Religion of Submission
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Corruption of Religions
It is an unfortunate fact that innovations, traditions, politics
and false doctrines corrupt any religion over time one way or another.
Most people are happy with following blindly the footsteps of their
parents. They are comfortable with following the majority. Going
along with the crowd gives them a sense of security. They contemplate:
How could millions or billions of people be wrong? However, there
are people like Bishop Spong who realize the corruptions in the
religion. They recognize that they have been taught certain things
that do not make sense. They start looking for answers. Some turn
to others whom they think have the answers for them. But eventually
such people will want to reassure their hearts. How can they know
or trust if the answers given to them are correct?
Is it possible to let go of one wrong, and adopt another equally
detrimental one for our salvation? Of course, this is entirely possible
unless we put our trust in God and do what is best. So what should
we do? The solution is to study and learn God’s message directly
from His scripture. Therefore, one should go to the source of the
religion.
Read the Scripture
The best way to learn about a religion is to read critically the
scripture it is based on. If there is something in the scripture
that does not make sense, it cannot be from God. There has to be
some logical explanation where the information comes from and why
it does not make sense. We can ask several questions. If it is a
scripture translated from the original, is the translation correct?
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Are there other translations that give
different meaning? What is the origin of the scripture?
We know that all God’s scriptures have the basic truth in
them that our God is the Creator of all things, and that He is the
only one to be worshipped. He does not have any partner in His dominion,
nor does He have a son. But to arrive at that conclusion and see
the truth, one has to sift out several layers of human intervention
and interpretation. Where do we find a scripture that we know for
certain is from God in its entirety, and exists in its original
language? Is there such a scripture? The answer is yes. This scripture
is the Quran, the Final Testament. Its original is intact. However,
this was not enough to spare the Muslims from corrupting their religion.
Unfortunately the interpretation of its verses based on other sources
plagued the Muslims en masse. So they also turned their religion
into something against God’s teachings.
It almost seems hopeless to find a religion in its pure form. Should
we then despair, or is it really possible to sort through the interpretation
of traditional Muslim scholars and look into what God is really
telling us? Yes, it is. It does not make sense that God should send
a final scripture for humanity, and have it inaccessible to people
in different languages. One only needs to be sincere and have an
open-mind, and read the Quran in their language. God promises to
teach him or her the truth. Of course, a good translation is a big
help. Here we recommend highly the contemporary English translation
of the Quran by Dr. Rashad Khalifa.
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The Quran Has The Right Answers
The following is a portion taken from the Introduction of the English
translation of the Quran by Dr. Rashad Khalifa (1989), except for
minor changes.
The Quran is God’s final message to humanity.
All of God’s prophets have come to this world, and all the
scriptures have been delivered. The time has come to purify and
consolidate all the messages delivered by God’s prophets into
one message, and to proclaim that henceforth, there is only one
religion acceptable to God, “Submission” (3:19, 85).
“Submission” is the religion whereby we recognize God’s
absolute authority, and reach an unshakeable conviction that God
ALONE possesses all power; no other entity possesses any power that
is independent of Him. The natural result of such a realization
is to devote our lives and our worship absolutely to God ALONE.
This is the First Commandment in all the scriptures, including the
Old Testament, the New Testament, and this Final Testament.
Hear, O Israel! The Lord our God is One God!
Therefore you shall adore the Lord your God
with all your heart,
with all your soul,
with all your mind,
and with all your strength.
[Deuteronomy 6:4-5,
Luke 12:29-30,
Quran 3:18]
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