Jesus and God in Islam and Christianity.

I know, I've posted about some of this before. This was in large part in response to Banana Queen, who said that you don't have to believe anything in particular about Jesus to be a Muslim -- you just have to believe the shahada, in response to my comment that I could be Muslim if it weren't for what I call "the Jesus debate". BQ, please forgive me if I don't do your very interesting comments justice! (I'm so pleased that the quiz link I posted is generating discussion! YAY!)

The belief about Jesus is most often the biggest dividing point between Islam and Christianity. As much as I love 2:136 in the Qur'an - it's a gorgeous verse, and definitely a favorite - it does place Jesus firmly in the Prophet category. While that is dandy with Christians - Jesus as prophet, agreed - in Islam the Christian view of Jesus as the Son of God (as taught by my church) or God in human form is totally off. "Worship the Creator, not the creation", etc. There are other differences, too, but Jesus' role is the biggie.

In what I think to be an interesting contradiction of...something... I do believe in the Christian faith with Jesus as the sacrifice for sin, but I also believe that God is generous in ways we can't begin to fathom, and being God, He has no limitations on what He can do, including forgiving us for our wrongdoings out of love for us, with no need for a sacrificial Lamb in order to do so. Doesn't requiring Jesus to be sacrificed in order for God to be able to forgive us for sin and allow us into Heaven impose a limitation on God -- that He can't forgive and reward whom He pleases, as He pleases, through His Own power? It seems so to me.

Regarding "Son of God" or "God as man", I've gotten the "you're going to Hell" look from people several times - especially the evangelist Pentecostal types - before when discussing religion and how my church taught that Jesus was the Son of God, not God Himself. : P

The Church of Christ isn't so much "traditional", I suppose, as it is literal. At least the one I was raised in was. That means all the scary stuff in Revelations, as well as all the other stuff sometimes taught as metaphorical in other denominations, was, is, and will be real. That there will be multi-headed dragons, etc, in a very physical sense.

Well, this was fun, but I need to be off to bed. I meant to go to sleep an hour ago, but you smart ladies lure me back to the debate. : D Continue on!

God is God is God...

Nothing too heavy tonight, ladies. Just wanted to drop a quick note, say hello, how are all of you, etc. Feeling very mellow tonight and comfortable with God. God is God is God. He doesn't change. He's the one being I can rely on at all times.

I must admit that I have a hard time seeing God as anything but a loving, gentle Father. Granted, He has to deal out the spankings from time to time because we get to rollin' on our "terrible twos" and just don't get whatever-it-is through our heads and try to "do our own thing" (in Army speak), but that doesn't make Him any less loving.

I kinda find it hard to believe that there are people out there who don't believe in God at all. I guess it's too deeply ingrained in me... I could never NOT believe in God. That's one thing that will be consistent for me.

So...just wanted to give a shout out and say: God, I love You. I really do. Even if I am a spoiled, bratty kid sometimes.

Life, our plans, and God's own time.

LK recently posted something that resonated with me about love and marriage and finding "Mr. Right". The ladies who commented made some very good points -- I particularly enjoyed yours, Caraboska.

I had to laugh a little. Not AT you, dear LK. More at myself and the world at large. I've felt like that more and more often, especially as my friends from school back home have gotten bachelor's degrees and gotten married at 23 or 24 (or younger) and had kids (not necessarily in that order, of course). And where am I? Only got an associate's degree, have been out of school for nearly 6 years now, had a rather disastrous first enlistment, and got sucked back into Uncle Sam's unrelenting grasp for a lil' bit more Army - because the first ride on the merry-go-round didn't suck enough. : P

I'm also something of a disaster when it comes to romantic relationships. The last one was so much like my dad and was the biggest epic fail thus far. I thought to myself "Oh crap. I DO NOT want to be with a guy who is a control freak jerk like my dad." I know God doesn't want that for me, either. I was just trying to get God to work at my pace, rather than waiting on God like I should've, and that was a mistake. I got burned for it, but I learned from it. You can bet your last Coke that I won't be falling for any sweet talk from control freak users again. >:D

I know God has my guy waiting in the wings somewhere. God has His own plans and does things in His own time. What good comes of me trying to hurry the process along? All I've ever gotten as a result was a broken heart and bitter feelings.

So, I need to continue working on being patient in the hubby aspect of life. It is frustrating to see kids (my friends got married a few months ago at the ripe old ages of 21 and 22) being able to maintain relationships and getting married when I can't even keep a boyfriend who is actually invested in the relationship as much as I am for more than a few months at a time. How can you be that confident in another person, especially that young?

Whether God intends for me to marry or not, I'm going to live my life. I'm going to have experiences from the wild and unpredictable (this deployment) to the everyday (finding a book I didn't know I wanted at the used book store -- ha ha!) and learn and grow from all of them. I'm going to continue to cultivate my own interests, happiness, identity, and financial and career success independent of any other person.

Most of all, I'm going to take being single not as a mark against me ("What's wrong with HER that she's not married at almost 27?"), but as a wonderful and beautiful gift that gives me the opportunity to get closer to God. He is the Provider, the best of Planners, the most Loving, Compassionate, and Merciful Father. No man or woman on Earth can compare to Him!

(Sorry this turned into such a ramble. It's late and I need to get to sleep! Another long day tomorrow... le sigh.)