Earlier today, I was at the Eye Clinic with my brother Lukman Samuel Ridwan, Brother Yusuf Oladimeji Gideon and sister Aisha Blessing Olowosoke when a very interesting discussion started.
A woman sitting near us paid attention as two of us have beards, one is in a Jalab with Sister Aisha blessing in a Hijab. What caught her attention was that I was calling the man in Jalab Samuel and Bro Yusuf Gideon at a point called sister Aisha, Blessing and I also called him Bro Gideon.
She ended up asking if Muslims bear these names and she was told we reverted to Islam. Whoa!!! “All of you?,” She said. “Yes” was the answer and the drama began.
Woman : You see, all religions and no religion can lead one to God. You can only be saved by your deeds and how right you are with God. Therefore, you need to see things from a religious perspective.
Me : Well, I disagree ma. Maybe what you intended to define is spirituality. While it is true that many practise religion without spirituality, it still does not take away religion from the equation.
A man who does good, feeds the poor, clothes the orphan but does not believe that Jesus Christ is his Lord and personal Saviour, and that Jesus came to die for his sins, how will he attain salvation?
Woman : You are getting me wrong. I am not taking religion out of the equation but one must be right with God, do righteous deeds and God will direct such person to himself as we can see when it comes to Cornelius.
Cornelius was a righteous man but did not know Christ. God directed him to Peter, hence his righteousness and works got him saved.
Me : I do not go against righteous deeds but this your analysis will make you understand. Cornelius was righteous and did good works but had no religion. God directed him to Peter and he started to worship God, revere Jesus and committed to worshiping God…
Now, Religion means the belief in and worship of a supernatural controlling power/deity or personal God or gods. It is also a particular system of worship or faith.
Therefore, When Cornelius met Peter, he got a religion which is Christianity having a system of beliefs. If religion was not so important, why didn’t the “spirituality” suffice Cornelius, God should not have led him to Peter then.
Woman : Well, I am not saying religion is not important but one has to get it right with God.
Me : Yes, I agree. I am beginning to get confused. Are you for Paul or James? Paul wrote in Ephesians 2:8 that salvation is by faith alone but James wrote in James 2:24 that Salvation is not by faith alone but works inclusive. Who then is right?
Madam : You see, one needs to research well before talking. You cannot just start to talk based on what you hear. You need to study and make researches.Even…
Me: (Cuts in) Haha, this is a discussion between people meeting for the first time. How can you conclude that I am talking based on what I hear. It would be unwise to test how far we have researched. But according to my research, Jesus never used the Bible, he was not a Christian, taught no trinity, was never in church but a Muslims who believed in one God (Mark 12:29) and also preached bowing to God alone in worship (Matthew 4:8-10).
Woman : (Giggles) You mean Jesus never used a Bible? I have never heard that but from you. Jesus used a Bible (brings out her Bible)
Me : He did not, Ma. When he read from the book of Isaiah, he was not reading from the “Bible”
Woman : Yes but he read from the word of God!
Me : Madam, is that not the Revised standard Version of the Bible with you?
Woman : It is…
Me : Nice, open Romans 16: 24.
Woman : (Searched without success) Please, give me your own Bible.
Me : No o. Jesus read a Bible and it must have been the RSV because that’s what you take to church. Was this verse missing in Jesus’. Did Jesus read the Bible that contained the book of Matthew, Mark, Luke and John that wrote about his own alleged death?
Isn’t it funny that someone must have read about his death to a congregation from four different sources that are contradictory, full of errors and fallacies?
Nurse : Lucas Bashir!!!!!!
Me : Coming… Madam, you have my number (she asked earlier), see you someday, In shaa Allah.
Bashir Lucas Samson Lukman
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