Have you ever accused Isa Al-Masih of being prejudiced against Gentiles and pagans? Didn’t Jesus once call non-Jews “dogs?” I have had Muslims tell me that Isa only came for Jews, or Israel. He was unconcerned about other people.
Bible Passages and Apparent Prejudice
In one account, a Canaanite (pagan) woman asked Jesus to help her. “‘Lord, Son of David, have mercy on me! My daughter is suffering terribly from demon-possession.’ … He answered, ‘I was sent only to the lost sheep of Israel.’ The woman came and knelt before him. ‘Lord, help me!’ she said. He replied, ‘It is not right to take the children’s bread and toss it to their dogs.’ ‘Yes, Lord,’ she said, ‘but even the dogs eat the crumbs that fall from their masters’ table.’ Then Jesus answered, ‘Woman, you have great faith! Your request is granted.’ And her daughter was healed from that very hour” (Injil, Matthew 15:22-28).
When Isa Al-Masih called the woman a dog, He was probably referring to pet dogs, lap dogs. Higher-class Greeks sometimes raised dogs as pets and did not see them as troublesome, unclean pests.
Was Jesus Testing the Woman’s Faith?
Jesus often tested the faith of those who asked Him to do miracles. Isa actually told the woman that her faith was greater than the faith of all the Jews in Israel. What seemed like prejudice at first ended with praise!
Isa Al-Masih loved all people. At this point in His ministry He was focused on reaching Israel. He knew that He had only a short time before he would be crucified. Isa’s priority was to make sure the people of Israel heard the Gospel message before He returned to heaven.
The Above Passage Shows That Jesus Loves All Races
In reality, though, this passage and others show that Jesus was not prejudiced against non-Jews. Isa Al-Masih healed the Canaanite woman’s daughter. Another passage that shows Isa’s love for everyone is His encounter with the Samaritan woman.
In John 4:1-26, Isa Al-Masih was traveling and stopped at a well to rest. A woman came to get water. He talked to her. The fact that Isa, a man, would talk to a woman, was a big deal. An even bigger deal was that she was a Samaritan woman and He was a Jew. The Jews and Samaritans hated each other. Typically Jews took a long by-pass of many miles on their way to Judea in order to avoid Samaria and the Samaritans.
Isa Al-Masih and His disciples purposely walked through the area. Then Isa talked to one of its inhabitants! And more over to an adulteress! He wanted to interact with whomever came his way and tell them the Good News. Isa could do this because He had no prejudice in His heart.
Does the Muslim Quran Teach Prejudice?
The Quran, on the other hand, states that God does not like anyone except Muslims. In Qs. 2:121 all non-Muslims are called “losers.” Qs. 5:60 says, “Those whom God has condemned (Christians and Jews), afflicted with His anger, made apes out of them, swine and worshippers of Satan, will have the worst dwelling and will wander far away from the right path.”
This is very different from what the Bible teaches. God loves all people! While those who don’t believe in God are separated from Him, it is not because God doesn’t like them or has cursed them. It is because those people have chosen not to follow God.
So How Does Isa Feel About Humanity?
Isa Al-Masih loves all people, no matter what race they are. Isa came for everyone. Isa Al-Masih wants all people to hear the good news. He wants all to receive eternal life. This is why He said, “. . . go and make disciples of all nations [all ethnic groups]” (Mt. 28:19). He also said, “. . . God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son [Kalimah Allah], that whoever [from whatever ethnic group] believes in Him [Kalimah Allah] shall not perish but have eternal life” (Injil, John 3:16).
Clearly, because of His love, Isa Al-Masih came to earth to become the sacrifice for the sins of every ethnic group in the world. “But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us” (Injil, Romans 5:8).
[We invite you to visit us at https://www.isaandislam.com/way-of-salvation to learn more about God’s gift of Salvation. God loves you and waits to hear from you. Isa Al-Masih said, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me” (John 14:6). For a deeper understanding of Isa we suggest you subscribe to “Isa, Islam, and Al-Fatiha” at this link.]
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We encourage our readers to comment on the article above. Comments that don’t directly relate to the topic will be removed. Please start a dialogue with us by focusing on one of the following questions:
1.) Why did Isa compare the Canaanite woman with a dog?
2.) Why the Canaanite women humble herself before Isa Al-Masih?
3.) Why does Isa want everyone to receive His love?
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The Quran firms up the truthfulness of the Torah, the Psalms, the Injil, and the Quran. As such, Muslims are bound to believe in the Holy Scriptures as of old, and not the man-made Gospels.
Only John 1:1 recites the first fundamental of Christianity [b]”In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God and the Word was God.” [/b]Surprisingly enough, the 3rd part of this, [b]”the Word was God,”[/b] is different in Greek, which recites as ‘the god was the Word” and it is with small ‘g’ which is against CAPITAL ‘G’ of God in John 1:1. Why was this changed?
