Download Ron Cooney Notes Part 2

Major Religions of the World
Apologetics Class
OPEN WITH PRAYER FOR THE WORLD AND THE EVENTS GOING ON IN:
1. Ukraine
2. Israel
3. Iraq
Review…
Question 1: Does God exist?
The argument for God can be presented very simply:
1. Something exists.
2. You do not get something from nothing.
3. Therefore, a necessary and eternal Being exists.
a. God
b. Gas
Based on the observable evidence around us today, I believe it makes more sense to
believe in an eternal God rather than an eternal gas, especially as I consider:
1. Irreducible Complexities - a single system composed of several well-matched,
interacting parts that contribute to a basic function, wherein the removal of
any one of the parts causes the whole system to effectively cease functioning.
a. The eye – pupil, lens, and muscles
b. Parts of a cell
c. Blood clotting – fibrinogen, prothrombin, Stuart factor, proaccelerin
Question 2: Is that God a personal God?
The argument for God’s person can be accounted for in two ways:
1. God chose to create and decisions require intellect.
2. The Moral Argument or The Presence of Evil
Question 3: Which God is right?
Which God answers the four big questions of life:
1. Origin – Where did we come from?
2. Ethics – How should we live?
3. Meaning – What is the purpose for life?
4. Destiny – Where is mankind heading?
To answer this, let’s first explore the major religions of the world.
1. Christianity
2. Islam
3. Hinduism
4. Buddhism
5. Judaism
6. Baha’i
2nd Largest: Islam
Founder: Muhammad
Started: In the 7th century, Muhammad claimed the angel Gabriel visited him. During
this angelic visitations, which continued for about 23 years until Muhammad’s
death, the angel purportedly revealed to Muhammad the words of Allah (Arabic
word for God). These dictated revelations compose the Qur’an, Islam’s holy book.
Islam means “submission,” deriving from a root word that means peace. The word
Muslim means one who submits to Allah.
Sacred Writings: Qur’an
Core Beliefs:
Six Articles of Faith
1. Belief in one Allah. Muslims believe Allah is one, eternal, creator, and
sovereign.
2. Belief in the angels
3. Belief in the prophets: The prophets include the biblical prophets but end
with Muhammad as Allah’s final prophet.
4. Belief in the revelations of Allah: Muslims accept certain portions of the Bible,
such as the Torah and the Gospels. They believe the Qur’an is the preexistent, perfect word of Allah.
5. Belief in the last Day of Judgment and the hereafter: Everyone will be
resurrected for judgment into either paradise or hell.
6. Belief in predestination: Muslims believe Allah has decreed everything that
will happen. Muslims testify to Allah’s sovereignty with their frequent
phrase, inshallah, meaning if God wills.
The Five Pillars of Islam: Five tenets that compose the framework of obedience for
Muslims. A Muslim’s entrance into paradise hinges on obedience to these Five
Pillars. Still, Allah may reject them. Even Muhammad was not sure whether Allah
would admit him to paradise (Surah 46:9; Hadith 5.266)
1. The Testimony of Faith (shahada): There is no deity but Allah. Muhammad is
the messenger of Allah. A person can convert to Islam by stating this creed.
The shahada shows that a Muslim believes in Allah alone as deity and
believes that Muhammad reveals Allah.
2. Prayer (salat): Five ritual prayers must be performed every day.
3. Giving (zakat): This almsgiving is a certain percentage given once a year.
4. Fasting (sawm): Muslims fast during Ramadan in the ninth month of the
Isalmic calendar. They must not eat or drink from dawn until sunset.
5. Pilgrimage (hajj): If physically and financially possible, a Muslim must make
the pilgrimage to Mecca in Saudi Arabia at least once. The hajj is performed
in the twelfth month of the Islamic calendar.
Teaching Concerning Jesus:
1. Claim that Jesus was a mere prophet – not God’s Son.
2. Claim that while Jesus was born of a virgin, he was created like Adam.
3. Do not believe that Jesus died on the cross. For many, this is a stumbling
block for those who want to profess Christ. They do not understand why
Allah would allow His prophet, Isa (word for Jesus), to die a tortuous death.
