If Islam is so good, then why do Muslim Governments not allow Bibles to be distributed?
It is a fact that many Muslim-majority countries do not allow competing religions to freely and openly practice their faiths. Many place restrictions on proselytizing.
If Islam is so great, then why are these laws in place? Islam is therefore not clearly better than other religions, otherwise they would not do this.
I have heard two answers to this.
One blames the Muslim governments.
The other explanation says that Muslims, while they believe the Bible is corrupt, still believe it contains portions of original truth and therefore the Muslims need to make sure that those portions do not end up in the hands of people who would not treat those books with the respect that should be due them.
The bottom line is that this sort of behavior demonstrates the true nature of the origins of Islam: it was started by the sword and is still perpetuated by force.
Monday, September 30, 2013
Sunday, September 29, 2013
Trinity: The Parable of the Talents
The more I am investigating this the more I realize that it is hard to argue that the Bible does not teach the orthodox view of the Trinity, although the word does not actually occur in the New Testament.
I heard a sermon today that gave me new insight into a very common passage.
The point is that it supports the Trinity in a way that is subtle, or at least that it supports a higher view of Jesus than that of just a prophet. Here is the familiar parable of the 10 Minas from Luke 19:
11 As they were listening to this, He went on to tell a parable because He was near Jerusalem, and they thought the kingdom of God was going to appear right away.
12 Therefore He said: “A nobleman traveled to a far country to receive for himself authority to be king and then return.
13 He called 10 of his slaves, gave them 10 minas, and told them, ‘Engage in business until I come back.’
14 “But his subjects hated him and sent a delegation after him, saying, ‘We don’t want this man to rule over us!’
15 “At his return, having received the authority to be king, he summoned those slaves he had given the money to, so he could find out how much they had made in business.
16 The first came forward and said, ‘Master, your mina has earned 10 more minas.’
17 “‘Well done, good slave!’ he told him. ‘Because you have been faithful in a very small matter, have authority over 10 towns.’
18 “The second came and said, ‘Master, your mina has made five minas.’
19 “So he said to him, ‘You will be over five towns.’
20 “And another came and said, ‘Master, here is your mina. I have kept it hidden away in a cloth
21 because I was afraid of you, for you’re a tough man: you collect what you didn’t deposit and reap what you didn’t sow.’
22 “He told him, ‘I will judge you by what you have said, you evil slave! If you knew I was a tough man, collecting what I didn’t deposit and reaping what I didn’t sow,
23 why didn’t you put my money in the bank? And when I returned, I would have collected it with interest!’
24 So he said to those standing there, ‘Take the mina away from him and give it to the one who has 10 minas.’
25 “But they said to him, ‘Master, he has 10 minas.’
26 “‘I tell you, that to everyone who has, more will be given; and from the one who does not have, even what he does have will be taken away.
27 But bring here these enemies of mine, who did not want me to rule over them, and slaughter them in my presence.’”
It turns out that this is the only parable of Jesus that is based on historical events:
When Herod Archelaus went to Rome to be made King as his father’s successor, a delegation of 50 Jews followed him from Israel where they petitioned Caesar to give them a Roman governor instead of Archelaus. According to Josephus over 8,000 Jews who lived in Rome gathered in the palace to support them as they presented their case against Archelaus.
My point is that Jesus compares how he would be rejected to how Herod the King was rejected, and yet this Herod was nevertheless made king by Caesar.
Note that the very next verse after this parable is the triumphal entry of Jesus into Jerusalem.
Jesus on the Mount of Transfiguration
Why were Moses and Elijah with Jesus on the mount of Transfiguration? Here is one explanation. In Exodus 33:18 Moses wants to see God, but can only see him partially. In 1 Kings 19:13, Elijah also does not see God fully. Is it possible that they both see God revealed on the Mount of Transfiguration?
Jesus and the Fig Tree
Muslims often say that Jesus' not knowing that it was not the season for figs (Mark 11:12-14) is evidence that he is not divine. Actually, everyone knew these sorts of things at the time, just like people nowadays know there is snow in winter. The dried up tree was a visible illustration for all to see how Israel had not produced fruit, and would soon be cursed. This is just what John the Baptist had prophesied:
Even now the axe is laid to the root of the trees. Every tree therefore that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire.
--Matt 3:10
I heard a sermon today that gave me new insight into a very common passage.
The point is that it supports the Trinity in a way that is subtle, or at least that it supports a higher view of Jesus than that of just a prophet. Here is the familiar parable of the 10 Minas from Luke 19:
11 As they were listening to this, He went on to tell a parable because He was near Jerusalem, and they thought the kingdom of God was going to appear right away.
12 Therefore He said: “A nobleman traveled to a far country to receive for himself authority to be king and then return.
13 He called 10 of his slaves, gave them 10 minas, and told them, ‘Engage in business until I come back.’
14 “But his subjects hated him and sent a delegation after him, saying, ‘We don’t want this man to rule over us!’
15 “At his return, having received the authority to be king, he summoned those slaves he had given the money to, so he could find out how much they had made in business.
16 The first came forward and said, ‘Master, your mina has earned 10 more minas.’
17 “‘Well done, good slave!’ he told him. ‘Because you have been faithful in a very small matter, have authority over 10 towns.’
18 “The second came and said, ‘Master, your mina has made five minas.’
19 “So he said to him, ‘You will be over five towns.’
20 “And another came and said, ‘Master, here is your mina. I have kept it hidden away in a cloth
21 because I was afraid of you, for you’re a tough man: you collect what you didn’t deposit and reap what you didn’t sow.’
