Jesus.defender

June 25, 2018

On 6/24/2018 at 1:06 AM, Space Merchant said:

Typical. Everything I address is always in a single post when a response is required. I do not seek what I want, I merely address what is truth out of the bundle of lies and or conspiracy people will bring up, I did it before, and I will do it and always will do it again - especially when met with individuals like you, who are all the same, especially the "you deny Jesus"category.

I suggest you check thyself before thee wreckth thyself, for if I last recall the only absurdity of a long post originated with you and you alone (5 pages, back to back, a clear copy and paste full of errors and boosting it as truth, is indeed, pathetic, such of which will make even a novice among JW look more experienced in regards of which you have displayed:

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When it comes to the Bible and Theology, and the Christology of others, it is no game. God does not play games with anyone, nor any serious one who applies biblical study and understanding in their everyday lives. If you want to play games, I suggest you find yourself a local playground, perhaps one with a jungle jim.

Typical. Clearly you do not know my actual stance, for I have said before, I am an independent biblical Unitarian, one that believes Jesus as indeed pre-existed not to be compared with other Unitarians who do not. The funny thing is, I had yet to address anything pertaining to such, but I can see you making checks you are not willing to cash and I can address one thing further proves why you mainstream are at fault. And no, I am no brainwashed into anything, with what I know and my experience, you say this because all you want to do is throw a jab at me, a jab that is seen as weak and flails, unable to make contact.

You speak of long posts, but if I last recall, you were the one who make more than 3 page long posts to a single response I made, to be ignorant of what you made post of in regards to a single comment I made, that is very hypocritical, for I make a direct response all in 1 post and 1 post alone, which is very evident starting from page 5 and onward.

But people like you do not like biblical explanation, you see a verse, accept it as is without further research and or study, Jesus wants teachers, not "as is" mainstreams of today's ChristendomÂ who lack understanding.

I do not expect people to give up, so do not make a claim you cannot cash, I expect people to learn out of the mist of their own dishonesty, and when I am met with a response, as I said here, time and time again, I always response, even directly. But it would seem truth itself is too much for you to bear.

Cult? That is cute. What is funny is the hypocrisy is there. You deceive millions by means of twisting the truth, you accept it, embrace it. Mainstream Christianity stick together and always will and always have until judgement day, the very day they will see for themselves that it is indeed too late. You have broken the church, you have allowed people to not take the bible seriously and continue to lead a double life in sinning, you do nothing in regards of the Great Commission, there are parts of the world that do not know God and they expect the favor of knowing the truth, not some man made silliness came out of the 4th century, where is is clear that your people would even kill to push the Trinity. The history is there, and people know it, the very reason why real Christians around the globe is teaching what is right, what is truth against your mainstream theology that has plague this world like a spreading virus to an open wound. And such ones like you will attack and make speak of conspiracy about others, only to push your biblical, even kicking those who are down to justify the absurdity of the mainstream teachings.

Clearly, you, are no defender, nothing more than a pawn, a blind one to the mainstream, the truth is presented before you, it does not take a JW to even show you that, but you refuse it, you remain ignorant of it and therefore you will be the very person to preach and rant about a false doctrine only to be met with individuals like me, and trust me, there are those who are far worse and can be beyong stirct and critical.

You can continue to say that. I am not here for games - games are for children. I am here to discuss truth from the bible itself an speak against falsehood of anther's Christology, especially when such ones like yourself is quick to accuse others when the gas is very low.

Perhaps next time, read your Bible more and know what truth is, and open your eyes to see you have been taught by those who deceive, but is is 100% fact, that JW opponents are more crazed and blind than others, one such as yourself.

That being said, you call those blind and or brainwashed, yet you take the words of Satan's followers seriously when Jesus made it clear as to what he said before, THAT, my friend, is a problem, and you not knowing that only proves the very point I make time and time again, and I made acknowledgement of that, yet you continue to refuse the very bible you read, for @AnnaÂ comment was direct from the bible, and the bible alone, and still you remain ignorant.

So it is safe to say that those who do not adhere to truth, those who do not apply God's Law, those who do not recognize or apply what Jesus entrusted his disciples with, etc. there is no question on who will be saved and who will not.

I will put this verse here so you know:

Matthew 7:22, 23 - (22) On that day many will say to me, Â‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and cast out demons in your name, and do many mighty works in your name?Â’ (23)Â But I will reply, 'I never knew you. Get away from me, you who break God's laws.'

As I said, this is no game an this is no win/lose situation, I expect you to LEARN and APPLY what the bible says. For you do not see it, but the reality is, this is indeed a LIFE OR DEATH situation, the JWs are smart enough to also see this hence the very reason they are deemed Restorationist, you have to be also and thread carefully. If not, clearly when Jesus comes, with a sword in hand, he will not recognize you, best to make the effort to be recognize rather than not being recognize, for if you have forgotten, the end times and tribulations conclusion will be far worse than what has already been done in ancient times.

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God bless you.

June 25, 2018

On 6/24/2018 at 12:30 AM, Space Merchant said:

@Jesus.defender Again, nothing of which you have post will not help you nor does what you have made mention of is not of this topic. I believe most of your comments are copy/paste, especially with what you have made a response to with elsewhere. The irony is, if fit the bill for what I had addressed here and it is fact that the typical mainstream, such as yourself, do not apply what the bible says, therefore, your spirit, has been tested.

I have told you YES, i do copy and paste. In this instance, FROM THE WATCHTOWER ORGANISATION as it is much easier than typing it all out.

May you repent of your sin and be born again.

June 25, 2018

On 6/24/2018 at 12:57 PM, Cos said:

The common response to the many passages that show that the Holy Spirit is a Person is the claim that these passages are only personifications. But how do the proponents of this view know these passages are personification?

Only because they have already assumed the Holy Spirit is an impersonal thing. (In the same way that the Unitarian group known as the Christadelpians have assumed that the Devil is not a person.)

This is what is called circular reasoning. These proponents need to show that the Holy Spirit is an impersonal thing before they can even begin talking about supposed personifications. But this they cannot do.

In fact there are so many passages that just can’t be explained away as personifications. The simple fact that the Spirit speaks with and communicates directly with individuals is a case in point. Here is one of many;

“While Peter was still thinking seriously about the vision, the Spirit said to him, ‘Look! Three men are looking for you. But get up, go down, and accompany them without hesitation, because I have sent them’” (Acts 10:19-20).

If the Holy Spirit were truly not a person, why would He be spoken of with personification? One must wonder at this point what the authors of scripture were trying to graphically illustrate by referring to the Holy Spirit as a Person. <><

Exactly.

A "impersonal force" does NOT identify itself as an individual! "Separate Saul and Barnabas to ME" .

When i showed that passage and "But Peter said, Ananias, why hath Satan filled thine heart to lie to the Holy Ghost, and to keep back part of the price of the land? Whiles it remained, was it not thine own? and after it was sold, was it not in thine own power? why hast thou conceived this thing in thine heart? thou hast not lied unto men, but unto God." which identifies the Holy Ghost as God the JW elder stopped visiting me! I hope he got born again.

June 25, 2018

On 6/24/2018 at 6:45 AM, Brother Rando said:

Where is "Christ" in the trinity doctrine? Â The trinity excludes him.Â Â The three persons haveÂ no names. It is a generic formula borrowed and copied from pagan religions. Jesus Christ is completely absent fromÂ the trinity doctrine.

You and your organisation do NOT understand the Bible OR what Christians believe.

You cannot PROVE your beliefs.Â

The early church fathers believed the trinity, despite what your stupid book "should you believe the trinity?" states. But, unlike that laughable book, _I_ can provide quotes from the church fathers to back up my assertion.

