tl;dr - understand what you're talking about before you talk about it.
Muhammad -
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/MuhammadQuran -
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/QuranJesus -
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/JesusBible -
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bible#Divine_inspirationReligion -
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ReligionFaith -
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/FaithGeneric statements will not address the entirety of this issue.
I am not a debater, I am simply going to post my understandings. I will not rebuttal, so please, no attempts to start a flame war. If you have genuine questions, you may invite me to a game and PM me.
Take religion out of the equation. Why do men (or women) strive to control or have power over others? Why is brutality used to establish this control? Why are laws created (even modern peaceful nations still have laws)? Does mankind need laws? What determines if a law is good or bad? Who should enforce those laws? Can a man governed by laws enforce said laws? Who governs the law enforcer? Can there be no law, no right or wrong?
These questions should point out that faith, belief and religion in a higher power or deity is not a 'crutch' or substitute. It is a vital part of humanity's nature that can only be addressed by establishing some kind of relationship of faith with a belief system or deity that establishes a code of right and wrong.
That only leaves the question, what are you going to do about it and why?
Human brutality is oppressive violence designed to force the victims to conform/submit to the aggressors ways. This can be 'disguised' as 'justice from a deity'. Many have tried this, including those who claimed to be of Muslim and Christian faiths at some point in time in History. Wrath as a first choice does not seem like the kind of deity I would chose to submit myself to. However, I understand the need of punishment.
A truly powerful deity (of note would be a creator of our universe) would not need to, though may chose to, use mankind to enforce its will or purpose. A just and righteous deity would establish right and wrong and punish those who chose wrong, every time without fail. A loving and gracious deity would want a enduring relationship with their creation (mankind) and desire that they to chose to follow the established right and wrong.
A just, righteous, loving, gracious and merciful deity (among other qualities) would establish right from wrong, enforce it 100% of the time, and recognize humanities inability to meet that standard. This type of deity would provide a way to maintain that relationship with mankind through a standard that still meets the just aspects of its nature and allows the loving aspects of its nature to forgive the failures. Though the failures would have to be addressed in some manner. (It sounds a little like circular logic at this point, right?)
In order to maintain the right to declare a standard, a just deity must 100% of the time do what is right. So how can it punish wrong without destroying the creation that it loves? Transferal of punishment to another is a common theme in religious faiths. Sacrifices of animals and in some cases other humans is littered throughout religious texts. But if a 100% righteous deity accepted another individual (who has broken the law) or lesser creature as the object of substitution for punishment, the deity would no longer be 100% just. Two wrongs don't make a right. Offering a bad individual (who is already due punishment for their own choices) in place of a another bad individual will not remove the need to punish both individuals.
A greater substitute must be offered in place of both (in fact, for all mankind). The only one capable of creating and offering this substitute would be the deity itself. The deity would have to create another Just, Righteous, Loving, Gracious & Merciful human, that would chose to adhere to the laws, love all humankind, offer them self as a substitute for punishment and bare the punishment for not a few, but all mankind.
This kind of punishment would utterly destroy a human or any other 'creation' of the deity. So the only true substitute would be the deity itself. Thus, a truly Just, Righteous, Loving, Gracious & Merciful deity would offer itself, in human form, as a flawless substitute for punishment.
So, then would mankind then be free to break the established law without consequence since the just and loving deity has born the brunt of the punishment for breaking the law? Wouldn't it be like spitting in the face of this gracious deity to say, 'thanks for everything, but I really don't want to obey your rules"? If this deity has gone this far, and done all these things, and yet mankind chooses to walk away from a free ride, why should the just deity do any more? At this point the deity has extended the offer, and mankind has refused. If the punishment was paid, but mankind chooses to reject the free gift to claim 'freedom from religious bondage", then they have chosen to reject the substitution and will have to face the full accounting of their actions.
I would not want to be these individuals. If a deity has given a part of itself to suffer the full punishment of my rebellion to its laws... I can only imagine the kind of punishment that would follow rejecting that sacrifice.
If my bias has not been revealed yet, then let me make it plain. I am a follower of Jesus Christ, and everything I've written here is true.
Colossians 1: 15 He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation. 16 For by[f] him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things were created through him and for him. 17 And he is before all things, and in him all things hold together. 18 And he is the head of the body, the church. He is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in everything he might be preeminent. 19 For in him all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell, 20 and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether on earth or in heaven, making peace by the blood of his cross. 21 And you, who once were alienated and hostile in mind, doing evil deeds, 22 he has now reconciled in his body of flesh by his death, in order to present you holy and blameless and above reproach before him, 23 if indeed you continue in the faith, stable and steadfast, not shifting from the hope of the gospel that you heard, ... (ESV)
So, instead of looking for the one phrase or statement I made that you would launch a rather vigorous campaign to discredit what I've posted. Simply read the Bible, as well as the Quran, and the many other religious texts, and make a decision. Is there a God? Does he care? What is truth, what is right, what it wrong, and how does it effect you.
If you have questions, I would love to spend time talking to you about them.
Remember, I will not be responding to this post. I know that many will not like it, and I'm not interested in flame wars.
Thank you for your time.