22 “He told him, ‘I will judge you by what you have said, you evil slave! If you knew I was a tough man, collecting what I didn’t deposit and reaping what I didn’t sow,
23 why didn’t you put my money in the bank? And when I returned, I would have collected it with interest!’
24 So he said to those standing there, ‘Take the mina away from him and give it to the one who has 10 minas.’
25 “But they said to him, ‘Master, he has 10 minas.’
26 “‘I tell you, that to everyone who has, more will be given; and from the one who does not have, even what he does have will be taken away.
27 But bring here these enemies of mine, who did not want me to rule over them, and slaughter them in my presence.’”
It turns out that this is the only parable of Jesus that is based on historical events:
When Herod Archelaus went to Rome to be made King as his father’s successor, a delegation of 50 Jews followed him from Israel where they petitioned Caesar to give them a Roman governor instead of Archelaus. According to Josephus over 8,000 Jews who lived in Rome gathered in the palace to support them as they presented their case against Archelaus.
My point is that Jesus compares how he would be rejected to how Herod the King was rejected, and yet this Herod was nevertheless made king by Caesar.
Note that the very next verse after this parable is the triumphal entry of Jesus into Jerusalem.
Jesus on the Mount of Transfiguration
Why were Moses and Elijah with Jesus on the mount of Transfiguration? Here is one explanation. In Exodus 33:18 Moses wants to see God, but can only see him partially. In 1 Kings 19:13, Elijah also does not see God fully. Is it possible that they both see God revealed on the Mount of Transfiguration?
Jesus and the Fig Tree
Muslims often say that Jesus' not knowing that it was not the season for figs (Mark 11:12-14) is evidence that he is not divine. Actually, everyone knew these sorts of things at the time, just like people nowadays know there is snow in winter. The dried up tree was a visible illustration for all to see how Israel had not produced fruit, and would soon be cursed. This is just what John the Baptist had prophesied:
Even now the axe is laid to the root of the trees. Every tree therefore that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire.
--Matt 3:10
Quran: Is it really Impossibe for people to create a book without discrepancy?
Do they not consider the Qur'an (with care)? Had it been from other Than God, they would surely have found therein Much discrepancy.
(4:82)
I think this statement is wrong. Think about that! The statement in the Quran that claims that a lack of discrpancy is a proof that it is from God, that is itself an error!
There are surely many novels, technical documents and mathematics books that do not contain any discrepancies. Even if errors were found, you could keep fixing them until there were none left.
Apart from the fact that this challenge is inherently wrong, I would like to point out that it does not make sense to make a challenge like this.
Let me give a specific example:
So believe in Allah and His messengers, and say not "Three" - Cease! (it is) better for you!
(4:171 Pickthall)
Note you cannot recite this verse without saying "Three". People who recite the Quran violate the Quran all the time.
Muslims will find a justification for this, but you can will regard this as a contradiction. Who is to judge whether the Muslim justification can overcome what you regard as a contradiction? As the verse is evidently written for the benefit of unbelievers, that would make you the judge.
Also, the Quran has a built-in system for abrogating verses. I may discuss this elsewhere.
The Quran is written by just one person over a short time, not by many people over thousands of years. Consider how in a sermon you will routinely hear a verse from one end of the Bible and the speaker jumps to the there end of the Bible with no perception that there are thousands of years between the two.
I was once told that when you buy an oriental hand-made carpet made Middle-eastern carpet made by Muslims, that carpet there always have a deliberate mistake put in somewhere because nothing is perfect but the Quran.
There is no equivalent challenge that is articulated in the Bible. Our faith is based on the resurrection.
(4:82)
I think this statement is wrong. Think about that! The statement in the Quran that claims that a lack of discrpancy is a proof that it is from God, that is itself an error!
There are surely many novels, technical documents and mathematics books that do not contain any discrepancies. Even if errors were found, you could keep fixing them until there were none left.
Apart from the fact that this challenge is inherently wrong, I would like to point out that it does not make sense to make a challenge like this.
Let me give a specific example:
So believe in Allah and His messengers, and say not "Three" - Cease! (it is) better for you!
(4:171 Pickthall)
Note you cannot recite this verse without saying "Three". People who recite the Quran violate the Quran all the time.
Muslims will find a justification for this, but you can will regard this as a contradiction. Who is to judge whether the Muslim justification can overcome what you regard as a contradiction? As the verse is evidently written for the benefit of unbelievers, that would make you the judge.
Also, the Quran has a built-in system for abrogating verses. I may discuss this elsewhere.
The Quran is written by just one person over a short time, not by many people over thousands of years. Consider how in a sermon you will routinely hear a verse from one end of the Bible and the speaker jumps to the there end of the Bible with no perception that there are thousands of years between the two.
I was once told that when you buy an oriental hand-made carpet made Middle-eastern carpet made by Muslims, that carpet there always have a deliberate mistake put in somewhere because nothing is perfect but the Quran.
There is no equivalent challenge that is articulated in the Bible. Our faith is based on the resurrection.
Thursday, September 26, 2013
How Much Does It Cost To Be A Christian?
Well, the initial answer is that it costs you nothing to be a Christian.
The other correct answer is that it costs you everything, but you gain a lot more.
Have you ever considered how much it costs to be a Muslim?
To be a good Muslim, you can count on spending $5,000 for your pilgrimage to Mecca.
It has been pointed out that 30,000 (or however many) people from all around the world kissing the same rock on the same day, then returning to all the corners of the planet--this may not be a good idea.
The other correct answer is that it costs you everything, but you gain a lot more.
Have you ever considered how much it costs to be a Muslim?
To be a good Muslim, you can count on spending $5,000 for your pilgrimage to Mecca.