The Watchtower has misrepresented the Trinity doctrine in order to make its denial more plausible. They erect a straw man that is easily knocked down.

-They call the Trinity a Â‘freakish looking, three headed GodÂ’ (Let God be True, p 102)
-Â‘This doctrine of three Gods in one God . . .Â’ (Studies in Scripture, 1899, Vol 5, p 60,61)

Note: Trinitarians do not believe in Â‘three Gods in one GodÂ’. They believe in one God, with three co-equal persons in the one Godhead.

Is the Trinity a Pagan Concept? No! Because:

i) The Babylonians and Assyrians believed in triads of gods, which were three separate gods (polytheism) governing other gods. This is totally different from the Trinity of only one God (monotheism) with three persons within the one Godhead.

ii) Triads of gods pre-date Christianity by about 700 years and were far removed from Israel..

iii) Some pagan ideas have some truth in them, such as the pagan Flood legends.Just because pagans spoke of a concept that remotely resembles a biblical concept, does not mean that Christians stole it from the pagans.

iv) JWs quote HislopÂ’s The Two Babylons to support their case, yet they donÂ’t tell us that Hislop believes in the Trinity, as seen from HislopÂ’s quote:
Â‘They all admitted a Trinity, but did they worship the Triune Jehovah?Â’ (p. 90)
- About 80% of the sources that the WT quotes are from Trinitarians. This begs the question: Â‘How can the WT disprove the Trinity by quoting sources who believe the Trinity?
- 15% of their sources are secular works like Encyclopaedia Britannica.
- 5% of WT sources are invalid sources of Biblical truth, eg: sceptics, spiritists, Unitarians.
- The WT always finds some unknown, obscure person to agree with them. They do not examine the credibility of such sources. Most WT sources have no credibility & no authority.
- The WT rarely gives page numbers of its quotes to allow check the source and context.

v) JWs claim they represent the Â‘faith once delivered to the saintsÂ’. They claim that the Trinity idea was introduced in 325 AD. What they donÂ’t say is that current WT teachings
have no precedent in history. They do not say who were the JWs of the first three centuries or later. No early church Â‘fatherÂ’ represented their beliefs. The WT is historically bankrupt.

vi) The WT, by showing a three-headed god, use the Â‘straw-man effectÂ’, where they misrepresent what Christians believe, and then proceed to Â‘shoot downÂ’ this Â‘straw manÂ’.
This is seen in five pictures of three-headed gods which are supposed to represent the God of Christendom. (Â‘Should you believe in the TrinityÂ’ p 10).

vii) The WT is happy to misquote sources to prove their point. Consider page 6 Â‘Should you believe in the TrinityÂ’, where they misquote the New Encyclopaedia Brittanica by failing to give the full relevant quote. They stop the quote at the asterisk * Â‘The Encyclopaedia Britannica (1976 Edition) correctly states: Â“Neither the word Trinity, nor the explicit doctrine as such, appears in the New TestamentÂ”,Â’Â Â [*They stop the quote here, ignoring the rest of the article which endorses the Trinity:]

Â‘nor did Jesus and his followers intend to contradict the Shema in the Old Testament: Â‘Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God is one LordÂ’ (Deuteronomy 6:4). The earliest Christians, however, had to cope with the implications of the coming of Jesus Christ and of the presence and power of God among them - ie, the Holy Spirit, whose coming we connected with the celebration of Pentecost.

The Father, Son, and Holy Spirit were associated in such New Testament passages as the Great Commission: Â‘Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy SpiritÂ’ (Matthew 28:19); and in the apostolic benediction:

Â‘The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ and the love of God and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you allÂ’ (2 Cor. 13:14). Thus, the New Testament established the basis for the doctrine of the Trinity.The doctrine developed gradually over several centuries and through many controversies.

Any early church council disputes were over fine points of Trinity clarification, such as the substance, nature and omnipotence of Father, Son and Holy Spirit, never over whether the
Trinity was right or wrong.

The truth of the Trinity was always accepted.

Â

June 23, 2018

In 2001, while he was a cardinal, the pope issued a secret Vatican edict to Catholic bishops all over the world, instructing them to put the Church's interests ahead of child safety. The document recommended that rather than reporting sexual abuse to the relevant legal authorities, bishops should encourage the victim, witnesses and perpetrator not to talk about it. And, to keep victims quiet, it threatened that if they repeat the allegations they would be excommunicated.

James G Wolf's 1989 assessment that, get this now, 48.5% of the priests, and 55.1% of seminarians were gay. Can you believe this? 48.5% of the priests, that's those that are practicing in the priesthood now. Fifty-five, over half ... 55.1% of seminarians were gay. That's over half of your priests in the seminaries that are gay men. He goes on down, Cozzens writes. He touches on Yale Historian, John Boswell's contention, that holy orders have been honorable sanctuary for gay men for centuries. This has been the place for them to go, where they don't get caught.

"The real problem the Catholic Church faces," explains Father Donald B. Cozzens, author of "The Changing Face of the Priesthood," is the "disproportionate number of gay men that populate our seminaries." "I think we have to ask the question: Why are 90 to 95 Â– and some estimates say as high as 98 Â– percent of the victims of clergy acting out against teen-agers, boys? Why isn't there ... a higher percentage of teen-age girls?" Cozzens declared on NBC's Meet the Press recently.

The main problem here is that the roman catholic "church" is one of the only organizations that has offered peverts of every stripe and pedophiles in particular a career, protection and access to children. Over time this has led to more and more perverts being attracted to the Church.

January 31, 2000 | CNN KANSAS CITY,?Â Missouri (AP) -- Roman Catholic priests in the United States are dying from AIDS-related illnesses at a rate four times higher than the general population and the cause is often concealed on their death certificates, The Kansas City Star reported in a series of stories that started Sunday.

WE ARE NOT TALKING NUMBERS, BUT ORDERS FROM THE CATHOLIC ORGANISATION TO COVER UP AND HIDE THEM!
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June 23, 2018

MORMONS WON'T TELL YOU that they believe your Church is wrong, your Christian creeds are abomination to God, and you pastor or Priest is a hireling of Satan.

MORMONS WON'T TELL YOU that there is salvation only in their church - all others are wrong.

MORMONS WON'T TELL YOU that those who have been through their temples are wearing secret underwear to protect themselves from "evil". This "evil" includes non - Mormons like you.

MORMONS WON'T TELL YOU about their secret temple rites at all. If they did, you would spot them as non Christians immediately.

MORMONS WON'T TELL YOU that they think "familiar spirits" are good, and that their Book of Mormon has a "familiar spirit". Leviticus 19:31 says familiar spirits defile one, and are to be avoided at all costs.

MORMONS WON'T TELL YOU that women receive salvation only through their Mormon husbands, and must remain pregnant for all eternity.

MORMONS WON'T TELL YOU that they intend to be gods themselves some day, and are helping to earn their exaltation to godhood by talking to you.

MORMONS WON'T TELL YOU that they intend to have many wives in heaven, carrying on multiple sex relations throughout eternity, until they have enough children to populate their own earth, so they can be "Heavenly Father" over their own planet!

MORMONS WON'T TELL YOU that you were once a spirit - child of their heavenly father, and one of his numerous wives before you were born on earth.

MORMONS WON'T TELL YOU that the Virgin Mary really wasn't a virgin at all but had sex relations with their heavenly father to produce the Mormon version of Jesus Christ

MORMONS WON'T TELL YOU that they believe Jesus had at least three wives and children while he was on this earth.

MORMONS WON'T TELL YOU that the "heavenly father" they ask you to pray to with them, is really an exalted man that lives on a planet near the star base Kolob, and is not the Heavenly Father of the Bible at all.

MORMONS WON'T TELL YOU that Jesus was really Lucifer's brother in the spirit world, and it was only due to a "heavenly council" vote that Jesus became our redeemer instead of Satan!!

