If I may provide an answer: Because if the US government was to promote one religion or another, there stands the chance of that religion becoming too powerful. If human action is any indication, we're not the most wise or intelligent or logical (or tolerant) species. With the government behind, say, Christianity - everyone would be subject to its power and sway. Hence, it could lead to people being jailed for practicing a different faith, having an abortion, etc. This may sound like paranoia or fear mongering, but I assure you that is not my intention. I'm merely saying, take a look at nations where religion is either a large force, or backed by the government. See any freedom of speech? See any freedom of religion? The very essence of the freedom of (or from) religion, and subsequent government neutrality - is American. It's one of our principles.

Btw, you're full of it. There is indeed a part in the US Constitution that forbids our government from favoring, or putting any religion on a dias - so to speak; it is the First Amendment:

"Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances."

~Alderic

It's one God revealed in three persons.  Christians believe in one God as do the Jews and Muslims.  That's where we do agree. The Jews/Muslims don't believe in Christ who came in the flesh and that mainly is the crux of the whole matter. 

I am made up of body, soul and spirit.  When I die, I'll lose this flesh and my spirit goes back to God.  I'm not any less of a person because I don't have my cloak of flesh on.  The trinity is not an easy concept to take in but it's very biblical and can be seen all thru the scripture including Genesis 1. 

I've never asked you this before.....I don't think Leauki........ but have you ever read the gospels? 

sounds like alot of work!!

Getting back to the three major religions worship the same god........

Ergun Mehmet Caner and Emir Fethi Caner wrote a book titled "Unveiling Islam" and in it  he asked a few questions:

"Did Muhammad see Islam as fulfilling and redacting Judaism and Christianity?  Or was he aiming at a complete revision of religion altogether?  Did he view Christians and Jews as unintended worshipers of Allah, the one true God or were they pagans and akafir (infidels)? 

Although he made copious revisions of Old Testament stories and the nature of Jesus, he clearly viewed followers of Moses and of Christ as children of Satan not separated brethren. 

The process of redefining an established set of terms to fit one's own ideas is called "redaction."  Therefore, while the Muslim man says that he is a son of Abraham, he pours new meaning into the essential nature of Abraham.  In Surah 3:66 the Qur'an states emphatically, "Abraham was not a Jew or a Christian, but he was an upright man, a Muslim; and he was not one of the polytheists."  The story of Abraham has been redacted to fit an agenda." 

In a church on the East Coast during a discussion an Arab who became a Christian called himself a Messianic Muslim.  Since he spoke Arabic and was now a believer he believed that since Allah was simply an Arabic word he could use it to represent Jesus Christ or the entire Godhead (trinity).  He was unwilling to use the word Jehovah (YHWH) because it was not in his native tongue. 

He felt just as Messianic Jews had discovered that Jesus was Yahweh, he had discovered that Jesus was Allah.  Could he not continue to use the term Allah in that light? 

Israel had always been looking forward to a Redeemer, Savior, and Messiah and the Messianic Jew has recognized that Jesus was in fact that Messiah, the fulfillment of their hope.  A devout Muslim however looks back at the life of Christ.  Muhammad who knew the teaching of Jesus as Lord rejected Him.  The rejection of Jesus claim to lordship is, in fact, a fundamental tenet of Islam.

"As they say the Beneficient has taken to Himself a son.  Certainly you make an abominable assumption.....It is not worthy of Allah that He should take to himself a son.  (Surah 19:88-92)

A Muslim who accepts Jesus as Lord must therefore reject his or her former religion, which explicitly denies Christ as God.  Christianity is not the fulfillment of Islam's hope, but it rejects Islam at its core.

That's why I can say that the Jews and the Christians do recognize the same God but can't say that about Islam. 

Yes, I have. I read the Luther translation (German).

All Muslims are Messianic as they all believe that Jesus is the Messiah.

The word "Jehova" is not in anybody's native tongue.

