>Cynthia Beheiry sillymaxx@hotmail.com

>Sat, 18 - Dec -2004 13:01

>noor@islam-message.com

>Fw: Hello and Peace to you 

            My husband directed me to this site to read your book.  I was raised as a Christian.  My parents never discussed God as they had disagreements about religion.  I attended a daycare where they read and taught us Bible Stories.  I was 4 years old when I heard my first Bible Story.  I always loved hearing the wonderful things our God did and taught us.  He was very loving and cared for all of us.  As I got older I was told that whoever did not accept the fact that Jesus was His son and that he died and rose from the dead would definitely go to hell.  What a shock for a child to hear about their God.  I could never accept that a good man who prayed, believed in God and did good deeds to his fellow man would burn in hell.  I had so many questions during my life that no minister, preacher, etc. could answer to my satisfaction.  I've been in Baptist and Methodist Churches, Church of God and Holiness.   

             I do not believe that God would make things so confusing for us.  I refused to believe that He would condemn all of his people to hell if they were not "Christian".  What of the thousands, perhaps millions who lived and died before Christ?  Does this mean that Adam, Noah and his family and Moses and his people are going to hell?  They cannot possibly believe in Christ.   

            Another thing that always confused me was the 4 gospels. When Jesus was baptized by John, (3 of the 4 gospels wrote to the effect of.........) A great voice said "This is my son whom I am well pleased"  If this was the voice of God, which I'm assuming it is, why is it that 1 of the gospels does not mention this.  If God spoke, this is a very, very important event.  But only 3 of them mention it. 

            I once asked a Baptist minister to explain to me why we pray to Jesus.  He replied that Jesus is the Son of God.  I ask how is He the Son of God.  The minister replied because he is not born of man.  Referring to the Virgin Mary.  I then asked the minister why we did not pray to Adam.  Adam is not of man nor woman.  Why then don't we pray to Adam and he surely is not of man.  The minister walked away and got in his car.  I've never seen him again.  That was about 4 years ago.  I stopped using Jesus' name in my prayer after that.  How can I justify praying in his name when the ministers of my faith cannot answer my questions?   
 

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