Two pillars of Dagon - a
critique of Islam and its entire
subjection to the Lord Jesus the Messiah Gray’s Grace
Baptist Church
29/7/15 1 Samuel
5.1-5 Dagon bows before the Ark and then is split into two composite
parts. Comparison
between Islam and Dagon apparently unjust and shocking 1/ Islam
fiercely opposed to image worship
2/
Islam brings strong reminders of Divine Law 3/ Many Christian workers
among
Muslims now regard respect for Islam as essential to success in gaining
worshippers
for Christ. Islam has
many roots: Sabeaen, Talmudic, Zoroastrian, Gnostic Clair St Tisdall, The
Sources of Islam. 2 dominant
pillars
. Dagon a
composite deity – 2 molten gods fused. So with Islam.
1. Fishy part.
Dag (דג) Multiply,
increase (דגה)
(Gen.48.17). Fertility
a central concept in Islam: Central
aspect of call to prayer, signature Green colour Profoundly
sexual character: Saul’s
dismembered parts shared between Dagon and Ashataroth (1 Sam.31.10,1
Chr.10.10).
Ashtaroth the ancient Phoenician fertility goddess. So with Islam, Derived
from ancient Arabian roots –
stoning of 3 pillars of Mina, running between Marwa and Safah, the
Ka’aba. A theology of sacralised rape in Islam.
2. Human
'philosophical' part Islam renowned
for
stringent monotheism – apparently strictest loyalty to oneness of God. Strong
backlash against pagan idolatry. Man makes gods in his image so
strongly
rejected – even the idea that Almighty God has made man in His own
image is
seen as blasphemy. Surah 112 –
Purity. Worth 1/3 the Qur’an. Rigorous and radical idea of God seen as
self
evident proof of its truthfulness. Ultimate vindication of the
truthfulness of
Mohammed’s message. Just as pagan
as the ‘fishy’ part of Dagon. Didn’t originate with the Bible. Man
carries God’s
image. He is God’s ‘analogy’. God the Father of fatherhood, the parent
of parenting.
Love is at God’s heart and sums up His being. This idea of
a sterile deity as far removed from man as possible comes from 1000
years
before Islam. Xenophanes
of Colophon (c 570 BC) www.strateias.org/xeno.htm
fragments
eerily reminiscent of Islam. Paul at
Athens challenged idolaters and atheistic philosophers alike. Acts
17.24-28 Mohammed’s
points of internal crises arise when the two pillars clash: Kissing of
the black stone and Omar’s shame (www.strateias.org/idol.htm),
the changing of prayer niche to Kaaba and the confrontation of the
Jews, the
Satanic verses (www.strateias.org/satan.htm)
- major shirk recorded by 4 Muslim biographers.
The Messiah God has
appeared to men (1 Tim. 3.16) Created by
the Agency of His Word (Gen.1.3, Ps.33.6, John 1.1,3, Heb.11.3) not
immediately Spoken to
men in His Word (Gen.17.1,3,22, 18.3,17,27,33, 32.30, John.8.56,58) There is a
real but singular Mediator (1 Tim.2.5, Gal.3.20) God has
spoken to us unmistakably in His Son (John 10.36, 9.35-36, 3.36,
Matt.3.17,
Mark 9.7, Luke 9 .35) so that we are left without reasonable excuse (1
John 2.22-23.
5.10-11. Christ said ‘I
am the door’ (John 10.7) – the only portal to Heaven, the only place of
access
for prayer and worship. He is the
only acceptable Temple (John 2.19-21), denying Him leaves us in
spiritual
prison. The perfect
Image
of the Invisible God (Col.1.15, John.14.8-10) The Eternal
Son of the Eternal Father (Hebrews 1.1-3, 3.1-4, 13.8) The inviolable
Shehada (confession and warning witness) of the Bible: 1 John 5.11-12. To whom
every knee will shortly bow and every tongue confess. (Phil.2.10,11,
Ephes.1.21-22, Psalm 110.1)