Why Sabbaths or Sabbath plural "shabbatot"

Martin Rozestraten had a personal chat with Uriel ben-Mordechai from Jerusalem

He is a Hebrew linguist and Bible teacher

This is his answer why there is spoken about sabbath in plurial form.

tee mee'ah tohn sabbah'tohne -- the first of the shabbatot. Why "first"? Why plural "shabbatot"? Verse 6 provides the answer. Sha'ul apparently was in Philippi for Pesach. Just after Pesach, he traveled to Troas, a journey of about 400 km. It took him less than 5 days to complete the journey. There are 7 shabbatot between Pesach and Shavu'ot, that the Torah commands us to count off, during this period. That year, Pesach probably fell on a Shabbat or Sunday. Less than 5 days later, he arrived in Troas, and on the first of those 7 Shabbatot after Pesach, he met with brothers in Troas and shared a meal with them, and later taught them until after midnight.

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• Shabbat Pesach service reading 1/2 (steppingtoes.wordpress.com)
  Because this Shabbat (Sabbath) falls during Chag HaMatzot (Feast of Unleavened Bread), a special reading is inserted into the regular Torah reading cycle. This special portion will be read in synagogues around the world during the Shabbat Pesach (Saturday Passover) service.
• Shabbat Chol Hamo'ed Pesach (thejc.com)
  In general, it is fair to characterise the Torah commentators of the Middle Ages such as Rashi, Avraham ibn Ezra or Ramban as looking to provide the real meaning of the text.
  This contrasts with the Chasidic writers of the last 300 years, who often afford themselves considerable latitude and allow the words of the Torah to soar and lead us to a truth and meaning well beyond the original context. Such interpretations may not obviously explain the literal meaning of the words but can be powerful insights into our spiritual lives.
  
• Parsha Emor: Is There A Shabbat In Other Realms? (jewishpress.com)
  In our Torah reading for holidays, we not only recite the laws of holidays, we include Shabbat, and oddest of all, some laws about sacrificing animals. What do all these laws have to do with one another? In this video, Rabbi Fohrman makes a fascinating argument about how Shabbat works and shows that there are shabbatot in different realms.
• Shabbat Nachamu (thejc.com)
  The Shabbat after Tishah b’Av is called Shabbat Nachamu, meaning the Shabbat of comfort. It is named after the first words of the haftarah from Isaiah 40, “Comfort, comfort my people”.
  After the deepening mourning of the three weeks for the Temples’ destruction leading up to Tishah b’Av, (culminating in not eating meat or bathing in the days preceding the fast), this Shabbat brings comfort and relief.
  
• Q & A: Pirkei Avot (Part I) (jewishpress.com)
  some readers might mistakenly conclude that Pirkei Avot is only studied between Pesach and Shavuot. Such is not the case. In fact, halacha specifies that we study Pirkei Avot all through the summer (Rema, Orach Chayim 292:2): “We are accustomed not to organize a study session [on Shabbat afternoon] between Minchah and Ma’ariv, but we do recite Pirkei Avot in the summer [i.e., from the first Shabbat after Pesach until the Shabbat before Rosh Hashanah] and Shir Hama’alot [a collection of chapters of Tehillim that includes Borechi Nafshi (Psalm 104) and the series of Shir Hama’alot (Psalms 120-134)] in the winter.”
  +
  Since there are six Sabbaths between Pesach and Shavuot and there are six chapters in Pirkei Avot, we devote an entire Shabbat to the study of each chapter. After Shavuot, specifically in the month of Elul, there are weeks when we study two chapters on one Shabbat. We always read the last chapter on the Shabbat before Shavuot and the fifth and sixth chapters together on the Shabbat before Rosh Hashanah.
• Book Review: The Exodus Haggadah (sjewindy.wordpress.com)
  Haggadot available in the 19^th century had the traditional text accompanied by one or more commentaries. For example, I have sitting next to me a printed copy of a scanned-in Haggadah printed in 1878 in Vilna by the brothers Romm (as in the Vilna Romm Talmud). That text has commentaries from Isaac Abravanel and the Maharal of Prague. The original purpose of the Haggadah text we now know was not to serve as a kind of Siddur for the Seder. The point? Ideally, the Maggid (the person leading the Seder) would use the text and commentaries as a jumping-off point, telling the story, relating bits of interpretation, and asking questions. So the telling of the Pesach story was intended to be interactive and elucidated by texts put in conversation with one another, even centuries apart in age—not unlike traditional Talmud study.
  
• The Early Christians of Philippi (catholicexchange.com)
  Lydia was a business woman who dealt in purple cloth – she is therefore sometimes referred to as “Lydia Purpuraria” – Lydia the Purple-Seller.  She evidently had roots in Asia Minor (Turkey) for she was said to be of Thyatira … an ancient city there (in a region curiously called “Lydia”).  After being baptized, Lydia generously let her home in Philippi be

Which man is mentioned most often in the Bible? Jesus, Moses, Abraham or David?

Jesus or Jesus Christ is mentioned approximately 968 times.  Christ (without Jesus) is mentioned an additional 286 times (approx).  Making a total of  approximately 1254 times

English: Icon of Jesus Christ (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Moses is mentioned 852 times.
Abraham is mentioned 250 times and Abram 62 times making a total of  312 times.
David is mentioned 1141 times.
So Jesus/Jesus Christ/Christ occurs 113 times more than David.
Of course there are many references in the old testament to Jesus in the types and in the prophecies of the messiah, but I only listed the times the actual names occurred in all cases.

