Proud humbled
The agnostic is not one who says he doesn't know if there is a God. 'Not knowing' is 'ignorance'.
There is a movement to redefine terms, because claims to the original meanings are indefensible.
An 'Agnostic' makes the truth claim that there is no way to know God.
In order to know that that there is no way to know God, one must have tried all the ways there are to know God, eventhe ones you are unaware of. The priests of Baal woudl cut their bellies and arms to try to know Baal. Catholic monks would hide in the desert for years. Indian Budhist priests isolate themselves for years high in the mountains. Moslems trek to Mecca. Perhaps he is known by cutting of your little toe.
So effectively the true agnostic makes a claim to a truth that cannot be known, and is a liar.
If one is merely ignorant, then it is a claim about self, not of God.
Catholics claim legitimacy by way of inheritance of the priestly offices, and by the unity of the faith.
Both of these were broken in the Great Schism. East and West churches disagreed if the Spirit proceeded from the Father or the Father and the Son. The popes declared each other anathema, or cursed.
Catholicism lost any claim to truth when their unity was destroyed.
Now they have the reputation as those who deified Mary, conquered the laity, taught Balaamisms, and imported legalism from the Judaisers, killed those who didn't believe them, hid scriptures for 1200 years, and have a long history of pedophilia.
Any ritual you perform to receive grace is pagan. Baptism is the preaching of the cross in symbols, as are the other 'sacraments'. Nicolaitans (conquerors of the laity) want power over you, so they insist that they are the dispensers of grace in those rituals.
Islam's Teachings Examined
Islam claims to be the only true religion, but several aspects of its teachings raise significant concerns for those examining its doctrines.
Permissible Deception in Islam
The Qur'an and Islamic tradition allow for lying under certain circumstances, including:
- Taqiyya – Concealing one's beliefs.
- Kitman – Withholding part of the truth.
- Tawriya – Ambiguous speech.
- Muruna – Flexibility in adhering to laws.
These practices are seen as religiously justified forms of deception, which can make it difficult to trust statements made in defense of Islam.
Adultery and Predestination
Islamic teachings suggest that certain sins, including adultery, are inevitable for humanity. Sahih Bukhari (Volume 8, Book 77, Hadith 609) states:
"Allah has written for the son of Adam his inevitable share of adultery... The adultery of the eye is looking, the adultery of the tongue is speaking, and the private parts either commit or refrain from it."
This teaching appears to suggest that sin, even adultery, is unavoidable—a troubling view when contrasted with the Christian emphasis on resisting sin through God's grace.
Eternal Punishment for Children
Another disturbing claim comes from Sunan Abi Dawud (47:17), which states that both the woman who buries her newborn daughter alive and the child will go to Hell. This is deeply problematic, especially in light of the Bible’s teachings that God does not hold children accountable for the sins of others (e.g., Ezekiel 18:20).
Heavenly Rewards in Islam
The Qur'an describes paradise in terms that include sensual rewards, such as an eternal banquet and virgins for the faithful. Critics argue that these depictions appeal to fleshly desires rather than spiritual fulfillment, raising questions about the nature of the afterlife in Islam.
A Call to Truth The Bible teaches that Satan is the father of lies (John 8:44). Before engaging with Islamic claims or interpretations of the Bible, ask whether their understanding aligns with the truth revealed in Christ. Most cannot even identify the first three words of Genesis properly.
Islam, rooted in the flesh, stands in contrast to the Spirit-filled truth of the Gospel.
Jews were proud of their heritage as children of Abraham with the distinction of their temple.
God humbled them several times by destroying the temple. The last time was in 70 A.D. Since then they have no claim to fame: No temple, no forgiveness without sacrifices, and they cannot call upon the name of God for deliverance since they refuse to say his name יהוה.
Judaism no long has a truth claim.
Mormon's claim to fame is that they have two testimonies of Jesus Christ: the Bible, and the Book of Mormon.
They claim the Book of Mormon is the fulfillment of Eze 37:19.
Though most Christians dismiss the claim that Ezekiel was prophesying another book, there is actually a second book inside the first book.
Jesus said all the scriptures speak of him. We now can read them the way Jesus did. He did not see Adam, Noah and Abraham, but himself. The more of the OT that is unpacked using the first century hermeneutic, the more the claim of Mormonism is put to shame.
The secondary claim of having a modern prophet is put to shame since he is unable to read the scriptures the way Jesus did, and is unable to discern the BOM as fraudulent.
The Reformation proclaimed that all could read the scriptures.
The 'experts' of the Reformation in various flavors gathered to debate the topic of Sensus Plenior. This is a name used for the intended meaning of God in the scriptures which was hidden, even from the human authors.
The only thing that they could agree on was that they could not read the scriptures the way Jesus did.
This is a major black eye to the Reformation.
Proud Restorationists humbled [∞]
The claim of the Restoration movement was to return church practice to that of the first century church.
Since they too were unable to read the scriptures the way Jesus did, they could not actually restore anything. They simply used the extant scriptures as a lowest common denominator to effect a mini-ecumentical movement.
They have not restored the first century hermeneutic, and could not restore the first century teaching of Christ from all the scriptures.
What started as a free will submission to a lowest common denominator, has often turned into another wave a Pharisaical legalism.