

Paul tells us clearly in 1 Timothy 2:5 that there is but one God, and that the mediator at that time between God and humankind was Jesus Christ, who was a man. "For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Jesus Christ." This Jesus Christ is therefore a different entity in this sentence than the one God to whom Paul also refers. In addition, we know from Numbers 23:19 that God is not a man. The syllogism is clear:
1) God is not a man.
2) Jesus is a man.
3) Therefore, Jesus is not God.

If we take the authority of the Bible as it is expressed in the Bible seriously, the New Testament texts have no authority to annul the Old Testament texts on the unity of God. The Old Testament texts include many which claim to be the very words of God. The words of James, Paul, Matthew and even Jesus Christ himself cannot annul the words of God Almighty. Any attempt to pretend that the New Testament teaches a new and different concept of God is only to discredit the New Testament...It is not more authoritative just because it is newer than the Old Testament. It is authoritative precisely because it agrees with the clear teaching of the Old Testament that God is One, and beside Him there is no other God. The true Gospel is an everlasting Gospel.

John 17:3. And this is life eternal, that they might know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou has sent.

Jews and Muslims agree that Jesus was a great prophet, but that's it. I believe worshipping Jesus fundamentally breaks the commandment "Thou shalt have no other gods beside me."

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