(I didn’t manually count the number of occurrences – I searched using 2 methods and got a discrepancy of 2 in one instance, so these numbers are likely to not be totally accurate)

 - Bible Q; Rob. Hyndman

Christadelphian Meal –A- Day informing about Ebola virus in Sierra Leone

The Christadelphian Meal –A- Day Pikin Dem on Friday 22nd August 2014 held a one day sensitization on ways of preventing the Ebola Virus.

Speaking to parents/guidance and children the coordinator of the Christadelphian Meal –A- Day Pikin Dem Mrs. Nancy King informed parents and their children that the Ebola virus is real and it kills. She further encouraged parent and guidance to control and keep their children at home as the health of the children is very paramount. She also mentioned that they should be mindful of all preventive measure to keep their children free from the Ebola virus.

 - See more at: http://www.sierraexpressmedia.com/?p=69991#sthash.vcR8nEDj.dpuf

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King William County's historic Lanesville Christadelphian Church

Tidewater-review and former King William County Historical Society (KWCHS) President Carl Fischer  expects the KWCHS to be deeded the King William County's historic Lanesville Christadelphian Church property sometime in the first quarter of 2015. The property is being donated by its current owner, Carroll Lee Walker, who also led the church's successful restoration effort.

 "We voted to accept the donation (of the Lanesville church)," Fischer said. "The building is very nice and we felt it should be preserved. We'll accept the title to the land — a third of an acre — that includes the church. We'll also receive a small contribution for upkeep."

The Lanesville church was restored in 2006 by Walker, a local man who has since 1969 taken on numerous restoration projects in the county. When Walker purchased the property, the church had fallen off of it's foundation and was in great need of renovation.

 Charles Edwards, great-grandson of the church's founder, had tried several avenues to restore the building as a historical landmark, but was ultimately unsuccessful. He eventually sold Walker the land and donated the contents of the property.

 "I knew he had done other buildings and I knew he had the connections to do it, so what did we have to lose,"

Edwards said of Walker.

 "We had to pass the torch onto someone who could do it (the restoration)."

The church's restoration took Walker and his crew only a few months to complete. Walker tried to keep the property as true to its original form as was possible — his team refinished the pulpit furniture and original pews — but also added a Sunday School building and two restroom houses that were originally not on the property.

The Lanesville Christadelphian Church was built in 1876 by Dr. Lemuel Edwards, a county physician and minister who treated soldiers during the Civil War. The church, which at one time had a congregation of 30 to 40, closed its doors in 1964 after dwindling down to seven members.

Edwards still lives on the family property located behind the church at the corner of Mt. Olive-Cohoke Road and Pocahontas Trail.
Edwards his great-grandfather, grandfather, and father all lead the church without pay. He said the King William denomination, which is the oldest body in the U.S., was unique because most Christadelphian congregations did not build churches and met in rented spaces of homes.

David Brown, current president of the KWCHS, said while the building's restoration is important to the Christiadelphian faith, it is likewise significant for residents of the county.

 "I think it's important for people to have these touchstones to remind them of their past,"

Brown said.

 "In a lot of Virginia's rural counties, more buildings are disappearing quickly."

Fischer said the KWCHS' goal is to ultimately have the Lanesville church added to the national registry of historical places.

 - See more at: http://www.tidewaterreview.com/features/va-tr-byline-lanesvillechurch-0917-20140917,0,5724603.story#sthash.2pmQD4bV.dpuf

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More Muslim children than Christian children growing up in our cities

England has to come to face what can be seen already in many cities at the continent.

• Statistics from 2011 Census show more Muslim children than Christian growing up in Birmingham 
• Of 278,623 youngsters, 97,099 were registered as Muslim compared with 93,828 as Christian  
• A similar trend has emerged in the cities of Bradford and Leicester
• Experts said more must be done to ensure that society does not become polarised along religious lines 

English: More crowds on Brick Lane (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

This frightens many Christians. What I do find strange is that of those scared Christians nobody wonders why so many Caucasians coming form a Catholic or protestant family (Anglican, Church of England)  wanted to convert to a religion which was not for a long time originally present in their surroundings.

In England’s second* city of Birmingham, of 278,623 youngsters, 97,099 were registered as Muslim compared with 93,828 as Christian. The rest were of other faiths such as Hindu or Jewish, or none.

A similar trend has emerged in the cities of Bradford and Leicester, the towns of Luton, in Bedfordshire, and Slough in Berkshire, as well as the London boroughs Newham, Redbridge and Tower Hamlets, where nearly two-thirds of children are Islamic.

writes Paul Alexander in his article Children in many UK Towns and Cities now more likely to be Muslim rather than Christian. 

I do agree with Professor Ted Cantle, of the ICoCo Foundation who said:

‘What we are seeing are several trends running together. There is a long-term decline in support for the established religions, notably Christianity; continuing immigration from the Asian sub-continent; and higher fertility among the Muslim population, which has a considerably lower age profile.

But to me it is not only by deepening segregation exacerbated by the loss of white population from cities, which the professor and many white people say. It is not only in the cities where we can find more intensive concentration of black and minority ethnic groups as a result of replacement, that we do find Muslims. In Belgium for example there are a lot of Belgians, with Belgian Caucasian ancestors, who converted to the Islam.

It is far too easy to point the finger to a so called "pace of demographic change" and saying that the Government has no policy to combat segregation 

"because it inevitably reduces understanding and tolerance on both sides of the divide."

