Gnosticism in its various forms has been remarkably persistent in the history of the church. Both the apostles Paul and John dealt with early forms of it in their epistles, and Irenaeus of Lyons critiqued it in Against Heresies. A number of surviving "Gnostic Gospels" date from the second through fourth centuries. As Justin Holcomb points out in his recent book Know the … [Read more...]
The Imperfections of the Quran – 2
In the last post we saw three quranic imperfections. In this second part we will conclude this series with a final discrepancy which also shows the case we have been making all along, that the Quran is imperfect, and therefore, not a revelation from God. THE REVELATION WHICH FAILED TO MAKE IT TO THE QURAN Sahih Bukhari Volume 4: 393 Narrated Said bin Jubair: That he heard … [Read more...]
Physician-Assisted Suicide and Consistency
It is interesting to see that society’s preoccupation with unhindered individual choice is continually extending towards decisions to be made at the end of life. As proponents of “Death with Dignity” argue, it is right for people to be able to decide the time and place of their own deaths. However, I would like to propose that first of all there are very few people who support … [Read more...]
Why did God kill Uzzah for trying to protect the Ark of Covenant?
The Ark of the Covenant was the mercy seat of God, i.e. his throne on earth. God commanded the Israelites to build it shortly after they left Egypt. It was to reside in the Holy of Holies (the innermost chamber) of the tabernacle, and later the temple, in which God said He dwelt on earth. Only the High Priest could ever enter that chamber, and only once a year, on the Day of … [Read more...]
Would Muhammad Have Approved of the Islamic State? Part 2: Influence in Medina
In a previous article, I began a series of blog posts addressing the question of whether or not Muhammad would have approved of the Islamic state. In the first instalment, I discussed Muhammad's life in Mecca, and introduced the Islamic doctrines of abrogation and Taqiyya, both of which are found in the Qur'an itself. As I noted briefly at the conclusion of my earlier article, … [Read more...]
Black Mirror: The Future We Deserve
Black Mirror is a British TV sci-fi series that takes a serious and provocative look at the unintended consequences of technology. Though not prolific (seven shows in two seasons so far), Black Mirror has won numerous awards, and its viewership around the world is growing tremendously. At least one episode is being turned into a movie, and an American version is sure to show up … [Read more...]
Would Muhammad Have Approved of the Islamic State? Part 1: The Meccan Years
The Islamic State (ISIS) have been in the news a lot recently as a result of a series of barbaric atrocities committed in the name of Islam. The question that the western media has been, for the most part, very reluctant to address openly is, "How representative is ISIS of the Islamic ideology?" It is the elephant in the room. Note that I am not asking "How representative is … [Read more...]
A Look At Messianic Prophecy
Note: See Part One Here: Introduction One of the most prominent themes throughout the Bible is the kingdom of God. The framework of Israel’s existence and self-understanding was formulated from God’s covenant with Israel and Israel’s servant to God the King. Israel is the people of the king, and the holy land is the land of the king’s rule. Given the Messiah is supposed to be … [Read more...]
A Different Jesus? – Looking At The Mormon Teachings of Christ.
In the Book of Mormon 2 Nephi 25:26 says: And we atalk of Christ, we rejoice in Christ, we preach of Christ, we bprophesy of Christ, and we write according to our prophecies, that our cchildren may know to what source they may look for a dremission of their sins. On Mormonism 101 a recent section on the Mormon Newsroom website stating Mormons beliefs, it says this about … [Read more...]
The Imperfections of the Quran – Part 1
Muslims generally believe that the Quran is perfect, meaning, it is complete and error free. However, a close examination of the evidence suggests that the Quran is incomplete and therefore imperfect. 1. Part of Quranic revelation was eaten by a goat Sunan Ibn Majah, Book of Nikah, Hadith # 1934 "Narrated Aisha 'The verse of stoning and of suckling an adult ten times were … [Read more...]