A Closer Look at Christianity by Barbara A. Brown

AN OVERVIEW OF CHRISTIAN DOCTRINES

Through use of these four doctrines--that of divinity of Jesus, the trinity, atonement and salvation by faith--Paul achieved phenomenal success in his ministry. The Jews may have brushed Jesus aside, but the Gentiles flocked to Paul's side, as he gave them just what they wanted in their new religion. The term for the earlier followers of Jesus--Nazarenes--was dropped in favor of a new, more appropriate name: Christians, or followers of Jesus Christ.

This new religion of Christianity "...was abundantly interwoven with mythological content drawn heavily from pagan sources..." along with having a theology "...which was produced as the need arose to suit the mentality of the times..."[15].

The Jews did brush Jesus aside; in a way, however, the religion of Christianity as conceived by Paul has also brushed Jesus aside. Despite what a Christian might say, one will find no evidence wherein Jesus himself puts forth any of the afore--mentioned doctrines within the Gospels. Since Jesus had no plans to start a new religion, it goes without saying that he also did not formulate any doctrines for such.

All Christian doctrines are the work of Paul, hased on his desire to gain favor--and new converts--among the non Jews of his time. By incorporating pagan beliefs into the teachings of Jesus, Paul achieved phenomenal success in his ministry, but at the price of tearing down everything that true monotheism stands for. In so doing, Paul abrogated all teachings of Jesus and gave mankind a set of beliefs that have plagued his sense of reason ever since. It is here --the true nature and role of Jesus, as opposed to the Christian view of such -- where we find the fundamental difference between Islam and Christianity.

It is interesting to note that of Christianity "...those doctrinces which the Qur'an affirms can be easily proven to be part of the teachings of the early disciples, whereas those doctrines which the Qur'an rejects prove to be later Church additions, inspired by the philosophies and cults of pagan Greece and Rome"[16].