Hagia Sophia…
Lesson 5
Islam
Buddhism
What does the Islamic call to
prayer say?
Allah is Great Allah is Great
Allah is Great Allah is Great
I testify that No one is God except
Allah
I testify that No one is God except
Allah
What does the Islamic call to
prayer say? (cont.)
I testify that Mohammed is the
Messenger of Allah
I testify that Mohammed is the
Messenger of Allah
Come to Prayer Come to Prayer
What does the Islamic call to
prayer say? (cont.)
Come to Success Come to Success
Allah is Great Allah is Great
No one is God except Allah
Peace and Blessings be Upon Prophet
Mohammed
Birmingham video
“I urge then, first of all,
that request, prayers,
intercession…be made for
everyone…This is good and
pleases God our Savior who
wants all men to be saved.”
1 Timothy 2:1, 3
Buddhism:
Worldwide: 400 million+ (est.)
U.S.: 2.5 million+ (est.)
Islam:
Worldwide: 1.28 billion+ (est.)
U.S.: 6 million+ (est.)
Today’s American Culture
is fascinated by both
Buddhism and Islam!
Albert Einstein once said:
“If any religion had the
"Buddhism…transcends a
chance of ruling over
personal god, avoids dogmas and
theology; it Europe, within
England, naycovers both the
and it it
natural and spiritual;years, is
the next hundred
based on a religious sense arising
be Islam.”
could experience of all
from the
things, Bernard spiritual, as a
Georgenatural and Shaw, 1950
meaningful unity." and
Einstein
Buddhist “guru”
Essentials of the Gospel
•We’ve all done wrong in God’s
eyes…Rom3:23
•This wrong separates us from God
forever …Rom 6:23
•Jesus came to take our punishment…Rom
5:8
•Turn away from doing wrong as a way of
life…Acts 2:38
•Confess with your mouth Jesus as
Lord…you will be saved. Rom 10:9
The main thing to remember in
sharing your faith…
in the power of the Holy
Spirit, you have to
SHARE
the plan of salvation…
If they reject the message,
DO NoT STOP
being their friend or loving
them…
•Islam
Basic Islam Background:
•Official Name: Islam
•Key Figure: Muhammad (AD 600’s)
•Date of Establishment: (AD 622)
•Adherents:
Worldwide: 1.3 billion with most in
Indonesia (240 million)
United States: 8 million (est.)
Islam in U.S.
•1200 + mosques in U.S.
•35 mosques in N.C.
•2 mosques in Asheville
•Detroit mosque holds
2000 while the mosque in
Atlanta holds over 1000.
•2 Muslims currently
serving in Congress; Keith
Ellison, a Muslim was sworn
in using the Qur’an.
Basic Islam Background:
•Islam is world’s youngest major
world religion
•Claims to be monotheistic and
formed out of a polytheistic
culture in 7th century.
•Allah was one of many gods at
this time, so it became dominant
name.
Basic Islam Background:
NOTE: Allah is NOT the same
god as the God of the Bible!!!!
Remember, God loves all
Muslims…
But what about Islam itself? In
our age of spiritual and religious
tolerance, Islam is fast becoming
another “WAY”…
The Roman Catholic Vatican did
no favors to evangelical
Christianity by stating in the
Lumen Gentium, one of the major
documents of the Vatican II…
…which officially teaches that
Muslims are “included in the plan of
salvation” by virtue of their claim to
“hold the faith of Abraham.”
It states:
“But the plan of salvation also
includes those who acknowledge the
Creator. In the first place amongst
these there are the Mohamedans,
who, professing to hold the faith of
Abraham, along with us adore the one
and merciful God, who on the last day
will judge mankind.”
“Christians can respect
the sincerity of Muslims
hold their beliefs, but we
cannot respect their
beliefs themselves…”
(Al Mohler.com from May 14, 2009 blog)
Basic Islam Background:
•Qur’an: sacred book of Islam;
dictated by Gabriel to Muhammad
•Qur’an has 114 surahs or chapters
•Muhammad thought to be greatest
of prophets by Muslims
•Islam respects the Torah, Psalms,
and Gospels, but believes they have
been corrupted by the Jews.
Basic Islam Background:
•Beliefs: stresses strict
adherence to Allah and teachings
of Qur’an for salvation and
following of “Five Pillars.” If you
have done well enough, Allah “may”
have mercy and let you into
paradise!
•Islam is an aggressively
missionary-oriented religion.
