The Center for Religious Debate is hosting several debates this week in Romulus Michigan. Somehow, someway, I have no idea why, the schedule that we were given and posted on AOMin.org was errant. We owe many folks an apology as they showed up on Wednesday night expecting to go to a debate that turned out to be in a TV studio with no room for an audience. Ugh. Please accept our sincerest apologies for this.
I offer the following in order to correct the record for the events that remain. After taking the following information from the website for the Center for Religious Debate I personally verified the information with George Saieg just prior to posting this.
The Great Debate Series
Location:
11338 Ozga Road, Romulus MI 48174
Friday June 18th
Doors Open at 6:30pm
“Was Muhammad Predicted in the Bible?”
Rev. Tony Costa vs. Sheikh Ahmed Mohammed Awal
Saturday June 19th
Doors Open at 2:00pm
“Crucifixion or Cruci-Fiction?”
Apologist Osama Abdallah vs. Professor David Wood
Saturday June 19th
Doors Open at 5:30pm
“Does Science Show That Islam is True?”
Professor David Wood vs. Apologist Osama Abdallah
Sunday June 20th
Doors Open at 2:30pm
“Is the Qur’an the Word of God”
Rev. Tony Costa vs. Sheikh Ahmed Mohammed Awal
Sunday June 20th
Doors Open at 6:00pm
“Is the Bible We Have Today the Word of God?”
Sheikh Ahmed Mohammed Awal vs. Dr. James White
Monday June 21st
Doors Open at 6:30pm
“Jesus: A Prophet of Allah or Divine Son of God?”
Sheikh Ahmed Mohammed Awal vs. Dr. James White
Debates Suggested fees:
$8 Each $5 Student for each debate
or
$15 Each $10 Student for all debates
Muslim Debaters
Apologist Osama Abdallah (I was not able to find a bio on the website in the short time that I had to do this. :-/ -RP)
Sheikh Ahmed Mohammed Awal is a scholar on Islamic science, comparative religion, and logic and a student of Sheikh Ahmed Dedat. He is the founder and director of Zaitun Dawah Institute-a think tank research center with headquarters in Seattle, WA and branches in NY, Atlanta and Africa. The center specializes in propagation of Islam to people of different faiths through the medium of science and comparative analysis. Sheikh Ahmed Mohammed Awal is a product of Kaduna polytechnic college of environmental studies. He has a degree in Engineering Surveying. He is also a graduate of Kano state college of irrigation and surveying. Sheikh Awal has debated many Christian theologians both in the United States and Africa. He has lectured in colleges, universities, and symposiums. He travels all over the United States and does programs in prisons and radio stations about Islam. Sheikh Awal has written two books: Islam and Science Vol. 1 and Islam and Christianity Vol. 1. He resides in Kent, WA.
Christian Debaters
Dr. James White is the director of Alpha and Omega Ministries, a Christian apologetics organization. He is the author of more than twenty books, a professor, an accomplished debater (having engaged in more than seventy-five moderated, public debates), and an elder of the Phoenix Reformed Baptist Church. http://www.aomin.org/
Professor David Wood is a teaching professor of philosophy at Fordham University, co-founder of Acts 17 Apologetics Ministry and a member of the Evangelical Philosophical Society. David, a former atheist, became a Christian after examining the historical evidence for Jesus’ resurrection. He has debated over 25 times with Muslim Apologists throughout the United States and England on behalf of “The Center for Religious Debate.” http://www.answeringmuslims.com/
Rev. Tony Costa has earned a B.A. and an M.A. in the Study of Religion from the University of Toronto. He is currently a Ph.D candidate with Radboud University in the Netherlands in New Testament studies. Tony is also a member of the Society of Biblical Literature, the Evangelical Theological Society and the Evangelical Philosophical Society. His area of expertise is biblical and systematic theology, cults, the New Age Movement, and comparative world religions. Tony is also adjunct professor of Christian apologetics with the Toronto Baptist Seminary. In addition, Tony is also an ordained minister. As a Christian apologist, Rev. Costa gives reasons for the valid belief in Christianity, and also advocates the unique claims of Jesus Christ. www.freewebs.com/tonycosta
Debate Moderators
Rev. Tony Costa
Apologist Mary Jo Sharp became a Christian at the age of 20 after having read the Bible. Several years into Christian ministry, Mary Jo began to question the basis for her belief in God. She decided that if God was real, there should be solid answers to support His existence; and solid answers are what she found. Mary Jo has become familiar with the arguments for and against the existence of God in a number of areas. She has debated two Muslim apologists in the United States and Canada on the topic of the Crucifixion of Christ and issues surrounding women in Islam and Christianty. http://www.confidentchristianity.com/
Debate Organizer
Pastor George Saieg lived and studied in an Islamic environment in Sudan. At the age 11, he accepted Christ. Immediately, Pastor Saieg started sharing the Gospel with Muslims. Since God brought him to the U.S. He renewed his passion, vision, and dedication to mobilize the American church to effectively reach their Muslim neighbors. He is ordained as a Pastor with Calvary Chapel. http://www.ministrytomuslims.com/
Blessings,
Rich Pierce
Alpha and Omega Ministries