We should more come to see that we are going to a secularization because lots of people are not anymore interested in relgion and have no message in the god of others.

Why do not more people come to see that the churches in the West lost their flock? Churches are running, even so much that many churches already became closed and that in many villages there are not any more weekly services. For Sunday Mass people now have to go a few kilometres out of their doorstep, but this is perhaps demanded too much for them. So where is their connection with their faith and what do they want to do for their faith. The same can be said for their clergymen, are they really going out preaching, proclaiming the Word of God? How many Christians are willing to testify for their faith and do go out preaching the Gospel of the Good News?

Do Christians not have to see in their own bosom, to find that not many Christians really have a true faith?

There is still hope for the Christian community to have it back growing or not diminishing any more.

The figures show that Christianity is still the dominant religion in every local authority area in England and Wales, even in the most culturally diverse towns and cities.

Of the 45.5million participants, 27.9million subscribed to Christianity, compared with 1.8million Muslims, the second largest grouping.

However, among dependent children – defined as those aged up to 15, or between 16 and 18 and in education and still living at home – the gap is narrower.

Of 12.1million youngsters, 6.1million were Christian and 1million were Muslim. And in some places, the balance has now tipped towards Islam.

In Bradford, 52,135 children are Muslims (45 per cent) next to 47,144 Christians; in Leicester the figures are 22,693 and 18,190 respectively.

The widest gap is in Tower Hamlets where 62 per cent of children are Islamic, outnumbering Christians by 34,597 to 8,995.

writes Paul Alexander.

Sughra Ahmed, president of the Islamic Society of Britain, said:

‘Britain’s Muslims make up just 5 per cent of the population but have a younger demographic profile than other faiths, as these figures show. It matters to us all that this next generation of young British Muslims develops a clear and confident sense of their British identity alongside their Muslim faith. It’s important that schools teach all of our children the values of respect and tolerance.

For every Western country it is important that all children learn to respect all other cultures and religions.

+

Note: *The Daily Mail, Sept. 15, 2014, denotes Birmingham as England’s “second city” but some estimates rank Birmingham as the third largest city by population, below Manchester and London.

 +++

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• The changing face of Britain: A child in Birmingham is now more likely to be a Muslim than Christian (dailymail.co.uk)
  
• "Christians flee Muslim-dominated areas for fear of being stoned to death" [Darleen Click] UPDATED (proteinwisdom.com)
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  Christians with Middle Eastern backgrounds in Denmark experience harassment, verbal attacks and in some cases direct violence from Muslims. TV2 News has been in contact with a number of Christians here in Denmark who tell of violent experiences. - See more at: http://proteinwisdom.com/?p=55193#sthash.DiVRmF25.dpuf
  +
  
  
  Christians with Middle Eastern backgrounds in Denmark experience harassment, verbal attacks and in some cases direct violence from Muslims. TV2 News has been in contact with a number of Christians here in Denmark who tell of violent experiences. - See more at: http://proteinwisdom.com/?p=55193#sthash.DiVRmF25.dpuf
• Islamist extremism spreads to London schools? (economictimes.indiatimes.com)
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  The prospect of a new Trojan Horse-style scandal in Tower Hamlets will alarm ministers.
  The original plot, first revealed by The Sunday Times, resulted in the removal of several head teachers and boards of governors in Birmingham.
  A report into the scandal by Peter Clarke, a former head of counter-terrorism at Scotland Yard, found evidence of a "sustained" attempt to impose hardline Muslim views, with female staff bullied and Christian assemblies scrapped.
  
• Into the blast furnace (voxday.blogspot.com)
  The UK's demographics are illustrating the truth of GK Chesterton's observations concerning the human disinclination to believe in nothing:
  +
  If he thinks segregation is a problem, just try desegregating those communities. Because communities that can't peacefully segregate will always eventually find another, less palatable means of doing so.
  
  Well done, secular Britain. Out of its desire to weaken Christianity's societal dominance, it imported Islam. That's like leaping out of the frying pan and into the blast furnace.
• Archbishop of the Anglican Church Says It's Acceptable to Have Doubt, and Still Be a Christian (nollywoodmagazine.com)
  Some are coming for his head but I totally agree with the Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby who has said he sometimes has doubts in his belief in God.In an interview with BBC, Bristol the leader of the Church of England said he doubted in “lots of different ways”.
  
  Some are coming for his head but I totally agree with the Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby who has said he sometimes has doubts in his belief in God.
  In an interview with BBC,  Bristol the leader of the Church of England said he doubted in “lots of different ways”.
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  Some are coming for his head but I totally agree with the Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby who has said he sometimes has doubts in his belief in God.
  In an interview with BBC,  Bristol the leader of the Church of England said he doubted in “lots of different ways”.
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Malaysia requires sole use of God's title for Muslims

In June Malaysia authorities ruled that non-Muslims cannot refer to God as 'Allah'.

Allah in Arabic (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

A Muslim-majority country, many Malays believe that the national conscience must be firmly rooted in Islam, therefore they are happy that Putrajaya’s persistence in refusing non-Muslim Malaysians the right to use the word “Allah” so that their faith can be honoured by having the only right to use that title.

The Malaysian people and government forget that God belongs to the whole world. I would have thought the court ruling will soon be made unfinished, but it did not. Holding strong to this court ruling it is not only tantamount to the systematic destruction of the language and culture of the Bumiputera community in Sabah and Sarawak,but also does damage to all other languages where they use "Allah" as title for the the Divine Creator.

