New Documentary About Jesus/The Muslim Perspective

[Dreadsox]

There was no manger, Christ is not the Messiah, and the crucifixion never happened. A forthcoming ITV documentary will portray Jesus as Muslims see him.
With the Koran as a main source and drawing on interviews with scholars and historians, the Muslim Jesus explores how Islam honours Christ as a prophet but not as the son of God. According to the Koran the crucifixion was a divine illusion. Instead of dying on the cross, Jesus was rescued by angels and raised to heaven.

The one-hour special, commissioned and narrated by Melvyn Bragg, is thought to be the first time the subject has been dealt with on British television. Lord Bragg said: "I was fascinated by the idea ... Jesus was such a prominent figure in Islam but most people don't know that."
He denies the programme will divide communities. Raised as an Anglican, he describes the documentary as thoughtful and well researched. "I hope it will provoke among Muslims the feeling they are included in television."

The director and producer, Irshad Ashraf, said the film was an attempt to shift the focus away from extremism to the spiritual side of Islam. "Jesus is loved and respected by Muslims and he's one of the most important prophets in our religion." Representatives from mainstream Anglican and Catholic organisations were invited to take part in the film, to be broadcast on Sunday, but nobody was available, Mr Ashraf said.

Philip Lewis, the Bishop of Bradford's aide on inter-faith matters, urged believers on both sides to take advantage of a "worthwhile contribution to understanding a complex issue".

However, Patrick Sookhdeo, an Anglican canon and spokesman for the Barnabas Fund, which works with persecuted Christians, accused broadcasters of double standards. Mr Sookhdeo, who was born a Muslim and converted to Christianity in 1969, said: "How would the Muslim community respond if ITV made a programme challenging Muhammad as the last prophet?"

The Koran's denial of Jesus's divinity was "unacceptable". "On the last day the Koran says Jesus will destroy all the crosses. How can we praise that?"

http://www.guardian.co.uk/religion/Story/0,,2151358,00.html?gusrc=rss&feed=11

 

[Dreadsox]

Hmmmm

 

[Vincent Vega]

I find that interesting, but couldn't watch it.

 

[Pearl]

What is your opinion about it, Dreadsox? Does it bother you or are trying to keep an open mind?

 

[Dreadsox]

What is your opinion about it, Dreadsox? Does it bother you or are trying to keep an open mind?

I attend a church that is fighting for Gay Bishops and Equal Marriage Rights for all.

It does not bother me. I thought it would start some discussion.

 

[deep]

"On the last day the Koran says Jesus will destroy all the crosses. How can we praise that?"

If I were Jesus
I would not be too fond of crosses.

 

[diamond]

If I were Jesus
I would not be too fond of crosses.

Excellent.
I never understood why "Mainline Christians" bow down to a symbol that represents the murder weapon of the Son of God.

I don't get it.
If your innocent child was bludgeoned to death by an ax murder, would you hang a picture of an ax all through your home in that child's memory?

Or would a portrait of your innocent child serve asa better reminder of his or her memory?

I think we should celebrate Christ's memory by portaits of Him and not by the portraits of the weapon that help facilitate his death.

dbs

 

[deep]

was he innocent?
or
was he guilty of sedition?

for allowing his followers to call him "King of the Jews'


occupying forces/ and their collaborating partners always want to stomp out the agitators

it is no different today

 

[Pearl]

I guess the reason why we bow down to Christ on the cross is because we believe that Christ was killed on the cross, yet he rose from the dead.

Isn't there historical evidence that Jesus was crucified? As in Roman documents that say so?

 

[deep]

My part in this discussion

would be that each person can have an opinion on what or who Jesus was.


I don't care that people will not agree with me or that some might.

Some of my opinions

Mohamed existed - 99.9%

that he or someone close to him wrote the Koran - 90%


That "Jesus of Nazareth" existed - 88 %

That he was executed by crucification, as was common for "crimes against the state" - 85%

That Moses existed - 65%

That Adam and Eve existed - 00.00001 %

 

[diamond]

was he innocent?
or
was he guilty of sedition?

for allowing his followers to call him "King of the Jews'


occupying forces/ and their collaborating partners always want to stomp out the agitators

it is no different today

Pearl and/or Deep-

Well if you had a friend who was convicted to die in the electric chair regardless if he or she was innocent and then the person was executed in said electric chair, what token would you like to keep of that friend in his or her memory?

a) A picture of the friend alive
b) A picture of the electric chair or replica therof in which the friend was executed.
c) A picture of the friend being executed in the electric chair
d) a minature replica of the electric chair that I could hang around my neck.

Please pick one.

dbs

 

[toscano]

Excellent.
I never understood why "Mainline Christians" bow down to a symbol that represents the murder weapon of the Son of God.

I don't get it.
If your innocent child was bludgeoned to death by an ax murder, would you hang a picture of an ax all through your home in that child's memory?

Or would a portrait of your innocent child serve asa better reminder of his or her memory?

I think we should celebrate Christ's memory by portaits of Him and not by the portraits of the weapon that help facilitate his death.

dbs

Don't think Photobucket was around back then

Mainline Christians don't "bow down" to a cross as far as I can tell.

 

[diamond]

Don't think Photobucket was around back then

Mainline Christians don't "bow down" to a cross as far as I can tell.

Many "Christians" do, and/or keep a replica of the cross nearby.

dbs

 

[toscano]

Many "Christians" do, and/or keep a replica of the cross nearby.

dbs

Keeping a cross replica is one thing, bowing down to it quite another.

