Many gods were worshipped in Mecca. Muhammed was exiled because he refused to do so.

The half moon symbol was the symbol of the (Christian) East-Roman Empire. It has only become an Islamic symbol when the Muslims took Constantinople. To argue that the half moon symbol adopted by Islam from a Christian source 500 years ago somehow is evidence for Allah being a "moon god" is ridiculous at best and dangerous at worst. Who is to say that the fact that Christians used that same symbol for over a thousand years, over twice as long as Muslims did, does not prove that the Christian god is a moon god using the same logic? After all, Paul grew up in a region where the Semitic pantheon was still revered.

Perhaps Paul believed Jesus was the moon? Perhaps that is why the Christians adopted the half moon as their symbol in Byzantium? I know the Bible says it is not so (any quotes where the "New Testament" directly contradicts the Christian god being a moon god?), but then so does the Quran contradict the claim that Allah is the moon god.

David's "star" (It's actually a shield. It's the Christians who have this star thing, not the Jews) has six points. The five-pointed one is the seal of Solomon. It's not used by Jews, it's used by the kings of Morocco and the emperors of Ethiopia, both houses claiming descent from Abraham via Yishmael and Solomon respectively.

In the dollar bill they represent the 13 free colonies, not Judaism.

The Shield of David has also never represented Judaism. The Minora represents Judaism. The Shield of David represents solely the House of David and the Jewish state, not the religion or even the people.

can you tell me where this is and quote it for me Leauki?

Hell, when you think about it on the Muslim's point of view, we totally idolatrised one of God's Prophet and turned him into an idol, a God. And that idol has roots/took shape from the most horrible punishment that the Romans could find for non-citizens.

Not to forget that many of our holidays have been taken directly from Rome's pagan calender, and Christmas was the celebration of the Sun.

Christian religion is much more closer to any kind of symbol worship than the Muslim religion ever have been.

This is true but a true Christian does not worship anything but God himself.  Worshipping Mary is, according to God, an adulterous action.  The trinity comes right from Gen 1 which Elohim (plural) is used 35 times.  It's not three gods but one God; his majesty, power and creative powers and divinity is in a pluristic sense. 

[quote]And also, I must restate that the Muslim pray to the same god than Christians, Jewish and many other pray too. [quote]

This is not true.  Not only from the Christian perspective but even Muslims who have converted to Christianity set about to show the differences.  Go find a book written by a Muslim who converted to Christianity.  There's quite a few out there and they will show you where the differences lie. 

This is not true.  Christianity didn't become a state religion until 323 A.D.  The divinity of Jesus was established in the first century.  The whole NT was all about the fact that Jesus was God in the flesh starting right with John 1:1. 

not true basic Christianity.  There is no symbol worship.  No icons.  No statues.  Christmas can be a pagan holiday or a Christian one depending on how one celebrates it.  Same with Easter.  There is pagan influence in both. 

This is why I celebrate Passover, Easter is just Passover for Christians.

I remember that you have already been told before, here on JU.

Anyway, here we go:

And from among His Signs are the night and the day, and the sun and the moon. Prostrate not to the sun nor to the moon, but prostrate to Allah Who created them, if you (really) worship Him. (Qur'an 41:37)

And while we are at it: "Elohim" is NOT plural.

(I was just interrupted: Ata rotze te? Do you want tea? Lo, toda. No, thank you... I am in Ramat Yishai in northern Israel.)

Not only that, but if you refuse to swear, it could be used agaisnt you in the case. There may be questioning of your truthfulness based off of just that.

So when did you think they worshipped the moon? Before they got the Quran? Doesn't that sort of negate the premise that Allah is a moon god, if people worship the moon and are then told to worship Allah and _NOT_ the moon?

I have a book entitled "Islam Revealed" written by a Christian Arab named Dr. Anis A. Shorrosh.  He said this among many other things about Muhammad and Islam:

"If Islam could trace its origin and prophecy to Abraham then we would expect to find Old Testament references to Allah, Muhammad, Mecca, the black stone of the Ka'bah, and the many ceremonies and practices of Islam.  We have already seen that the Holy Bible is devoid of references to Muhammad, and there are no biblical references to anything else Islamic.

It is much more reasonable to conclude that Islam grew from the polytheistic and animistic culture of Muhammad's tribe.  In fact, the people of Mecca worshipped 360 idols (sounds like National Geographic's article), one of whom was named Al-ilah!!!

That being the case, however there are numerous passages in the so-called inspired Quran which originally appered in the Old Testament more than one thousand years before the prophet of Arabia was even born.  Though the Quranic and biblical passages are not identical, they are similar enough to show  Muhammad's dependence on some of the HOly Bible's teaching for his "revelations."  Here are a select few of the many texts that could be cited:

*The Night of Power is better than a thousand months.  (Surat al-Qadr [The Power] 97:3)......For a day in Your courts is better than a thousand (Ps 84:10.