MORMONS WON'T TELL YOU that there are over one hundred divisions in Mormonism. They conveniently "forget" this while criticizing the many denominations within the body of Christ

MORMONS WON'T TELL YOU that all their so- called scriptures such as the Book of Mormon, Pearl of Great Price, Doctrine and Covenants, and even their official "Mormon Doctrine" statements contradict each other on MAJOR doctrinal points. The King James Bible is likewise contradicted.

MORMONS WON'T TELL YOU that the reason the Book of Mormon has no maps is because there is not one scrap of archaeological evidence to support it!

MORMONS WON'T TELL YOU that the state of Utah, which is predominately Mormon, has a higher than the national average of wife-beating, child abuse, and teenage suicide.

MORMONS WON'T TELL YOU that their prophet Joseph Smith was heavily involved in the occult when he founded Mormonism.

MORMONS WON'T TELL YOU that that they encourage visitations from dead relatives from the "spirit world", a practice forbidden in the Bible. (Deuteronomy 18:10-12.)

MORMONS WON'T TELL YOU that there are many accounts of Joseph Smith's first vision besides the one they present to you, and all are different

MORMONS WON'T TELL YOU that their secret temple oaths are based on the Scottish Rite Masons.

MORMONS WON'T TELL YOU that before 1978 they considered the Negro race inferior, and even one drop of Negro blood prevented a person from entering their priesthood.

MORMONS WON'T TELL YOU that they expect Christ to return to their temple in Missouri, but they haven't built the temple He's supposed to return to, because they don't own the property. (It is owned by the "Temple Lot Mormons" who have plans of their own, and won't let the Salt Lake City group buy it).

MORMONS WON'T TELL YOU that they consider the Bible to be untrustworthy and full of errors.

MORMONS WON'T TELL YOU that Jesus' death on the cross only partially saves the believer.

MORMONS WON'T TELL YOU that that according to Anton Lavey's Satanic Bible, the demon god of the living dead is called "Mormo". Is it just a coincidence that the Mormons are so concerned with the dead?

MORMONS WON'T TELL YOU that on their Salt Lake City Temple they prominently display an upside-down star which is a Satanic symbol known as the Goat's head. Why?

MORMONS WON'T TELL YOU that they believe the Archangel Michael came down to earth with several of his celestial wives, and became Adam in the garden of Eden.

MORMONS WON'T TELL YOU that that they believe the angel Gabriel came down to earth and became Noah in the days of the flood.

MORMONS WON'T TELL YOU that their Prophet Joseph Smith prophesied falsely many times. For example, he foretold the second coming of Christ for 1891. The Bible teaches that one false prophecy puts the prophet under death sentence. (Deuteronomy 18:20-22).

MORMONS WON'T TELL YOU that their Prophet Joseph Smith did not die as a martyr as they claim, but was killed during a gun battle in which he himself killed two men and wounded a third.

MORMONS WON'T TELL YOU about the Mountain Meadows Massacre in which they brutally murdered an innocent wagon train of settlers, of over one hundred men, women, and most of the children, traveling through Utah.

MORMONS WON'T TELL YOU that Joseph Smith taught that there were inhabitants on the moon, and Brigham Young taught there were inhabitants on the sun as well!

WHY WON'T MORMONS TELL YOU THESE THINGS?

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, the Mormons, are well aware that if these facts were known to the convert prior to baptism, they would have very few converts! The Missionaries are well trained to keep most of these facts from their potential converts.

Tragically, many Mormons may not even be fully aware of the doctrines and history of their own church. Every statement on this tract is true. Mormons are encouraged to check out their own publications for documentation of the above. After all, if the Mormon Church (The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints) has the truth, it can stand any amount of investigation.

Please do not be afraid to investigate. I are not an Ex-Mormon or an "Anti-Mormon", but a Christian defending the Christian Church and its beliefs.

MORMONISM ISN'T CHRISTIAN
In recent years the Mormon Church and it's members, the Latter-day Saints (or LDS), has attempted to convince the public that this church is a legitimate Christian organization, I am no expert, but the literature abounds to support the claim I post here that Mormonism absolutely is NOT Christian. The reason it is important to continue to expose the reality of this organization is that the Mormon church has been highly successful in deceiving the public into believing that Mormonism is Christian.

Today, many people believe this organization to be just like any other main stream Christian religion. However, quite the opposite is true. When the true beliefs of Mormonism are listed, there is little doubt that this organization is far from being Christian. Following are the things Mormon missionaries WON'T tell you when they come to your door:

1) Listed in their first "Articles of Faith," the claim is: "We believe in God the eternal Father, and in His Son, Jesus Christ, and in the Holy Ghost," this is not the whole truth. What they do not say is that their belief is these are THREE SEPARATE gods. Christians believe in ONE God, in three persons.

2) Mormonism teaches that if a Mormon couple "seals" themselves in a Mormon, pagan, ritualistic ceremony, they too can someday become gods. They will rule over their own planet, and the wife, the "goddess" will have spirit babies that will populate this planet for all eternity. Mormonism believes that there are billions and billions of gods ruling over billions of planets in the universe.

3) The LDS believe that God was once an imperfect man who attained godhood, was given his own planet to rule over -- earth, and now resides near the star KOLOB.

4) Mormonism teaches that the Bible is unreliable, missing parts, and is poorly translated. Yet Mormon scriptures, The Book of Mormon, Doctrine and Covenants and The Pearl of Great Price, are all God's perfect, pure word. Mormons believe that because the Bible is imperfect, there was the need for the Book of Mormon (BOM) that was supposedly given to the "prophet" Joseph Smith by an angel called "Moroni." Mormons believe Smith put a stone in his hat, and translated this book from gold plates, by reading sentences through this stone. No one has ever laid eyes on these plates.

There is absolutely not one shred of proof that any of the places in the Book of Mormon, or any of the tribes or battles told of, ever existed on earth, no less in America. There is zero archaeological proof to support anything in the BOM. The Bible warns us of false prophets and tells us how we can test them.

One test is to see if the prophet's revelations or prophecies come true. Deut. 13 and 18:20-22, Jeremiah 28:7-9, 16. Smith's revelations always failed. Also, the Bible forbids another gospel of Christ, yet the Mormons claim the Book of Mormon is an additional gospel of Jesus Christ -- Galations 1:6-9, 2 Cor. 11:2-5, 13-15. Smith is a false prophet, therefore his Book of Mormon, based on what the Bible says, must be false.

5) Mormons believe, contrary to what the Bible says, that Jesus is not only Lucifer's BROTHER, but that He was conceived by God who came in the flesh to Mary, and when they had physical relations, Mary conceived Jesus. The Bible says that Jesus was conceived by the Holy Spirit.

There is absolutely no doubt that Mormonism is a false religion, and probably one of the largest cults ever. Following is more information concerning the true teachings of Mormonism and why it couldn't possibly be a Christian organization:

Taken from "Angels of Deceit --The Masterminds Behind Religious Deception," by Richard Lee and Ed Hindson.

Mormon Theology: Mormons believe that the Bible is God's revelation to the Jews and the East, while the Book of Mormon is His revelation to the Americans and the West.

Unfortunately, there is no scientific, historical, or archaeological evidence to support the claims of the BOM. Over 25,000 words and phrases from the King James Bible appear verbatim in scattered sections of the BOM, including several from the New Testament. References to advanced civilizations, two million Jaredites, steel implements, and a compass all represent gross historical blunders made by the naive Smith as he "dictated" the book to Oliver Cowdery.