Comparison to Christianity:
1. Rejection of the Trinity – that God has revealed Himself as one in three
Persons: the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.
2. Jesus’ death on the cross – it is difficult for a Muslim to conceive that God
would allow one of His prophets to suffer so violently a death and to be as
dishonored as Jesus was.
a. They believe that God provided a substitute – that someone who
looked like Jesus died in His place.
b.
That they said (in boast), "We killed Christ Jesus the son of Mary, the Messenger of
Allah";- but they killed him not, nor crucified him, but so it was made to appear to them,
and those who differ therein are full of doubts, with no (certain) knowledge, but only
conjecture to follow, for of a surety they killed him not:Nay, Allah raised him up unto Himself; and Allah is Exalted in Power, Wise;—Qur'an, sura 4 (An-Nisa) ayat 157-158[1]
3. The Word of God – Islam teaches that the Qur’an is the final authority and
the last revelation of Allah. The Bible, however, was completed in the first
century with the Book of Revelation. The Bible actually warns against anyone
adding to or subtracting from God’s Word:
a. Deuteronomy 4:2
b. Proverbs 30:6
c. Galatians 1:6-12
6 I am astonished that you are so quickly deserting him who
called you in the grace of Christ and are turning to a different
gospel— 7 not that there is another one, but there are some who
trouble you and want to distort the gospel of Christ. 8 But even if
we or an angel from heaven should preach to you a gospel
contrary to the one we preached to you, let him be accursed. 9 As
we have said before, so now I say again: If anyone is preaching to
you a gospel contrary to the one you received, let him be
accursed.
10 For am I now seeking the approval of man, or of God? Or am I
trying to please man? If I were still trying to please man, I would
not be a servant[b] of Christ.11 For I would have you know,
brothers, that the gospel that was preached by me is not man's
gospel.[c] 12 For I did not receive it from any man, nor was I
taught it, but I received it through a revelation of Jesus Christ.
d. Revelation 22:18
18 I warn everyone who hears the words of the prophecy of this
book: if anyone adds to them, God will add to him the plagues
described in this book,
1. The Qur’an, as a claimed addition to God’s Word,
directly disobeys God’s command.
4. Salvation – Muslims believe that paradise can be earned through keeping the
Five Pillars, while the Bible reveals that sinful man can never measure up to
the holy God.
a. Galatians 2:16
Yet we know that a person is not justified by works of the law but
through faith in Jesus Christ, so we also have believed in Christ
Jesus, in order to be justified by faith in Christ and not by works
of the law, because by works of the law no one will be justified.
b. Galatians 3:19
Why then the law? It was added because of transgressions, until
the offspring should come to whom the promise had been made,
and it was put in place through angels by an intermediary.
c. Romans 3:23; 6:23
Only by God’s grace can we be saved through faith in Jesus
d. Acts 20:21
21 testifying both to Jews and to Greeks of repentance toward God
and of faith in our Lord Jesus Christ.
e. Ephesians 2:8-9
8 For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not
your own doing; it is the gift of God, 9 not a result of works, so
that no one may boast.
Counterpoints when Witnessing to a Muslim
1. If Jesus was not tortured at the hands of men through His death on the cross,
then God is a liar and disqualifies Himself from perfection.
a. The Bible clearly shows that the death of Jesus was a requirement
to pay for the sins of believers.
i. Is. 53:5-6
But he was pierced for our transgressions;
he was crushed for our iniquities;
upon him was the chastisement that brought us peace,
and with his wounds we are healed.
6 All we like sheep have gone astray;
we have turned—every one—to his own way;
and the LORD has laid on him
the iniquity of us all.
ii. John 3:16
16 “For God so loved the world,[a] that he gave his only Son,
that whoever believes in him should not perish but have
eternal life.
iii. 1 Peter 2:24
24 He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, that we
might die to sin and live to righteousness. By his wounds
you have been healed.
b. Jesus also willingly died on the cross and even prophesied that it
would happen.
i. John 10:17-18
17 For this reason the Father loves me, because I lay down
my life that I may take it up again. 18 No one takes it from
me, but I lay it down of my own accord. I have authority
to lay it down, and I have authority to take it up again.