It has been pointed out that 30,000 (or however many) people from all around the world kissing the same rock on the same day, then returning to all the corners of the planet--this may not be a good idea.
Saturday, September 21, 2013
License to sin: Is Wine Prohibited? *
Some Muslims say that alcohol isn't allowed in Islam (this is actually not as clear as most people think it is). Wine clearly is allowed in Christianity.
For example, Paul gives Timothy this instruction:
No longer drink only water, but use a little wine for your stomach’s sake and your frequent infirmities.
--1 Timothy 5:23
The fact that wine had a beneficial effect on whatever ailed Timothy was understood by both Paul and Timothy and needed no further explanation.
The alcohol in wine kills bacteria, so it is safer than the water in some areas.
Eating any food to an extreme is harmful. Wine in moderation is not bad for your health, and some say it can be beneficial. Our problem is not with our food, but with our heart, as Jesus said:
That which enters into the mouth doesn't defile the man; but that which proceeds out of the mouth, this defiles the man
--Matt 15:11
For example, Paul gives Timothy this instruction:
No longer drink only water, but use a little wine for your stomach’s sake and your frequent infirmities.
--1 Timothy 5:23
The fact that wine had a beneficial effect on whatever ailed Timothy was understood by both Paul and Timothy and needed no further explanation.
The alcohol in wine kills bacteria, so it is safer than the water in some areas.
Eating any food to an extreme is harmful. Wine in moderation is not bad for your health, and some say it can be beneficial. Our problem is not with our food, but with our heart, as Jesus said:
That which enters into the mouth doesn't defile the man; but that which proceeds out of the mouth, this defiles the man
--Matt 15:11
What to do About Thieves?
We all know that Islam calls for hands and feet to be cut off.
Here is what Christianity calls for:
Let him who stole steal no longer, but rather let him labor, working with his hands what is good, that he may have something to give him who has need.
Ephesians 4:28
Christianity does not call for a form of sharia that is for outside the church, but rather it is for inside the church
Here is what Christianity calls for:
Let him who stole steal no longer, but rather let him labor, working with his hands what is good, that he may have something to give him who has need.
Ephesians 4:28
Christianity does not call for a form of sharia that is for outside the church, but rather it is for inside the church
Saturday, September 14, 2013
Who wrote the New Testament?
Muslim dawa-ists like to draw attention to the fact that the respective gospels of Matthew, Mark and Luke do not have the names of their authors in the text.
They say,
"Matthew who?
Mark who?
Luke who?
John who?"
And yet do the propose another hypothesis for who these authors are? If people will just naïvely accept any religious writing, then the same goes for the Quran. But the fact is that people in practice tend to be stubbornly unmovable when it comes to religious belief, as you will yourself notice when you share the gospel.
You could not just write an anonymous pamphlet and get people to believe it.
The fact is that these books were accepted by the early church.
Also these authors are attested to by the Early Church Fathers.
Also, I would like to point out that Matthew is mentioned as the son of Alphaeus five times in the New Testament. John's last name is listed in the gospels (son of Zebedee).
Mark probably appears briefly in his own gospel, and Luke is mentioned by Paul.
Finally, it is appropriate to ask: Where in the Quran is there insight that there are four "gospels", and they are anonymous? This is another case where Muslims are treating the Quran as an empty bucket to fill with modern day insights.
They say,
"Matthew who?
Mark who?
Luke who?
John who?"
And yet do the propose another hypothesis for who these authors are? If people will just naïvely accept any religious writing, then the same goes for the Quran. But the fact is that people in practice tend to be stubbornly unmovable when it comes to religious belief, as you will yourself notice when you share the gospel.
You could not just write an anonymous pamphlet and get people to believe it.
The fact is that these books were accepted by the early church.
Also these authors are attested to by the Early Church Fathers.
Also, I would like to point out that Matthew is mentioned as the son of Alphaeus five times in the New Testament. John's last name is listed in the gospels (son of Zebedee).
Mark probably appears briefly in his own gospel, and Luke is mentioned by Paul.
Finally, it is appropriate to ask: Where in the Quran is there insight that there are four "gospels", and they are anonymous? This is another case where Muslims are treating the Quran as an empty bucket to fill with modern day insights.
An overview of Islam: Won't Allah let me into Paradise if I am Really Good? *
One time I had been disusing with a Muslim for about an hour about many aspects of Islam and Christianity. Eventually he asked:
"Don't you think Allah will let me into paradise if I am good?"
That was a turning point in my understanding of Islam. I finally understood what this whole discussion is about and why Muslims are often so obstinate in the face of clear reason.
Muslims fundamentally believe that you need to appease Allah needs to be appeased with prayers and good works, or else you will end up in hellfire. There is really no assurance of salvation; it up to the arbitrary will of Allah.
In Christianity however, God lets people into heaven on a legal basis. After Adam's sin, all humanity is on the wrong side of the law, but God is actually helping us to justify us. If we don't make it into heaven, that is not God's will for us.
In the news recently was the case of a judge who ruled against a fashion clothing retailer who fired an employee who wore a hijab [headscarf] at work. This clothing store did not specialize in the particular clothes that Muslimas [a female Muslim] wear, so they felt this hurt their business.
The judge himself may have been strongly in favor of the right of the employer to hire and fire anyone they want, but in the office of the judge he has to do exactly what the law says.
There is also a case where a judge would not hear a case brought by a certain Muslima because she would not remove her headscarf in court.
The Judge said,
“The same rules need to be applied to everyone.