The Quran has discarded these man-made Gospels but not the Original Gospel (Injil) which is not in your people’s hands.
In view of a Muslim’s above belief in man-made Gospels there is no need to comment on “Why did Jesus compare a Woman with a Dog?” If Christians see the status of women in their societies, they can themselves witness that women are considered even below a dog, to quench the sexual urge of (Christian) men.
This western culture wants to spread all over the world just in order to defuse the Islamic Culture that has sheltered the dignity, fidelity, and integrity of women. That is why the women of the West are embracing Islam so rapidly.
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Binibrahim,
The Injil has not been changed as many Muslims believe. We have manuscripts that date back to the 4th century, just a few years after the Injil was written.
All of the manuscripts are the same and the Bible is translated from these. While there are some differences in translations of the Bible, they are very minor. The differences are because different scholars disagree about what word is best to convey the message in the original Greek and Hebrew languages.
In response to your comment about women, the views you say are “Christian” are not “Christian,” but “Western.” You cannot equate the west with “Christian.”
The Bible teaches that women are to be respected, loved, and cherished. Ephesians 5:25-28 tells husbands, [b]”Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her …husbands ought to love their wives as their own bodies. He who loves his wife loves himself.”[/b]
Jesus also modeled the way that women should be treated when he spoke to the Samaritan woman, which you can see in the above article.
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1 Timothy 2:11-14: [b]”Let the woman learn in silence with all subjection. But I suffer not a woman to teach, nor to usurp authority over the man, but to be in silence.”[/b]
1 Corinthians 14:34: [b]”Let your women keep silence in the churches: for it is not permitted unto them to speak; but they are commanded to be under obedience as also saith the law.” [/b]
1 Corinthians 11:5-10: [b]“For a man indeed ought not to cover his head, forasmuch as he is the image and glory of God: but the woman is the glory of the man.”
[/b]
Pascal wrote, ”unlike in Islam where a man can marry as many as he can…underage girls are forced to marry, etc.”
Where is the proof? Perhaps, you should read about how your corrupted scriptures really degrades women.
Deuteronomy 22:28-30: [b]”If a man happens to meet a virgin who is not pledged to be married and rapes her and they are discovered, he shall pay the girl’s father fifty shekels of silver. He must marry the girl, for he has violated her. He can never divorce her as long as he lives.”[/b]
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Muslim,
Man and woman are created in the image of God (Genesis 1:26). Eventhough woman was of a man, it doesn’t mean that she is inferior. She is of the same essence and nature and is created to be the helper of man.
Contextually, the verses that you quoted are talking about divinely structure in the local churches. There were problems occurred within the churches (Read 1 Corinthians 12: 2-13). Yet this didn’t apply to all churches because there were still women ministering the church and they were not strictly to do so.
Deuteronomy 22:28-30 talks about the Law of Moses given to the Israelites with the penalty. The law talks about a case and what the Israelite at that time should do.
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Aila,
According to 1 Timothy 2:11-14, women should be in silence because it was Eve who transgressed. How can this not refer to all women when Eve is the mother of all women? Clearly, their silence has to do with the fact that they descended from Eve. All women fall under this category, therefore it applies to all of them.
1 Timothy 2:11-14, [b]”…For Adam was first formed, then Eve. And Adam was not deceived, but the woman being deceived was in the transgression.” [/b]Do you now see the reason why women should be in silence? It is about their very nature, it is not due to the attitude of some church women. Or are you saying it was only those women who descended from Eve?
Once again, I don’t care whether the law in Deuteronomy 22:28-30 was for Israel or not. My problem is how your god can force a victim to marry her rapist, without ever being able to divorce him ever! How wicked!
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Muslim,
Your first query about woman in the book of Timothy was answered in the previous comment. That women need to submit to their authority. Eve was tempted first, then sinned because she didn’t obey God, the most high authority.
About the woman in Deuteronomy, let’s look at the other part of Torah Exodus 22:16-17, [b]“If a man seduces a virgin who is not betrothed and lies with her, he shall give the bride-price for her and make her his wife. If her father utterly refuses to give her to him, he shall pay money equal to the bride-price for virgins.”[/b] The man is obliged to marry her, but he should have sought her father’s permission first. Her father is the woman’s authority, until he hands this authority over the man. In Torah, 2 Samuel 13, 13-16, Amnon, a son of David, raped his half-sister, Tamar. Tamar was not forced to marry Amnon, but she desired to marry Amnon after the rape. Why? Because it would have been very difficult for a woman who was not a virgin, and especially a woman who had been raped to find a man to marry her. In the culture at that time, a woman without a husband would have very difficult time to provide for herself. God is not wicked. He meant to solve the problem for the woman herself.
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