UBC Event: Why Jesus Instead of Muhammad, Buddha, or Krishna? Aren't They All the Same?

Jesus Week is UBC's first apologetics event. We were blessed to have our first lecture yesterday.

Topic: Why Jesus instead of Muhammad, Buddha, or Krishna? Aren't the all the same?
Speaker: Dr. John Stackhouse.

I was able to record the lecture for anyone who missed and wants to listen to the arguments made.

Lecture:
Intro:


The Full Lecture + Q&A Session:


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Comments:


The lecture was really organized and informative. I have learned a lot of information about Eastern religions, along with the logic to use to show that religions are not the same. The guest speaker was really funny and easy to listen to, and he is amazing professor. I would really like to listen to him in other topics....

But, I wanna add some of my observation about this lecture. I would say that more than 90% of the audience already knew the answer of the lecture. We were mostly Christians and group of Muslims, so we all had a pretty firm opinion that religions does matter and they are not the same. This note being said, I would have rather dedicated more time to talk about why Jesus, why not the other.

On another note, the group of Muslims present were since the tittle has Mohammed (despite that Dr. Stackhouse didn't mention him much or his story). They were there prepared with arguments for Christians. Then why didn't Dr. Stackhouse mention Mohammed and Islam? He only talked about Christianity for the last question, which is VERY typical of any Muslim when they talk about Jesus. So may be I would wish that the lecture had more time to answer the question why to choose Jesus? After all, this is a Christian event.

Here is the clever question from the Muslims gentleman, which I am sure he came in prepared to ask this question, despite what is going to be presented:

Question:


Dr. Stackhouse did an amazing job answering the question on the spot, and in this very brief time. This is not the first time I hear this question from any Muslim. Actually in the Middle East, they write poems wondering how Christians are so stupid and fooled to believe such thing. So may be here I will try to show some arguments toward this point. I am not a professor, but I will just write what I think.

So the challenge is: "Jesus never said: 'I am God, Worship me'"


The Muslims have hard time with getting the idea that Jesus didn't have to say I am God in these exact words to be understood by his audience. Everyone got what he meant. If he went around just saying "I am God", no one would actually take him seriously. Imagine a guy walking in the street now yelling "I am God", " I am the Messiah" would you care? would anyone care or feel threat to this guy to the point to kill for blasphemy? NO! everyone will say "this is guy is crazy/drunk/drugged". Jesus didn't want to be labeled like crazy, that is why he didn't say these words, but he acted like one. He walked healing people, controlling nature, forgiving sin and getting dead people to life.

Let me pose this to a Muslim, did Mohammed walk around saying "I am Mowahed" (which means believe in one God)? No, he didn't. He didn't need to, because he says "No God but Allah". Should I come and tell you "well since he didn't say it in these exact words, I can't believe in it" ... you will find this very silly from any person who would ask you that.

Let's see what is in the Bible that made Christian says Jesus is God: (just from quick search on Google, I didn't collect all these verses myself)

Matthew 1:23: “Behold, the virgin shall be with child, and bear a Son, and they shall call His name Immanuel,”^[a] which is translated, “God with us.” 


Isaiah 9:6: For unto us a Child is born, 
      Unto us a Son is given;
      And the government will be upon His shoulder.
      And His name will be called
      Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God,
      Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. 

Isaiah 43:10,11: “ You are My witnesses,” says the LORD,
      “ And My servant whom I have chosen,
      That you may know and believe Me,
      And understand that I am He.
      Before Me there was no God formed,
      Nor shall there be after Me.
       ¹¹ I, even I, am the LORD,
      And besides Me there is no savior. 

Revelation 1:17-18 ; Revelation 2:8  - (Jesus is the First and the Last)

Isaiah 44:6 (God is the Redeemer): “ Thus says the LORD, the King of Israel, 

      And his Redeemer, the LORD of hosts:

      ‘ I am the First and I am the Last;
      Besides Me there is no God.

2 Peter 1:1  (Jesus is the Redeemer) Simon Peter, a bondservant and apostle of Jesus Christ,

To those who have obtained like precious faith with us by the righteousness of our God and Savior Jesus Christ:

John 1:1, 14: In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God ...And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth.

John 5:23: that all should honor the Son just as they honor the Father. He who does not honor the Son does not honor the Father who sent Him.

John 8:58: Jesus said to them, “Most assuredly, I say to you, before Abraham was, I AM.”

John 10:30-33 I and My Father are one.”
³¹ Then the Jews took up stones again to stone Him. ³²Jesus answered them, “Many good works I have shown you from My Father. For which of those works do you stone Me?”
³³ The Jews answered Him, saying, “For a good work we do not stone You, but for blasphemy, and because You, being a Man, make Yourself God.” 

2 John 1:7  For many deceivers have gone out into the world who do not confess Jesus Christ as coming in the flesh. This is a deceiver and an antichrist.

There are more versus, but I tried to focus only on the gospel and some Old Testament.

Of course this is all assumed that the Bible is right, and not corrupted as they believe. I am not a scholar in the Bible, but I know how many old copies of the bible where found in my country to prove that the Bible is the same since the time of Mohammed and even before that. The reason I said the time of Mohammed is very important, since he directed the Muslims to go and check the Bible during his time to proof that he is a prophet (That's why Muslims are always trying to find any clue to Mohammed in the Injil (Gospel)) He also says that the Injil in his time is the word of God. Muslims believe that Bible and Torah is the word of God, but people changed it. How is that possible when they believe that God doesn't allow people to alter his word:
"And We sent, following in their footsteps, Jesus, the son of Mary, confirming that which came before him in the Torah; and We gave him the Gospel, in which was guidance and light and confirming that which preceded it of the Torah as guidance and instruction for the righteous. And let the People of the Gospel judge by what Allah has revealed therein. And whoever does not judge by what Allah has revealed - then it is those who are the defiantly disobedient. And We have revealed to you, [O Muhammad], the Book in truth, confirming that which preceded it of the Scripture and as a criterion over it. So judge between them by what Allah has revealed and do not follow their inclinations away from what has come to you of the truth. To each of you We prescribed a law and a method. Had Allah willed, He would have made you one nation [united in religion], but [He intended] to test you in what He has given you; so race to [all that is] good. To Allah is your return all together, and He will [then] inform you concerning that over which you used to differ." Quran 5:46-48


"And the word of your Lord has been fulfilled in truth and in justice. None can alter His words, and He is the Hearing, the Knowing." Quran 6:115


Here is a High Recommended episode by Dr. James White to argue that the Bible didn't change:


I would also recommend these two books:















I hope this answers some questions.

God Bless.