I will therefore not hear you if you are wearing a scarf on your head, just as
I would not allow a person to appear before me wearing a hat or sunglasses on his or her head, or any other garment not suitable for a court proceeding,”
“I will not hear you, I have to apply the same rules to everybody.”
Here again, the views and personal preferences of the judge do not matter.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/news/morning-mix/wp/2015/02/27/quebec-judge-refused-to-hear-case-because-muslim-woman-wore-a-hijab/
Below is the verse so often quoted by Muslims to try to disprove the Trinity:
God is not a man, that he should lie,
nor the son of man, that he should repent.
Has he said, and will he not do it?
Or has he spoken, and will he not make it good?
--Numbers 23:19
This verse really means that what God has set in motion cannot be undone. What God says is eternally true. If God decreed a penalty for sin, then it is absolutely certain to happen.
We believe that Jesus made a narrow legal way for Man to escape the judgment for Sin and joining the rebellion of Satan against God.
And so we Christians do good works and pray, as Muslims do also, but the reasons and motivations are very different.
"Don't you think Allah will let me into paradise if I am good?"
That was a turning point in my understanding of Islam. I finally understood what this whole discussion is about and why Muslims are often so obstinate in the face of clear reason.
Muslims fundamentally believe that you need to appease Allah needs to be appeased with prayers and good works, or else you will end up in hellfire. There is really no assurance of salvation; it up to the arbitrary will of Allah.
In Christianity however, God lets people into heaven on a legal basis. After Adam's sin, all humanity is on the wrong side of the law, but God is actually helping us to justify us. If we don't make it into heaven, that is not God's will for us.
In the news recently was the case of a judge who ruled against a fashion clothing retailer who fired an employee who wore a hijab [headscarf] at work. This clothing store did not specialize in the particular clothes that Muslimas [a female Muslim] wear, so they felt this hurt their business.
The judge himself may have been strongly in favor of the right of the employer to hire and fire anyone they want, but in the office of the judge he has to do exactly what the law says.
There is also a case where a judge would not hear a case brought by a certain Muslima because she would not remove her headscarf in court.
The Judge said,
“The same rules need to be applied to everyone.
I will therefore not hear you if you are wearing a scarf on your head, just as
I would not allow a person to appear before me wearing a hat or sunglasses on his or her head, or any other garment not suitable for a court proceeding,”
“I will not hear you, I have to apply the same rules to everybody.”
Here again, the views and personal preferences of the judge do not matter.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/news/morning-mix/wp/2015/02/27/quebec-judge-refused-to-hear-case-because-muslim-woman-wore-a-hijab/
Below is the verse so often quoted by Muslims to try to disprove the Trinity:
God is not a man, that he should lie,
nor the son of man, that he should repent.
Has he said, and will he not do it?
Or has he spoken, and will he not make it good?
--Numbers 23:19
This verse really means that what God has set in motion cannot be undone. What God says is eternally true. If God decreed a penalty for sin, then it is absolutely certain to happen.
We believe that Jesus made a narrow legal way for Man to escape the judgment for Sin and joining the rebellion of Satan against God.
And so we Christians do good works and pray, as Muslims do also, but the reasons and motivations are very different.
Yeah hath Allah said..?
Sometimes Muslims will try to compare attributes of Yahweh (the God of the Bible) with Allah (the God that Mohammed proposed).
There is actually no reason to go along with the proposition that there is any validity to Mohammed's God. You do not have to acknowledge that he exists beyond words on the page.
It is up to Muslims to demonstrate this.
In contrast we as Christians can point to the resurrection of Jesus, which nobody can find any explanation for. All 11 disciples were recorded as having become martyrs rather than denying their faith. That is our justification
There is actually no reason to go along with the proposition that there is any validity to Mohammed's God. You do not have to acknowledge that he exists beyond words on the page.
It is up to Muslims to demonstrate this.
In contrast we as Christians can point to the resurrection of Jesus, which nobody can find any explanation for. All 11 disciples were recorded as having become martyrs rather than denying their faith. That is our justification
Monday, September 9, 2013
Where does Jesus say, "I am God, Worship me"? Also: Muslims with Stockholm Syndrome +
Sometimes Muslims demand a verse where Jesus says "I am God, worship me." But those exact words are not in the Bible.
However, I think their question reveals something about the Muslim state of mind. From the Muslim perspective, if Jesus were God, then he would certainly have made everyone bow before him the same way as Allah demands of Muslims in their prayers.
Sometimes I wonder why Muslims give Mohammed so much benefit of the doubt, and so little to the Bible. Muslims have to believe in so many strained interpretations and conjectures.
After observing this so often I concluded that they must be suffering from a form of the psychological condition called "Stockholm syndrome", which is where people start to identify with their captors. Or something like "battered wife syndrome" where an battered wife defends her abusive husband for reasons her friends don't understand.
In Islam, Muslims live in constant fear of eternal hellfire. So they must submit to many demands, like praying five times a day and fasting, and abstaining from perfectly good foods, so I think that this interferes with their objectivity.
In Christianity, we have:
... the goodness of God leads you to repentance
--Romans 2:4
We love him, because he first loved us.
--1 John 4:19
However, I think their question reveals something about the Muslim state of mind. From the Muslim perspective, if Jesus were God, then he would certainly have made everyone bow before him the same way as Allah demands of Muslims in their prayers.
Sometimes I wonder why Muslims give Mohammed so much benefit of the doubt, and so little to the Bible. Muslims have to believe in so many strained interpretations and conjectures.
After observing this so often I concluded that they must be suffering from a form of the psychological condition called "Stockholm syndrome", which is where people start to identify with their captors. Or something like "battered wife syndrome" where an battered wife defends her abusive husband for reasons her friends don't understand.
