New Testament Vs. Qu'ranic Treatment of Women - Bruce Atchison

If God and Allah are the same person, why the sudden change in the treatment of women? It would seem that God, who is the same yesterday, today, and forever, should arbitrarily change marriage and divorce laws.

Jesus ratified the ancient covenant of marriage when he said in Matthew 19:5-6 (KJV), "And said, 'For this cause shall a man leave father and mother, and shall cleave to his wife: and they twain shall be one flesh?' Wherefore they are no more twain, but one flesh. What therefore God hath joined together, let not man put asunder."

This prompted the Pharisees to ask why Moses allowed divorce to happen. Jesus replied in Matthew 19:8 (KJV), "He saith unto them, 'Moses because of the hardness of your hearts suffered you to put away your wives: but from the beginning it was not so.'"

Islam, on the other hand, affirms polygamy. Sura 4:3 sets out how many wives a man may have. "If you fear you cannot act fairly towards the
orphans—then marry the women you like—two, or three, or four. But if you fear you will not be fair, then one, or what you already have. That makes it more likely that you avoid bias.

And speaking of divorce, the Qu'ran also allows it for the sake of dissatisfaction. Sura 66:5 says, 'Perhaps, if he divorces you, his Lord will give him in exchange wives better than you: submissive, believing, obedient, penitent, devout, fasting—previously married, or virgins."

The New Testament doesn't have any instruction regarding dividing worldly inheritance. Even so, Jesus and the apostles focused on the eternal inheritance in heaven. Luke 12:13-14 (KJV) states, "And one of the company said unto him, 'Master, speak to my brother, that he divide the inheritance with me.' And he said unto him, 'Man, who made me a judge or a divider over you?'"

But look what the Qu'ran says about dividing the earthly inheritance. Sura 4:11 states, "Allah instructs you regarding your children: The male receives the equivalent of the share of two females. If they are daughters, more than two, they get two-thirds of what he leaves. If there is only one, she gets one-half. As for the parents, each gets one-sixth of what he leaves, if he had children. If he had no children, and his parents inherit from him, his mother gets one-third. If he has siblings, his mother gets one-sixth. After fulfilling any bequest and paying off debts. Your parents and your children—you do not know which are closer to you in welfare. This is Allah's Law. Allah is Knowing and Judicious."

And look at what sura 4:34 says about the treatment of women. "Men are the protectors and maintainers of women, as Allah has given some of them an advantage over others, and because they spend out of their wealth. The good women are obedient, guarding what Allah would have them guard. As for those from whom you fear disloyalty, admonish them, and abandon them in their beds, then strike them. But if they obey you, seek no way against them. Allah is Sublime, Great."

But Paul wrote in Ephesians 5:25 (KJV), "Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it;"

I could write so much more on this topic but this post is getting too long. Instead, I'll save it for my next book called You Think You're Going to Heaven? People need to understand that the God of the Bible and Allah are diametrically opposite to each other.

Things Fall Apart But They Never Leave My Heart - Bruce Atchison

"So where are you going for Christmas?" I dread this question  which friends often ask me. Why must I go anywhere? I'm home and the only loved one I want to be with is my beloved bunny, Deborah. I have all I need, both in company and possessions.

Sadly, this season of the year is filled with commercials to buy and buy ad infinitum. No matter how many times we're reminded about Christ's birth, the real excitement for most folks is presents for the kids and parties for the grown-ups.

On a CBC program called Neon Nights, I heard a song by Christina called Things Fall Apart. It's about a woman who remembers how special things were when she was young during Christmas but now they've become meaningless.

I feel the same way. Most of the lovely things I received for Christmas are long gone. They fell apart but they never left my heart. In fact, I only have a few of those gifts left.

The most influential of them all is a King James version of The New Testament. I boarded with a single mother and her two children in 1970 and this Christian woman gave that to me. Its large black letters were supposedly easy to read but I lacked a good magnifying glass. I had to hold together two weak ones in order to read the book.

I'm grateful to that Christian woman since nobody mentored me when I gave my life to Christ a year previously. My How I Was Razed memoir picks up the story of my journey to truth when I joined a cultic church in 1971. I thank the Lord daily for leading me out of it and into the freedom he promised all believers.

God's Unfailing Love -- Janet Sketchley

The NIV declares of God, “his love endures forever” 43 times. “Unfailing love” appears 40 times, always describing God’s love. These results are just from the Old Testament. The New Testament overflows with God’s love too, so I assume the writers used phrases that translate differently.

But Old Testament life seems to have a harsher edge to it than New Testament and into today. God was preparing the way, but the Messiah had not yet come. The Holy Spirit came to individuals but not to all. If God spoke to a person it was usually through a prophet or an angel.

God was preparing a people for Himself and there were a lot of growing pains. There still are, even now when we can rely on the Holy Spirit living in us, Christ in us, the hope of glory.

In the middle of the hardship of Old Testament life as God sculpted a reluctant people for Himself, when their actions often required correction in the form of invading armies and exile, His Holy Word proclaims His unfailing, forever-enduring love.

Whatever we face today, we can know and rely on God’s love God for us. There is hope.

© Janet Sketchley, 2011
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For devotionals, reviews and conversation, stop by Janet Sketchley's blog, God with Us: Finding Joy.

Selective Memory--Janet Sketchley

Then the chief priests and the Pharisees called a meeting of the Sanhedrin.

“What are we accomplishing?” they asked. “Here is this man performing many signs. If we let him go on like this, everyone will believe in him, and then the Romans will come and take away both our temple and our nation.” John 11:47-48, NIV*

This comes near the end of Jesus’ ministry. He’s been preaching, healing, restoring people who’ve been dead for short periods, and now He’s raised Lazarus after a four-day stay in the tomb.

Many of the people watching Him think the only way someone could do miracles like this is if God is involved. Others can’t get past their suspicions.

Then we have the chief priests and Pharisees. Yes, some are secretly impressed by Jesus, but the party line is clear: “denounce this itinerant preacher who dares rock our boat.”

They’ve recognized His claim to equality with God—and that’s a killing offense. They’ve also seen how the people love Him—and how he makes religious officialdom look bad. He doesn’t play by their rules, doesn’t buy into the monopoly they’ve built on holiness.

But there’s more: they’re afraid the brutal Roman empire will crush a perceived uprising. They’re not just scared for their cushy positions, they’re scared of their beloved nation being pasted again.

I don’t have much sympathy for their self-protection, but protecting their people sounds more noble.

They remembered the exiles, the military humiliations in the past. Now they’d achieved a form of peace under Rome, and they didn’t want anything to wreck it.

But they weren’t remembering back far enough.

What about the God who brought the Israelites out of Egypt’s slavery? The God who brought them back from exile in Babylon?

Even the God who sent them into exile in the first place because they had turned away from following Him.

What if... the leaders believed Jesus was who His words and actions claimed? God come down to His chosen people?

I know it couldn’t have happened that way. He came to die, to sacrifice Himself to buy us back. To bring healing and eternal life.

But think about it... what if they’d recognized God in their midst? Remembered what He could do? Relied on Him to do it again?

The threat of Rome wouldn’t have seemed so overwhelming if they knew God was there: God who had defeated so many of their enemies, often at incredible odds. Running to Him would be much smarter than trying to kill him.

They remembered the pain, but they didn’t remember the hope.

Aren’t we the same?

© Janet Sketchley, 2010

* THE HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®, NIV® Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2010 by Biblica, Inc.™ Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
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For devotionals, reviews and conversation, stop by Janet Sketchley's blog, God with Us: Finding Joy.