RE: Jesus is Not God - Truth in the Scriptures
Yes, I am aware of the many Saints that were persecuted under the new Roman Catholic system. It would seem that you too would enjoy silencing out those who oppose you. You keep bringing up Muslims, but perhaps you have more in common with them than I.
True, they believe that God is one, but is that a reason to reject the idea? If you reject everything the Muslims believe you will end up rewriting the entire old Testament. As I said before, The Muslims have nothing to do with this. I'm sure there are Muslims here who would be happy to debate you if you so wish to go down that path. Maybe you should have said "Might as well just become a Jew", that would have been much closer.
I speak in love and wish no persecution on anyone. I just want to learn and share ideas with others. I want to glorify God. I pray and God leads me; This is where I have been lead.
If you only have insults and attacks, then depart from me.
I don't know what you are referring to. Do you call Arius a saint and blame the "new roman catholic system" for fighting and winning against his heresy?
I keep asking you, not in an insulting way, "What is your Bible tradition??" What translation do you use and why, and who has come before you in your thinking? Who is the apostle of your tradition?
You cannot simply say that you are returning to the roots of Christianity and then read the Bible in English and start telling 2000 years of unbroken, apostolic tradition that they are dead wrong.
I want to know who taught you. Are you self-taught, using only the Bible in English?
Islam
To the question of Islam: the best lies are 95% Truth. As are the most successful heresies.
I can reject everything Islam preaches, based on the source of that teaching. I don't have to parse through it to find the few pearls of truth. I can reject it outright yet at the same time acknowledge that there might be some truth in there, because fortunately, any truth that may be found in Islam is already found in Christianity.
I stand by my statement that your beliefs are closer to Islam than to Judaism or to Christianity.
There are plenty more parallels, but I just don't know how to approach you. You very forcefully come out with guns ablaze, railing against Trinitarian Christianity (ie CHRISTIANITY), and yet you use the Bible, passed down to you by the Roman Catholic Church. It is a paradox.
On the divinity of Christ
How do you feel about the 7 "I AM" statements in John's Gospel.
Surely you know that a Jew would never - ever - have spoken about himself using such provocative language, unless that person was claiming to be God. That is treading far too close to the unmentionable name of YHWH.
And what about when Jesus says, "Before Abraham was, I AM." THIS is the kind of language which caused the jewish authorities to rend their garments.