Archbishop Datuk Bolly Lapok said the word “Allah” has been part and parcel of the community’s language for generations and has become “embedded” in every aspect of their culture, including for the Bumiputera Christians, who make up the majority of Malaysia’s Christian population.

The government’s prohibition and the Federal Court’s denial for the Catholic Church to appeal for the right to publish the “Allah” in its weekly newspaper, had made the Bumiputera Christians feel they had been wronged, said the Sarawakian senior clergyman.

“We feel there has been a miscarriage of justice. It is insidious. It is tantamount to an act of language and culture genocide,” said Bolly, who also chairs the Association of Churches in Sarawak.

Malaysia’s Bumiputera Christians are accustomed to praying in their native tongues and the national language, Bahasa Malaysia. Their bibles, scriptures and hymns too have been translated into their respective indigenous languages, many of which contain the controversial “Allah” word as reference to God.
In its landmark ruling on June 23, a seven-judge panel at the top court had in a majority decision dismissed the Catholic Church’s bid to overturn the Court of Appeal’s decision last year, which held that the word of Arabic origin was not “integral” to the religious practice of Malaysia’s Christians.
The Federal Court has however noted that the “integral” comment in the Court of Appeal was non-binding on other cases as it was just a remark made in passing.

The Catholic Church recently applied for a review of the Federal Court’s June decision while a Sabah evangelical church, Sidang Injil Borneo (SIB), succeeded in clearing the first hurdle for its “Allah” challenge to be retried at the High Court, providing a glimmer of hope for Malaysia’s native Christians.

Those people should know that all people who speak Arabic or do have words in their language which came from Arabic, will have "Allah" for the title of "God", be it atheists, Hindus, Jews, Christians or Muslims. It is not a word which Muslims can claim only for themselves. In case such a thing happens all sorts of groups could claim singular words in any language claim for their own use, and forbidding others to use it in their own daily language.

Syed Putra Jamalull writes:

This whole problem can be traced to the home ministry directive way back in 1986 prohibiting non muslims from using certain arabic terms that snowballed malay intolerance. Who was the home minister then? It could either be Musa Hitam or Dr M. Just like books and ideas, words should never be prohibited from being used as its the foundation.

Mark Beaumont, senior lecturer in Islam and mission at the London School of Theology, says that while there is controversy regarding the way that God and Allah are referred in Malaysia, in other parts of the world it's considered far less of a contentious issue.

"In the Arab speaking world there's no difficulty in calling God 'Allah' – they've been doing it in the Christian church and in the Bible for hundreds of years,"

he explains. Which is logical, because it is a word like any other word in the Arabic language and is in that language also used to indicate other gods that the Most High Divine Creator of heaven and earth form the Abrahamic faiths. In the early days of Egypt Pharao was also called Allah.

Muslims also should be aware that in many countries is spoken about "Allah" in respect, presenting the Divine Supreme Being, Whose Name was also given to His People, the Israelites and should come to be known all over the world as Jehovah.

In several churches not always is used the Name, but more often the title of the Elohim, as such

"In the Coptic Church in Egypt, the church in Syria, Jordan, Iraq and even Iran, it's always been the practice to call God 'Allah' using the Arabic form. Although the Arabic Bible wasn't translated fully before Islam came, it's obvious that people were reading the Gospels using 'Allah' before the rise of Islam.

Whatever people want to believe about creation and all that, accepting or not believing in a Divine Creator, they should know that in the ancient history of the Middle East, 'Allah' was the equivalent of 'Elohim', the Hebrew word for the Most High God.

While it may be mostly Malaysian Muslims who are offended by the Christian use of the word 'Allah', many Christian believers the last decennials also have been reluctant to use the Name of God (Jehovah) as well as His title "Allah". With the growing of non-trinitarian Christians and with the growing of the Islamic faith more Christians find the use of "Allah" to be controversial.

in Arabic language. The book was written by the end of 16th century (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Lots of Christians and Muslims do think they have a different God. This makes that people wonder if it  is really possible to reconcile the name 'Allah' with the God of the Bible?

"Anything is possible! You just have to think about the person who is saying 'I believe in Allah,'"

Beaumont insists.

"When I lived in Morocco, there was a Christian man who was being interrogated by the police. He had grown up as a Muslim but came to know Christ and became a Christian. He was told to confess his faith, and he said:

 'There is no God but God, and Jesus Christ is my saviour and Lord'. He confessed it in Arabic, using the word 'Allah', and so he was quite happy to use the Muslim testimony of faith as a Christian because of course we also believe there is no God but God! He was able to affirm the basic statement of faith for Muslims – There is no God but Allah – but wasn't able to affirm Mohammed as God's prophet, which is the second part of it.

Normally Jews, Christians and Muslims should have one and the same God, but I do agree with Jews and Muslims, in case certain Christians take Jesus to be the God of gods, than I as a Christian would also dare to question those trinitarian Christians if they have the same God as me.
An other difficulty by Muslims is that they do get more and more a distorted image of Christians and cannot come to see that a person can really embrace a genuine faith in Christ Jesus, accepting this rabbi and prophet as their Messiah, but still believing in the Only One True God.

Beaumont also says:

"It's usually not that big a difficulty using the word 'Allah' and filling it with a Christian meaning. There are of course people in the West who worry about that – it makes some Christian missionaries feel uncomfortable, and I can understand that – but it's not my personal position."

Beaumont contends that it is not only just possible to use Islamic terminology while offering a Christian meaning, but it is, in fact, a vital part of helping Muslims to understand the message of Christ.

