Die Reise des niederländischen Pastors Purnomo auf der Suche nach der wahren Religion

Early Life and Background:

Purnomo, a man of mixed heritage, has a Dutch father and an Indonesian mother from Ambon, a small island in the far east of the Indonesian archipelago.

Christianity was the inherited religion of his family for generations. His grandfather was a Protestant pastor, his father a Pentecostal minister, and his mother a Bible teacher for women. Purnomo himself was a pastor and head of evangelism at the “Bethel Gospel of Sion” church.

The Start of the Search for Truth:

Purnomo recounts: “It never crossed my mind that I would become a Muslim. From a young age, I was taught by my father, who always told me, ‘Muhammad is an unlearned desert man with no knowledge, who cannot read or write.’ This is what my father taught me. Additionally, I read in a book by Christian French professor Dr. Ricoldi that ‘Muhammad is a charlatan who resides in the ninth circle of hell.'”

Meeting a Quran Teacher:

One day, the church leadership sent Purnomo on a missionary trip to the Dairi region. After completing the missionary work, while waiting for a car to take him to his workplace, a man suddenly appeared. This man was a Quran teacher at a simple school. He was thin, wearing a worn-out white keffiyeh and clothes that had changed colour from frequent use. He approached Purnomo and asked: “You mentioned in your speech that Jesus Christ is God. Where is your proof of his divinity?”

Purnomo replied: “Whether there is proof or not, it does not concern you. Believe if you wish, or disbelieve if you wish.”

Doubts Begin:

The matter did not end there. The man’s voice echoed in Purnomo’s mind, ringing loudly in his ears. He returned home and began searching the Bible for the correct answer to the man’s question. He studied the four Gospels: Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John, and found clear contradictions about the nature of Jesus Christ. Was he human, the son of God, an angel, or God?

Deep Study:

Purnomo began to study the four Gospels deeply. What did he find? The Gospel of Matthew says that Jesus Christ is descended from Abraham and David, indicating he is human. The Gospel of Luke says: “He will reign over the house of Jacob forever.” The Gospel of Mark says: “This is the genealogy of Jesus Christ, the son of God.” Finally, the Gospel of John says: “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.”

Considering Islam:

Purnomo wondered: “Is there any contradiction between one verse and another in the Quran?” Of course not, because the Quran is from God (Allah Almighty). The Gospels, on the other hand, are authored by humans.

Jesus’ Call for Monotheism:

Purnomo found texts in the Gospel of John indicating Jesus’ prayer and supplication to God (Allah Almighty). He thought to himself: “If Jesus is God, capable of everything, why does he need to supplicate and pray?”

He then read: “This is eternal life, that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom You have sent.” This prayer is an acknowledgment from Jesus that God (Allah Almighty) is the One, and that he is the messenger of God sent to a specific people.

Auf der Suche nach der Wahrheit:

Purnomo continued his search, remembering that when he prayed, he always recited: “God the Father, God the Son, God the Holy Spirit, three in one.” He thought: “This is really strange. If we asked a first-grade student (3=1+1+1?), they would say: (yes), but if we then said: (but also 1=3), they would not agree.”

Original Sin and Inherited Guilt:

The second principle in Christianity states that there is inherited guilt or original sin, meaning the sin committed by Adam when he ate the forbidden fruit will be inherited by all humans, even a fetus in its mother’s womb. Purnomo found in the Book of Ezekiel: “The son will not bear the iniquity of the father, nor will the father bear the iniquity of the son; the righteousness of the righteous will be upon him, and the wickedness of the wicked will be upon him.”

Repentance and Forgiveness:

In Islam, God (Allah Almighty) says: “No bearer of burdens will bear the burden of another.” The Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) said: “Every child is born upon the natural inclination, but his parents make him a Jew or a Christian or a Magian -Magusian-.”

Christian Doctrine Contradictions:

Purnomo began to doubt the third principle of Christian teachings, which states that the sins of humanity cannot be forgiven until Jesus is crucified. He pondered and questioned: “Is this true?”

Exploring Other Religions:

Purnomo left the church and began exploring other religions, trying Buddhism and Hinduism, but found no peace.

The Vision and the Dream:

On the night of October 31, 1971, after finishing his usual prayer, Purnomo saw in a dream a light shining from a man dressed in a white robe and white turban. The man said to him: “Recite the Shahada.” Purnomo repeated it after him three times.

Übertritt zum Islam:

Purnomo woke up drenched in sweat. He asked the first Muslim he met about the Shahada, and he explained that the Shahada is the first pillar of Islam and its meaning.

Declaration of Islam:

Twenty days after that vision, on the night of Eid al-Fitr, Purnomo heard the mosques near his home chanting Takbeer. He felt that God had answered his prayer and guided him to the true religion.

Family Conversion to Islam:

Purnomo gave his wife the choice between Islam and Christianity, and she chose Islam. From that day on, they all became Muslims.

Conclusion:

Purnomo’s story demonstrates the power of the search for truth and faith. Through his long journey from doubt to certainty, Purnomo found light and guidance in Islam. His journey was filled with challenges and continuous searching, but in the end, he reached inner peace and true faith.