It's really very easy to figure out to why the cross is a symbol of Christianity, and I'd defy you to show me one "mainline christian" church which bows down to a replica of a cross

 

[deep]

Pearl and/or Deep-

Well if you had a friend who was convicted to die in the electric chair regardless if he or she was innocent and then the person was executed in said electric chair, what token would you like to keep of that friend in his or her memory?

a) A picture of the friend alive
b) A picture of the electric chair or replica therof in which the friend was executed.
c) A picture of the friend being executed in the electric chair
d) a minature replica of the electric chair that I could hang around my neck.

Please pick one.

dbs

So is it

Remember the Alamo (place of the massacre)?

or Remember Davy Crockett and Jim Bowie?

Is the symbol of 911 the smoking buildings?
or the whole standing buildings?

Is anti-Cross based on an anti-Catholic bias?

 

[Pearl]

Catholics and Eastern Orthodox Christians will, but I doubt any Protestants bow to a cross.

To answer you're question (which is a good one), I would pick A. Heck, I have a portrait of Jesus hanging in my room. But I also have a collection of crosses on chain necklaces. I think you have to look at the history of Christianity, and to see why the cross evolved from a symbol of execution to a symbol of the religion. In the early days of Christianity, the fish was the symbol.

I don't know if your thinking is anti-Catholic, because I've known Catholics - and even a priest during mass - that questioned the use of a cross as a symbol of Christianity.

 

[diamond]

Keeping a cross replica is one thing, bowing down to it quite another.

It's really very easy to figure out to why the cross is a symbol of Christianity, and I'd defy you to show me one "mainline christian" church which bows down to a replica of a cross

Please explain why keeping a cross is essentail or demonstrates a healthy belief in Christ.

 

[diamond]

Catholics and Eastern Orthodox Christians will, but I doubt any Protestants bow to a cross.

To answer you're question (which is a good one), I would pick A. Heck, I have a portrait of Jesus hanging in my room. But I also have a collection of crosses on chain necklaces. I think you have to look at the history of Christianity, and to see why the cross evolved from a symbol of execution to a symbol of the religion. In the early days of Christianity, the fish was the symbol.

I don't know if your thinking is anti-Catholic, because I've known Catholics - and even a priest during mass - that questioned the use of a cross as a symbol of Christianity.

I prefer different symbols in rememberance of Christ.

dbs

 

[diamond]

Is anti-Cross based on an anti-Catholic bias?

nope.

 

[Pearl]

originally posted by diamond
I prefer different symbols in rememberance of Christ.

dbs

Such as...?

 

[phillyfan26]

While I personally don't believe symbols are the way to keep Christ's memory, it's flat out stupid to compare the cross to keeping an axe to remember someone getting murdered. Christ dying on the cross was done for the good of mankind, he did it intentionally as a sacrifice for people, so people remember the sacrifice by remembering the cross.

 

[deep]

Please explain why keeping a cross is essentail or demonstrates a healthy belief in Christ.

Ok, let's just remove the cross part of the story about Jesus, let's say he never went on the cross.

Your right, for me it changes nothing.

I don't need the crucification/ or resurrection to accept the things he said about charity and kindness and the examples of love and tolerance he set for us all to follow.


And I challenge everyone to say the same thing!

 

[Pearl]

originally quoted by deep
I don't need the crucification/ or resurrection to accept the things he said about charity and kindness and the examples of love and tolerance he sat for us all to follow.

I agree with you on that.

But why did Jesus make such a big emphasis on following him in order to "live"?

 

[deep]

But why did Jesus make such a big emphasis on following him in order to "live"?

I don't know that he did


I do believe that the powers that wanted to control "the church" by controlling what was in and not in the Bible hundreds of years after Jesus died,

well, it was in their interest to put in a lot of the "emphasis' to support their goals

 

[Pearl]

True, the church forgot what it was supposed to be about a very long time ago

 

[toscano]

Catholics and Eastern Orthodox Christians will, but I doubt any Protestants bow to a cross.

To answer you're question (which is a good one), I would pick A. Heck, I have a portrait of Jesus hanging in my room. But I also have a collection of crosses on chain necklaces. I think you have to look at the history of Christianity, and to see why the cross evolved from a symbol of execution to a symbol of the religion. In the early days of Christianity, the fish was the symbol.

I don't know if your thinking is anti-Catholic, because I've known Catholics - and even a priest during mass - that questioned the use of a cross as a symbol of Christianity.

Bowing to a bare cross and bowing to a crucifix with Jesus' likeness on it are 2 different things though

 

[deep]

is it like the difference of bowing to a golden calf
and bowing to a bronze calf?

 

[toscano]

Please explain why keeping a cross is essentail or demonstrates a healthy belief in Christ.

Who's saying it's essential ?

Who says it demonstrates a healthy belief in Christ ?

I've seen plenty of people wear crosses from a purely decorative aspect

Since the cornerstone of Christianity is the resurrection of Jesus from the dead after he died on the cross, I think it's self-explanatory as to why there is such a huge significance.......

 

[diamond]

I've seen plenty of people wear crosses from a purely decorative aspect

Since the cornerstone of Christianity is the resurrection of Jesus from the dead after he died on the cross, ....

If I saw a friend that died by the use of a weapon and came back to life I wouldn't keep a replica of the weapon that killed him in his rememberance.

I find ppl wearing a replica as of a weapon as decorative or in rememberance of somebody quite puzzling.

I think pictures, illustrations or replicating person's example on how he lived when alive would be a more appropiate way to celebrate that person's life.

dbs

 

[phillyfan26]

If I saw a friend that died by the use of a weapon and came back to life I wouldn't keep a replica of the weapon that killed him in his rememberance.

I find ppl wearing a replica as of a weapon as decorative or in rememberance of somebody quite puzzling.

I think pictures, illustrations or replicating person's example on how he lived when alive would be a more appropiate way to celebrate that person's life.

dbs

That's a terrible analogy.

How did Jesus live? He sacrificed. He gave himself to mankind. His sacrifice on the cross represents that.