seekeroftruth
Well-Known Member
Quran 4:109. There you are, arguing on their behalf in the present life, but who will argue with God on their behalf on the Day of Resurrection? Or who will be their representative?
110. Whoever commits evil, or wrongs his soul, then implores God for forgiveness, will find God Forgiving and Merciful.
111. And Whoever earns a sin, earns it against himself. God is Aware and Wise.
112. And whoever commits a mistake, or a sin, and then blames it on an innocent person, has taken a slander and a clear sin.
113. Were it not for God’s grace towards you, and His mercy, a faction of them would have managed to mislead you. But they only mislead themselves, and they cannot harm you in any way. God has revealed to you the Scripture and wisdom, and has taught you what you did not know. God’s goodness towards you is great.
114. There is no good in much of their private counsels, except for him who advocates charity, or kindness, or reconciliation between people. Whoever does that, seeking God’s approval, We will give him a great compensation.
115. Whoever makes a breach with the Messenger, after the guidance has become clear to him, and follows other than the path of the believers, We will direct him in the direction he has chosen, and commit him to Hell—what a terrible destination!
The commentary only discussed the last verse.
This verse clearly speaks of the hypocrites, who followed a way other than the way of the believers. Only a distortion of the words could make them signify that it was a sin to differ with the majority of the Muslims on any question of religion.
I'm lucky there are only a few verses this morning... and the commentary is short. I'm afraid I've turned into a Hypocrite..... or I've been one all along and I'm just now realizing it.
As you are aware, if you've read much of my posting.... I was raised in the Southern Baptist Church. My father was a Deacon. My grandmother on my mom's side raised the money to build a little church up in the mountains around Front Royal, Va. My grandfather was a carpenter and he built the majority of it.... as I hear. My great great great great whatever grandfather was a Primitive Baptist preacher there in the St. Mary's and Charles County area after his father came over from Ireland indentured to Sir William Dent. My uncle on my dad's side is a Presbyterian Minister and as I understand it... he went to the same school as Billy Graham.
I've told you of my sheltered life. I never even saw a person of color until I was into the second or third grade. I spent my days doing chores and watching my brother and sisters. I spent my free time sitting in Mr. Whipple's apple trees talking about Jesus and Angels and Miracles. I was a very tall, freckle faced, girl of Irish and French descent with deep roots in the Protestant Church.... and I was a full twelve inches taller than all the kids in my class by the time I was in the second or third grade. I use to be that freckle faced girl with the pig tails who the short kids would run to when the bully wanted to beat them up. Bullies were afraid of me because I could "pound them into the ground". I was a freckle faced bully pounder..... just like my great great great great whatever grandfather who earned his fare to the American Colonies indentured as a body guard.
When I was growing up.... I thought preachers hid a halo. I thought preachers were perfect.... God made them perfect so they could be His representative. I actually felt sorry for preachers because they couldn't have any fun. Priests, in my young mind, had it even worse... they couldn't even kiss a girl.... and that was because God made them perfect so they could be His representative.
Now that I've grown old.... seventy years last October..... I see the cracks in the foundation of the churches. I recognize the lies I hear from the pulpit. No longer is a preacher capable of taking the Bible from my hands and tossing it in a bonfire because it is the "wrong translation". No longer will a liar twist the Gospel to fit their needs and taint my values.
The reason my Grandmom and my Granddad built that church..... was so they could worship. The river would rise and the preacher couldn't get into Front Royal..... so they went a lot of Sundays without a preacher.... my Grandmom would step up. I don't think many of the women in the churches I have attended would have done that. After all, "the Bible says.... blah blah blah" they would mutter.... but ... if she hadn't broken the rules and stepped up... they wouldn't have had church that Sunday.
The church should be a place, like Mr. Whipple's apple trees, where people can talk about Jesus and Angels and Miracles. It should be a place where the hungry and thirsty go. It should be a place where the homeless find a warm [or cool] place to find shelter.
Hypocrites run a lot of the churches today..... and the Muslims warn against them running their mosques as well.
There are Hypocrites in every religion.
I just hope I'm not one of them.... if I am... it's not on purpose.