Smith's prophecies were false, including one where he proclaimed that he would possess the house he built in Nauvoo "forever and ever" and that his seed would live there after him "from generation to generation." But the house was destroyed after his death and his descendants moved to Independence, Missouri. The Bible tells us that it takes only one false prophecy to know a prophet is not from God. The theology taught in Smith's books and "revelations" include the following concepts:

1) Plurality of gods: Smith said, "The doctrine of the plurality of gods is as prominent in the Bible as any other doctrine. It is all over the face of the Bible."

Mormons basically believe that God the Father had a father, and so on. They also believe that the gods were once men. In Smith's famous sermon at the funeral of Elder King Follett in 1844, he said, "God himself was once as we are now, and is an exalted man, and sits enthroned in yonder heavens!" Lorenzo Snow, fifth president of the Mormon Church, put it this way: "As man is, God once was; as God is, man may become."

2) Humanity of God: Smith taught that God has a "body of flesh and bones" as tangible as a man's body. He also believed humans could become male and female gods. "Here then is eternal life," he said, "to know the only wise and true God; and you have got to learn how to be gods yourselves... from exaltation to exaltation, until you attain the resurrection of the dead... and sit in glory." Brigham Young taught that Adam was God.

3) Sexuality of God: Mormons identify Christ with Jehovah, the first born of Elohim's (God's) children. Thus, they distinguish two separate persons from the names of God. Jesus Christ, they believe, was the product of the physical union of God (Elohim) and the Virgin Mary. In turn, they believe Jesus was polygamously married to Mary, Martha & the other Mary at the wedding at Cana. Since Mormons teach that only those whose marriages are sealed for eternity can ever become gods, it was virtually "necessary" for them to believe Jesus was married. Unmarried people can only hope to become angels.

4) Salvation by works: Mormons reject the doctrine of justification by faith. Mormons teach that four elements are necessary for one's salvation: 1) faith, 2) repentance, 3) baptism, and 4) laying on of hands. Mormons believe that one must be baptized by immersion by the Mormon Church in order to be saved. All others will be lost.

5) Celestial marriage: Full exaltation -- the highest Mormon heaven -- requires that a married couple be sealed to each other for both time and eternity in a temple ceremony. Those who have been so sealed will live together forever with their children and will continue to have sex and procreate more children for all eternity. In their original teachings, Mormons also believed men could be married to several wives for all eternity.

6) Exclusivity of salvation: Joseph Smith believed that the "everlasting gospel" had been revealed to him alone in the Book of Mormon.

Rev 22:18 For I testify unto every man that heareth the words of the prophecy of this book, If any man shall add unto these things, God shall add unto him the plagues that are written in this book: Rev 22:19 And if any man shall take away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God shall take away his part out of the book of life, and out of the holy city, and from the things which are written in this book.

As quoted from a Mormon advertisement:

"The Book of Mormon another testament of Jesus Christ." This church is not Christian, nor is their Book of Mormon "another testament" of Christ because the Bible forbids this.

In the revealing film, "The God Makers II," there are some important revelations about the Mormon church that everyone, Christian, and non-Christian, should know. This church is a very, very powerful financial institution, and is influential worldwide because of it's mass resources and monetary worth.

It is estimated that the church is the second largest financial institution west of the Mississippi. It is an organization that must be closely examined, to determine if the claims they make are true.

Recently, the Mormon church claims to be Christian. Yet in it's history it has taught

that polygamy is the only way to Mormon heaven (see Doctrine and Covenants Section 132 verse 4),

that Jesus was begotten through a sexual relationship between God the Father and Mary;

that Jesus and Lucifer are brothers;

that Mormons will become "gods and goddesses" and enjoy the eternal pleasure of celestial sex;

and Mormon doctrine still justifies the evil practices of blood atonement.

There are an estimated 25-30 thousand polygamist Mormons today. Those who take Mormonism seriously must be polygamist because it is taught in Mormon scripture.

"For behold, I reveal unto you a new and EVERLASTING covenant and if ye abide not that covenant; then ye are damned; for no one can reject this covenant and be permitted to enter into my glory... verse 37 Abraham received concubines, and they bore him children; and it was accounted unto him for righteousness, because they were given unto him, and he abode in my law...verse 38 David also received many wives and concubines... verse 61 And again, as pertaining to the law of the priesthood -- if any man espouse a virgin, and desire to espouse another, and the first give her consent, and if he espouse the second, and they are virgins, and have vowed to no other man, then is he justified; he cannot commit adultery for they are given unto him; for he cannot commit adultery with that that belongeth unto him and to no one else. Verse 63 But if one or either of the ten virgins, after she is espoused, shall be with another man, she has committed adultery, and shall be destroyed; for they are given unto him to multiply and replenish the earth, according to my commandment, and to fulfill the promise which was given by my Father before the foundation of the world, and for their exaltation in the eternal worlds..." Doctrine and Covenants Sec. 132.

There is an interview with William Schnoebelen from "The God Makers II," an author who had 12 years experience with witchcraft and Satanism as a high priest before joining the Mormon church. He was astounded at the level of similarity in the Mormon temple ceremony and Satanism. The handshakes, grips involved -- the secret tokens of the Arronic and Melchisedec priesthood are in fact right out of witchcraft and Satanism according to Schnoebelen.

In Utah, there are occultic symbols on every LDS building. Not one single Christian symbol can be found. In fact, the film shows above the Salt Lake City temple, an inverted pentagram which has been used for centuries in devil and Satan worship. This symbol was seen very clearly above the front door in the video.

As was stated, in the video, "The God Makers II," there was clearly shown an inverted pentagram above the front doors of the Salt Lake City Mormon Temple. William Schnoebelen, an ex-Satanist and ex-Mormon says in the video that for centuries in devil and Satan worship, this symbol has been used. The main function of this symbol in the inverted form is to "call down the kingdom of Satan into manifestation on earth." This same symbol, the inverted pentagram, sits above the doors of the Salt Lake City Mormon temple.

When a Mormon stands at the veil during a Mormon temple ceremony and says, "Power and the Priesthood be upon me and upon my posterity throughout all generations of time and eternity..." the Mormon puts the curse of Satan upon themself and their children and future generations of children.

June 23, 2018

Appearances of Jehovah in the Old Testament as the Son of God

Jn 6:46

1. To Adam in the Garden of Eden. Genesis 3:8. ‘They heard the voice of the LORD God walking in…’

2. To the Tower of Babel. Genesis 11:5,7. ‘The LORD came down to see the city and the tower..’

3. To Abram. Genesis 12:7.‘The LORD appeared unto Abram & said, Unto thy seed will I give this land’

4. To Abram to make a covenant with him. Genesis 15:17. ‘a smoking furnace & a burning lamp passed’

5. To Hagar as the Angel of Jehovah. Genesis 16:7,9,10,11,13

6. To Abraham and Sarah to announce the conception of Isaac. Genesis 17:1

7. To Abraham to discuss the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah. Genesis 18:1,2,21,33 and 19:24.

8. To Sarah to conceive Isaac. Genesis 21:1-4. ‘The LORD visited Sarah as he had said…’

9. To Hagar and Ishmael when cast out by Sarah in the desert. Genesis 21:9-21,17.

10. To Abraham when sacrificing Isaac. Genesis 22:10-18,11,15,16.

11. To Abraham’s servant getting a wife for Isaac at Haran. Genesis 24:40

12. To Isaac forbidding him going to Egypt. Genesis 26:1-6.

13. To Isaac at Beersheba after digging wells. Genesis 26:24.

14. To Jacob at the top of a ladder from earth to heaven. Genesis 28:13

15. To wrestle with Jacob and change his name to Israel. Genesis 32:24-30.

16. To Jacob to change his name to Israel. Genesis 35:9.
Jacob recounts to Joseph how God Almighty appeared to him at Luz (Gen 35:6) to bless him. (Gen 48:3)