"I favour beginning where Muslims are, with what they understand, and trying to draw them into another way of thinking," he explains.

According to him

"The word 'God' came when the Bible was translated into Anglo-Saxon, and comes from a pagan name for a deity – it's a northern European understanding.

and as such in our regions it is also used regularly for indicating higher or in the picture standing figures, like fashion queens, film-stars, sports-favourites, etc.

So when Christians have strict view on using the word 'Allah' but are very happy to use the King James translation of the Bible, or even more recent, I smile to myself,"

Beaumont says.

"Language can take a word and change it – you can fill an old word with a new meaning, and that's what's going on here. Some people feel uncomfortable with that – they say 'you can't fill an old wineskin with new wine' but nobody says you can't use the Anglo-Saxon word for God.

"There's also a parallel with William Carey, who translated the Bible into Bengali and used the word 'Ishvara' – 'Ishvara created the heavens and the earth' – and that's the word Christians in India still use today.

"Ishvara is the God Hindus believe created the earth, and so Carey thought it would be best word for the Biblical creator – it's interesting to see how different translations use local deities to help explain the Bible, rather than 'Elohim'."

Read more about it:

1. For Bumiputera Christians, ‘Allah’ ban akin to cultural ‘genocide’, says archbishop
2. Continues Syrian conflict needing not only dialogue
3. Islamic State forcing the West to provide means for Kurdistan
4. Migrants to the West #5
5. Migrants to the West #10 Religious freedom
6. An Ex-Muslim’s Open Letter
7. Muslims should also Fear God
8. Patriarch Abraham, Muslims, Christians and the son of God
9. Prophets making excuses
10. Jesus begotten Son of God #12 Son of God
11. Pluralis Majestatis in the Holy Scriptures
12. Quran versus older Holy Writings of Divine Creator
13. Being Religious and Spiritual 1 Immateriality and Spiritual experience
14. Are Christians prepared to Rejoice in the Lord
15. Sharing a common security and a common set of values
16. Not true or True Catholicism and True Islam
17. Why is it that Christians don’t understand Muslims and Muslims do not understand Christians?
18. Al-Fatiha [The Opening/De Opening] Süra 1:1-3 In the name of Allah the Merciful Lord Of The Creation
19. The Immeasurable Grace bestowed on humanity

In Dutch:

1. Sharia een kwaad voor Islam
2. Rellen en Oude Geschriften
3. Koran tegenover veel oudere Heilige Geschriften
4. Onze God ook deze van de moslims

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Related articles

• For bumiputera Christians, 'Allah' ban akin to cultural 'genocide', says archbishop (yahoonewsdigest-intl.tumblr.com)
  

  It is in our language and culture DNA. We feel that the judgment was made without taking into due consideration of what the word means to us.
  Archbishop Datuk Bolly Lapok

• Dr. Reza Azlan's Argument on the 'Kalimah Allah' (aimanamani.wordpress.com)
  Dr. Aslan mocked the Court of Appeals for unanimously ruling against allowing the Catholic Church to use the word “Allah” as the Malay translation for the Christian god in its weekly publication the Herald for which Justice Datuk Seri Mohamed Apandi Ali said:
  

  “It is our common finding that the usage of the name ‘Allah’ is not an integral part of the faith and practice of Christianity. From such finding, we find no reason why the respondent is so adamant to use the name ‘Allah’ in their weekly publication. Such usage, if allowed, will inevitably cause confusion within the community.”

  The Malaysian Insider reported that Dr. Aslan said,
  

  “We Are Laughing At You”.
  “Allah is constuction of the the word al-Ilah. That’s what the word is,” he explained. “Al-Ilah means ‘The God’. Allah is not the name of God.”

• Arabic Bibles has been falsified to please Muslim converts (ivarfjeld.com)
  Most of the Christian media have been silent in regards to new “Muslim-friendly Bibles”. But one American media has sounded the alarm about the corrupt modern “bible translations”.
  This is what has been reported:
  It includes the controversial development is the removal of any references to God as “Father,” to Jesus as the “Son” or “the Son of God.” One example of such a change can be seen in an Arabic version of the Gospel of Matthew produced and promoted by Frontiers and SIL. It changes Matthew 28:19 from this:
  “baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit”
  to this:
  
  “cleanse them by water in the name of Allah, his Messiah and his Holy Spirit.”
  A large number of such Muslim-sensitive translations already are published and well-circulated in several Muslim-majority nations such as Bangladesh, Indonesia and Malaysia.
  According to Joshua Lingel of i2 Ministries,
  “Even more dramatic a change is the Arabic and Bangla (Bangladesh) translations. In Arabic, Bible translations err by translating ‘Father’ as ‘Lord.’ ‘Guardian.’ ‘Most High’ and ‘God.” In Bangla, ‘Son of God’ is mistranslated ‘Messiah of God’ consistent with the Quran’s Isa al-Masih (Jesus the Messiah), which references the merely human Jesus.”
  
• For Bumiputera Christians, 'Allah' ban akin to cultural 'genocide', says archbishop (sg.news.yahoo.com)
  Bolly had cited the “Allah” prohibition as an example of the challenges that Charles Kumar Samuel — who was yesterday installed as the Anglican Diocese of West Malaysia’s new assistant bishop — would face as the country experiences growing “irrational racial and religious polarisation”.
  The archbishop added that the churches would be “irresponsible” if they were to stay silent in the face of injustice to the Bumiputera Christians, most of who hail from Sarawak and Sabah but also include the Orang Asli in the peninsula.
  “They can’t understand why certain people take offence and go ballistic when all they do is simply live and pray the way they have been [doing] for generations,” Bolly said, and vowed to “use the word till kingdom come”.
  Despite the Federal Court ruling, the “Allah” dispute is far from over as Malaysia’s churches step up to defend their constitutional rights.
  
