Thanks for the reply Augustus.
Sure - but not materially. Switching a word for an equivalent word here & there doesn't have a material impact on the meaning.
I believe you're referring to different ways of reading the Qur'an, rather than differences in the actual text. Is that right?
Point...
I tried to capture all of the potential motivators in my first post, copied here for easy reading. Do you feel this is comprehensive, or are there other potential motivators?
Agreed that we can't know for sure what went on in his mind. All we can do is try to evaluate what was most likely...
Thanks for the reply, HonestJoe.
To reiterate, the basic premise is that if Muhammed genuinely believed he received revelations from an angel on a regular basis, and he wasn't crazy, then most likely he really did receive the Qur'an from a non-human, external entity.
So we just give up?
This...
Hi Tumah,
I see now that your point was more general. However, your question - 'why does this not apply to other individuals' - I don't think it's possible to answer it without looking at the specifics of each case. This is very time consuming, so I'm open to any other suggested options...
It seems that we've reached a roadblock. We need to clarify how we use the underlying historical sources before we can move forward.
The Qur'an, if unchanged, is an accurate reflection of what Muhammed was saying to his people. As a source for that purpose, it's helpful
The hadith were not...
If you have a point, you're not making your case very clearly. You're also supplementing your case with what looks like an attempt to be inflammatory, which isn't helpful at all.
Are you saying that belief in the possibility of God's existence, or that of other non-human entities, is necessary...
Hi Tumah,
I've tried to do some reading on Joseph Smith and Mormonism. Although I'm no expert, I know more now and can share some thoughts.
I'm guessing you aren't Mormon? Do you know much about the religion? It would be great if you could comment on my factual accuracy or point out ways in...
Thanks for the response HonestJoe, and apologies for my very delayed response.
The point of this exercise is to establish whether or not religion, specifically Islam, is true. If one set of criteria is applied to historical events and another, less stringent, set of criteria is applied to...
My understanding was that the manuscripts, at least the Sana'a manuscript, actually incorporate a significant portion of the book. On a google search, it looks like the Sana'a manuscript does incorporate at least parts of many different Surahs.
Could you please provide a source that shows how...
Thanks JustWondering! Would be great to hear more about your thoughts on the first post. Specifically, why do you think there is an underlying assumption that God exists?
Whether or not it's easier to be an athiest is irrelevant - the purpose here is to try and work out what's actually true.
Hi Ya'quub,
If Muhammed genuinely believed he met a non-human being (Gabriel) and received revelations in the form of the Qur'an, it's likely that he was either crazy or this actually happened. If he wasn't crazy, it happened. If the book is unchanged since when it was first revealed, then the...
Yes, I've not forgotten your post and aiming to reply on the weekend. It's hard to respond whilst at work.
Apart from Mormonism, which other prophets are you referring to?
Thanks for your input.
I guess what I'm saying is that, if you regard the belief that a historical event (e.g. World War 2) actually happened as 'faith', then yes, my first post is about faith. In that case, I'm looking to get your views on whether or not it's logical to have faith in Islam...
Thanks for the reply. Interesting points.
Would be great to understand more about point 2, "I see a need for people to accept the finality of death". What is the reasoning behind this? My suspicion is that one of your underlying assumptions is that God does not exist. That makes it a circular...
Not trying to take sides here, but the article you quoted says that Prophets did make 'mistakes.' The article's point is that, since they have been forgiven, they are not considered sins. It then goes on to say that, despite these mistakes, assume that everything he did was correct because he is...
Hi Honest Joe,
Thanks again for the response, and apologies for my tardy reply.
1. I take your point that it's impossible to prove with 100% certainty that Muhammed didn't suffer from mental health issues, or that he genuinely believed in God, or that Muhammed even existed.
It's all a matter...
Thanks for the response.
1. The intended logic behind the 4th point is as follows:
If Muhammed genuinely believed he was meeting the angel Gabriel and receiving Qur'anic revelation, then either a) he was mad or b) this actually happened. If he wasn't mad, then it actually happened.
In your...
Sorry that the post is so long. Essentially, I've put forward my thoughts on why religion, specifically Islam, has a supernatural origin to it.
I'm looking for you to debate & poke holes in what I've written to show any faults in my thinking. I want to find out what the weaknesses in my...