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Oxyrhynchus
Wed May 02, 2012 7:13 pm

Re: Muslim converting to Christianity
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Hi Harrie,

The link to "tolerance" was a video taken in a suburb of Jakarta where a group of Christians were trying to worship but were prevented to do so by some muslims with speakers blasting some arabic music.  This suggests muslims do not believe in the same god as christians (I agree).

The "allah" link was about Malaysia (Indonesia is doing the same) legislating the name allah to be the muslim god and no one else is permitted to use the name. Bibles use the word allah for the word "god" but muslims believes it is a personal name (I agree that it is).  All bibles were being asked to be recalled and to make sure that any future printing did not contain the word allah.  The christians in the video complains that there are no other word for god in their language, but in my opinion they should take it in their stride to be creative and distinctive, as an opportune time.


I am quite amazed by this remark. To me it sounds as if Christians are quite free to interpret the Bible the way they like? Don't you as a Christian long to follow God?


Harrie, I hope you can take a moment to consider this: the bible talks about the subject of divorce and remarriage, in fact it has some rules on the matter.  Does this mean that God condones divorce?  I do not think so. But God did not forbid it? That's right.  Now we know when God forbids, He does so like this:

13 “You shall not murder. 
14 “You shall not commit adultery. 
15 “You shall not steal. 
16 “You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor. 
17 “You shall not covet your neighbor’s house; you shall not covet your neighbor’s wife, or his male servant, or his female servant, or his ox, or his donkey, or anything that is your neighbor’s.” 
(ESV Ex 20:13–17).

OK so when God forbids it is clear, and when God permits He gives some rules but without encroaching on things forbidden right?  That's right.

Lets see the reasoning behind the subject of divorce.

Men and women are intended to walk with God, having done so are put together as husband and wife by God, but only if they are willing.  The problem is that it is not in the majority of cases that men and women find each other with God being involved.  Divorce happens sometimes, it's not God's intention and will, but in order to make the best of the situation and to prevent doing things strictly forbidden God regulates it.

3 And Pharisees came up to him and tested him by asking, “Is it lawful to divorce one’s wife for any cause?” 4 He answered, “Have you not read that he who created them from the beginning made them male and female, 5 and said, ‘Therefore a man shall leave his father and his mother and hold fast to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh’? 6 So they are no longer two but one flesh. What therefore God has joined together, let not man separate.” 7 They said to him, “Why then did Moses command one to give a certificate of divorce and to send her away?” 8 He said to them, “Because of your hardness of heart Moses allowed you to divorce your wives, but from the beginning it was not so. 9 And I say to you: whoever divorces his wife, except for sexual immorality, and marries another, commits adultery.” 
(ESV Mt 19:3–9).

Now Harrie, I am not sure if you are able to see the principles here that can be applied to all the other topics that you brought out.