This charge I have received from my Father.”
ii. John 19:30
30 When Jesus had received the sour wine, he said, “It is
finished,” and he bowed his head and gave up his spirit.
iii. Matthew 20:18-19
8 “See, we are going up to Jerusalem. And the Son of Man
will be delivered over to the chief priests and scribes, and
they will condemn him to death 19 and deliver him over to
the Gentiles to be mocked and flogged and crucified, and
he will be raised on the third day.”
2. Salvation is not earned.
a. If you love Me, you will obey my commands (John 14:15)
b. Our righteous acts are like filthy rags (Isaiah 64:6)
c. The work of God is this: to believe in the One He has sent (John 6:2829).
3. You can know that you are going to heaven.
a. 1 John 5:13
13 I write these things to you who believe in the name of the Son
of God that you may know that you have eternal life.
b. 2 Timothy 3:15
15 and how from childhood you have been acquainted with the
sacred writings, which are able to make you wise for salvation
through faith in Christ Jesus.
c. Acts 16:31
31 And
they said, “Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved,
you and your household.”
d. John 1:12
12 But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he
gave the right to become children of God,
3rd Largest: Hinduism
Founder: The origin of Hinduism can be traced back to the Indus Valley Civilization
around 4000-2200BC. The major influences of Hinduism occurred when nomadic,
Indo-European tribes invaded Northern India (around 1500 B.C.) from Russia and
Central Asia. They brought the religion of Vedism (an ancient religion that included
chanting and sacrifices). Their beliefs mixed with the local Indian native beliefs.
Religious principles mixed, including the Hindu beliefs of reincarnation, multiple
gods (polytheism), and the spiritual unity of humanity (monism or "one ultimate
reality").
Over time, this religious mix of ideas grew through written scriptures known as the
Vedas. Originally passed down orally, these ideas were written down between 1400
and 400 B.C.
The Vedas were mainly compiled by Vyasa Krishna (c. 1500 BC)
Started: Sacred writings date as far back as 1400-1500 BC.
Core Beliefs: One of the most diverse and complex religions, having millions of gods.
Often understood as being polytheistic – supposedly recognizing 330 million gods, it
has one “god” that is supreme – Brahma, which is believed to inhabit every portion
of reality and existence throughout the entire universe. Brahma is both impersonal
and unknowable and is often believed to exist in three different forms: Brahma –
Creator; Vishnu – Preserver; and Shiva – Destroyer. It is difficult to summarize
Hindu theology since the various Hindu schools contain elements of almost every
theological system. Hinduism can be:
1. Monisitc – Only one thing exists; Sankara’s school
2. Pantheistic – Only one divine thing exists so that God is identical to the
world; Brahmanism
3. Panentheistic – the world is part of God; Ramanuja’s school
4. Theistic – Only one God, distinct from Creation; Bhakti Hinduism
Observing other schools, Hinduism can also be atheistic, deistic, or even nihilistic,
which is a disbelief in objective truth. About the only real issue is whether or not a
belief system recognizes the Vedas as sacred. If it does, then it is Hindu. If not, then it
is not Hindu.
Sacred Writings:
1. The Vedas – Oldest of Hindu scriptures. Means “wisdom” or “knowledge.”
Contain hymns, prayers, and ritual texts. There are four Vedas:
a. Rigveda – Inspired songs or hymns
b. Samaveda – Almost completely drawn from the Rig Veda
c. Yajuraveda – Made to meet the demands of a ceremonial religion. A
practical guide for priests.
d. Artharvaveda – Consists of spells and charms prevalent at its time.
2. The Upanishadas – Collection of writings composed between 800-600 BC
that marked a change to mystical ideas about humanity and the universe. The
Upanishads came to have a great influence on Gautama Buddha, the founder
of Buddhism.
3. The Mahabharata – The second epic. It is the story describing the deeds of
the Aryan clans. It consists of some 100,000 verses composed over an 800year period beginning about 400 BC. Contained within this work is a great
classic, the Bhagavad Gita, or the “Song of the Blessed Lord.”
