Is the International Church of Christ a cult?
The answer to the question, "Is the International Church of Christ a cult?" depends on the definition of what makes a group a cult. The definition of a cult that CARM uses is a group that may or may not include the Bible in its set of authoritative scr ... read more
Is the Jehovah's Witness religion Christian?
The answer to the question is, "No. It is not Christian." Like all non-Christian cults, the Jehovah's Witness organization distorts the essential doctrines of Christianity. It denies the deity of Christ, His physical resurrection, and salvation by grac ... read more
Is there non-biblical evidence of a day of darkness at the crucifixion?
In Luke 23:44-46 there is the record of darkness falling upon the land during Christ's crucifixion. "And it was now about the sixth hour, and darkness fell over the whole land until the ninth hour, 45the sun being obscured; and the veil of the temple ... read more
Islam
Scripture addresses are not linked within the quotes to allow ease of cut and pasting. The links are provided separately after each quote to allow access to quick scriptures for further cutting and pasting. Scriptures are linked to the KJV where appropr ... read more
Islamic terms
Adhan - The call to prayer.
Ahmad - Another name for Muhammad.
Allah - The Arabic word for "god." It is often used as a name for God in Islam.
Badr - The place of the first significant battle between and the pagans of the Quraish. It is located ... read more
It is improbable that Jesus rose from the dead.
When someone says that it is improbable that Jesus rose from the dead, he is speaking logically. The fact is that probability strongly works against Jesus rising from the dead. After all, how many people have risen from the dead in this century? If it had ... read more
It is intolerant to say that Christianity is the only true religion.
Yes it is intolerant. In fact, it is very intolerant to say that Jesus is the way the truth and the life and that no one can get to God except through Him as Jesus Himself said in John 14:6. It is also intolerant to state that there is no other name und ... read more
Jehovah's Witnesses
The purpose of this page is to provide quick cut and paste answers to common objections against Christianity. Each answer has been boiled down to a maximum of 255 characters, including spaces, to allow it to be pasted on all chat systems -- at least all ... read more
Jehovah's Witnesses are really "Watchtowerites."
Jehovahs Witnesses faithfully go door-to-door preaching the "Kingdom of God" that is taught them via the Watchtower Bible and Tract Society. They are usually quite polite and sincere in their efforts of communicating "Jehovahs Good News." As always, ... read more
Jehovah's Witnesses in a nutshell
According to Jehovah's Witness' theology, God is a single person, not a Trinity, who does not know all things and is not everywhere. He first created Michael the Archangel through whom He created all "other things," including the universe, the earth, ... read more
Jehovah's Witnesses' History
The Jehovah's Witnesses was begun by Charles Taze Russell in 1872. He was born on February 16, 1852, the son of Joseph L. and Anna Eliza Russell. He had great difficulty in dealing with the doctrine of eternal hell fire and in his studies came to deny no ... read more
Jesus only appeared to have died on the cross - Swoon Theory.
The swoon theory is the theory that Jesus never really died on the cross but that He was crucified and came very close to death. It further states that after He was taken down from the cross and laid in the tomb, after three days the coolness of the tom ... read more
Jesus was a magician who made people hallucinate about His miracles
All sorts of excuses and challenges have been offered to contradict or explain away the miraculous accounts of Jesus' life. Among the weaker challenges offered is that Jesus was some sort of a magician who was able to get people to hallucinate about Hi ... read more
Jesus' humbled state and what it means
Many of the non Christian cults attack the deity of Christ by citing verses such as Jesus not knowing something (Matt. 24:36), where He is growing in wisdom (Luke 2:52), or says that the Father is greater than He (John 14:28). They claim that if Jesus wa ... read more
Jesus' resurrected body, the atonement, and Islam
This conversation dealt with the resurrected body of Christ, the atonement, and a bit on what Muslim theology has to offer. It is brief, but it has value in the discussion of Christ.
Gil: Hey Matt
Matt: Hi
Gil: Can I ask a question?
Matt: You just ... read more
Kenosis
"Kenosis" is derived from the Greek word "kenoo" which means "to empty." It is used in Phil. 2:7. The text of Phil. 2:5-8 is worth recording here.
