Judaism, Christianity, Islam

Judaism, Christianity, Islam

Throughout history these three religions have always been enemies to one another. Though there is no religion that is not an enemy to others! They all say, “we are right, you are wrong.” “We are God's servants, you are Satan's; we are the good and the right ones, you are the wrong and the bad ones.” The most interesting aspect of this business is that, for all who are not of their own religion, even if those people have good works, salvation is forbidden to them. If they persist in remaining where they are, whatever happens they will not be saved. God will destroy them, will burn them in hell, the tormentors will not take them out of the cauldrons of tar, etc., etc. This is how they think; and so they teach their children, at school, at their workplaces. On this matter all of their consciences are at ease. For this reason they feel no distress at all. From birth they have never received even the tiniest piece of knowledge over which one might feel distress, to the effect that enmity toward one another is wrong! When some misfortune befalls one side, the other side immediately rejoices: “There, God gave him his comeuppance, good, serves him right,” they say. And they do all they can to destroy one another. And on top of it they suppose they are serving God by this! Since they received such a training of conscience from childhood, they carry out this destroying, this inflicting of suffering, this torture — and with an easy conscience at that. On this matter, each one's method is, in its own way, distinct.

When you read what is written here, do you say “lies”? Look at history. Dig a little. However much they have tried to cover up their filth, its stench is nonetheless smelled. To those whose noses smell nothing we have nothing to say! They do not like the truth, the facts. They are afraid precisely because it is real, because it is true! And they have a host of excuses. But our subject is not about them.

What I have related was for those of different religions. Well, what do those who have the same religion and who say they believe in the same book do? Again let us look at history — and without going far at all, at the people within our own religion with whom we live side by side, who share the same congregations in the same churches, mosques, synagogues. Can we say, “how friendly they are to one another, it is impossible not to see the sincere love among them, they could even sacrifice their lives for one another”? Did we not say that, sharing the same church, having the same religious book and receiving blessing prayers from people of the same spiritual group, they went off to kill one another at the front in the First and Second World Wars? As for the Jews, we read of their hatred for one another, their wars with one another, in their own holy book. When the whole Torah is read, no little experience has been lived on this matter. And the Muslims? What is to be said of the merciless wars and massacres they have waged against one another for years, only out of spite and hatred for one another? If we add to this the enmities of the Christians against them, and of them against the Christians, then who, I wonder, is fanning these endless hatreds and spites? That it cannot be God is certain. Yet they do these things always with God's name, in His name!

At the start, we spoke of Jew–Christian–Muslim and their enmities toward one another. Meanwhile let us point out: please do not see false poses as friendship. This habit of striking poses is the profession of politicians; but the reason religions are far more dangerous than politicians is that, while the politician strikes a pose in his own name and his party's name, the religionists strike this pose in God's name. Since it cannot be said that striking a pose is the expression of sincere, heartfelt feelings! But that the religious, like the politician, strike this pose for their interest, in the name of their religion — while doing all these ugly things, their use of God's name is terrifying. For this reason God, in the Gospel, in the book of Romans, chapter 2 verse 24:

“…because of you the name of God is blasphemed among the nations” — He had these words written against all these groups, the religious.

The interesting aspect of these three religions, which are the heading of our subject, is that the books all three hold and accept as sacred all speak of the same God. According to this, in a Christian's holy book there is also the holy book the Jews possess, and it must be accepted as the word of God. In the holy book the Muslim holds, it is written that both the Jews' and the Christians' books are accepted as the word of God — indeed, that it is “obligatory.” There God describes the believing ones to Muhammad as follows:

“And they who believe in what is sent down to you (the Quran) and in what was sent down before you (the Torah, the Psalms, the Gospel)…” Al-Baqarah, the 2nd surah, verse 4. This is only one of dozens of verses.

Because these two books we have mentioned came after the Jews' holy books, the Jews deny both of them. That is, the earlier one does not recognize, can in no way accept, the later one! In the same way the Christians, like the Jews, say the same thing about the Muslims' holy book and about Muhammad. Alongside this, the one who possesses the later holy book devours the other: why does he not recognize my book, oh, the infidel! That one: “Your book is wrong”; the other: “No, you are faithless” — let them squabble. How much blood have they shed on this path! These wars have lasted thousands of years and still continue in the most effective way.

Those who saw that these struggles have no way out have cloaked themselves in a policy of granting a kind of freedom: “There is yours and here is mine, your religion to you and my religion to me.” In fact, appearing to have granted freedom, on the other side each watches for an opportunity against the others, “how can I gouge out his eye.” If they cannot find an opportunity, they create one! Even if they can do nothing, inwardly they feel coldness, or they hate. Yet God has commanded all people to love one another. (Matthew 5:38-48) By this it is not meant that we love their faults, their wrongs, their sins; but as humans we are obliged to love them as ourselves. Which of them applies and tries to fulfill this command?

Let us again continue our subject with comparisons. Well, if those who possess these books that came at separate times are like this, what about those who possess the same book? They are even more interesting! Those who hold the same book sacred have split into thousands of sects and religions because they cannot agree among themselves — saying, “not your understanding, but my understanding is right.” In Christianity, in Islam and in Judaism the situation is the same. Muslims devoured Muslims, Christians Christians, Jews Jews. Despite devouring one another so much for thousands of years, they are still not sated, have not satisfied their ambition. And these are people who use the same church, the same mosque, the same synagogue. Then they split from one another and set up other temples, mosques, churches, synagogues, congregations, assembly halls. Well, these who split off, who set up a separate congregation, a separate mosque, a separate church, a separate temple — what came of them? Why do you not answer this? From your heart…! If you are someone belonging to them, did you say to yourself, “there is none like us”? Look, there you erred. There is a bank advertisement, and it is a fine example for those who always see themselves as very different. In that ad it says exactly this: “In fact there is no difference between us, but we are such-and-such bank,” and it introduces itself. In my view this ad is a very fitting answer for those who belong to all these religions yet see themselves as different.

We do not go into details. Humanity, the events of history, books, novels, newspapers — yours, mine, theirs — have already gone into these details. They have split hairs and still, plainly, have obtained no result. Someone reading these writings might also say sincerely: “All right, these situations are so, everyone has set off on a path, but in the end, as in that bank ad, do not all paths unite in the same place? And are these subjects not as tangled as a knot of hair, subjects from which one cannot extricate oneself?”

In fact, for someone who has no knowledge at all, the situation appears so from the outside. But our God who created us has not turned this business into a form from which, as is supposed, one can never extricate oneself. In fact it is far simpler and easier than supposed. In the Torah, in the book of Deuteronomy (the Repetition of the Law), from chapter 30:11 to verse 20, God answers this subject as follows:

This commandment that I command you today is not too hard for you, nor is it far from you. It is not in the heavens, that you should say: “Who will go up to the heavens for us and bring it down to us and make us hear it, that we may do it?” Nor is it beyond the sea, that you should say: “Who will cross to the other side of the sea for us and bring it to us and make us hear it, that we may do it?” But the word is very near you, that you may do it; it is in your mouth and in your heart. (I wrote only verses 11-14; please open and read verses 15 to 20 yourselves.)

I wrote the subjects mentioned above for every thinking person. Every person has asked himself, and may ask, these questions that seem impossible to resolve. Everyone's method of seeking an answer has perhaps been a little different. I personally, first being neither enemy nor friend with anyone, began to read the books of these three most famous religions of which we speak. In the end I was terribly astonished. Either these books in my hand had been written wrongly — which many claim — or these religions were wrong. I took and read the books in the hands of those religions, of their religious people; they were the same! The books had not been written wrongly. Some had been translated differently — that can be; different but same-meaning words had been used — but they were still the same. I am so sure of one thing: if these books had been altered, every religion would have done so in the direction of its own interest and gain. Without going to too great an extreme, such simple changes were indeed made.

For example, the religion called Jehovah's Witnesses in our time first applied among themselves, too, the responsible office of “eldership” that the congregations of the first-century Christians possessed. Then, out of fear that danger would come to them from those elders, eldership was forbidden for 40 years. Indeed, to distort the word “elder” that occurs in the Holy Scripture which they themselves translated, they translated this word as “old man.” With this translation, done so insidiously, the true meaning of that office was in a way corrupted. This is only one example of the changes they made so as not to contradict their own practice and teachings. There is more — there is, but there is no longer anyone who has not researched and learned these. Such changes do not distance us from God. The person who wishes to become, on his own account, an expert in these matters will in time certainly see these errors too. I saw them by means of these books. If these books had undergone serious alteration, I would have had to either believe in one of these religions or throw these books in the trash. Whether it was possible for me, having read this book of mine, to become one of them, or to throw these books in the trash — you decide again. I found the truth with the help of these books. I saw the perversion of those religions with the help of these books. Had they been altered, would this have been possible? In that case these books would have had to take on the form of a book in keeping with the teaching of each one who altered them, taking his side.

Let us come to what kind of follies those who believe in the same book have done with this book, even though the same things are written in it. Let me continue, staying with the same example I mentioned in the previous subject. We said the First and Second World Wars were waged among countries that were mostly Christian. These prayed in their churches, with the same book, to the same God. Why? “Help me, my God, as we kill our enemies at the front.” Whom would they kill? Those who believed in the same religion, the same God. Well, what did the holy book in the hands of those who prayed this prayer say? I will write it exactly as it is, from its place.

“You have heard that it was said, You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy. But I say to you: Love your enemies, and pray for those who persecute you, that you may be sons of your Father who is in the heavens; for He makes His sun rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous.” The Gospel, Matthew chapter 5:43-45.

The prophet Jesus said these words. The book of the Gospel was written solely in the light of words like these. Let us ask ourselves again: before going to war, which God were these clergy praying to in their churches with these books in their hands?

The situations of the Muslims and the Jews are no different. And let us not take the situation only from the angle of warfare. The people who are members of these religions plainly show in their lives, with their every kind of dealing, that they have distanced themselves from God. In the Gospel, in the book of 2 Timothy, chapter 3:1-5, in the verses about the last days — that is, about our time — it is written:

“Know this, that in the last days there will be hard times. People will be lovers of self, lovers of money, boastful, arrogant, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, ungrateful, without holiness and without love, unforgiving, slanderers, without self-control, savage, haters of good. They will be traitors, reckless, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, having an appearance of being on God's path but denying its power. Keep away from such people.”

Were these written prophecies to apply only to Muslims? Or to Christians, or to Jews? No — all of humanity is being spoken of. Since they have these books in their hands, and say “we believe in it,” yet do not act in keeping with what is written there, what is to be said of these people? Is this not called hypocrisy? Is it not plain that, by acting flatly against the writings in their hands, they have gone against the words of the agreement between themselves and God? Whether those books are right or wrong, are they not the ones who say “we believe in this” and do not carry out the words there? At the very least, for this reason they are guilty and will give account. With what eye does God look upon those who do such hypocrisy, such fraud? That God of whom we speak will certainly give each one the recompense that is according to his works. (Revelation 22:11-12)

With all that I have related, what did I mean? In fact, as we have seen in the comparisons, having the same religion, believing in the same book, glorifying the same God, has likewise brought no solution. And what of those of separate religions? For these too, this has been merely an excuse for hating those people, that is all. People have not openly stated their interests, their egotism, their gains and all their ugly qualities, but have made these an excuse. For they have loved themselves most, and to hate they have found an excuse very easily. Difference of religion, difference of language, the color of one's skin, nationality, party, team, the things one possesses, etc. — these have been more than enough, and to spare, for humanity as a reason to hate.

For in a very short time more, God foretold beforehand, through His prophets, as a sign before the end comes, that all the religions on earth will be banned. (Revelation chapters 17 and 18; Daniel 8:9-12 and 11:30-31… 36-38) Do you suppose that then people will love one another more and their problems will be solved? No. We read above, from the Gospel's book of Timothy, how people will be in the last days. Again, among the reasons we counted a moment ago, the religion question was not the only reason for hating. Would such a humanity be happy? Could it live in peace? What will God do to such a world of humanity? Most importantly, a question we ought to ask ourselves should be this: «What should I do?» With the verse I wrote above, I spoke of how very simple this is.

First let us cast off this disease of religion and label from ourselves. And let us not leave such an important subject to our religious leaders! As God said through Jesus:

“Why do you not, of yourselves, discern what is right?”

Yes, indeed, why do we not do this?

Let us show behaviors in keeping with this saying in the Gospel — Luke 12:57. With the spirit of God, Jesus the Messiah, with this question, emphasizes that humanity should decide for itself, should have the capacity to stand spiritually on its own feet, and through all this should have the knowledge to discern, in conscience, the difference between good and evil. This is a question asked of every person who has personhood. For people without personhood — cowardly, self-regarding, mindless, characterless — this question has no meaning either.

Even in a Nasreddin Hodja anecdote, let us not forget this matter, which both makes us laugh and makes us think: «The wonder is neither in the turban, nor in the robe, nor in those who make themselves holy.» If I touch on the verses from the Torah that I asked you above please to read, there, in the book of «Deuteronomy» — or in the new translation, «the Repetition of the Law» — 30:11-14, the God who says His personal name is Jehovah (or Yahweh), through Moses, briefly says:

“…the word of God is very near you; obeying that word is in your mouth and in your heart” — let us think deeply about His saying this and about what He means. (In the Torah, in Exodus 3:15, in the new Turkish translation, while raising the suspicion that this name could be Yahweh, and while accepting that God has a personal name, this name has unfortunately been removed entirely from the translations! Probably they too, angered at the Jehovah's Witnesses, committed such a folly!)

So that the word of God may be in our mouth and in our heart, let us seek Him with prayers and supplications in keeping with His will, that is, His purpose. In the present time I believe that we need the knowledge of God more than ever. For this knowledge can be the cause of our salvation — and not only ours, but perhaps, through our words and our way of life in keeping with God, of the salvation of many as well.

Look at the prophets. What was Moses' religion? What was Jesus' religion? And Muhammad's? In the time they lived, they belonged to no religion. On the contrary, the religious people of the time always hated them, chased them, killed them, made life bitter for them. Let us ask ourselves whose footsteps we ought to follow. If they treated those prophets that way, then if we follow in their footsteps, they will not treat us differently either. But if we are resolute and zealous, whatever befalls us, in the end we will attain eternal life and eternal happiness. Exactly as it is written, again in the book of Revelation:

…and God Himself will be with them. He will wipe away all the tears from their eyes; and there will no longer be death, nor will there any longer be mourning, weeping or pain; for the former things have passed away. 21:3-4

There it is — this is the promise to people of the God who cannot lie. (Titus 1:2) Who can give such a promise? Which human, ruler, or religious institution?

The holy books of all three of these religions write, «No one but God can give it.» Believe, you too, as it is written in those books. I wanted to encourage you to free yourselves now from the chains of enslaving yourselves to people, organizations, religions in order to draw near to God — break those handcuffs. For the path that leads to God passes through none of these. This path is as near to you as the things that are in your mouth and in your heart.