Over the past few decades many Western women have converted to Islam. It is easy to find videos of them sharing their conversion experiences. In contrast, this video tells us why, after more than 20 years studying Islam, Dr. Cynthia did not convert.
Cynthia wanted to learn about Islam. She didn’t want to believe just what the news said about Islam, or its critics or its promotors. So, she actively visited mosques, Islamic institutes, student organizations, Muslim countries, studied the Quran, some Arabic, gathered a bilingual Islamic library, conversed with Islamic scholars, religious and political leaders, Muslims of every social level and most sects, and non-Muslims from Muslim countries. Muslims asked her why she did not convert? One Imam even prophesied that she would. He was wrong.
In this video Dr. C shares with us her 3 primary reasons for not converting. She says there might be things that we like or dislike about a religion, for example, some convert to Islam after watching the unity of group prayer, or for marriage. But if we sincerely want the truth, we will decide based on objective facts. So, here are some of hers.
Dr. C’s 3 REASONS for not converting are: the relationship of the Bible and the Quran, the Character of Allah,/God, and the 3 Criteria of Jesus Christ for prophets.
- BIBLE and the QURAN: True, there is much similarity between the Bible and the Quran. Passages in the Quran praise Allah/God in a fashion that sounds like the psalms/zabur in the Bible. The books share many of the same important characters, and many of the same stories. However, often the Quran has an incomplete or slightly different versions of these stories.
- Differences between the Quran and the Old and New Testaments, the holy books of Judaism and Christianity respectively, however, are significant. These include: the relationship between God and people, the way people are saved, and the character of God/Allah.
- Also, the Bible contains the writings of over 40 authors, in different styles, or genres. This makes it rich and deep. It shows “progressive revelation” of God’s plan through the ages. Whereas the Quran contains only Prophet Mohammed’s message, and claims that every prophet brought the same message as his.
- The CHARACTER of God/Allah is similar in some ways – in he is the Creator who sends prophets to warn people that there will be a Day of Judgement. But the characteristics of JUSTICE and HONESTY of God are very different in the Bible and the Quran.
- In the Bible, JUSTICE means sin merits death. God can’t simply weigh our deeds and let us off if he is pleased. No. There must be a sacrifice. Besides Eid al AdHa, blood sacrifice is in the Law of Moses (Leviticus 7:11). Jesus was the final, prophesied sacrifice – God himself in human form – taking responsibility for the misdeeds of the children he created. (For more details on this, see our video https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-X5OFqkiVvo&t=3s .)
- That leads to the HONESTY of God/Allah. If you grew up Muslim, you can easily believe that Allah tricked the followers of Jesus into believing that he died on the cross, but he did not.
- However, if you grew up Christian, you learned that God is honest. The Bible says that he cannot lie. So, when you hear that Allah deceived Jesus’ disciples, whom the Quran calls Muslims, and that Jesus did not die as they thought, you have great difficulty believing it. To convert to Islam, you must accept that Allah’s true believers were deceived for 600 years until Mohammed came and said otherwise. The God of the Bible is honest. Judaism and Christianity agree on that. Islam does not.
- PROOF of PROPHETHOOD: The Prophet Mohammed claimed to bring a message from Allah/God and called people to follow him. His proof was his word and his message. Jesus Christ also came with a message. Both men were asked why we should follow them?
- In the New Testament, Injeel, John chapter 5, Jesus said a prophet’s claim is not enough. He then gave 3 reasons that we should follow him. They are still good today:
- A living prophet, John the Baptist – known as Yahia in Islam – testified that Jesus was the expected Messiah, “The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world.”
- The works Jesus did – miracles greater than anyone, as the Quran agrees.
- The prophecies about him. There are many prophecies in the Old Testament of the Jews about the life, ministry, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. Dr. C has examined the claims that Mohammed is prophesied in the Bible. These “prophecies” are few and easily disproven. They are nothing like the number and strength of those about the Messiah Jesus.
- In the New Testament, Injeel, John chapter 5, Jesus said a prophet’s claim is not enough. He then gave 3 reasons that we should follow him. They are still good today:
In summary, no prophet or religious leader who ever lived – not Mohammed, Buddha, the Hindu and Sikh Gurus, Sun Myung Moon, Joseph Smith, Ryuho Okawa, or anyone else, has the weight of proof that Jesus Christ has.
