[SaudiDuck]

I would also recommend "Why I Am Not a Muslim" by Ibn Warraq (currently in print and available through bookstores in the U.S.). Among other things, he reveals that there are no fewer than 14 different "readings" of the Koran, that all of the existing "schools" of thought originated in Persia, that all moderates and philosophers have been murdered for years, and (best of all) that the "uncreated word of G-d" as expressed in the Koran isn't even grammatically correct in many places, let alone a stellar example of Arabic literature.

What is troubling is not just that there are inconsistencies (i.e., in one Surah it says that drinking to excess is sinful...while another forbids drinking alcoholic beverages), but that there are really two voices: those portions which were written while Mohammed was still in Mecca are more moderate and conciliatory regarding Jews and Christians than those which were written in Medina, after he had gained military strength and broken his treaty with the Jewish tribes who resided in Mecca.

The extremists have all latched onto the most strident and war-like portions of this book, which justifies murder, deceit, slavery, etc.

[alisasny]

Why does the Koran need a million footnotes?

[Seti 1]

Every religion has its big-eyed True Beleivers, including the author of this childish diatribe.

[SaudiDuck]

Oh, and I nearly forgot...that silly prophet labored under the delusion that Merriam, the sister of Moses, and Mary, the mother of Jesus, were one and the same person. Thus Jesus is Moses' cousin in their teaching...quite the feat, given the hundreds of years between the two figures.

[wotan]

The Quran says Abraham had two sons, the Bible says they were eight.

If you have eight sons, you must also have two sons, right?

... Mr Logic

[Vast Buffalo Wing Conspiracy]

The Bible, on the other hand, has stood the test of time. To suggest that the Bible has been altered is against both reason and historic findings.

Okay, this is where I stopped reading. This statement is absolutely false. Next contestant please.

[RaceBannon]

bump

[muawiyah]

In ancient times it was the common practice for folks throughout the Arab speaking world to send copies of their gods (usually as an idol) as well as their sacred scriptures to Mecca for both display and safe storage around the Kaaba.

Eventually Mohammad had all the idols burned.

To Moslems that is very important. To Westerners, and to more than one Turkish sultan, it was much more important to know that acient texts were buried in the earth, and in caves near Mecca.

Mohammad himself said he was in a cave in the area and reached down to pick up a text to read (allegedly at the command of an angel.)

Forget about the angel for a moment, we have Mohammad's own testimony that there were texts in a cave to read. Whether he or a close confederate read them, Mohammad recited the words to other people.

None of this is difficult to believe, and we do, in fact, have the testimony of hundreds of people concerning how Mohammad recited Holy Writ.

Jews and pre-Judaic Hebrews had followed the trade routes that run through Arabia for centuries. Abraham himself followed those routes. As far as I have learned anything about the matter it has always been the custom of the Jews to bury a worn-out Torah in the earth, the same as the Jews bury their dead in the earth.

The probability of having a Torah buried in and around Mecca is very good. The probability of having even more ancient Hebraic texts buried there is also very good, and we might even be able to find buried texts containing the disposition of property owned by various persons found in the Bible.

Mohammad said changes had been made in the texts attriuted to God. He could say that if and only if he had more than one copy, At the same time he seems to have never obtained a full copy of any of the Gospels or the Letters.

On the other hand, Mohammad probably had more and better access to ancient documents than anyone else in the world at that time since this was the worst part of the Dark Ages. No doubt he made mistakes. No doubt there was no one around to correct them!

[muir_redwoods]

I don't want to offend anybody and I speak only for myself but they're both just books written by people. The only versions most of us can read are translations of translations of translations. Maybe they were inspired maybe they weren't. There is wisdom and nonsense in both. To think that all one has to do or know in life is contained in one book is hopeful at best.

The Sermon on the Mount and the Ten Commandments are possibly the best the Bible has to offer, the detailed rules and practices laid down in Leviticus are just strange. The Koran is similarly detailed in it's rulings reminding one of the FASB rules for accounting.

Flame away if you feel threatened but it seems to me that there is more one has to do for spiritual development than read one book, IMHO.

[RJCogburn]

The Bible vs. The Quran

Each requires faith, not reason, to be accepted by the respective believers. Arguing over which one is 'right' seems difficult.

[July 4th]

I much prefer Quorn to the Quran.

[Verginius Rufus]

Rev. 22:18-19 warns against adding or taking away from "the prophecy of this book" (that is, Revelation or the Apocalypse of John)--it doesn't refer to the Bible as a whole. This was written before the early Christians had agreed on the canon of the Scriptures.

Similarly, Deut. 4:2 has Moses telling the Israelites not to add to or take away from what he is telling them about the Lord's commandments--so his admonition applies at most to the five books of Moses, not to the entire Hebrew Bible.

Luke 2:7 doesn't actually say that Jesus was born in a stable--that is an inference from the mention of a manger.

[The Californian]

bump

[nmh]

Thank you for posting this. Maybe some will see ... but as you know, many will not.

Have a wonderful weekend too!

[tutstar]

bump

[be131]

But of course there are manifold inconsistencies within the Bible (and probably the Quran as well). For example, compare the genalogies of Jesus given in Matthew and Luke. They don't even agree on the name of Joseph's father.

[Eternal_Bear]

No one can trap God in a book and then use it as a weapon against others. It is absurd. Don't franchise God. It doesn't work any more. God existed before religion or any "holy' book. Modern Humans have been around for 200,000 or more years and we only need this stuff now?

[Teacher317]

The Bible vs. The Quran

No holds barred (as Islam has made readily apparent), best of 3 falls, no quarter given nor asked.

Coming to a theater (of war) near you very soon.

[LS]

Vance, I recommend "Race, Religion, and Racism, Vol. III: Jesus, Islam, and Christianity," by Dr. Fred Price, which I helped edit.

It is an excellent side-by-side of the claims of Islam and Christianity, and especially centers on the person of Jesus. It also includes references to the Hadith, the "other" holy book of Islam that all Muslims accept, but which no one mentions.

BTW, both the Hadith (and I think the Koran, though I could be wrong) says at least twice that Mohammad sinned daily. Sorry, I need a Savior who is sinless. I can sin on my own.

[Tennessee_Bob]

Ahh - someone else has discovered IslamReview.com. An excellent site - I used it quite often in countering some of the pro-Moslem folks that were on Free Republic after the attacks. I've written to them a few times, and have always gotten a quick response to my questions and comments.

Anyone here who wants some excellent information and clarification regarding Islam (the religion of peace(tm)), and the contrasts between Islam and Christianity, I'd highly recommend this site.