Using the same logic you can also say that Islam and Judaism recognise the same god but Christianity does not.

My point is that Islam and Judaism have the same view of what G-d is and how He represents Himself to us while Christianity has a different view.

You are absolutely correct that he can continue to use the word Allah as a Christian. And in fact all Arab Christians use that word.

But a Jew who discovers that Jesus is G-d violates one of G-d's commandments for the Jewish people. Jews are not allowed to pray to anything corporeal, even if that body "is" G-d.

The Jewish view of G-d does not allow for a corporeal form in ANY way whatsoever. (I understand the Mormons have a view of Jesus that allows for Jesus not to be a personified god but still be a Messiah and saviour.)

Mmm, I would say they believe in something, and that in a sense, they say Christian by default.

As for the so called stripping, I feel it is nothing more than the constant clash between the past and the future; e.g. conservativism versus liberalism - to an extent. I would say that progressivism is more so the antonym (though a thesaurus says otherwise) for conservatism.

Likewise, I don't think it's one big conspiracty. It is just the natural, and expected outcome for a society as diverse as our own. It's inevitable; the only choice really is whether you choose a side and probably wind up where the Dems/Reps and the fervently claimed culture war has brought us, or recognize the diversity of our nation, find a common ground.

~Alderic

Hmm, I've been told by my Muslim acquaintances different.

Also, can someone tell me why Jesus is portrayed as being white? Was it some ego trip by the early Church? It's just that according to my logic, and my reason - Jesus, being born in the middle east, in Israel, etc. would mean he was, if not of a significant dark skin tone (See: Black Jesus), at least was dark skin to a degree.

~Alderic

Muslim or ARAB?

Muslims beleive that jesus was a PROPHET (not a messiah)... in islam there are three prophets:

1. Moses

2. Jesus

3. Muhamad.

Each one "updates" the information... if an issue has been addressed by muhamad, then he is right no matter what the other two said, if muhamad never mentioned it, go by what jesus said, if he never mentioned it, go by what moses said.

They're of Arab decent (Egypt/Saudi Arabia, respectively), who are Muslims as they practice Islam. Technically I guess they would be called Arab Muslim Americans, but I don't want to get into typing a long post.

Also, I feel like a bit of a fool. I should've known better to blindly accept their word. Even though they would more than likely be the best to get the facts from, thinking about it now - I *knew* it wasn't accurate; D'uh.

~Alderic

exactly Taltimir

Jesus was Jewish.  Olive skin.  Dark eyes.  Typical Jewish features. 

this is not true.  Not for God they don't...including the two brothers (Muslim Christians) I just quoted to you.  It's in their book they're saying you can't be a Christian Muslim and still call God Allah because of what I wrote you earlier.  You have to denounce Islam when you come to Christianity because Islam rejects Christ outright after he came,  but you don't have to denouce your Jewishness when you come to Christ  as they looked forward to his coming someday. 

No, that's not true either.  They don't believe that the Messiah was God.  They believe he was just a prophet.   To be Messianic you accept his claim as God. 

Not to be insulting, but I don't accept your personnal view of Islam as Kosher, KFC. You are probably one of the most christian-fundamentalist person I know on the internet.

And quoting books and authors that are reknown as "Islam-bashing", trying to pass it as a proper authority on Islamic things and beliefs isn't proper either. It's like if I quoted Rick Jones, William Schnoebelen (or any other peoples from Chick publishings) as a proper morality compass regarding D&D and fantasy Role playing games.

AldericJourdain get your panties out of a bunch... first of all i said that he was a prophet, so that means I AGREED with you that he was not a MESSIAH. because propthet and messiah are two different things.

Secondly, no you should not accept their words, I know some hindus of indian descent living here in america and they tell me hindus are vegetarian because cows are sacred, when asked why not eat pork they have no explanation. The CORRECT response is that the hindus beleive in reincarnation, and that piglet might be their reincarnated grandma trying to learn life lessons that only living as a pig can teach.