• Five Questions With a Former Muslim Who Converted to Christianity (theaquilareport.com)
  Nabeel Qureshi was raised in a Pakistani-American family and grew up a devout Muslim. While he was in medical school, he read the Bible for research in his debate against a Christian friend, and this began a journey that eventually led to his becoming a Christian. He shared his conversion story in his book Seeking Allah, Finding Jesus, and he also works with Ravi Zacharias International Ministries telling his story and providing encouragement to those who seek to share their faith with a changing world.
  
  In light of the fact that the Muslim world is front and center in the international press right now, we thought it would be particularly helpful to talk with Qureshi. He began by sharing his insights into some common misconceptions about Muslims.
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  Misconception #1: “Muslims are violent people.” Of the thousands of Muslims I grew up with and knew as a child, not a single one promoted violence. Without commenting on whether historical Islam teaches violence, I can unequivocally say the vast majority of Muslims in the West are truly peaceful people.
  Misconception #2: “Muslims are all the same.” From Sufis to Salafis, Arabs to Bosnians, nominals to zealots, that could not be further from the truth.
  Misconception #3: “Muslims are godless.” Devout Muslims live their lives in constant remembrance of Allah, trying to follow their creator in prayers, fasts, scripture memorization, sacrificial alms, adherence to tradition, and Sabbath congregations.
  
  
  
• Secularism and a more honest Islam (limkitsiang.com)
  Secularism and liberalism are not unfamiliar terms in this country, although how Malaysians understand them is a different matter altogether.
  In the halcyon post-Merdeka days, our founding fathers would proudly proclaim such ideals to be their philosophical bedrock, so much so that the word liberal actually appears in the preamble to the Rukunegara (national principles). To be secular and liberal was to be constitutional and inclusive.
  Things have changed much since then. Today, the very same terms are used deleteriously as a mark of shame, such that it has become the proverbial scarlet letter of the Malay-Muslim society. To be secular and liberal is to be ungodly and aberrant.
  +
  Far from threatening Islam, a secular state based on democratic ideals would actually emancipate the religion from the vested interests of the state. This would in fact further the cause of Islamic thought and discourse.
  +
  it is suggested that secularism and liberalism are philosophical ideals that would strengthen and embolden Islam. A truly Islamic society is one that is free in thought and conscience, where Islam is practised honestly and where rituals are performed out of firm belief and not out of fear or pressure.
  
• Malaysia: Muslims confiscate Bibles, police threaten arrests if non-Muslims use word "allah" (creepingsharia.wordpress.com)
  

  I write to alert you to the latest development in Malaysia whereby the religious authorities of Selangor (a state closest to the capital) raided the Bible Society and confiscated 300 bibles in Malay and Iban (an indigenous language). Allah is used in Malay and other Malaysian indigenous languages – it has been used for over 100 years, even before Malaysia was formed as a country. This might be due to Arab influence on the local languages when traders came to the Malayan peninsula in the 1300s.
  In this country, Allah has been used to refer to God, whereas Tuhan, which the ruling party wants Catholics/Christians to use, is a generic term which is non specific, hence the refusal by the Malay/indigenous language speaking Catholics and Christians to budge.

  
  +
  Today’s raid comes after the editor of Catholic weekly, Herald, Rev Father Lawrence Andrew said that Catholic churches in Selangor would continue to use the word “Allah” in their weekend services in Bahasa Malaysia, which are primarily attended by Sabah and Sarawak folk.
  +
  
  Police will take action over the “Allah” word  issue in Selangor if its Islamic Religious Department (Jais) requests police to intervene in enforcing the ruling on the issue.
  Home Minister Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi (pic) said this was because Islamic religious matters were under the jurisdiction of the state government,  and police respected its jurisdiction over the issue.
  “All quarters should stop playing up this sensitive issue… those involved should adhere to the decree by the Sultan of Selangor (Sultan Sharafuddin Idris Shah) and the court order for (non-Muslims) not to use the ‘kalimah Allah’ (in their scriptures),” he told reporters today.
• Islamic Authorities Seize Bibles Because Christians Use the Word 'Allah' (frstephensmuts.wordpress.com)
  Islamic authorities in Malaysia on Thursday seized 321 Bibles from a Christian group because they used the word Allah to refer to God, signaling growing intolerance that may inflame ethnic and religious tension in the Southeast Asian country.
  The raid comes after a Malaysian court in October ruled that the Arabic word was exclusive to Muslims, most of whom are ethnic Malays, the largest ethnic group in the country alongside sizeable Christian, Hindu and Buddhist minorities.
  
• Will you people stop irritating Muslims? Gaaaah! (iowntheworld.com)
  
  Why irritate Muslims by using allah? Why irritate Muslims by not converting? Why irritate Muslims by breathing?
  +
  Against a backdrop of Selangor religious authorities preparing to clamp down on non-Muslims’ use of “Allah”, Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad today questioned Christian motives for “annoying others” with their insistence on using the Arabic word to refer to God.The country’s longest-serving prime minister said the Arabic term for God was only a common usage among Christians in Sabah and Sarawak.
  “All this while, we have never quarrelled about this because they (Christians in the peninsula) never use the word, so why irritate other people, it won’t hurt them not to use the word Allah.
  “They have never used it before. Those who use it are in Sabah and Sarawak, there is no objection. But here in the peninsula, why do we want to find a cause to quarrel,” he told reporters at the People’s Progressive Party (PPP) New Year open house today.
  
