Incarnation in the Three Divine Religions (1/2)

Can a human being be God, a son of God or God incarnate? Can God be both divine and human? Can a carnal relationship be developed between God and a human being? And can this relationship give birth to a being that is both divine and human at the same time?

The answers vary from one doctrine to another. But, what is the correct or most correct answer? Any such answer will let us know whether or not the seen can mix with the unseen and the invisible can bring forth the visible. Let’s have a look at the answers given by the followers of the three divine messages.
Mainstream Judaism totally rejects any doctrine of an incarnation of God and absolutely rejects any concept of an incarnation of God in any form. Jews strongly rejected the Christian idea of Jesus as a divine incarnation of God, and see Jesus as neither Prophet nor Messiah.

However, some Hasidim believe in a somewhat similar concept. Rabbi Menachem Mendel Schneerson, a prominent Hasidic leader, said that the Rebbe is God’s essence itself put into a body of a Tzaddik. While many other Jews find this idea highly controversial, pantheism, i.e. considering everything and everyone as manifestations of God, is the accepted mainstream Hasidic and Kabbalistic doctrine.

The Kabbalah has an idea of gilgul (reincarnation) as part of the soul’s journey to achieve perfection.
Incarnation in traditional Christianity is the belief that Jesus Christ is the second person of the Trinity, also known as God the Son or the Logos (Word), “became flesh” by being conceived in the womb of a woman, the Virgin Mary, also known as the Theotokos (God-bearer).
Incarnation is a fundamental theological teaching of orthodox (Nicene) Christianity, based on its understanding of the New Testament. Incarnation represents the belief that Jesus, who is the non-created second hypostasis of the triune God, took on a human body and nature and became both man and God. In the Bible its clearest teaching is in John 1:14: “And the Word became flesh, and dwelt among us.”
Islam completely rejects the doctrine of the incarnation of God in any form. Islam specifically rejects the Christian idea of Jesus as a divine incarnation, but rather Jesus is seen as a prophet and messenger of God. The Qur’anic text fully rejects this concept.
According to Islam, Allah has no incarnates for He should be different from His creatures. If He resembles them, He cannot be their god. Allah does not belong to any kind or race so that He can have a spouse from the same kind or race to marry and thereby have children.

Allah does not need propagation for survival as He is Eternal, Immortal, and Everlasting.

Impregnation pertains to humankind only. It is the only way of propagation and the only means of survival for humankind. Allah does not need propagation for survival as He is Eternal, Immortal, and Everlasting. If it is possible that Allah has one son, it is still logical that He has more children. Why is Jesus only the Son of God? Why does Allah not have more sons?

Allah cannot be composed of parts, and He is far above the mortal attributes. If there are three or more gods, each one of them is likely to be perfect or imperfect. If each one is perfect, we must see to which extent they are perfect. If there is one who is the most perfect, he should be the only one to be the god, whereas others should be false gods. If they are equally perfect, why is there more than one perfect god though only one of them should be enough? Only one perfect god is needed, whereas the others will be superfluous.

If each one is imperfect, none of them can be a god, nor can they make up a perfect god, for God cannot be made up of imperfect components. If some of them perfect, while others are not, the perfect ones only can be gods, with the most perfect one being god, while others are false gods.

In the Qur’an, Allah lists a set of various arguments confirming that Allah has no partner, son, or incarnate as follows:

In the Surah of Al-Nisa’, Allah states that Jesus himself did not disdain to be a servant of Allah. So why do some people deify him? Allah says:

“Never would the Messiah disdain to be a servant of Allah, nor would the angels near [to Him].” (An-Nisa’ 4:172)

In the New Testament itself, we read a dialogue between the Devil and Jesus where the latter told the former that it is God only Who must be worshiped alone. The New Testament cites such a dialogue as follows:
“All this I will give you,” he said, “if you will bow down and worship me.” Jesus said to him, “Away from me, Satan! For it is written: ‘Worship the Lord your God, and serve him only.’” (Matthew 4:9-10)

To be continued…