"Have this attitude in yourselves which was also in Christ Jesus, 6who, although He existed in ... read more
Letter Uncials; 4th to 10th century copies
Uncials are uppercase Greek letters and are used to designate another set of manuscripts. Uncials are designated with the initial "0". All these manuscripts were written in the uncial form; that is, the uppercase Greek style.
Manuscript Contents ... read more
List of Cults
There are many more out there and I'll add names in here as time goes on. At least if you can find a group listed here, you'll know it is not Christian.
I'll add links as time permits.
Alamo Christian Foundation
Anthroposophical Society
... read more
Manuscript evidence for superior New Testament reliability
The New Testament is constantly under attack and its reliability and accuracy are often contested by critics. But, if the critics want to disregard the New Testament, then they must also disregard other ancient writings by Plato, Aristotle, and Homer. T ... read more
Methods Muslims use to attack Christianity.
When dealing with Muslims it is wise to understand some of the approaches used by them to discredit Christianity. Much could be written on each of the following subjects with numerous examples. But, instead, I will simply expound on the areas common amo ... read more
Miracles cannot happen
Before we can decide whether or not miracles can happen, we must first define what a miracle is. Basically, a miracle is an event that cannot be normally explained through the laws of nature. In the context of Christianity, miracles are the product and t ... read more
Modalism
Modalism is probably the most common theological error concerning the nature of God. It is a denial of the Trinity which states that God is a single person who, throughout biblical history, has revealed Himself in three consecutive modes, or forms. Thu ... read more
Monarchianism
Monarchianism (mono - "one"; arche - "rule") was an error concerning the nature of God that developed in the second century A.D. It arose as an attempt to maintain Monotheism and refute tritheism. Unfortunately, it also contradicts the orthodox doc ... read more
Monophysitism
Monophysitism is an error concerning the nature of Christ that asserts Jesus had only one nature, not two as is taught in the correct doctrine of the hypostatic union: Jesus is both God and man in one person. In monophysitism, the single nature was di ... read more
More on the New Age Movement
What the New Age Movement does.
It is a sponge that attempts to absorb all religions, cultures, and governments.
It seeks to unify all systems into one spiritual, socio-economic unity.
It uses various means to have mystical experiences with God and/ ... read more
Mormonism
The purpose of this page is to provide quick cut and paste answers to common objections against Christianity. Each answer has been boiled down to a maximum of 255 characters, including spaces, to allow it to be pasted on all chat systems -- at least all ... read more
Mormonism in a Nutshell
Mormonism teaches that God used to be a man on another world and that he became a god by following the laws and ordinances of his god on his home world. He brought his wife to this world, a woman he had married on the other world. She is, essential a go ... read more
Mormonism's History
Mormonism began with Joseph Smith Jr. who was born on Dec. 23, 1805, in Vermont. He was the fourth child of Lucy and Joseph Smith. Joseph senior was known as a money digger and sought after buried treasure, particularly that of Captain Kidd. His mother w ... read more
Nestorianism
Nestorianism is the error that Jesus is two distinct persons. The heresy is named after Nestorius, who was born in Syria and died in 451 AD, who advocated this doctrine. Nestorius was a monk who became the Patriarch of Constantinople and he repudiate ... read more
Non-biblical accounts of New Testament events and/or people
Flavius Josephus (AD 37?-101?, a Jewish historian) mentions John the Baptist and Herod - Antiquities, Book 18, ch. 5, par. 2
"Now some of the Jews thought that the destruction of Herod's army came from God, and that very justly, as a punishment of w ... read more
Oneness
Baptism - Oneness groups teach baptism (in Jesus' name) is necessary for salvation
If baptism is necessary for salvation, then why are we justified by faith (Rom. 5:1) and not faith and baptism?
"In Jesus' name" is a reference to authority, not met ... read more
Oneness and the word "person"
Oneness theology denies the Trinity doctrine and claims that there is one person in the Godhead who has manifested himself in three different forms: the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. These "forms" are not three separate persons, but one person ... read more
Papyri, p1 through p76; 200 AD to 700 AD copies
The following are extant papyrus fragments and copies. These manuscripts, designated by p1, p2, etc., are part of the overall existing biblical manuscript scope that we now possess. This range of papyri are very old. They represent the extant copies ma ... read more
Pelagianism
Pelagianism derives its name from Pelagius who lived in the 5th century A.D. and was a teacher in Rome, though he was British by birth. It is a heresy dealing with the nature of man. Pelagius, whose family name was Morgan, taught that people had the a ... read more
Questions for Muslims
Dear Muslim, I do not post these questions as a "proof" that Islam is false. I do not believe that is possible with a simple list of questions. Nevertheless, they are here to encourage discussion that the truth may be known.