• GE13: Political Religion in Malaysian Politics (dinmerican.wordpress.com)
  
  Between 2004 and 2008, Malaysia witnessed, for the first time, the rise of politicised Hindusim in the form of the Hindu Rights Action Force (HINDRAF) movement. Its appeal was specifically to the Hindus of the country rather than to Malaysians of Indian or South Asian origin. Then, in the general election of 2008, it was evident that some Christian leaders were also involved in mobilising their fellow Christians, and that trend seems to have continued and even sharpened today.
  These developments indicate that Muslims are not the only ones who are now politically active in Malaysia, but other religious communities too. There is every reason to believe that religion in general, and Islam in particular, will be a key variable that impacts the voting process.
  +
  Malaysia’s complex electorate seems to be guided by theological, as well as ideological, concerns.

More Mexicans start questioning Catholic doctrine and the concept of the Trinity

In Mexico at last more people start questioning Catholic doctrine and the concept of the Trinity — three Gods in one, Father, Son and Holy Spirit — as opposed to one God in the unitarian Judaism, Christianity and Islam.

In 1970, Catholics comprised 96.7 percent of Mexico’s population. By 2010, that number had fallen to 82.7 percent, according to the Pew Research Center. Most of this change is attributed to growth in other Christian denominations. Evangelicals, Protestants and Jehovah’s Witnesses now account for 8 percent of Mexicans who identify with a religion.

But we may also find several Mexicans who could not find themselves at ease with the Christians who do not believe in the Trinity, though they say it was that trinity that bothered them. So why did many Catholics not find non-trinitarian Christians but can they at last find enough places in the Bible to prove there is no such thing as a three-une God. what was it that attracted them to convert and to seek spiritual salvation in Islam?
Pew estimates Mexico will be home to 126,000 Muslims by 2030, up from 111,000 in 2010.

Map showing the relative proportion of Christianity (red) and Islam (green) in each country. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

 Pat Dollard looks into the cause in ‘I Realized It’s A Beautiful Religion’ – Mexican Catholics Leaving ‘Dios’ For ‘Allah’

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Condemning QSIS or the self-claimed Islamic state ruler, al- Baghdadi their extremist ideologies and to clarify the true teachings of Islam

Dar al-Iftaa signs an open letter addressed to QSIS to condemn their extremist ideologies and clarify the true teachings of Islam

More than 120 Muslim scholars across the globe have signed an open letter which was sent to the leader of QSIS or the self-claimed Islamic state ruler, al- Baghdadi, in their attempt to clarify the true Islamic stance on issues such as the Islamic caliphate, jihad, and treating non-Muslims among other vital issues.

This open letter comes after the horrific atrocities that were committed by QSIS which in no way shape or form could be remotely related to Islam. The Islamic scholars felt the responsibility to cite their vehement rejection and utter condemnation to the theological fallacies and warped ideologies that these terrorist groups embrace.
 

Dr. Shawki Allam, the current Grand Mufti of Egypt was one of the signatories of this open letter to state his adamant refusal of placing any association of Islam with their abhorrent acts of extremism which is prohibited under all religions.

This move was necessary especially due to the unfortunate fact that a number of European Muslims are joining these extremist groups and are lured by the myth of establishing an Islamic caliphate as they are wrongly embracing the notion that establishing a caliphate is the only legally valid political system in the eyes of the Islamic law. Also Muslims across the globe are dismayed with the atrocities that are committed both against Muslims and non-Muslims which totally go against the merciful teachings of Islam.

The "black flag of jihad" as used by various Islamic terrorist organizations (since the late 1990s) (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

“These terrorist groups failed to recognize that Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) was not sent except to be a mercy to all the worlds and they failed to understand that God bestows mercy on those who are merciful and thus we should have mercy on those on earth, for the Lord in heaven to have mercy on us” said Dr. Ibrahim Negm, the Senior advisor to the Grand Mufti.

QSIS among other terrorist groups lost all meanings of compassion, mercy and affection towards humanity as they use the pathetic classical approach of hiding behind the motto of religion to attain their pity political goals of usurping lands, gaining political power and ruling people through torture, killing and persecution.

To read the open letter, please click here http://lettertobaghdadi.com/

+

Please do find as well:

• Not true or True Catholicism and True Islam
• Public not informed enough about Jihad terrorism in Belgium
• Quran versus older Holy Writings of Divine Creator

Related articles

• Islamic Authority: Extremists No 'Islamic State'
• Islamic authority: Extremists no 'Islamic State'
• Islamic State? No, call it QSIS, says top Islamic authority in Egypt

• ISIL, ISIS - Now QSIS? Top Sunni Cleric Says Stop Calling Terrorists 'Islamic' (cnsnews.com)
  “Muslim and non-Muslim thinkers across the world are invited to post their opinions, videos and posts against Qaeda Separatists.”
  The 119-year-old Cairo institution, which issues fatwas or religious rulings on a wide range of topics, said it hoped Muslims and non-Muslims would actively support the campaign, “which does not only seek to exonerate the name of Islam from the terrorist group’s heinous acts but also to condemn these dreadful acts under the name of humanity.”
  Dar al-Iftaa launched the campaign after the appearance last week of an online ISIS video showing a masked militant railing against America before beheading U.S. journalist James Foley.
  Allam’s spokesman, Ibrahim Negm, said the beheading provided “a chance for ill-hearted opportunists to deliberately promote distorted images of Islam and level false and appalling accusations against it.”
  Other atrocities committed by ISIS in Iraq and Syria include mass executions, crucifixions and other killings, with minority Christians and Yazidis targeted in particular, as well as rapes and sexual slavery.
  The group claims to be acting in the name of Islam, has declared an Islamic “caliphate,” invokes the Qur’an in its propaganda messages and videos, and is led by a man who, by naming himself “caliph,” lays claim to the mantle of Mohammed, Islam’s revered 7th century founder.
  
