Nagel on life...

...without Christ

One of the difficulties is that the appropriate form of a subjective attitude toward my own future is expectation, but in this case there is nothing to expect. How can I expect nothing as such? It seems that the best I can do is to expect its complement, a finite but indeterminate amount of something—or a determinate amount, if I am under definite sentence of death. Now a good deal could be said about the consequences of the finiteness of my future, but that is relatively banal and something most of us automatically allow for, particularly after reaching the age of forty. I am concerned with the adequate recognition of my eventual annihilation itself. There will be a last day, a last hour, a last minute of
consciousness, and that will be it. Off the edge.

The View from Nowhere p. 225 

3 Quran verses Christians must know -- courtesy of David Wood

 From Dr David Wood of Apologetics Roadshow.

These verses are three essential verses for Christains to know.

They provide the Islamic view of the crucifixion, the Islamic view of the significance of the Christian scriptures (against which the popular claim they are corrupted is leveled, without warrant, and the reason for the active oppression of and opposition to Christians in Muslim dominated lands.

Surah 4:157 -- the Quranic view of the crucifixion.

That they said (in boast) “We killed Christ Jesus the son of Mary the Apostle of God”; but they killed him not nor crucified him but so it was made to appear to them and those who differ therein are full of doubts with no (certain) knowledge but only conjecture to follow for of a surety they killed him not. -- Yusuf Ali

and their saying surely we have killed Al-Maseeh Isa son of Maryam the messenger of Allah and they did not kill him and they did not solidify him but he was resembled for them and surely those who variated in him are indeed in doubt of him they have no knowledge by him except following the presumption and they did not kill him certainly ﴾157﴿ rather Allah has raised him unto him and Allah was dear wise -- Murad Literal 

Surah 5:47 -- Muslims often claim the Bible has been corrupted.

Let the people of the Gospel Judge by what God hath revealed therein. If any do fail to judge by (the light of) what God hath revealed they are (no better than) those who rebel. -- Yusuf Ali

and let the eligibles of the injeel judge by what Allah has descended in it and whoever does not judge by what Allah has descended then those are the licentious ones ﴾47﴿ -- Murad Literal 

 Surah 9:29 -- The source of the oppression of Christians in Muslim lands.

Fight those who believe not In God nor the Last Day, Nor hold that forbidden Which hath been forbidden By God and His Apostle, Nor acknowledge the Religion Of Truth, (even if they are) Of the People of the Book, Until they pay the Jizya With willing submission, And feel themselves subdued. -- Yusuf Ali

combat those who do not believe by Allah nor by the last day nor prohibit what Allah and his messenger have prohibited nor convict the true conviction from those who were advanced the writing until they give the jizya about hand and are belittled -- Murad Literal

Christianity is the best explanation

In a recent podcast on Stand To Reason, Greg Koukl discussed his view of why Christianity is the best explanation for how things are.

My notes:

Xty best way to a coherent world view

Atheism has too much that is counter intuitive and is not possible to affirm rationally.

To say that everything came from nothing, that life came from non-life?

That 'dead stuff' became 'living stuff' by itself? Really?

That consciousness emerged from some re-combination of molecules

That morality is a function of Darwinian evolution? (see 'Street Smarts' book).

None of these things work. Even in the slightest degree. So radically counter-intuitive.

Morality: all NDE can do is give you relativism, where the moral locus is the self. And if relativism is true, there is no 'problem of evil'. In fact, to the individual 'evil' should be undetectable. All one has is personal inconvenience or aversion.

Evil second most salient feature of reality: to all people at all times it is obvious that 'something is not right with the world, let alone 'me' in the world. [cf Paul in Romans 7:14ff)

First is consciousness: not brain or central nervous system. But consciousness itself: your 'who-ness' and by which all perceptions above come and who you know you are.

Your conscious self is the most salient thing about you.

Matter by itself cannot do what consciousness does. thoughts, feelings, experiencing them, having them, acts of will, intentions (itself teleological: about things that do not exist), beliefs: none are features of physical things.

So obvious that atheism and materialism are false.

No equal to Christianity as a world view in its ability to coherently explain the nature of reality and the nature of our experience of reality.

Reality is structured a certain way. You 'bump into it', you cannot make it up and succeed with it.

Individual beliefs are not 'our truths'. If they conflict, someone must be wrong! We can both be wrong, but both cannot be right in the same terms.

Individual truths: just silly. Either sound/factual or not.

Beliefs are either true or false, not always personal truth. There is 'true truth' in Schaeffer's terms. 

When a Muslim asks you to 'submit' to Allah

What to do if your Muslim acquaintance tells you that Jesus ("Issa" in their book, Yeshua in reality) was  Muslim because he  submitted to 'god'; and therefore, so should you?

Your answer: "Submit to who?" And you will be urged to submit to 'god'; you must ask who is this 'god' they mean. It is "Allah" of course.

But you not only 'submit' to Yahweh through Yeshua the Messiah, but are indwelt by his Holy Spirit and follow Messiah. You don't need a fake, made-up god when the creator has brought you into his kingdom through Messiah.

This will possibly lead to a discussion about your terms. But pursue the discussion. How does your acquaintance know that this 'Allah' is the creator and redeemer of fallen mankind?

Does the Quran help? Does Muhammad help?

You will need convincing historical evidence of both, not just vague claims.

But here's the clanger: Muslims are told to submit to Muhammad, not Allah; or is Muhammad actually Allah? 

See Quran 39:53 -- Muhammad speaking to his 'followers'.

Say : “ O my Servants who Have transgressed against their souls ! Despair not of the Mercy Of God : for God forgives All sins : for He is Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful.

So the Muslims are Muhammad's slaves ( servants is perhaps euphemistic); it reads as though Muhammad is equal to Allah!

But beside all this; we have the Torah and the Gospel and all the prophets! They are our revelation, not yours.

And the Quran shows us that Issa is greater than Muhammad and more than a man!

Quran 3:45

Behold! the angels said “O Mary! God giveth thee glad tidings of a Word from Him: his name will be Christ Jesus the son of Mary held in honor in this world and the Hereafter and of (the company of) those nearest to God. 

The 'word' is a person: Allah's word is eternal: Issa ( Yeshua/Jesus) is an eternal being! 

Quran 4:171

O people of the Book! commit no excesses in your religion: nor say of God aught but truth. Christ Jesus the son of Mary was (no more than) an Apostle of God and His Word which He bestowed on Mary and a Spirit proceeding from Him: so believe in God and His Apostles. Say not “Trinity”: desist: it will be better for you: for God is One God: glory be to him: (for Exalted is He) above having a son. To Him belong all things in the heavens and on earth. And enough is God as a Disposer of affairs.

This passage not only shows that "Issa" is word of god and spirit proceeding from god but reveals Islam's misunderstanding of the Trinity in the same verse as a trinity is described! That is Allah, the word of Allah and the Spirit from Allah! You couldn't make this up. 

BUT THEN

To submit to Allah, you in fact submit to Muhammad!

Surah 4:65

But no, by your Lord, they will not [truly] believe until they make you, [O Muḥammad], judge concerning that over which they dispute among themselves and then find within themselves no discomfort from what you have judged and submit in [full, willing] submission.