17. To Moses at the burning bush as the angel of Jehovah, as Jehovah God, to go to Pharaoh (Ex. 3:1-18)

18. To Moses to give him signs to prove to Israel that God has appeared to him. (Exodus 4:1-5)

19. To kill Moses in the inn, because Moses neglected to circumcise his son. (Exodus 4:24-26).

20. Recounted to Moses how He appeared to Abraham, to Isaac and to Jacob as God Almighty. (Ex. 6:3)

21. To Israel leaving Egypt in a pillar of cloud by day, and a pillar of fire by night. (Exodus 13:21,22).

22. To Israel at the Red Sea as the angel of God to separate them from Pharaoh’s armies. (Exod 14:19,20)

23. To Pharaoh’s armies pursuing Israel in the Red Sea to take off their chariot wheels. (Exod 14:24,25)

24. To Israel, standing on the rock in Horeb, when Moses smote the rock to give water. (Exodus 17:5-7

25. To Israel at Mount Sinai, to give Moses the ten commandments. (Exodus 19:11,17-20).

26. To Israel in the wilderness as an Angel to lead Israel into Canaan. (Exodus 23:20,21,23).

27. To Moses, Aaron, Nadab, Abihu, 70 elders at Mt Sinai to give the 10 Commandments. (24:10,11,17)

28. To Moses in the clift of a rock to see God’s back parts. (‘Thou shalt see my back parts’ Exodus 33:23)

29. To Moses at Mt Sinai to get the 10 Commandments. (‘LORD descended in a cloud & stood’ Ex. 34:5)

30. To Moses & Israel in the tabernacle. ‘the glory of the LORD filled the tabernacle.’ (Exodus 40:34,38).

31. To Moses from the tabernacle to instruct on offerings. (LORD called unto Moses and spake’ Lev.1:1)

32. To all Israel. (‘the glory of the LORD appeared unto all the people. There came a fire out..’ Lev 9:23)

33. To Moses after the death of Nadab and Abihu. (I will appear in the cloud upon the mercy seat. Lev 16:2

34. To Moses in the tabernacle to number Israel. (LORD spake unto Moses..in the tabernacle. Numbers 1:1

35. To Moses in the tabernacle.‘he heard the voice of one speaking to him from off the mercy seat. Num7:89

36. To Israel in the wilderness. So it was alway: the cloud covered it by day, & the appearance of fire by night.9:16

37. To put Moses spirit on 70 elders. ‘The LORD came down in a cloud and spake unto him..’ Num 11:25

38. To rebuke Miriam for criticizing Moses. ‘The LORD came down in the pillar of the cloud, and stood in the door of the tabernacle, and called Aaron and Miriam: and they both came forth.’ Numbers 12:5

39. To all the congregation when Korah led a rebellion against Moses. Numbers 16:19,42

40. To Balaam as the angel of the LORD when visiting Balak to curse Israel. Numbers 22:9,20-35.

41. To Moses before His death in the door of the tabernacle. Deut. 31:14,15. ‘the LORD appeared in tab’

42. To Joshua as the Captain of the host of the LORD. Joshua 5:13-15.

43. To Joshua and Israel at Bochim. Judges 2:1-4. (‘the similitude of the LORD shall he behold’ Num 12:8

44. To Gideon to deliver Israel from Midian. Judges 6:12,14,16,20,21.

45. To Manoah and his wife to declare the birth of Samson. Judges 13:3,9,13,16-18,20-22.

46. To Samuel as a boy. ‘The LORD came and stood and called as at other times, Samuel.’ I Sam. 3:9-14

47. To Solomon and Israel at Temple dedication in 1004BC. I Kings 8:10,11. ‘glory of the LORD filled.’

48. To destroy 185,000 Assyrian soldiers surrounding Jerusalem in 710 BC. 2 Kings 19:35; Isaiah 37:36.

49. To Shadrach, Meshach, Abed-nego in a furnace. ‘form of the fourth is like the Son of God’Daniel 3:25

June 23, 2018

John 14:28 - ‘The Father is greater than I’.

Watchtower teaching: The JW book Let God be True, 1946, p.110 says that Jehovah is greater than Jesus in his office and person. Jehovah they say is intrinsically greater than Jesus, and hence Jesus cannot be God Almighty. The JW book Reasoning from the Scriptures, p.410, says, ‘The fact that Jesus is lesser than Jehovah proves that He cannot be God in the same sense that Jehovah is’.

The Bible Teaching: In John 14:28 Jesus is not speaking about His nature or being (Christ had earlier said in John 10:30, ‘I and the Father are one’), but about His lowly position of incarnation as a man. The Athanasian Creed says that Christ is ‘equal to the Father as touching His Godhood, and inferior to the Father as touching His manhood’. Christ was here contrasting His human humiliation, shame, suffering, rejection, opposition by enemies, and
soon crucifixion, with the Father’s majesty, glory and worship by the angels in heaven.

Key: Jesus said, ‘The Father is greater (Greek: meizon) than I’, not ‘The Father is better (Greek: kreitton) than I’. ‘Greater’ refers to the Father’s greater position (in heaven), not to a greater nature. If the word ‘better’ had been used, this would indicate that the Father had a better nature than Jesus.

i) The distinction is made clear in Hebrews 1:4 where ‘better’ (Gk: kreitton) is used to teach Jesus’ superiority over the angels in His nature and position.
ii) This difference between ‘greater’ and ‘better’ is seen in this example:
‘The President of a country is greater (Greek: meizon) in position than his people, but as a human being he is not better (Greek: kreitton) in nature than his people’.
iii) Jesus in becoming a man, not only took on a lower position than the Father, but also took on a lower position than the angels. ‘But we see Jesus, who was made a little lower than the angels for the suffering of death’. (Hebrews 2:9)

QUESTION:‘Do you agree that a President is greater in position but not better in nature than his people?’

QUESTION: ‘In view of greater (meaning higher in position) and better (meaning higher in nature), is it not clear that in John 14:28 Jesus is speaking of the Father’s temporary higher position and not his higher nature than Jesus?

QUESTION: How did Christ make Himself of no reputation when He became a man? (Phil. 2:6-9)

1. He veiled His preincarnate glory in order to dwell among men, but never surrendered His deity or divine glory. On the Mount Transfiguration He allowed His glory to shine briefly. If Christ had not veiled His glory, mankind would not have been able to look at
Him. When John saw His glory on Patmos he said, ‘I fell at His feet as dead’. (Rev. 1:17).
2. He submitted to a voluntary non use of some of His divine attributes (on some occasions) in order to achieve His objectives. He never surrendered His attributes, but He did voluntarily cease using some of them on earth. Jesus showed His divine attributes of:
i) omniscience (‘He knew all men’ John 2:24; 16:30;‘Lord thou knowest all things.’ 21:17
ii) omnipresence (John 3:13 ‘the Son of man which is in heaven’).
As God He was everywhere at once, but as man He chose to walk there.
iii) omnipotence (Matthew 28:18 ‘all power is given unto me’.)

3. He condescended to take on the likeness (form, appearance) of man and the form of a servant. (Phil 2:7). His becoming a man involved gaining human attributes (subject to weakness, pain, sorrow and temptation), but not giving up his divine attributes.

Conclusion: ‘The Father is greater than I’ (John 14:28) said Jesus from the vantage point of His incarnation as a man. This verse relates to Christ’s voluntary subordination to the Father to accomplish His work on earth.‘Greater than’ refers to His greater position not His nature.