In Islam, Muslims live in constant fear of eternal hellfire. So they must submit to many demands, like praying five times a day and fasting, and abstaining from perfectly good foods, so I think that this interferes with their objectivity.
In Christianity, we have:
... the goodness of God leads you to repentance
--Romans 2:4
We love him, because he first loved us.
--1 John 4:19
The Quran's answer to the Resurrection -
I was discussing the resurrection with an experienced and knowledgeable Muslim Dawa-ist.
I made short work of his first objection to the Christian claim of the resurrection, so on his second try he took me on a tour of 300 years of history that started with Paul and went all the way to Constantine, mentioning Paul's disagreements with Peter and James and other (gnostic) "gospels" along the way.
I stopped him after about ten minutes, pleading information overload.
There is a fundamental problem with his argument without even going into the details.
The Quran devotes around 40 Arabic words to the entire topic of the Crucifixion (and presumably also the resurrection, which is not mentioned in the Quran). Here they are:
That they said, we killed the Christ Isa, the son of Mariam, the Apostle of Allah, but they killed him not, nor crucified him, but so it was made to appear to them, and those who differ therein are full of doubts, with no knowledge, but only conjecture to follow, for a surety they killed him not."
--Quran 4:157
My point is: If the resurrection is so surely only conjecture and the non-crucifixion of Jesus is surety, then why does it take a ten minute (at least) tour of 300 years from Paul to Constantine to begin to demonstrate this Muslim's point of view? Even if he did have a point it would not be "surety".
The argument that causes me to reject Christianity does not lead me to embrace Islam, even if this historic argument were convincing.
There are at least eight authors of the New Testament. They all have different writing styles. Mohammed, 600 years later, highhandedly make their testimony void with just 40 words?
Paul is notes that Christianity depends entirely on the resurrection:
And if Christ has not been raised, then our proclamation is without foundation, and so is your faith.
In addition, we are found to be false witnesses about God, because we have testified about God that He raised up Christ—whom He did not raise up if in fact the dead are not raised.
(1 Cor 15:14,15)
I made short work of his first objection to the Christian claim of the resurrection, so on his second try he took me on a tour of 300 years of history that started with Paul and went all the way to Constantine, mentioning Paul's disagreements with Peter and James and other (gnostic) "gospels" along the way.
I stopped him after about ten minutes, pleading information overload.
There is a fundamental problem with his argument without even going into the details.
The Quran devotes around 40 Arabic words to the entire topic of the Crucifixion (and presumably also the resurrection, which is not mentioned in the Quran). Here they are:
That they said, we killed the Christ Isa, the son of Mariam, the Apostle of Allah, but they killed him not, nor crucified him, but so it was made to appear to them, and those who differ therein are full of doubts, with no knowledge, but only conjecture to follow, for a surety they killed him not."
--Quran 4:157
My point is: If the resurrection is so surely only conjecture and the non-crucifixion of Jesus is surety, then why does it take a ten minute (at least) tour of 300 years from Paul to Constantine to begin to demonstrate this Muslim's point of view? Even if he did have a point it would not be "surety".
The argument that causes me to reject Christianity does not lead me to embrace Islam, even if this historic argument were convincing.
There are at least eight authors of the New Testament. They all have different writing styles. Mohammed, 600 years later, highhandedly make their testimony void with just 40 words?
Paul is notes that Christianity depends entirely on the resurrection:
And if Christ has not been raised, then our proclamation is without foundation, and so is your faith.
In addition, we are found to be false witnesses about God, because we have testified about God that He raised up Christ—whom He did not raise up if in fact the dead are not raised.
(1 Cor 15:14,15)
The only place in the Quran that describes the members of the Trinity
And behold! Allah will say: "O the son of Mary! Didst thou say unto men, 'Take me and my mother for two gods beside Allah'?" He will say: "Glory to Thee! Never could I say what I had no right (to say). Had I said such a thing thou wouldst indeed have known it. Thou knowest what is in my heart, though I know not what in Thine. For Thou knowest in full all that is hidden. [Qur'an 5:116]
Here the Trinity is clearly God, Mary, and Jesus.
This is a big difficulty. Christianity does not recognize Mary as a god. No formulation of Christianity recognizes Mary as a god. The Trinity is Father, Son and Holy Spirit. Mohammed does not demonstrate knowledge of Bible doctrine. What we see is consistent with a person who has seen statues in Christian churches.
This is the only place where the members of the Trinity is defined. It is also mentioned, but not defined here:
“They have certainly disbelieved who say, ‘God is the third of three.’ (Rather) there is none worthy of worship except One (God). And if they do not desist from what they are saying, there will surely afflict the disbelievers among them a painful punishment. So will they not repent to God and seek His forgiveness? And God is Forgiving and Merciful. The Messiah (Jesus), son of Mary, was no more than a Messenger before whom many Messengers have passed away; and his mother adhered wholly to truthfulness, and they both ate food (as other mortals do). See how We make Our signs clear to them; and see where they are turning away!” [Qur'an 5:73-75]
Here the Trinity is clearly God, Mary, and Jesus.
This is a big difficulty. Christianity does not recognize Mary as a god. No formulation of Christianity recognizes Mary as a god. The Trinity is Father, Son and Holy Spirit. Mohammed does not demonstrate knowledge of Bible doctrine. What we see is consistent with a person who has seen statues in Christian churches.