4. The Ramayana. – One of two major epic tales of India, the other being the
Mahabharata. A sage-poet named Valmiki wrote the Ramayana that consists
of 24,000 couplets describing the life of Rama, a righteous king who was
supposedly an incarnation of the God Vishnu.
5. The Bhagavad Gita: The Bhagavad Gita is the most sacred of all Hindu books
and is also the best known and the most read of all Indian works in the entire
world. The story in the Bhagavad Gita describes man's duty, which, if carried
out, will bring nothing but sorrow. This story has had great impact on Hindu
belief in its endorsement of bhakti, or devotion to a particular god, as a
means of salvation.
These writings contain hymns, incantations or prayers, philosophies, rituals,
poems, and stories from which Hindus base their beliefs.
Main Concepts in Comparison with the Bible
1. God
a. Hinduism – God is unknowable. He is the one impersonal, ultimate
spiritual reality. Hindus claim that there are 330 million gods.
b. Bible – One God in three Persons who is personally known. While God is
all-powerful and ever-present, He is not monistic (God as everything).
2. Creation
a. Hinduism – Brahman alone exists; everything (the universe, earth, man,
rocks, animals, etc.) is ultimately an illusion. Brahman caused the
illusion of creation. There is no beginning or conclusion to creation, only
endless repetitions or cycles of creation and destruction. History has no
value since it is based on an illusion.
b. Bible – God is separate from his creation. All things were created by him,
through him, and for him.
3. Humanity
a. Hinduism - The eternal soul of each human is supposedly a
manifestation of Brahman mysteriously trapped in the physical body. A
person must live repeated lives or reincarnations called Samsara before
the soul can be liberated from the body.
b. Bible – Each person is important. God created all people so you could
freely choose to know and love Him. (John 3:16; Ephesians 2:8-10.
4. Jesus
a. Hinduism – Jesus is not seen as the Messiah, God’s Son, or as physically
resurrected. He was simply a man who realized his divine nature.
b. Bible – God’s perfect Son. Holy, divine, resurrected, and also fully human.
Differences to Christian Beliefs
1. Hinduism is in opposition to biblical Christianity on almost every count of its
belief system:
a. Christianity has one God who is both personal and knowable
i. Deuteronomy 6:5
ii. 1 Corinthians 8:6
b. Christianity has one set of scriptures
c. Christianity teaches that God created the earth and all who live upon
it
i. Genesis 1:1
ii. Hebrews 11:3
iii. Colossians 1:16 (?)
d. Christianity believes that man is created in God’s image and lives only
once
i. Genesis 1:27
ii. Hebrews 9:27-28
e. Christianity teaches that salvation is through Jesus Christ alone
i. John 3:16
ii. John 6:44
iii. John 14:6
iv. Acts 4:12
Things to Consider when Witnessing to a Hindu:
1. As a Hindu, they have great reverence for sacred scriptures.
2. They believe in one Supreme Being, worlds beyond this world.
3. They have respect for other faiths.
4. What will happen after you die? Will you be reincarnated? Does heaven or
hell await? Do you cease to exist?
5. The Vedas deliberately intertwines myth, theology, and history to achieve a
story-form religious root. This theo-mythology is so deeply rooted in India’s
history and culture that to reject the Vedas is viewed as opposing India.
Therefore, a belief system is rejected by Hinduism if it does not embrace
Indian culture to some extent.
6. There is a deliberate openness to contradiction that can be a headache to
navigate when sharing the truth about Jesus. But to be fair, we are guilty of
the same thing when we profess Christ and say we embrace Jesus’ teachings,
but then deny Christ with our lives. Craig Groeshel wrote a book about this
some time ago, called Christian Atheist.
4th Largest: Buddhism http://www.compellingtruth.org/what-is-Buddhism.html
Founder: Siddhartha Gautama, born in the 6th century B.C.
Started: Originated in India
Core Beliefs:
Sacred Writings:
Similarities to Christianity:
Differences to Christianity:
Things to Consider when Witnessing to a Buddhist: