Answers for Lestat
" Jesus replied, 'I tell you the truth, if you have faith and do not doubt, not only can you do what was done to the fig tree, but also you can say to this mountain, 'Go, throw yourself into the sea,' and it will be done. If you believe, you will receive whatever you ask for in prayer.'"
I challenge any "faithful" believing Christian to move one brick, not a mountain with his sight or words. Have any Christian from the time of Jesus till now been able to do it?
Metaphorically speaking, many Christians have done wonderful things, moving great proverbial mountains (seemingly immoveable barriers hindering their -or God's? - ways).
If the Christian can do all things through Christ who strenghtens them, if only they have faith, the theoretically, yes, of course I can pray and see a mountain move, because it's not myself moving a mountain but God. Don't even bother asking me to try, however. I'm not interested in seeing real life physical mountains moved. Jesus said firmly "do not put the Lord your God to the test." If you are looking for a 'sign', watch the world, watch 2000 year old prophesies come to life, possibly (or probably according to some Christians) coming into life in our lifetime. One world government, an antichrist, a supposed Russian invasion of Israel (particually watch for that one).
You believe in an all-powerful God. Surely if your God is true, your followers would be able to move bricks, if the blessing of your God so rested upon him. Has one muslim ever done anything such as that? But the miracles that have happened at the hands of many Christians, while I have heard nothing of anyone physically moving a brick around, speak for themselves.
"And these signs will accompany those who believe: In my name they will drive out demons; they will speak in new tongues; they will pick up snakes with their hands; and when they drink deadly poison, it will not hurt them at all; they will place their hands on sick people, and they will get well."
Again, I challenge any Christian to allow himself to get bit by a poisonous rattle snake or cobra and survive its venom.
Does this mean no "Christian" is a real Christian? Did Jesus say that no one will ever be a believer, since they can't lift mountains with their eye sights nor survive deadly poisons?
According to Acts, the apostle Paul did was bitten by a deadly snake and lived, and the islanders of Malta (correct me if I've got the wrong island please) decided to worship him as one having the power of a god (or something of that line) whence then Paul pointed them towards Jesus.
As for placing hands on sick people and seeing them healed - I am not necessarily talking about the healing crusades where a preacher goes down a line of people, watching as they fall over - but I believe that its very possible in the least (and probable if not expected as the norm) that a prayerful Christian with faith can see people healed right now, today. I could look into it for you if you were looking for actual real life healings. No matter what I say, however, will your western mindsets allow you to believe that a miracle is possible? Can you find the faith to believe that something spiritual is able to happen? If there is an all-powerful God, is it so hard to believe that He can act and change things in our world? I believe He can, and has, and is, and will again. Whether you believe it or not, if the Bible says it is so, for Christianity to be true, it must be possible.
The word chariot, to the best of my limited research, seems to imply nothing special. It could imply a team of something, or a wagon. The word certainly has no military implications, and the original word is not the word not normally used for what we think of when we see a chariot in our mind - the war chariot as used by say, the Egyptians. As my research is limited, I could not find a link between the two words (the war-chariot and the word used in Isaiah which I think seems to imply more of a wagon than a war vehicle. Anyway, not sure how that helps the debate. I concur with evo's stance on your Isaiah debate, Lestat. I appreciate the effort and the well-thought out arguements you are putting out, but after carefully reading the passage in a few versions of the Bible, I'm pretty certain Isaiah was not talking about Mohammed when he gave that prophetic utterance.
Just remember - Christianity as seen by most today is far removed from the teachings of Jesus, Peter, Paul, etc., or the words of the Old Testament prophets. Humanism, fear of man, laziness, business and getting caught up in life, etc have all reduced many Bible-believing but not Bible-practising Christians to the morally substandard church of today. It seems to me that the media is especially interested in only the sides of the church who have slipped into moral decay and are presenting a humanistic view to the world. Please, don't judge the teachings of the Bible by the actions of many visible self-professing Christians.
"O you men of Israel, hear these words: Jesus of Nazareth, a MAN approved of God among you..."
Peter in the Book of Acts testifies about Jesus. Jesus thus even to his disciples, as to early Christians, not poisoned by Pauline doctrine, was a man, not a God. Now much clearer would you like it to be.
Peter's own books suggest that Peter did believe in Jesus' own Divine-ness. Even in the same sermon you quote as 'proof', I believe Peter spoke of Jesus as being with God. I think this is another example of someone quoting the Bible out of context. 90% of all "Biblical innconstencies" I see on this sight are simply put - misquotes out of context. The other 10% are ones I have not had the time to properly research.
Prove where the land that God told Abraham about was Paran - Mecca, please. In my readings, it seems Abram was guided to Palestine - modern day Israel, which he was promised as an inheritance. Not Mecca. Proof please, not just out of the Koran. (Is it offensive to spell it as Koran, or must it be Quran?)
Ishmael was not the child of God's promise, according to the Old Testament. Isaac was. Abram(aham's) seed was blessed, hence Ishmael becoming the father of a great nation (the Arabs).
Does that clear my p.o.v up, or are there still glaring questions?