This is the only place where the members of the Trinity is defined. It is also mentioned, but not defined here:
“They have certainly disbelieved who say, ‘God is the third of three.’ (Rather) there is none worthy of worship except One (God). And if they do not desist from what they are saying, there will surely afflict the disbelievers among them a painful punishment. So will they not repent to God and seek His forgiveness? And God is Forgiving and Merciful. The Messiah (Jesus), son of Mary, was no more than a Messenger before whom many Messengers have passed away; and his mother adhered wholly to truthfulness, and they both ate food (as other mortals do). See how We make Our signs clear to them; and see where they are turning away!” [Qur'an 5:73-75]
Sunday, September 8, 2013
The Bible was written by people at the time
The Bible was written around the time of the events it describes.
One exception I would like to mention is the story of creation.
The this fact has been used to justify the Quran writing about things that happened 600 years earlier and far away.
At the same time it brings no verifiable and specific justification for contradicting the New Testament and Old Testament.
One exception I would like to mention is the story of creation.
The this fact has been used to justify the Quran writing about things that happened 600 years earlier and far away.
At the same time it brings no verifiable and specific justification for contradicting the New Testament and Old Testament.
The Bible is Written From an Observational Viewpoint
One of the differences between the Bible and just about every other religious book is that the Bible is written from the perspective of observers. There is relatively little commentary.
A consequence of this is that much is left to interpretation, and therefore there is a diversity of opinions. Many of these opinions are entirely legitimate.
A consequence of this is that much is left to interpretation, and therefore there is a diversity of opinions. Many of these opinions are entirely legitimate.
Saturday, September 7, 2013
Did Constantine Write the Bible?
There is the allegation that Constantine wrote the Bible and created Christianity around 300 A.D.
This is problematic for at least two reasons:
This is problematic for at least two reasons:
- Almost the entire New Testament is quoted in the works of the Early Church Fathers.
- The New Testament has always been widely dispersed. For example: When this letter is read among you, have it also read in the church of the Laodiceans; and you, for your part read my letter that is coming from Laodicea. (Col 4:16)
What this means is that the New Testament, and the Bible as a whole actually, was passed around and copied in a distributed, organic way. From the 5800 New Testament manuscripts that we have in various languages and from various locations, we are able to reconstruct the original text with a high degree of confidence.
What we read in the Quran does not apply to the Bible:
Surah Al Baqarah ch:2, v:79
"Then woe to those who write the Book with their own hands and then say, "This is from Allah," to purchase with it a little price! Woe to them for what their hands have written and woe to them for that they earn (there by)."
The Early Church Fathers +
A lot is know about the Bible from the works of the Early Church Fathers.
If you click on the link you will see the impressive volume of the discussions of them with each others.
http://www.amazon.com/The-Early-Church-Fathers-Vols/dp/1565630815/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1378570350&sr=8-1&keywords=early+church+fathers+38+volumes
You should look at the picture to appreciate the volume of writing produced by these people.
There are 22,896 pages altogether. It is said that these works contain 86,000 Bible quotations and that all but 11 verses are quoted in there. If every New Testament manuscript were destroyed for some reason, we would still know what the New Testament contained.
Not only are these volumes important for preserving the text of the Bible, but also for what the early church believed and what it considered heresy, because they would teach against it. I take note of the fact that Muslims do are not justifying the Quran's view of what happened with Jesus using the Early Church Fathers.
Question for Muslims: How did we get from what the Quran says happened to what is recorded in the Gospels, their translations, the early church fathers and non-Christian writings of the time.
If you click on the link you will see the impressive volume of the discussions of them with each others.
http://www.amazon.com/The-Early-Church-Fathers-Vols/dp/1565630815/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1378570350&sr=8-1&keywords=early+church+fathers+38+volumes
You should look at the picture to appreciate the volume of writing produced by these people.
There are 22,896 pages altogether. It is said that these works contain 86,000 Bible quotations and that all but 11 verses are quoted in there. If every New Testament manuscript were destroyed for some reason, we would still know what the New Testament contained.
Not only are these volumes important for preserving the text of the Bible, but also for what the early church believed and what it considered heresy, because they would teach against it. I take note of the fact that Muslims do are not justifying the Quran's view of what happened with Jesus using the Early Church Fathers.
Question for Muslims: How did we get from what the Quran says happened to what is recorded in the Gospels, their translations, the early church fathers and non-Christian writings of the time.
Friday, September 6, 2013
Don't focus on Similarities +
Muslims like to focus on similarities between their religion and Christianity/Judaism.
They will often hear the term "Abrahamic faiths" when they host interfaith meetings.
The fact of the matter is that Mohammed entirely contradicts both the Old and New Testaments.
It really does not pertain to either tradition, but likes to pretend that it does. The reason is this:
It is really hard to invent a new religion from the ground up.
If Mohammed had said that he was the first and only prophet of Allah, people would naturally want to know what Allah has been doing for the previous 10,000 years of human history so that he should be the only messenger.
So what he does instead is he wraps himself in a mantle of the tradition of the Jewish and Christian faiths then he parks himself in the same lot as those legitimate religions with many ancient writings.
Do not grant Islam any credibility through incidental similarities with Christianity or Judaism.
Muslims are taking an explicitly anti-Christian position. They are not like (for example) Hindus or Buddhists. Muslims actively deny the resurrection of Jesus.
One time I was talking to a Muslim who had a sort of "I have my religion and you have yours" attitude, and he was not able to give a good motivation for his belief in Islam (although he was at a book table handing out literature). I should have pointed out that he has taken positively expressing a conviction that the resurrection is false, and should be able to articulate why. I did not realize this at the time, and he perhaps did not either.
They will often hear the term "Abrahamic faiths" when they host interfaith meetings.
The fact of the matter is that Mohammed entirely contradicts both the Old and New Testaments.
