How to Share your Faith with People of Other Faiths: A Study in World Religions by Ryan M. Marks - HTML preview

Week 3-5 Major Religions:  Hinduism—Buddhism—Islam

Hinduism

    Hinduism originated in India and is still most strongly evident there. It is the third largest religion in the world.

Some distinctives:

• Polytheistic (many gods)
• Cast system
• Don’t kill animals, it’s your reincarnated uncle Fred
• Karma
• Prostitution—young girls enslaved at shrines to serve as sex victims to honor the god/goddesses

Red Light district—10,000s of women in brothels…I have heard a missionary preach who lives and works in India under the guise of a businessman. His wife and daughter and 10 little girls that prostitutes given them to raise endeavor to reach the sex slaves in India. Human trafficking, sex trafficking, is all over the world, even in the United States. This man’s wife would go and witness to the women when they “were off” and they pour into the lives of the little girls they’ve been given sharing the Gospel and Jesus’ love.  These brothels are a perverted family unit. The women are serviced to upward of 40 men a day at times, any children that are born as a result almost always get sucked into the family business. Girls become prostitutes, boys become the patriarchal pimps. 

Buddhism

    Originated from Siddhartha Gautama, the Buddha (enlightened one).

Distinctives:

• Self-denial
• Achieving a state of heavenly Nirvana
• Ethical teachings—aim for morality
• Monastic
• Meditation
• Life Cycles (reincarnation)

More Facts: http://www.religionfacts.com/buddhism/fastfacts.htm

Islam

At the time of this writing approx. 1/5 of the world claims to be Muslim

Islam means submission to the will of Allah. Islam was founded by Mohammed. Mohammed was born a poor man but eventually married a wealth older widow and claims to have received visions in which the Angel Gabriel revealed the truth to him and made him the prophet of Allah. The Qur’an originated over Mohammed’s lifetime and is claimed to be without any error. Mohammed eventually amassed a harem, his youngest wife was a child whom he consummated the “marriage” with when she was 9. Anyone who questions Qur’an’s authenticity or Mohammed’s prophethood is divinely sentenced to death. Jesus, Paul, Peter, Noah, Elijah, and Abraham were “prophets of Allah” but were not error free as Mohammed was. Jesus is taught never to have died but a man with a similar appearance to Jesus was hung on the cross and mistaken as Him.

Core Scripture that refutes Islam:

But though we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel unto you than that which we have preached unto you, let him be accursed. As we said before, so say I now again, If any man preach any other gospel unto you than that ye have received, let him be accursed. Gal 1:8-9 (KJV)

What Islam teaches

• Muslims claim to originally have descended from Ishmael, the son of Hagar, Abraham’s adulterous partner. This is true. If Abraham hadn’t tried to get a son before God’s timing, Muslims likely would never have been around. Ironically Ishmael’s name means and Scripture testifies that he would be a donkey of a man and yet become a numerous people. Islam is sex crazed and violent as you will see.
• Allah divinely decides who will go to paradise and who will not. You cannot just work your way in or be saved. You must try to live worthy your entire life and hope it is enough to enter paradise, otherwise, eternal fire awaits.
• Islam will one day take over the whole world by force for Allah
• Allah is one. He is not a Trinity and Jesus Christ is not God.
• The Qur’an teaches a Muslim to lie and deceive while he is weak and when he is strong to destroy the infidel (any non-Muslim whom they label unbelievers)
• The man who goes to paradise will receive 72 virgins for his eternal pleasure. One writer even claims that the Islamic man will receive little boys as well; however, Islam is very much against homosexuality so that seems unlikely.
• Women must submit absolutely to their husbands hand have little to no rights. Many are beaten by their husbands and it is not considered wrong.
• Allah is transcendent and unknowable (no personal relationship is possible)
• Sharia Law   it takes 2 women to equal a man in matters of testimony, a woman must have male relatives to speak for her, polygamy and temporary “marriage are fine, sodomy gets the death sentence 
•  “the obligatory tenets include belief in the immortality of the soul; the resurrection; the Day of Judgment; and in Allah’s absolute, eternal decree for good and evil.” –The Sword of the Prophet, Serge Trifkovic
• 5 Pillars of Islam:

1) Creed of Belief: “there is no God but Allah, and Mohammed is the prophet of Allah.”

2) Ritual prayers 5x’s a day

3) Alms—1/40 of income to needy

4) Fasting during Ramadan

5) Pilgrimage to Mecca before death.

• Pilgrimage is only required once in a lifetime by those who have the means and are healthy.
• Jihad—Holy War for Allah is divinely mandated    (Quran says: “Allah guarantees that He will admit the Muhahid in His Cause into Paradise if he is killed, otherwise He will return him to his home safely with rewards and war booty.”) 
• In Jihad raping of women is Allah’s gift to the men   (Quran says: “And all married women are forbidden unto you except those captives whom your right hand possess. It is a decree of Allah for you.”)
• Male children are desired, women are basically dirt
• Slavery is permissible and taking one slave for sensual pleasure is permissible
• Mecca is the Holy City

The Facts

• Muslims have taken over most of Europe.
• Many Muslims are in the Middle East and control much of the world’s fossil fuels
• Islam hates Jews and Christians
• Muslims are populating at a rate of 5-7% per year and often have large families. For a country to survive (have as many born as die) they need a rate of about 2.1-2.4% a year. The United States is currently hovering around 2.5% a year with an average family having 1.7 children.
• Muslims execute homosexuals

Reaching Muslims:

Many are Muslims by tradition, not choice. The God’s Not Dead movie pictures this well.

Many Muslims come to Christ through Podcasts and international Gospel broadcasts. Many also testify they had a vision of Christ which led them out of Islam.       Remember Jesus loves Muslims and wants them to come to Him and be saved. Yet, remember the solemn warning of Scripture: “But though we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel unto you than that which we have preached unto you, let him be accursed. As we said before, so say I now again, If any man preach any other gospel unto you than that ye have received, let him be accursed.” Gal 1:8-9 (KJV)

True Muslims are what we often hear described as radical terrorists today—and that is what the Quran teaches. Islam is a political and religious movement. We do not need to Fear Muslims though. They are people who need Jesus! And take heart, let not your heart be troubled for Jesus has overcome this world and Christ’s followers go through many trials and tribulations in this world but Christ is with them!