June 23, 2018

Greek Scholars & The Watchtower: Julius Mantey

Julius Mantey was arguably the greatest Greek scholar of the 20th century. He was co-author of A Manual Grammar of the Greek New Testament, a Greek grammar that was in use for half a century to teach Greek in prominent schools. Along with other Greek grammar book authors A. T. Robertson and Daniel Wallace, Mantey disagreed with the Watchtower’s (Jehovah’s Witnesses’) book, the New World Translation of the Holy Scriptures (NWT). For several years, Mantey was quoted in a footnote to the NWT, with the Watchtower trying to use Mantey’s grammar book to support their view of the bible. Mantey took offense, and wrote the letter below.

The significance of this letter is that it is from a respected author of a Greek grammar. We live in a free country, and Wathtower supporters have, and likely will continue, to disagree with any point they desire.

I am not in a position to defend Mantey; a scholar of his caliber does not need a defense from me. I am not a language scholar, do not pretend to be one, nor will I hide my ignorance of the languages. Concerning grammar and translation, too many arguments are made from those who should have remained silent, and I do not wish to contribute to the problem by adding my words to the conversation.

But I know enough to use the tools and quote the scholars. Of the three Greek grammars I mentioned, all specifically disagree with the NWT. The Watchtower can protest all they want, but their disagreement is with the unified opinion of all the language scholars. If the Watchtower ever publishes a Greek text that is used in accredited schools to teach Greek, or can find one that is in agreement with them, they will be taken seriously. Until then, they will not. Below is a top-tier scholar’s view of the Watchtower and their book.

Anyone can write a book claiming to know what they are talking about, but this does not make them true. The only objective reference we have for language is the recognized grammars. If the Watchtower claims all of the grammars are wrong, they have made a self-refuting statement.

Julius R. Mantey
414 Palmette Road
New Port Richey, FL 33552
July 11, 1974

Watchtower Bible & Tract Society
117 Adams St.
Brooklyn
New York 11201

Dear Sirs:
I have a copy of your letter addressed to Caris in Santa Ana, California, and I am writing to express my disagreement with statements made in that letter, as well as in quotations you have made from the Dana-Mantey Greek Grammar.

(1) Your statement: “their work allows for the rendering found in the Kingdom Interlinear Translation of the Greek Scriptures at John 1:1.” There is no statement in our grammar that was ever meant to imply at “a god” was a permissible translation in John 1:1.

A. We had no “rule” to argue in support of the trinity.

B. Neither did we state that we did have such intention. We were simply delineating the facts inherent in Biblical language.

C. Your quotation from p.148 (3) was in a paragraph under the heading: “With the Subject in a Copulative sentence.” Two examples occur there to illustrate that “the article points out the subject in these examples.” But we made no statement in the paragraph about the predicate except that , “as it stands the other persons of the trinity may be implied in theos.” And isn’t that the opposite of what your translation “a god” infers? You quoted me out of context. On pages 139 and 140 (VI) in our grammar we stated: “without the article theos signifies divine essence . . . theos en ho logos emphasizes Christ’s participation in the essence of the divine nature.” Our intepretation is in agreement with that in NEB and the TEV: “What God was, the Word was”; and with that of Barclay: “The nature of the Word was the same as the nature of God”, which you quoted in your letter to Caris.

(2) Since Colwell’s and Harner’s articles in JBL, especially that of Harner, it is neither scholarly nor reasonable to translate John 1:1 “The Word was a god”. Word-order has made obsolete and incorrect such a rendering.

(3) Your quotation of Colwell’s rule is inadequate because it quotes only a part of the his findings. You did not quote this strong assertion: “A predicate nominative which precedes the verb cannot be translated as an indefinite or a ‘qualitative’ noun solely because of the absence of the article.”

(4) Prof Harner, vol. 92:1 (1973) in JBL, has gone beyond Colwell’s research and has discovered that anarthrous predicate nouns preceding the verb function primarily to express the nature or character of the subject. He found this true in 53 passages in the Gospel of John and 8 in the Gospel of Mark. Both scholars wrote that when indefiniteness was intended the gospel writers regularly placed the predicate noun after the verb, and both Colwell and Harner have stated that theos in John 1:1 is not indefinite and should not be translated “a god”. Watchtower writers appear to be the only ones advocating such a translation now. The evidence appears to be 99% against them.

(5) your statement in your letter that the sacred text itself should guide one and “not just someone’s rule book”. We agree with you. But our study proves that Jehovah’s Witnesses do the opposite of that whenever the “sacred text” differs with their heretical beliefs. For example the translation of kolasis as cutting off when punishment is the only meaning cited in the lexicons for it. The mistrnalstion of ego eimi as “I have been” in John 8:58. The addition of “for all time” in Heb. 9:27 when nothing in the Greek New Testament supports it. The attempt to belittle Christ by mistranslating arche tes ktiseos “beginning of the creation” when he is magnified as “the creator of all things” (John 1:2 and as “equal with God” (Phil. 2:6) before he humbled himself and lived in a human body here on earth. Your quotation of “The father is greater than I am” (John 14:28) to prove that Jesus was not equal to God overlooks the fact stated in Phil. 2:6-8. When Jesus said that, he was still in his voluntary state of humiliation. That state ended when he ascended to heaven. Why the attempt to deliberately deceive people by mispunctuation by placing a comma after “today” in Luke 23:43 when in the Greek, Latin, German and all English translations except yours, even in the Greek in your KIT, the comma occurs after lego (I say) — “Today you will be with me in Paradise.” 2 Cor. 5:8, “to be out of the body and at home with the Lord.” These passages teach that the redeemed go immediately to heaven after death, which does not agree with your teachings that death ends all life until the resurrection. Cf. Ps. 23:6 and Heb. 1:10.

The aforementioned are only a few examples of Watchtower mistranslations and perversions of God’s Word. In view of the preceding facts, especially because you have been quoting me out of context, I herewith request you not to quote from the Manual Grammar of the Greek New Testament again, which you have been doing for 24 years. Also that you not quote it or me in any of your publications from this time on.

Also that you publicly and immediately apologize in the Watchtower magazine, since my words had no relevance in the absence of the article before theos in John 1:1. And please write to Caris and state that you misused and misquoted my “rule”. On the page before the Preface in the grammar are these words: “All rights reserved — no part of this book may be reproduced in any form without permission in writing from the publisher.” If you have such permission, please send me a photo-copy of it.

If you do not heed these requests you will suffer the consequences.

Respectfully yours,

Julius R. Mantey

June 23, 2018

My info sheet on islam.

Islam

“A muslim man can have sexual pleasure with a little girl as young as a baby. But he should not penetrate her vaginally, however he can sodomize her”. (Tehriro vasyleh, fourth edition, Qom, Iran, 1990)
Mohammed said, "I was shown the Hell-fire and that the majority of its dwellers are women." SaHeeH Bukhari: 29, 304, 1052, 1462, 3241, 5197, 5198, 6449, 6546 (FatH Al-Bari's numbering system)

VIOLENCE

The command to kill non-believers appears over 33,000 times in the koran.

Quran (2:191-193) - "And kill them wherever you find them, and turn them out from where they have turned you out. And Al-Fitnah [disbelief or unrest] is worse than killing... but if they desist, then lo! Allah is forgiving and merciful. And fight them until there is no more Fitnah [disbelief and worshipping of others along with Allah] and worship is for Allah alone. But if they cease, let there be no transgression except against Az-Zalimun(the polytheists, and wrong-doers, etc.)" (Translation is from the Noble Quran) The verse prior to this (190) refers to "fighting for the cause of Allah those who fight you" leading some to claim that the entire passage refers to a defensive war in which Muslims are defending their homes and families. The historical context of this passage is not defensive warfare, however, since Muhammad and his Muslims had just relocated to Medina and were not under attack by their Meccan adversaries. In fact, the verses urge offensive warfare, in that Muslims are to drive Meccans out of their own city (which they later did). Verse 190 thus means to fight those who offer resistance to Allah's rule (ie. Muslim conquest). The use of the word "persecution" by some Muslim translators is disingenuous - the actual Arabic words for persecution (idtihad) - and oppression are not used instead of fitna. Fitna can mean disbelief, or the disorder that results from unbelief or temptation. A strict translation is 'sedition,' meaning rebellion against authority (the authority being Allah). This is certainly what is meant in this context since the violence is explicitly commissioned "until religion is for Allah" - ie. unbelievers desist in their unbelief. [Editor's note: these notes have been modified slightly after a critic misinterpreted our language. Verse 193 plainly says that 'fighting' is sanctioned even if the fitna 'ceases'. This is about religious order, not real persecution.]