Five Pillars of Islamic Faith:
1. Confession of faith (Shahada): ”…no
god but Allah and Muhammad is his
prophet.”
2. Prayer (Salat): Pray (5) times per
day (always towards Mecca!)
preceded by ceremonial washing.
3. Alsmgiving (Zakat): Give 2½% of
earnings to the poor.
Five Pillars of Islamic Faith:
4. Fast (Sawn): refrain from food,
water, sex relations during Ramadan
from sunrise to sunset
5. Pilgrimage (Hajj): go to Mecca at
least one time in their life.
Doctrines of Islam:
•God: He is numerically and absolutely
one. They reject trinity of the Bible
as polytheism!
•Sin: most serious is shirk or leaving
Islam; must submit to law of Sharia
•Angels: Islam affirms angels, but
also evil spirits or “Jinn” (genies!)
Satan is a fallen angel.
(Many Muslims are superstitious
and are animistic in beliefs)
Doctrines of Islam:
•Final Judgment: world will be judged
by god and balance of good and bad
will determine destiny. Mohammad
was not sure of his destiny!
“…what will happen to me and to my
followers, I do not know…” Surah
46:9
•Salvation: determined by faith and
good deeds in conformity to the Five
Pillars.
Doctrines of Islam:
•Marriage: Islam allows four wives, but
most are monogamous; women regarded
less than a farm animal. Belief in modesty
in dress with head covered. (burqa)
Prayer calls
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v
=FSt0yRxhWrE
Thoughts on Sharing the Gospel:
•Start where they are! They believe they
have to be good enough…
•Ask them “How good of a Muslim do you
have to be to go to Paradise?” Great
conversation starter!
•Ask them who is Isa from the Qur’an. (Isa
is Jesus…the Qur’an says that he has the
power over death and life. (Surah 3:49
says about Isa, “…I heal the blind…and
bring the dead to life…”
Thoughts on Sharing the Gospel:
•Remember how the Qur’an says that
Mohammad does not even know where he is
going when he dies…
•Ask: “Who do you trust to show you the
way to paradise? Someone who has the
power over death and life, or Mohammad?
•Ask the person to get together with you
for them to read the Qur’an to you if you
can read John 1, and other parts of the
gospel…they may be receptive!
Thoughts on Sharing the Gospel:
•Ask the person to get together with you
for them to read the Qur’an to you if you
can read John 1, and other parts of the
gospel…they may be receptive!
•The whole idea is to bridge to the Bible
and to the gospel message as soon as it is
feasible…but do not be in too much of a
hurry!
DO NOT LET THEM DISTRACT YOU
FROM THE MESSAGE OF THE
GOSPEL!
Common Mistakes:
•Not Understanding the seriousness of
Islam culturally.
•Too pushy…
Do not make them a prize to
be won!
Make a friend and love them even if they
reject the gospel!!
•Blending both faiths into one…”…you can
believe both!” NO!
Barriers to Muslims
Many Muslims do not know the
Qur’an very well, only what their
Imam teaches them!
1. You cannot trust the Bible…the
imams teach that it is corrupt while
the Qur’an says otherwise
2. Jesus (Isa) did not really die…the
Qur’an indeed says he did die and
went to Paradise.
3. Jesus (Isa) not the son of God…
4. Ask: Who do you say Mohammad is?
Other things to consider…
•Islam is evil…but God loves Muslims.
•True Islam is “RADICAL.” There may be
watered down Islam, but its essence is
militant and aggressive.
•Most Muslims are very pleasant
people…but many are either cultural
Muslims, or nominal at best….strike up a
conversation…many love to talk about
their faith!
PRAY….PRAY….
•Buddhism
Famous
Buddhists:
•Jennifer Lopez Harrison Ford
•Angelina Jolie Goldie Hawn
•David Bowie Tiger Woods
•Steve Jobs Richard Gere
Basic Buddhism
Background:
•Founder: Siddhartha
Gautama, a prince from
northern India from 563
BC – 483 BC
•Scriptures: various, but
the oldest most
authoritative are
compiled in the Pali Canon
Basic Buddhism Background:
•Worldwide: 400 million
•US: 2.5 million
General Buddhism
Beliefs:
•Follow Buddha, the
Enlightened One.
•Saving oneself comes by
following a regiment by
meditation and reciting
mantas.
•There is no personal
relationship with the Buddha.