It really does not pertain to either tradition, but likes to pretend that it does. The reason is this:
It is really hard to invent a new religion from the ground up.
If Mohammed had said that he was the first and only prophet of Allah, people would naturally want to know what Allah has been doing for the previous 10,000 years of human history so that he should be the only messenger.
So what he does instead is he wraps himself in a mantle of the tradition of the Jewish and Christian faiths then he parks himself in the same lot as those legitimate religions with many ancient writings.
Do not grant Islam any credibility through incidental similarities with Christianity or Judaism.
Muslims are taking an explicitly anti-Christian position. They are not like (for example) Hindus or Buddhists. Muslims actively deny the resurrection of Jesus.
One time I was talking to a Muslim who had a sort of "I have my religion and you have yours" attitude, and he was not able to give a good motivation for his belief in Islam (although he was at a book table handing out literature). I should have pointed out that he has taken positively expressing a conviction that the resurrection is false, and should be able to articulate why. I did not realize this at the time, and he perhaps did not either.
Wednesday, September 4, 2013
Does Mark claim the Trinity is found in the Old Testament?
It appears that Mark supports the Trinity in the Old Testament, but it is not obvious.
Here is the start of Mark:
Mark 1:1 The beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ, the Son of God.
2 As it is written in Isaiah the prophet : "BEHOLD, I SEND MY MESSENGER AHEAD OF YOU, WHO WILL PREPARE YOUR WAY".
Who is YOU in this quotation?
If you compare this with the actual Old Testament quotation you will see it is God:
Isaiah 40:3 The voice of him that crieth in the wilderness, Prepare ye the way of the Lord, make straight in the desert a highway for our God.
The MESSENGER is John the Baptist. and the YOU is the LORD.
Here is the start of Mark:
Mark 1:1 The beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ, the Son of God.
2 As it is written in Isaiah the prophet : "BEHOLD, I SEND MY MESSENGER AHEAD OF YOU, WHO WILL PREPARE YOUR WAY".
Who is YOU in this quotation?
If you compare this with the actual Old Testament quotation you will see it is God:
Isaiah 40:3 The voice of him that crieth in the wilderness, Prepare ye the way of the Lord, make straight in the desert a highway for our God.
The MESSENGER is John the Baptist. and the YOU is the LORD.
Trinity: a two-edged sword
Muslims like to go on and on about how the Trinity does not make sense and how it is not found in the Old Testament.
The response is that Christianity arose from a Jewish context. Jews are not Trinitarians.
What did they see that caused them to leave Judaism and become Christian? Whatever it was must have been very persuasive. They understood the Old testament very well and could have formulated the same arguments back then.
How did Christianity arise even against this sort of obvious reason, as well as the persecution of Christians that is well-known.
So disparaging the Trinity does not help disprove Christianity, but it actually helps.
Also I find it interesting that this squeamishness about the Trinity is almost exclusively a Muslim thing. Westerners' objections are many and varied, but the Trinity is usually not high on the list.
The response is that Christianity arose from a Jewish context. Jews are not Trinitarians.
What did they see that caused them to leave Judaism and become Christian? Whatever it was must have been very persuasive. They understood the Old testament very well and could have formulated the same arguments back then.
How did Christianity arise even against this sort of obvious reason, as well as the persecution of Christians that is well-known.
So disparaging the Trinity does not help disprove Christianity, but it actually helps.
Also I find it interesting that this squeamishness about the Trinity is almost exclusively a Muslim thing. Westerners' objections are many and varied, but the Trinity is usually not high on the list.
Monday, September 2, 2013
Is Muhammed prophesied in the Old Testament?
Muslims are bound to say that Mohammed was prophesied in specifically the Torah and the Injeel.
This comes from Quran 7:157:
Those who follow the Messenger, the unlettered prophet, whom they find written in what they have of the Torah and the Gospel, who enjoins upon them what is right and forbids them what is wrong and makes lawful for them the good things and prohibits for them the evil and relieves them of their burden and the shackles which were upon them. So they who have believed in him, honored him, supported him and followed the light which was sent down with him - it is those who will be the successful.
One such verse is claimed to be in the Song of Solomon 5:16
This does not stand up if you read the verse in context from Song of Solomon Chapter 5:
10 My beloved is white and ruddy,
Chief among ten thousand.
11 His head is like the finest gold;
His locks are wavy,
And black as a raven.
12 His eyes are like doves
By the rivers of waters,
Washed with milk,
And fitly set.
13 His cheeks are like a bed of spices,
Banks of scented herbs.
His lips are lilies,
Dripping liquid myrrh.
This comes from Quran 7:157:
Those who follow the Messenger, the unlettered prophet, whom they find written in what they have of the Torah and the Gospel, who enjoins upon them what is right and forbids them what is wrong and makes lawful for them the good things and prohibits for them the evil and relieves them of their burden and the shackles which were upon them. So they who have believed in him, honored him, supported him and followed the light which was sent down with him - it is those who will be the successful.
One such verse is claimed to be in the Song of Solomon 5:16
This does not stand up if you read the verse in context from Song of Solomon Chapter 5:
10 My beloved is white and ruddy,
Chief among ten thousand.
11 His head is like the finest gold;
His locks are wavy,
And black as a raven.
12 His eyes are like doves
By the rivers of waters,
Washed with milk,
And fitly set.
13 His cheeks are like a bed of spices,
Banks of scented herbs.
His lips are lilies,
Dripping liquid myrrh.
14 His hands are rods of gold
Set with beryl.
His body is carved ivory
Inlaid with sapphires.
15 His legs are pillars of marble
Set on bases of fine gold.