Quran (2:244) - "Then fight in the cause of Allah, and know that Allah Heareth and knoweth all things."

Quran (2:216) - "Fighting is prescribed for you, and ye dislike it. But it is possible that ye dislike a thing which is good for you, and that ye love a thing which is bad for you. But Allah knoweth, and ye know not." Not only does this verse establish that violence can be virtuous, but it also contradicts the myth that fighting is intended only in self-defense, since the audience was obviously not under attack at the time. From the Hadith, we know that this verse was narrated at a time that Muhammad was actually trying to motivate his people into raiding merchant caravans for loot.

Quran (3:56) - "As to those who reject faith, I will punish them with terrible agony in this world and in the Hereafter, nor will they have anyone to help."

Quran (3:151) - "Soon shall We cast terror into the hearts of the Unbelievers, for that they joined companions with Allah, for which He had sent no authority". This speaks directly of polytheists, yet it also includes Christians, since they believe in the Trinity (ie. what Muhammad incorrectly believed to be 'joining companions to Allah').

Quran (4:74) - "Let those fight in the way of Allah who sell the life of this world for the other. Whoso fighteth in the way of Allah, be he slain or be he victorious, on him We shall bestow a vast reward." The martyrs of Islam are unlike the early Christians, who were led meekly to the slaughter. These Muslims are killed in battle as they attempt to inflict death and destruction for the cause of Allah. This is the theological basis for today's suicide bombers.

Quran (4:76) - "Those who believe fight in the cause of Allah…"

Quran (4:89) - "They but wish that ye should reject Faith, as they do, and thus be on the same footing (as they): But take not friends from their ranks until they flee in the way of Allah (From what is forbidden). But if they turn renegades, seize them and slay them wherever ye find them; and (in any case) take no friends or helpers from their ranks."

Quran (4:95) - "Not equal are those of the believers who sit (at home), except those who are disabled (by injury or are blind or lame, etc.), and those who strive hard and fight in the Cause of Allah with their wealth and their lives. Allah has preferred in grades those who strive hard and fight with their wealth and their lives above those who sit (at home).Unto each, Allah has promised good (Paradise), but Allah has preferred those who strive hard and fight, above those who sit (at home) by a huge reward " This passage criticizes "peaceful" Muslims who do not join in the violence, letting them know that they are less worthy in Allah's eyes. It also demolishes the modern myth that "Jihad" doesn't mean holy war in the Quran, but rather a spiritual struggle. Not only is this Arabic word (mujahiduna) used in this passage, but it is clearly not referring to anything spiritual, since the physically disabled are given exemption. (The Hadith reveals the context of the passage to be in response to a blind man's protest that he is unable to engage in Jihad, which would not make sense if it meant an internal struggle).

Quran (4:104) - "And be not weak hearted in pursuit of the enemy; if you suffer pain, then surely they (too) suffer pain as you suffer pain..." Is pursuing an injured and retreating enemy really an act of self-defense?

Quran (5:33) - "The punishment of those who wage war against Allah and His messenger and strive to make mischief in the land is only this, that they should be murdered or crucified or their hands and their feet should be cut off on opposite sides or they should be imprisoned; this shall be as a disgrace for them in this world, and in the hereafter they shall have a grievous chastisement"

Quran (8:12) - "(Remember) when your Lord inspired the angels... "I will cast terror into the hearts of those who disbelieve. Therefore strike off their heads and strike off every fingertip of them" No reasonable person would interpret this to mean a spiritual struggle, given that it both followed and preceded confrontations in which non-Muslims were killed by Muslims. The targets of violence are "those who disbelieve" - further defined in the next verse (13) as those who "defy and disobey Allah." Nothing is said about self-defense. In fact, the verses in sura 8 were narrated shortly after a battle provoked by Muhammad, who had been trying to attack a lightly-armed caravan to steal goods belonging to other people.

Quran (8:15) - "O ye who believe! When ye meet those who disbelieve in battle, turn not your backs to them. (16)Whoso on that day turneth his back to them, unless maneuvering for battle or intent to join a company, he truly hath incurred wrath from Allah, and his habitation will be hell, a hapless journey's end."

Quran (8:39) - "And fight with them until there is no more fitna (disorder, unbelief) and religion is all for Allah" Some translations interpret "fitna" as "persecution", but the traditional understanding of this word is not supported by the historical context (See notes for 2:193). The Meccans were simply refusing Muhammad access to their city during the pilgrimage. Other Muslims were allowed to travel there - but not as an armed group, since Muhammad had declared war on Mecca prior to his eviction. The Meccans were also acting in defense of their religion, as it was Muhammad's intention to destroy their idols and establish Islam by force (which he later did). Hence the critical part of this verse is to fight until "religion is only for Allah", meaning that the true justification of violence was the unbelief of the opposition. According to the Sira (Ibn Ishaq/Hisham 324) Muhammad further explains that "Allah must have no rivals."

Quran (8:57) - "If thou comest on them in the war, deal with them so as to strike fear in those who are behind them, that haply they may remember."

Quran (8:67) - "It is not for a Prophet that he should have prisoners of war until he had made a great slaughter in the land..."

Quran (8:59-60) - "And let not those who disbelieve suppose that they can outstrip (Allah's Purpose). Lo! they cannot escape. Make ready for them all thou canst of (armed) force and of horses tethered, that thereby ye may dismay the enemy of Allah and your enemy." As Ibn Kathir puts it in his tafsir on this passage, "Allah commands Muslims to prepare for war against disbelievers, as much as possible, according to affordability and availability."

Quran (8:65) - "O Prophet, exhort the believers to fight..."

Quran (9:5) - "So when the sacred months have passed away, then slay the idolaters wherever you find them, and take them captive and besiege them and lie in wait for them in every ambush, then if they repent and keep up prayer and pay the poor-rate, leave their way free to them." According to this verse, the best way of staying safe from Muslim violence at the time of Muhammad was to convert to Islam: prayer (salat) and the poor tax (zakat) are among the religion's Five Pillars. The popular claim that the Quran only inspires violence within the context of self-defense is seriously challenged by this passage as well, since the Muslims to whom it was written were obviously not under attack. Had they been, then there would have been no waiting period (earlier verses make it a duty for Muslims to fight in self-defense, even during the sacred months). The historical context is Mecca after the idolaters were subjugated by Muhammad and posed no threat. Once the Muslims had power, they violently evicted those unbelievers who would not convert.

[Note: The verse says to fight unbelievers "wherever you find them". Even if the context is a time of battle (which it was not) the reading appears to sanction attacks against those "unbelievers" who are not on the battlefield. In 2016, the Islamic State referred to this verse in urging the faithful to commit terror attacks: Allah did not only command the 'fighting' of disbelievers, as if to say He only wants us to conduct frontline operations against them. Rather, He has also ordered that they be slain wherever they may be – on or off the battlefield. (source)]

Quran (9:14) - "Fight against them so that Allah will punish them by your hands and disgrace them and give you victory over them and heal the breasts of a believing people." Humiliating and hurting non-believers not only has the blessing of Allah, but it is ordered as a means of carrying out his punishment and even "heals" the hearts of Muslims.

