CJ Morgan,

I like the 'supposedly secular'.

Steven,

“therefore the Muslim claim to believe in the prophets of the bible was BOGUS. You believe in DIFFERENT prophets with the same names”

This statement can only mean that you believe the biblical version so much to the limit that any idea of a ‘different biography’ must be coming from a parallel universe or must mean different people with the same names.

It’s Ok if that’s your conviction.
What I don’t understand is why bother debating with Muslims or being curious about understanding Islam or Muslims?
Belief is a choice and an inner feeling. No one ever succeeded to prove one religion (or no religion) over the other.

You are hot on initiating debates and get too emotional with Upper Case use, yet you don't investigate what you are saying or accept the possibility that others can have equal reason to believe what they believe. Not sure what you are hoping to achieve?

Maybe I am missing something. Happy for any fellow posters to step in and share some thoughts.

Peace,

LOL CJ Morgan,

I could equally say your secular credentials would be more credible if you didn't keep excusing Muslims for purveying the sort of garbage you would flay BOAZ_David for.

I pursue Muslims precisely because so many people on the so-called Left keep giving them a free pass. I think it's necessary to expose the contemporary Muslim brand of superstition as being perhaps even more destructive than contemporary Christianity.

F_H,

I am secular. I have no reason to believe the prophet tales in either the bible or the koran. Most likely both are counter-factual.

If I give slightly more credence to the biblical tales it's because the prophets described there appear to be more rounded human beings with real foibles and weaknesses. By contrast the koran depicts the prophets as cardboard saints.

The only reason I entered into this discussion about prophets was in response to your repeating the BOGUS claim that Muslims believe in all the prophets.

You don't.

I note you have not answered my question.

Do you believe the creator of the universe transmitted the koran verbatim to Muhammad via an angel?

It's a simple enough question.

stevenlmeyer: "...if you didn't keep excusing Muslims for purveying the sort of garbage you would flay BOAZ_David for."

When have I done that? I can't recall "excusing Muslims" for anything.

Could you give an example?

"I think it's necessary to expose the contemporary Muslim brand of superstition as being perhaps even more destructive than contemporary Christianity."

Google "list of muslim terrorist attacks" and "thwarted terrorist attacks" and then do a comparison with Christian terrorist attacks.

This is what boggles my mind, the complete lack of proportion and fuzzy thinking when it comes to religion, IQ's seem to plummet.

What pray is the destructive threat you see arising from Christianity? I notice when paranoid nonsense about Christianity arises the Master's name is very rarely invoked, or anything much of what he did or the example he set.

Nor do we hear by what mechanism His teaching and example suddenly promotes "destruction" when individuals read His words and will to follow him.

To help with everyone's efforts in comparative religion try the simple "what would the world look like if everyone were a disciple of Christ? or Mohammed?"

Steven,

“The prophets described there appear to be more rounded human beings with real foibles and weaknesses. By contrast the Quran depicts the prophets as cardboard saints.”.

Once again you prove you neither research nor investigate what you are writing. The Quran actually depicts weaknesses in many prophets including Prophet Mohammed (all part 90: he frowned). The same goes for a number of other prophets. However, there are clear distinction between a weakness and unethical practice as previously highlighted. Prophets were not supposed to be liars, deceitful or crooks. Your ‘credible reference’ portrays a prophet deceiving his blind father to bless him instead of his brother, another getting drunk and committing incest, a third tricking his army general into battle so he can take his wife.

Not sure why you keep repeating a question that you know the answer to.
The answer is yes I believe Prophet Mohammed was inspired through a median. Just to be clear, the Islamic definition of angel is a median of light and/or energy and not a blond male athlete with white wings.

Peace,

F_H wrote:

"I believe Prophet Mohammed was inspired through a median."

That does not quite answer the question.

"Inspired" is a bit vague.

By "inspired" do you mean Muhammad got the koran from the creator of the universe VERBATIM through a "median?"

Or do you mean Muhammad was inspired by a "median" but the words are his own?

When I read a passage in the koran do you believe I am reading the literal words of the creator of the universe?*

Or am I reading the "inspired" words of Muhammad?

And, no, I do not know the answer to the question I've posed.

*Leaving aside the fact that the creator of the universe apparently speaks Arabic and I would be reading an English or German translation

MARTIN IBN WARRIQ

See my post of Monday, 4 February 2008 10:38:03 PM above

Among the world's top 5 religions Islam stands out as having the most violent teachings of the lot. It is impossible to imagine Jesus or the Buddha commanding their disciples to engage in slaughter, crucifixion or mutilation.

Of course that has not stopped many Christians doing just that