His countenance is like Lebanon,
Excellent as the cedars.
16 His mouth is most sweet,
Yes, he is altogether Muhammed(?)
This is my beloved,
And this is my friend,
O daughters of Jerusalem!
Set with beryl.
His body is carved ivory
Inlaid with sapphires.
15 His legs are pillars of marble
Set on bases of fine gold.
His countenance is like Lebanon,
Excellent as the cedars.
16 His mouth is most sweet,
Yes, he is altogether Muhammed(?)
This is my beloved,
And this is my friend,
O daughters of Jerusalem!
The word that is used in the NKJV is actually "lovely" instead of "Muhammed".
But if you read the verse in this context you can see that it is really not the intent of the author this book to describe a noun in this place.
The Song of Solomon is actually in neither in the Torah or the Injeel, so this verse will not satisfy the requirements of the Quran.
This video by Dr. James White also discusses whether Mohammed is found in the Song of Solomon:
Does the Name of Muhammad Appear in Song of Solomon 5:16?
https://youtu.be/JikrXk51L0M
The Song of Solomon is actually in neither in the Torah or the Injeel, so this verse will not satisfy the requirements of the Quran.
This video by Dr. James White also discusses whether Mohammed is found in the Song of Solomon:
Does the Name of Muhammad Appear in Song of Solomon 5:16?
https://youtu.be/JikrXk51L0M
Sunday, September 1, 2013
If you believe in God should you become a Muslim? *
I and the Father are one.
--John 10:30
Muslims frequently equate belief in God to Islam.
There are legitimate reasons to believe that a god created the universe and everything in it. There are also good reasons to believe that there is basically only one God. Otherwise you would look over here and see one kind of creation, say, "blue creation", and another kind over there, "pink creation", and they would be distinctly different. And of course there can't possibly be three gods as in Christianity.
Muslims will often use the argument above, then make the leap from this one god to Allah, saying that Allah means "the God".
Actually, just because you believe in one God does not make you a Muslim, because to be a Muslim you must also believe in its messenger and the Quran.
Also, Muslims like to say that they are the only religion that is not named after a person or a race of people because they say "Islam" means "submit" (sometimes they say it means "peace", which is false).
However, in reality it means to submit to "the God according to Muhammad", not any other god.
The "Shahada" (which is the standard Muslim profession of faith) inseparably mentions Mohammed alongside their one God. Muslims do not recognize as legitimate a profession of faith without Mohammed as the prophet of Allah. Further, since the Muslims do not really believe in anything except the Quran, with its one prophet, they in effect they believe in only one prophet.
Thus the older English name for Islam is "Mohammedism", and it is really a more accurate description.
Why Is Christianity named after its founder?
Muslims eagerly point out that their religion is the only one that is not named after a person or a race.
Could Islam have been brought by anyone other than Muhammad? Yes, as Muslims say that he was one of many prophets who were sent with this message.
But Christianity is not about a message, but it is about God entering his creation and paying the price for our sin. Without Jesus there is no Christianity.
What does Mohammed mean?
"Mohammed" means "Praised one"--referring to the prophet himself.
All the Old Testament prophets have a name that describes an attribute of God. For example, Joshua means God (or Yahweh) saves.
Did any of the the prophets in the Bible have names that brought glory to themselves? I don't know of any.
The "Count the prophets Game"
Muslims will say they believe in many prophets, including the prophets from the Bible. However those other prophets' writings are not well-preserved.
Sometimes it is a bit hard to get Muslims to admit they only have one prophet, so you need to specifically ask how many prophets the follow in terms of their writings.
--John 10:30
Muslims frequently equate belief in God to Islam.
There are legitimate reasons to believe that a god created the universe and everything in it. There are also good reasons to believe that there is basically only one God. Otherwise you would look over here and see one kind of creation, say, "blue creation", and another kind over there, "pink creation", and they would be distinctly different. And of course there can't possibly be three gods as in Christianity.
Muslims will often use the argument above, then make the leap from this one god to Allah, saying that Allah means "the God".
Actually, just because you believe in one God does not make you a Muslim, because to be a Muslim you must also believe in its messenger and the Quran.
Also, Muslims like to say that they are the only religion that is not named after a person or a race of people because they say "Islam" means "submit" (sometimes they say it means "peace", which is false).
However, in reality it means to submit to "the God according to Muhammad", not any other god.
The "Shahada" (which is the standard Muslim profession of faith) inseparably mentions Mohammed alongside their one God. Muslims do not recognize as legitimate a profession of faith without Mohammed as the prophet of Allah. Further, since the Muslims do not really believe in anything except the Quran, with its one prophet, they in effect they believe in only one prophet.
Thus the older English name for Islam is "Mohammedism", and it is really a more accurate description.
Why Is Christianity named after its founder?
Muslims eagerly point out that their religion is the only one that is not named after a person or a race.
Could Islam have been brought by anyone other than Muhammad? Yes, as Muslims say that he was one of many prophets who were sent with this message.
But Christianity is not about a message, but it is about God entering his creation and paying the price for our sin. Without Jesus there is no Christianity.
What does Mohammed mean?
"Mohammed" means "Praised one"--referring to the prophet himself.
All the Old Testament prophets have a name that describes an attribute of God. For example, Joshua means God (or Yahweh) saves.
Did any of the the prophets in the Bible have names that brought glory to themselves? I don't know of any.
The "Count the prophets Game"
Muslims will say they believe in many prophets, including the prophets from the Bible. However those other prophets' writings are not well-preserved.
Sometimes it is a bit hard to get Muslims to admit they only have one prophet, so you need to specifically ask how many prophets the follow in terms of their writings.
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