Quran (9:20) - "Those who believe, and have left their homes and striven with their wealth and their lives in Allah's way are of much greater worth in Allah's sight. These are they who are triumphant." The Arabic word interpreted as "striving" in this verse is the same root as "Jihad". The context is obviously holy war.

Quran (9:29) - "Fight those who believe not in Allah nor the Last Day, nor hold that forbidden which hath been forbidden by Allah and His Messenger, nor acknowledge the religion of Truth, (even if they are) of the People of the Book, until they pay the Jizya with willing submission, and feel themselves subdued." "People of the Book" refers to Christians and Jews. According to this verse, they are to be violently subjugated, with the sole justification being their religious status. Verse 9:33 tells Muslims that Allah has charted them to make Islam "superior over all religions." This chapter was one of the final "revelations" from Allah and it set in motion the tenacious military expansion, in which Muhammad's companions managed to conquer two-thirds of the Christian world in the next 100 years. Islam is intended to dominate all other people and faiths.

Quran (9:30) - "And the Jews say: Ezra is the son of Allah; and the Christians say: The Messiah is the son of Allah; these are the words of their mouths; they imitate the saying of those who disbelieved before; may Allah destroy them; how they are turned away!"

Quran (9:38-39) - "O ye who believe! what is the matter with you, that, when ye are asked to go forth in the cause of Allah, ye cling heavily to the earth? Do ye prefer the life of this world to the Hereafter? But little is the comfort of this life, as compared with the Hereafter. Unless ye go forth, He will punish you with a grievous penalty, and put others in your place." This is a warning to those who refuse to fight, that they will be punished with Hell. The verse also links physical fighting to the "cause of Allah" (or "way of Allah").

Quran (9:41) - "Go forth, light-armed and heavy-armed, and strive with your wealth and your lives in the way of Allah! That is best for you if ye but knew." See also the verse that follows (9:42) - "If there had been immediate gain (in sight), and the journey easy, they would (all) without doubt have followed thee, but the distance was long, (and weighed) on them" This contradicts the myth that Muslims are to fight only in self-defense, since the wording implies that battle will be waged a long distance from home (in another country and - in this case - on Christian soil, according to the historians).

Quran (9:73) - "O Prophet! strive hard against the unbelievers and the hypocrites and be unyielding to them; and their abode is hell, and evil is the destination." Dehumanizing those who reject Islam, by reminding Muslims that unbelievers are merely firewood for Hell, makes it easier to justify slaughter. It explains why today's devout Muslims generally have little regard for those outside the faith. The inclusion of "hypocrites" (non-practicing) within the verse also contradicts the apologist's defense that the targets of hate and hostility are wartime foes, since there was never an opposing army made up of non-religious Muslims in Muhammad's time. (See also Games Muslims Play: Terrorists Can't Be Muslim Because They Kill Muslims for the role this verse plays in Islam's perpetual internal conflicts).

Quran (9:88) - "But the Messenger, and those who believe with him, strive and fight with their wealth and their persons: for them are (all) good things: and it is they who will prosper."

Quran (9:111) - "Allah hath purchased of the believers their persons and their goods; for theirs (in return) is the garden (of Paradise): they fight in His cause, and slay and are slain: a promise binding on Him in truth, through the Law, the Gospel, and the Quran: and who is more faithful to his covenant than Allah? then rejoice in the bargain which ye have concluded: that is the achievement supreme." How does the Quran define a true believer?

Quran (9:123) - "O you who believe! fight those of the unbelievers who are near to you and let them find in you hardness."

Quran (17:16) - "And when We wish to destroy a town, We send Our commandment to the people of it who lead easy lives, but they transgress therein; thus the word proves true against it, so We destroy it with utter destruction." Note that the crime is moral transgression, and the punishment is "utter destruction." (Before ordering the 9/11 attacks, Osama bin Laden first issued Americans an invitation to Islam).

Quran (18:65-81) - This parable lays the theological groundwork for honor killings, in which a family member is murdered because they brought shame to the family, either through apostasy or perceived moral indiscretion. The story (which is not found in any Jewish or Christian source) tells of Moses encountering a man with "special knowledge" who does things which don't seem to make sense on the surface, but are then justified according to later explanation. One such action is to murder a youth for no apparent reason (v.74). However, the wise man later explains that it was feared that the boy would "grieve" his parents by "disobedience and ingratitude." He was killed so that Allah could provide them a 'better' son. [Note: This parable along with verse 58:22 is a major reason that honor killing is sanctioned by Sharia. Reliance of the Traveler (Umdat al-Saliq) says that punishment for murder is not applicable when a parent or grandparent kills their offspring (o.1.12).]

Quran (21:44) - "...See they not that We gradually reduce the land (in their control) from its outlying borders? Is it then they who will win?"

Quran (25:52) - "Therefore listen not to the Unbelievers, but strive against them with the utmost strenuousness with it." - The root for Jihad is used twice in this verse - although it may not have been referring to Holy War when narrated, since it was prior to the hijra at Mecca. The "it" at the end is thought to mean the Quran. Thus the verse may have originally meant a non-violent resistance to the 'unbelievers.' Obviously, this changed with the hijra. 'Jihad' after this is almost exclusively within a violent context. The enemy is always defined as people, rather than ideas.

Quran (33:60-62) - "If the hypocrites, and those in whose hearts is a disease (evil desire for adultery, etc.), and those who spread false news among the people in Al-Madinah, cease not, We shall certainly let you overpower them, then they will not be able to stay in it as your neighbors but a little while Accursed, wherever found, they shall be seized and killed with a (terrible) slaughter." This passage sanctions slaughter (rendered as "merciless" and "horrible murder" in other translations) against three groups: hypocrites (Muslims who refuse to "fight in the way of Allah" (3:167) and hence don't act as Muslims should), those with "diseased hearts" (which include Jews and Christians 5:51-52), and "alarmists" or "agitators - those who speak out against Islam. It is worth noting that the victims are to be sought out, which is what today's terrorists do.

Quran (47:3-4) - "Those who disbelieve follow falsehood, while those who believe follow the truth from their Lord... So, when you meet (fighting Jihad in Allah's Cause), those who disbelieve smite at their necks till when you have killed and wounded many of them, then bind a bond firmly (on them, i.e. take them as captives)... If it had been Allah's Will, He Himself could certainly have punished them (without you). But (He lets you fight), in order to test you, some with others. But those who are killed in the Way of Allah, He will never let their deeds be lost." Holy war is to be pursued against those who reject Allah. The unbelievers are to be killed and wounded. Survivors are to be held captive for ransom. The only reason Allah doesn't do the dirty work himself is to to test the faithfulness of Muslims. Those who kill pass the test. (See also: 47:4 for more context)

Quran (47:35) - "Be not weary and faint-hearted, crying for peace, when ye should be uppermost (Shakir: "have the upper hand") for Allah is with you,"

Quran (48:17) - "There is no blame for the blind, nor is there blame for the lame, nor is there blame for the sick (that they go not forth to war). And whoso obeyeth Allah and His messenger, He will make him enter Gardens underneath which rivers flow; and whoso turneth back, him will He punish with a painful doom." Contemporary apologists sometimes claim that Jihad means 'spiritual struggle.' If so, then why are the blind, lame and sick exempted? This verse also says that those who do not fight will suffer torment in hell.

Quran (48:29) - "Muhammad is the messenger of Allah. And those with him are hard (ruthless) against the disbelievers and merciful among themselves" Islam is not about treating everyone equally. This verse tells Muslims that two very distinct standards are applied based on religious status. Also the word used for 'hard' or 'ruthless' in this verse shares the same root as the word translated as 'painful' or severe' to describe Hell in over 25 other verses including 65:10, 40:46 and 50:26..