• 'IS no Islamic State' (arabtimesonline.com)
  The Gulf nation of Qatar is hitting back at suggestions that it supports the Islamic State extremist group, saying that “determined, collective action” is needed to end sectarian violence gripping Iraq and Syria. The energy-rich OPEC member has come under renewed scrutiny over ties to militants, including the Palestinian Hamas and Syrian rebel groups. A German official last week suggested that Qatar may also play a role in funding the Islamic State group, which is fighting in Iraq and Syria and recently beheaded American journalist James Foley. Qatari Foreign Minister Khalid bin Mohammed al-Attiyah unequivocally denied funding the Islamic State group. “Qatar does not support extremist groups, including ISIS, in any way,” he said in an emailed statement dated Saturday, using an alternative name for the group. “We are repelled by their views, their violent methods and their ambitions.
  The vision of extremist groups for the region is one that we have not, nor will ever, support in any way.” Qatar was one of the first Middle Eastern countries to condemn Foley’s murder, saying it was “a heinous crime that goes against all Islamic and humanitarian principles, as well as international laws and conventions.” The tiny Gulf emirate has supported Syrian rebels fighting to topple President Bashar Assad.
  The Islamic State group is battling Assad’s forces, but it has also clashed with other rebel groups that don’t embrace its extreme interpretation of Islam. Experts say the group generates at least some of its funding from kidnapping, extortion and other criminal business enterprises. Germany’s Development Minister Gerd Mueller suggested Wednesday that Qatar also could be supporting the group.
  
• Islamic authority in Egypt launches campaign against Islamic State (haaretz.com)
  The campaign by the Dar el-Ifta, the top authority that advises Muslims on spiritual and life issues, adds to the war of words by Muslim leaders across the world targeting the Islamic State group, which controls wide swaths of Iraq and Syria. Its violent attacks, including mass shootings, destroying Shiite shrines, targeting minorities and beheadings including American journalist James Foley, have shocked Muslims and non-Muslims alike.
  
  The Grand Mufti of Egypt, Shawki Allam, previously said the extremists violate all Islamic principles and laws and described the group as a danger to Islam as a whole. Now, the Dar el-Ifta authority he oversees will suggest foreign media drop using "Islamic State" in favor of the "Al-Qaida Separatists in Iraq and Syria," or the acronym "QSIS," said Ibrahim Negm, an adviser to the mufti.
• Islamic authority: Extremists no 'Islamic State' (cnsnews.com)
  Egypt's President Abdel-Fattah el-Sissi also weighed in. On Sunday, speaking to editors of Egyptian newspapers, he said the extremist group is part of a plot aiming to "undermine Islam as a belief."
  He said the current religious discourse in the region only feeds "minds that believe that killing and bloodshed is the way to defend Islam," in comments carried by MENA.
  El-Sissi has been a champion of advancing moderate Islam, building his power base in the chaotic region and since he ousted Islamist President Mohammed Morsi on vows to crush extremist Islam.
  
• Islamic authority: Extremists no 'Islamic State' (stripes.com)
  The Islamic State group has a sophisticated media and Internet-based campaign that has drawn in foreign fighters, which may explain why Islamic scholars chose to adopt a similar approach. But it's unclear how successful this latest push against the group will be.
  Dar el-Ifta is famed among scholars of Islamic jurisprudence and has offered training to many Muslims from around the world since the late 1800s. But its opinions are advisory and are often viewed as too close to official Egyptian government positions.
  
• Islamic authority: Extremists no 'Islamic State' (nzherald.co.nz)
  Muslims around the world have battled against the backlash that followed the rise of al-Qaida and the Sept. 11, 2001, terror attacks in the U.S. Scholars and activist groups have sought for years to disassociate themselves from militants touting their own extremist versions of Islam.
  They say the Islamic State group is another, one that appears more ambitious and aggressive than al-Qaida. The Islamic State group renamed itself on June 29 when it unilaterally declared the territory it held in Iraq and Syria a caliphate, effectively erasing the two countries' borders and setting up a proto-state governed by its own strict interpretation of Shariah law. It previously referred to itself as the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant while fighting in Syria against the rule of President Bashar Assad.
  
• Islamic authority: Extremists no 'Islamic State' (usnews.com)
  Muslims arrive to attend the Friday prayer at Al-Azhar mosque in Cairo, Egypt. Dar el-Ifta, the top Islamic authority in Egypt, revered by many Muslims worldwide, launched Sunday an internet-based campaign aimed particularly at the West against an extremist group in Syria and Iraq, saying it is not an “Islamic State.” The Grand Mufti of Egypt, Shawki Allam, and clerics from the oldest Islamic learning institute, Al-Azhar, have condemned the Islamic State saying it was violating all Islamic principles and laws, describing it as a danger to the religion.