*Show us the straight path (Surat al-Fatihah [The Opening] 1:6).....Teach me Your way O Lord, and lead me in a straight path (Ps 27:11)

*We have written in the Scripture, after the Reminder My righeous slaves will inherit the earth. (Surat al-Anbiya [The Prophets] 21:105.........The righteous shall inherit the land, and dwell in it forever. (Ps. 37:29)

*He is the First and the Last and the Outward and the Inward; and He is the Knower of all things (Surat al-Hadid [The Iron] 57:3)......I am the First and I am the Last; Besides Me there is no God (Isa. 44:6)."

There are many other passages worthy of comparison.  I'll spare you. 

He also said this:

"It is intriguing and instructive to discover why Muhammad did not believe in the Trinity and the divinity or resurrection of Jesus Christ.  To understand this we must examine the prevalent deviant doctrines of Nestorious and his followers, sectarian Christians who migrated to Arabia 140 years before Muhammad's birth.  Muhammad apparently drew his denials from their heresy. 

Nestorius was a partiarch of Constantiniple from A.D. 428-431.  Orthodox Christians believed, as per scriptural teaching that Jesus had two natures, one divine and one human.  Although the two were distinct they were joined together in one person.  Nestorius, however, insisted that in Christ Jesus both a divine and a human person acted in unity, but were not the one divine person with both a divine nature and a human nature.

In A.d. 431 the Council of Ephesus judged the Nestorian beliefs to be heretical.  Nestorious was deposed as partiarch.  He and his followers were driven out of the Roman Empire and took refuge in Persia, Arabia, India, China and Mongolia.  Their followers are identified as Nestorians or Monophysites (the Greek word monos means single, and physis means nature.)

Waraqa ibn Nofal, considered to be Muhammad's uncle, was also a Nestorian and is alleged to have translated portions of the Gospels into Arabic.  He was very influential to Muhammad.  Khadija Muhammad's first wife, is rumored to have been a Nestorian Christian. 

Buhaira, a Nestorian monk, is recognized as one of the most influential men in Muhammad's knowledge of the scriptures.  The descriptions of hell in the homilies of Ephraim, a Nestorian preacher of the sixth century, resemble Muhammad's descriptions of hell.

What was Muhammad doing between the time he married Khadija and his prophetic call, a period of 15 years?  Could he have been lerning from Buhaira and Waraqa and reading some available biblicsl scrolls? "

I talked to my Jewish teacher Marv this morning.  He's very proficient in Hebrew.  He's 74 years old and he knows much more than I do about this subject.  He said Elohim is plural and he's going to get me a book that helps explain to me the Hebrew.  He quoted some Hebrew  to me and it went completely over my head.  He told me to tell you this:

im is plural.....as in Seraphim is the plural of Seraph.....as in Cherubim is the plural of Cherub.  He said even if you use two instead of three you're in trouble.  His words, not mine.  He also said to ask you what you think God was saying when he said "Let us go down and confound the language" during the time of Babal. 

I also checked very old commentaries.....John Calvin (1500's), Charles Spurgeon (1800's), Matthew Henry (1700's) s well as some very recent expositors that I trust in and they all say Elohim is plural.  I'm sure I can get alot more even from some of the Jewish besides my friend Marv.  Even if you don't use that word Elohim as plural you still have trouble with the context as you read the OT scriptures.  As in "let us make man in our image."  Gen 1:26 and "let us go down" etc. 

Do you even know anything about him?  Not that I'm really surprised that you wouldn't consider my source but I have others.  I just haven't had time to quote them yet.  I have some that were worshipping Allah and are now worshipping Jesus. 

Besides all that....Allah is not anything like the Hebrew God or the Christian God even though I will recognize some Christians don't know the difference or think they could be the same.

Maybe later, when I have more time I'll quote you one of my Christian sources who once upon a time was Islamic.  He said he disagrees with those Christians who think that Allah and Jehovah God are the same God.  And he gives his reasons. 

Leauki, I'm thinking maybe, to some degree, we're not that far off with each other....

you mentioned:

I agree with this.  God created...as in one God.  We believe in one God.  We Christians are monotheistic. 

Think about it this way.....trinity is a compound of tri and unity.  It's three in one. 

I think you're thinking more along the lines as tri-theistic.  That's not correct.  We don't believe that. 

I am a sister and a mother and an aunt but I'm still me which is one.  I can't be all three in the same relationship. 

It's not 1+1+1=3

It's 1X1X1=1.

Does that help any? 

You need a better history teach.  Only the Pledge of Allegiance had "God" added in the 50's.

-Coins have had "In God We Trust" on them since the mid 1800's
-Oath on the bible- George Washington gave his oath on the bible.
-Scriptures at the Capitol: Jefferson memorial (1943), Washington Monument (1885), etc.

Or, let's look at our forefather's thoughts that they placed in the Declaration of Independence to see how long "God" has been in the History of the US:
-"When, in the course of human events, it becomes necessary for one people to dissolve the political bonds which have connected them with another, and to assume among the powers of the earth, the separate and equal station to which the laws of nature and of nature's God entitle them, a decent respect to the opinions of mankind requires that they should declare the causes which impel them to the separation. "

I'm not Christian, but I am not blind to our history.  I am also not fond of stripping culture and unity just because it's more PC to do so.