US President Bush has repeated his claim that Christians and Muslims worship the same God, during an interview for an Arabic TV station. He made the comments during an interview with a reporter from Al Arabiya television at the White House. Elie Nakouzi questioned the President on whether the Islamic perception that the US is out to destroy Islam is justified or not. President Bush praised Islam, and said he believes people of all religions pray to the same God.

Quote: ""Well, first of all, I believe in an Almighty God, and I believe that all the world, whether they be Muslim, Christian, or any other religion, prays to the same God. That's what I believe. I believe that Islam is a great religion that preaches peace. And I believe people who murder the innocent to achieve political objectives aren't religious people, whether they be a Christian who does that – we had a person blow up our – blow up a federal building in Oklahoma City who professed to be a Christian, but that's not a Christian act to kill innocent people.

The President made a similar comment during another interview, when he stated that people of all religions just have "different ways of getting to the Almighty". As far as I remember, Prime Minister Tony Blair has also made similar claims that Christians and Muslims worship the same God. Leading Christian theologians have proposed that Christians drop major doctrines, including the Deity of Christ, for the sake of peaceful relations with other religions. Recently another prominent Bishop proposed that Christians use the name of Allah in addressing God, in an attempt to improve relations with Islam. And last year, the Episcopalian Church voted down a resolution at their annual conference which declared that the Jesus Christ is the only name whereby we must be saved. I don't know whether President Bush is a born again Christian or not. If he is, his recent comments certainly do not reflect that. In other related news, it has now become illegal for ministers at council meetings in Fayetteville and Cumberland County to pray in the name of Jesus, or any other name for that matter. Attorneys asked for the ban following a series of lawsuits from people complaining after hearing the name of Jesus mentioned in prayer.

Quote: "Attorneys asked for the ban after recent lawsuits, including one in Forsyth County in which three citizens were offended at hearing Jesus' name in prayers at county meetings. Both memos cited a 2004 case in which the 4th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals ruled that routine invocation of Jesus in the opening prayers of a South Carolina town's council meetings unconstitutionally endorsed one religion. "Frequent invoking of the name of Jesus (or any other Deity) in opening prayer could lead to a lawsuit under the federal civil rights statute," McDonald wrote, in the memo.

The claims of President Bush and other world leaders that Christians and members of other religions pray to the same God may be politically correct, but it is completely unscriptural. And as we have seen of late, it is sad to say that this viewpoint is becoming more and more popular in apostate Christendom. Although Christians, Jews and Muslims may lay claim to a shared history, recognition of the Deity of Jesus Christ is what sets apart Christianity from other religions. Traditional Judaism denies the Trinity and refuses to recognize Yeshua as the Messiah. Islam does slightly better, honouring Isa as a prophet, but denying His claims to be the Son of God. But as the last article shows, the real goal behind this false teaching, that people of all religions pray to the same God, is not to improve relations with other religions. It is the name of Jesus that they cannot tolerate. Christians are instructed by the Lord throughout the Scriptures to pray to the Father in the name of the Son. Any other type of prayer is Scripturally incorrect. 

John 16:23-27
And in that day ye shall ask me nothing. Verily, verily, I say unto you, Whatsoever ye shall ask the Father in my name, he will give [it] you. Hitherto have ye asked nothing in my name: ask, and ye shall receive, that your joy may be full. These things have I spoken unto you in proverbs: but the time cometh, when I shall no more speak unto you in proverbs, but I shall shew you plainly of the Father. At that day ye shall ask in my name: and I say not unto you, that I will pray the Father for you: For the Father himself loveth you, because ye have loved me, and have believed that I came out from God. 

While President Bush claims that we all worship the same God, Peter states in Acts 4:12 that the name of Jesus is the only name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved. Contrary to the recent ruling of the Episcopalian conference, and contrary to what Pastor Joel Osteen and others like him have been proclaiming, the Scriptures state that the wrath of God remains upon those who have not believed on the name of the Son of God.

John 3:18
He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.

So let us continue to pray in the precious name of Jesus Christ, giving honour due to the Son as our Mediator and Intercessor between God and man, and to the Father which has provided for us this great Gift of Salvation.

John 5:22-24
For the Father judgeth no man, but hath committed all judgment unto the Son: That all [men] should honour the Son, even as they honour the Father. He that honoureth not the Son honoureth not the Father which hath sent him. Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that heareth my word, and believeth on him that sent me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation; but is passed from death unto life.

Source WorldNetDaily, Catholic News, WRAL