Same with many american jews who watch a lot of holliwood movies and think jews beleive in hell, there never was nor will there ever be a hell a in jewish philosophy. There isn't even a "heaven" so to speak. there was the the garden of eden, we were cast out, when a jew die his soul rests with his remains until the end days where the messiah will come, at which point all jews come back to life (eternal life), and god judges their acts in life and decides "who is to live and who is die" (eternal death?)

point of it all is, most people are horribly ignorant of their own religion, try opening a book (not a book ABOUT their religion, but the direct source, their own holy text). And furthermore, make sure you ask someone who is actually RELIGIOUS and not just BORN to parents of that "religion"... secular religious people are what I like calling "closet atheists". If they didn't even read their own holy text from cover to cover at least once they don't really care to know about their own "religion"

Don't you think calling them "Atheist" is harsh? It's not because somebody don't know all the inner workings of their religion that they deny the existence of God/Gods.

Where is that common ground?  And, if other countries can embrace the "major" beliefs as acceptable in society, why can't we?  What is "progressive" about stripping away any shred of what founded America and got us to this point?

There is a difference between not knowing your religion well and being secular.

And atheist is a wonderful compliment... although in this case it isn't since they are in the closet about it, and are one through ignorance not through knowledge.

ha!  I like that term.  You are so correct.  This goes with what I said on my blog site; people are content in taking what they "hear" as good enough instead of what they know (which is nothing).  It's much easier to just take what someone else tells them without going through the trouble of researching on their own.  I see this everyday.  One day when God does come back, they will have no excuse.  We stand before him along and some will be very naked. 

that's not what I did, nor is it what the Caners did.  What could be a better source than Christians who grew up in Islam to tell us the background?  They would know alot more than I would so of course I would defer to them.  It would be arrogant to say I knew more. 

Don't go after them, go after what they are saying.  What did they say that was wrong?  I'm thinking you don't like them (calling them bashers) because they are hitting the nail on the head here.  Their own father disowned them for becoming Christians.  Now they are educating others about the differences between the Islam God (and practices) from  the Christian God (and practices).  I think it's a perfectly good source and unless you show me where they are in error I will continue to use ex-Muslims in their assessment of Islam. 

I'm not an expert on Islam.  I'll be the first to say so. 

But what's not kosher about what I said? 

I know that being a Christian fundamentalist is not a popular thing to be these days, but I will take that as a compliment.  Did you hear the latest coming down from the Homeland Security Administration that is labeling people like me (strong belief in Jesus, pro-life, anti-homosexual laws, belief in country's foundation as Christian led, gunowners, etc) are being labeled as "extremists?" 

Oliver North just wrote quite an article about this.  It's very scary.  Everybody should be sitting up straight when they hear what's going down right down under this current administration. 

It's all been prohesied so we really shouldn't be surprised.  It's all to pave the way for a one world government and a one world religion.  Basically a one world order.  We will still have our individual religions like we do now but with very strict regulations under one head.  Sort of like our 50 individual states under one Federal Head.   So as long as we do what the head says is ok, we'll be ok.  America as the largest most powerful Christian Nation (now post) needed to get taken down quite a bit first before this whole thing will work.   The Christians will, I predict, go underground before too long.  We will have no choice.  The government (before too long) will be telling the churches to accept certain behaviors or they will lose their tax exempt status (the beginning).  This will separate the "chaff (closet atheists-my new word) from the "wheat." 

This will be basically the opposite of what the founding fathers were afraid of.  They were afraid of the government with too much power trying to impose a Federal Religion.  They did not want that.  Instead we will have  pseudo religions (run by seculars)  permitted by the Government and anyone like me "biblically literate" will be labeled as extreme and not politically correct. 

Like I said read Oliver North's latest article.  It's pretty scary but not unexpected.  This was not suppsed to get out to the public.