General Buddhism
Beliefs:
•Buddhists struggle to
make sense of this
life and live out one’s
expected required
conduct (dharma) as
the painful and slow
road to salvation
(moksha).
General Buddhism
Beliefs:
•This is when all desire
is eliminated and one
achieves final and
ultimate enlightenment.
(nirvana)
•John 3:16 “…perish”
Three Basic Splits of
Buddhism:
1.Theravada: closest to original;
does not treat the Buddha as
deity and regards the faith as a
worldview-not a type of
worship.
Three Basic Splits of
Buddhism:
2.Mahayana: worships the
Buddha as a god.; balances
tranquility and peace in the
struggles of life.
Three Basic Splits of
Buddhism:
3.Vajrayana: Tibetian, Nepal…
…added elements of shamanism
and the occult that includes
intentional immorality!
Historic Background…
Founded as a form of atheism
rejecting Creator God…
…because of difficulty in
reconciling:
• Suffering
• Judgment
• Evil with the existence of a good,
holy God
Core Beliefs…
Impersonal religion of self
perfection…the end of which is
death (extinction) not life.
•Belief in the Four Noble Truths
•Belief in the Noble Eightfold
Path
Four Noble Truths
•Life is full of suffering (dukkha)
•Suffering caused by craving
(samudaya)
•Suffering will cease only when
craving ceases (nirodha)
•Can only be achieved by following
the “Noble Eightfold Path”
Noble Eightfold Path
1. Right Views …I am the way…(John 14:6,
Acts 4:12)
2. Right Aspiration…fights and quarrels
come from wrong motives…(1 Cor. 10:31)
3. Right Speech…God will hold us
accountable to what we say…(Matt
12:36)
4. Right Conduct…if you love God, obey
Him…(John 14:21)
5. Right Livelihood…all work must be for
God…(2 Tim 2:15)
Noble Eightfold Path
6. Right Effort…throw off every
hindrance…(Heb. 12:1-2)
7. Right Mindfulness…sinful mind cannot
submit to God…(Rom 8:7)
8. Right Contemplation…true peace,
lasting salvation comes in complete
submission to Jesus and setting your
heart and mind on things above…(Col.
3:1-4)
Two Streams of Buddhism…
•Zen (right thinking)
•Tibetian Buddhism
•Need to ward off spiritual beings
•Each Buddha had his female sexual
counterpart
•To aid in the pursuit of nirvana and to
secure protection from evil forces one
can attach oneself to any of the Buddhas
or divine beings.
•Dalai Lama, (Beatles, John Morrison)
One important aspect in
Buddhism is meditation.
“If you train your mind to become
peaceful you shall be happy all the time,
even in the most difficult
circumstances. If your mind is not
peaceful, even if you have the most
pleasant circumstances, you will find it
difficult to be really happy.”
(Kosala and Vajradhara Buddhist Ctr…Asheville, NC)
”Is all Meditation bad…?
What does the Bible
say?
The Bible says, “…but his delight is
in the law of the Lord and on his
law he meditates day and night.”
Psalm 1:2
“…The Book of the Law shall not
depart from your mouth, but you
shall meditate on it day and night,
so that you may be careful to do
according to all that is written in
it.…” Jos. 1:7-8
One important aspect in
Buddhism is meditation.
The problems come with the desired end
result…
”Meditation is also the means of developing
your inner being...you will progress on the
same paths followed by great Yogis…you too
will realize your full potential and discover
the unchanging peace and happiness of
enlightenment and …then you will have the
power to help all living beings.”
(Kosala and Vajradhara Buddhist Ctr…Asheville, NC)
Evangelizing Buddhists in
America
•Remember, Buddhists probably have
a different worldview of themselves
and Christianity…
•Be clear in presentation…words have
different meanings because of their
background.
Evangelizing Buddhists in
America
•Do not put them on a pedestal and look
on him as a prize!
•Ask the Lord to personally work in their
hearts to soften them to accept the
gospel message.
•Avoid doctrinal disputes…it is okay to
say, “I don’t know.”
•Do not compromise with the Buddhists
beliefs and want to blend the two!
Evangelizing Buddhists in
America
•Avoid terms such as “new birth, born again”
as they believe in reincarnation on their way
to their “nirvana”
•Share your personal testimony especially
your freedom from guilt, assurance of
heaven (no more pain), and personal
relationship with Christ.…
…keep it under 2 minutes…
PRAY…do not witness in your own strength.