The Qur'an says "To t ... read more
Regarding the quotes from the historian Josephus about Jesus
Flavius Josephus was a Jewish priest at the time of the Jewish Revolt of A.D. 66. He was captured by the Romans, imprisoned, set free and then retired to Rome where he wrote a history of the Jewish Revolt called the "Jewish War." Later he wrote "Ant ... read more
Relativism
Relativism is perhaps the easiest of all positions to refute. When someone states that all truth is relative or that there are no absolute truths, then it is a simple matter of demonstrating the illogic of their position. These short replies to their st ... read more
Roman Catholicism
There is so much about the Catholic Church that is fascinating. They teach many orthodox things, and then they teach so many non orthodox doctrines. Following are some of them in an easy-to-cut-and-paste arrangement.
Baptism saves
". . Baptism ... read more
Since the NT writers were biased, can we trust what they wrote?
Yes, we can trust their testimony. Being biased about something does not mean that you cannot tell the truth. Take for example the case of a robbery. The robber shoots and wounds two employees, escapes, but is later apprehended. At the trial the emplo ... read more
Socinianism.
A heresy concerning the nature of God. It is derived from two brothers of the surname Sozinni who lived in the 1500's in Poland. Socinianism denies the doctrine of the Trinity claiming it denies the simplicity of God's unity. Instead, God is a sing ... read more
Studying with the Mormons? Thinking of joining the Mormon church?
Are you interested in joining the Mormon church? Are you curious about it? Maybe you are taking or have taken the missionary lessons. Perhaps you even think that the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is a good Christian church that is family ... read more
Terms and definitions of Christian Science
Angels are Gods thoughts passing to man, an inspiration of goodness, purity that counters evil and material reality.
Atonement is not the shedding of Christs blood, but "At-one-ment." "Lifting the whole man into Christ Consciousness." The Biblica ... read more
The Bible
It has been reported for about 50 years that the Bible has been the largest seller of all books published in the history of the world.
The Bible was written by about 40 men in about 1600 years dating from 1500 B.C. to about 100 A.D. These men wrot ... read more
The Christians were mistaken about Jesus' resurrection
Sometimes critics of Christianity say that Jesus' disciples were mistaken about His resurrection. They say that because no one can rise from the dead, then the disciples were wrong when they said that Jesus rose from the dead. First of all, they are a ... read more
The disciples stole Jesus' body and faked His resurrection.
This possibility has been raised by critics ever since Jesus rose from the dead. But it has never taken root except in some Jewish circles because the New Testament account does not support a faked resurrection theory. Nevertheless, in order for the di ... read more
The Failure of the Christian Church
Christianity is supposed to be the representative of Jesus who taught love, forgiveness, sacrifice, unity, and humility. Though that may be true to a large extent, Christianity has demonstrated an ability to overlook many of its professed virtues and allo ... read more
The Five Pillars of Islam
The Five Pillars of Islam are core beliefs that shape Muslim thought, deed, and society. A Muslim who fulfills the Five Pillars of Islam, remains in the faith of Islam, and sincerely repents of his sins, will make it to Jannah (paradise). If he performs ... read more
The New Testament writers conspired together to gain power.
It is certainly possible that the New Testament writers worked together and concocted a plan to use a good man named Jesus, who had recently died, in order to gain power and influence for themselves. But just because something is possible does not mean ... read more
The writings of Josephus mention many biblical people and places
Flavius Josephus (37-101 A.D.) was a Jewish priest at the time of the Jewish Revolt of A.D. 66. He was captured by the Romans, imprisoned, set free and then retired to Rome where he wrote a history of the Revolt called the "Jewish War." Later he wrot ... read more
There are no non-biblical accounts to the resurrection
First of all, saying that there are no non biblical accounts of the resurrection does not invalidate the resurrection. The New Testament documents, particularly the Gospels, were written by eyewitnesses or under the direction of eyewitnesses before the ... read more
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