Before I begin this discussion, I also need to clarify something for you as well omya (and possibly others on this forum too).
As you can see from the information about me in the quranbible users group, I lived in a muslim (African) country and with muslim people for many months, before returning to Australia and then opening up my home for Muslim students studying at our local university. Many were homesick and we enjoyed many a Saturday afternoon meal where we shared many things together.
Where I live now, we have many muslims living in our town and I am friends with many of them. This Christian is definitely not approaching these discussions with any sense of hate in her heart. On the contrary, it's because I find other cultures and faiths fascinating and in fact I teach cultural awareness as part of my employment, our discussions are stimulating, very helpful and enlightening. However, as a Christian, I come to you in the Name of the Lord Jesus and declare to you "He is Lord to the Glory of God the Father".
"Christians" and other religions have for years questioned the Diety of Christ. You will notice that I have put the word "Christian" in inverted commas. The reason for this is because Jesus himself said 'not everyone who calls me Lord will enter the kingdom of God" (Matthew 7:21-23) No, this is not a discussion on the Once Saved always Saved discussion..but on the fact that Jesus said that wolves would come in sheeps clothing who would draw people to themselves. That people would allow themselves to listen to whatever it was they wanted to hear. That the spirit of antichrist would come.. all those who denied the Lordship of Christ. Yes, there are many people who call themselves Christians, who over the centuries have done dispacable things in the name of Jesus.. yet, they are NOT true believers and Jesus told in many new testament verses their fate.. as did God to the Jews when he was dealing with their apostasy in the old testament.
You used many examples of so called Christians denying the Deity of Christ. Omya, I would agree with you on all accounts.. it does seem that even within the church there is disagreement, but there is one thing which shows me that they are not of the Church
Jesus asked Peter who He thought Jesus was .. Peter immediately replied..
Matthew 16:16
"You are the Christ, the son of the living God."
Jesus replied this to him (with other things I am not quoting here)... upon this rock I will build my church.
The true church is not someone who calls him or herself a Christian. The true church is not a particular denomination, the true church is not a country which calls itself a christian country..
Revelation 7:9-10 describes the true church
after this, I looked and there before me was a great multitude no one could count, from every nation and tribe, people and language standing before the throne and in front of the Lamb. They were wearing white robes and were holding palm branches in their hands. And they cried out in a loud voice..
Salvation belongs to our God, who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb.
Now, two posts ago, I presented what the Quran said of Jesus, and they are the foundations of Christian understanding of the Deity of Christ. You have to do something with the knowledge of His place as the greatest of prophets.. why put Mohammed who never had any of these claims on his life in a higher place in your understanding, than Jesus who Allah, himself gave the greater place to.. until the day of judgement (and by the way, that 40days was meant to read 40 years.. it goes to show how easy it is to change meaning when you don't type properly and check what you have written. LOL)
Carol