The biblical Christian position is that there is One True God. All others are false, to deceive and beguile. Islam is just an old christian cult.. like Jim Jones, or Mormonism.. it has just lasted longer than most old apostasies. Like most, it is a works based system, denying the deity and mission of Jesus. Belief in the One True God, requires first, awareness of this God. For saving faith to occur, personal contact.. interaction.. is necessary. Knowledge of the One True God is a prerequisite for saving faith. Otherwise, you only have mental assent, for the existence of God, which is powerless to save. The Devil believes in God, and shudders. A prayer of Jesus: John 17:1“Father, the hour has come. Glorify your Son, that your Son may glorify you. 2For you granted him authority over all people that he might give eternal life to all those you have given him. 3Now this is eternal life: that they know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom you have sent. For biblical Christianity, it is a personal interaction.. a meeting with the Almighty, that imparts saving faith. Merely assenting to dry facts about God, has no power to save. The rebirth originates from God, not the will of man. John 6:44“No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws them, and I will raise them up at the last day. What this means, is that you cannot 'reason' yourself into the kingdom of God. Only He can draw someone. As a qualifier, i will include that God is CONSTANTLY drawing, calling, and urging people, in their innermost being, to hear Him and return to their Source. Most people that have heard the message of redemption have felt this urging, imo, but they dismiss it, for various reasons. Seeking the One True God is not rocket surgery. It is as simple as going to God, with sincerity of heart, and a desire to know God. No formula is needed. No intercessor either, as Jesus has done it already. There may be thousands of man made formulas and complex systems for 'finding God!', but in Christianity, God has done it. You renew the intended relationship as a child of God, and then the troubles really begin. This is the biblical, historical, Christian position. It clarifies many things, relating to purpose, origins, and destiny. It is a belief, but it requires a spiritual experience.. a cosmic transaction.. to work. I hope that explains and clarifies this worldview.. Matt7:21“Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. 22Many will say to me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name and in your name drive out demons and in your name perform many miracles?’ 23Then I will tell them plainly, ‘I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!’
This from another thread: The central message of Christianity is that you can know God. Jesus has bridged the gap caused by our inherent sin, and restored us to the intended relationship with God. That is the 'good news!', or the 'gospel' message. (Gospel = good news, in Greek) Distant, lost, and confused humanity is not trapped in this condition. Jesus has made a Remedy, to restore us to the condition we were intended for. We can know God, and be reconciled to Him.
If there is one god and only one, how do you say there are "others"? For one to be false, that one must exist. But you said no others exist as I understand you. Are you familiar with Sufiism? So you are capable, yourself, of knowing god? That conflicts with much of the bible and the experiences of the ancient monastics. All along here you have been referring to others, but in your OP you said god is infinite. The bible says god is pure. If god is infinite and pure, how can there be any others? Have you experienced the anointing? I have, -many times. Have you experienced the inexplicable inner revelation of the hidden teachings that the bible presents Jesus as indicating? I have. I tell you this so you won't make erroneous assumptions about me due to my comments that conflict with your beliefs. In Christianity you must seek. You must "overcome even as I have overcome". In Christianity you must "cease ye from man whose breath is in his nostrils". In Christianity "whosoever will save his life shall lose it: and whosoever will lose his life for my sake shall find it." In Christianity we must "purify ourselves even as He is pure". In Christianity we must "crucify the flesh with its affections and lusts". We must "cast out the bondwoman and her son". We must undergo the "circumcision of the heart". Do you understand these things? It is only the historical position if you exclude the first 15 centuries of Christianity and only consider the period that followed in which the Pope banned contemplation.
I offered the OP as an overview.. a summary.. without the clutter of references. As the thread progressed, lots of evidence was offered to corroborate the summation. If you have any questions, about any of the points of definition, i would be happy to provide references for them. The whole concept of falsehood is based on illusion and lies. A lie is the opposite of truth, and does not really exist. Only in the abstract, or the mind of man, does a lie have any substance. If 'false gods!' existed, they would not be false. They would be real. But false gods DO exist, in the minds of those deceived by lies. The bigger question: How does one sift truth from a deluge of lies? And another: Where do all these damned lies come from? I have chronicled the historical, biblical tenets of Christianity. Previous centuries, especially the first few, are ESSENTIAL to establishing a base mark for an accurate definition. If you have an alternate perspective, evidence and facts must be presented to support your claim. Otherwise, all you have are unbased assertions and unevidenced beliefs.
I see your problem here. Your logic is very flawed and so it gets in the way of your reasoning. This is common among devoted "believers". A lie exists as a lie. It is the subject of the lie that doesn't exist. If I write down a lie, that lie exists on that paper as a lie. -by relying on correct logic! Obviously from the mind of those who are unable or unwilling to develop correct logic! -as we are seeing. Ooooo trying to spring logic on me. Hahahahahaha The early centuries gave us the writings of Christian contemplatives who spent their cloistered lives contemplating the bible. They took strong notice of the numerous guidelines in the bible which modern "believers" ignore or redefine. And by relying on those guidelines, the contemplatives reaped the many promises of the bible, which modern religionists call "heresy". And by reaping those promises they learned the hidden meaning from the Inner Teacher, and they wrote about those meanings. Modern "believers" ("religionists") think these meanings are "from the devil" and they reject them, thereby rejecting centuries of the best wisdom and even spiritual gifts themselves.
Yes.. Silly me. ..thinking that logic and facts are effective tools for disseminating accurate information, in Progresso World. Nevertheless, i have presented historical facts, quotes, and sources that corroborate the OP as an historical snapshot of biblical Christianity. Since that was my goal, i am satisfied.
