THE EXAMINATION OF A NATION
JESUS CHRIST
Like the God of the Nation of Islam, the Jesus Christ of the NOI is also someone quite different than the one found in both the Bible and the Qur'an.
While the Jesus Christ of both the Bible and of the Qur'an was the product of the virgin birth, (Lk 1:26-35; sura 3:46), the Jesus Christ of the NOI is the byproduct of an adulterous affair between Joseph, (who was in his sixth year of marriage, and had six children), and Mary (whose father was a prominent architect/cattleman who had a propensity to wander off and set up temples around Jerusalem, [THJ pp. 1-3].) What's more, when Joseph is confronted with the consequences of his adulterous deed, he denies that Mary's baby is his out of fear.
As to the biblical account of Mary's being overshadowed by the Holy Ghost, Elijah contended "the theologians got this from the Jews," who "charged him with acting like a ghost and visiting her under the cover of darkness and making Mary pregnant." (OSA p. 159)
The closest that the NOI comes to mimicking orthodox Islam is when they contend that Christ wasn't God, but merely "a prophet from God." But, unlike orthodox Islam, which asserts that Christ was in fact "The Messiah" (sura 3:44), the NOI contends, "Jesus wasn't even a Christ (Messiah) back then 2000 years ago." (OSA p.50; parentheses mine)
Concerning the crucifixion and resurrection of our Lord and Savior, nothing could be more appalling than the Black Muslims treatment of this subject. According to Elijah Muhammad, Jesus Christ didn't die on the cross as the Bible illustrates, but rather, he was "stabbed through the heart" by a knife wielding policeman while standing spread-eagle in front of a "boarded up storefront." "He died in the form of a cross, and not on a cross!" (THJ p. 14 [exclamation his]) As for Christ's resurrection, Elijah contends:
- "They (the so-called Negro) have been taught that Jesus is some kind of mysteri-ous being, and not a natural man, and that he is God, and that he could be killed, put into a grave back there 2000 years ago, and ascend up into space to await the end of the world.all of this is wrong." (OSA p. 163)
- "The white Christians teach that Jesus, whom they killed 2000 years ago, will hear and save the so-called Negroes. Let them prove that lie! How can a dead man hear and save people? If Elijah (the prophet) cannot hear a prayer, and he was not killed as Jesus was, then how can Jesus hear a prayer?" (SW2 p. 21 [parenthe-ses mine])
- "We, the black people, have no right to worship one day of (sic) Jesus of two thousand (2000) years ago; for Jesus came ahead of time to bring about a judgment of this people and died for the mistake he made in understanding the scripture." (OSA p. 166)
- "They lie when they say that Jesus was born without the agency of man. Then they lie of his death and say that he rose again physically." (OSA p. 172)
- "The worst blind teaching that is going on is from black preachers trying to prove that Jesus is the Son of God, and that he died to save the world." (OSA p. 193)
- "Read the Bible thoroughly, black preachers, and you will bear me witness that any man will be a fool to stand around and wait for the return of Jesus who was killed 2000 years ago. He was nothing more than a prophet, and he has gone back to earth, never to return alive." (OSA p. 195)
- "Joseph was not able to give Jesus an expensive burial, but he mortgaged all of his little land and embalmed Jesus in a liquid in a glass tube. As long as the air does not get to him, he will be there just as he was the day he was killed two thousand years ago. He is buried in Jerusalem." (THJ p. 14)
It is clear from reading the preceding direct quotes from Mr. Muhammad that the Jesus Christ of NOI theology is clearly someone other than the one recorded in scripture, and who has been worshipped by hundreds of millions of Christians throughout history.
The crucifixion and resurrection of Jesus Christ is the cornerstone of the Christian faith, and there is no salvation outside of this reality. (Acts 4:8-12) To reject these factual events is to reject what the Bible teaches about Christ. To reject what the Bible teaches about Christ is defined, in scripture, as being Antichrist. (I Jn 2:21-23; 4:1-3)
It is interesting to note here that while Black Muslims reject the resurrection of Jesus as being a foolish lie because, in their theology, dead men don't come back to life; one of the current NOI factions headed by Solomon Muhammad, (United Nation of Islam), believes and teaches that Elijah Muhammad did in fact die, but that he recently has been reincarnated in the body of a gentleman named "Joseph," and that Fard is reincarnated in the body of the former "Solomon Jenkins."
The faction led by Louis Farrakhan (Nation of Islam), on the other hand, holds that even though Elijah Muhammad was declared and certified dead by his own physician, seen dead by his own family, accepted as dead by all of his followers (including Louis Farrakhan), and his funeral was filmed, he is alive somewhere today, serving as a sort of co-pilot to Wallace Fard in a massive UFO named the "Mother Plane," that is hovering, unseen mind you, above America. In fact, Louis Farrakhan has even claimed to have been, "beamed aboard" for a chat with Elijah, and all of this without a shred of evidence. We contend that it takes more faith (albeit a foolish faith) to believe this than it does to believe in the biblical resurrection of Jesus Christ.
