Archive for category: Islam

   A few months ago I began responding to Ali Ataie’s attack upon the Apostle Paul. I took a brief break because of the Seattle trip, and since I have returned from Seattle, I have been overwhelmed with upcoming duties, teaching, Arabic and the like. But I have a full list of blog articles that are “in progress” and “still need

   Since the Seattle debate Shabir Ally and I have been posting various commentaries on elements of the debate. Obviously, Shabir has had more time to be doing this than I have, but we have both posted some rather lengthy commentary on particular points. I will continue to comment as time allows, but I am certain I will not be able

   I continue with my response to Shabir Ally’s post debate writings. I note an even longer response has been posted by Mr. Ally, and since many of these issues are relevant to a wider range of apologetic concerns, I will continue focusing upon these materials before moving back to Steve Ray and Ali Ataie. Matthew’s Gospel shows that Pilate granted

But now, of course, we know that such doubts once existed. James seems satisfied that when he had asked me if the New Testament writings had asserted that Jesus actually died on the cross I answered in the affirmative. He is working with only a partial recall, for my presentation and arguments throughout show that there were tell-tale signs that

The earliest Muslims such as Ibn Abbas used the sources at their disposal. They looked at the literal text of a part of that verse, but only a part, and concluded that two things were being denied: first, that Jesus was killed by his enemies; and second, that he was hung on a cross.    We can see that Shabir’s position

   Shabir Ally has posted a brief article in response to my equally brief review and announcement that I would be going over our debate on The Dividing Line. I would like to offer my response here. James had to prove three things. First, that Jesus was crucified. Second, that he was crucified as a sacrifice for the sins of God’s

   Shabir Ally has written a response to my brief comments posted a few days ago here on my blog. I will be replying to him, but I wanted to start out by providing my two written statements from the debate. When I am going first, I will often have a written statement for my opening. I realize that “schmoozing” the

   Friday evening an important difference between Muslims and Christians came to light in the debate in Seattle. It is a difference I highlighted in the Biola debate as well. Muslims and Christians have very different views of what inspiration means, and how it manifests itself in Scripture.    Of course, I am speaking only about Christians here in the historical sense,

   It turned out that the huge storm we sailed right into the middle of on Thursday (resulting in my adopting a new last name, “Green,” along with just about everyone else on board) swept on into Seattle before us and produced wind gusts near 80 mph, even knocking out power in some areas. And that was just the leading edge.

   We have been working through an article posted by Islamic apologist Ali Ataie attacking the credibility of Saul of Tarsus, i.e., Paul the Apostle. So far we have found Ataie’s article lacking in any substance whatsoever, and have found each and every point to demonstrate only that Ataie’s exegetical skills are missing-in-action. Context, and any kind of fair-minded reading of

   A few portions of my interview on Islam with Coral Ridge appeared this weekend. You can watch the segment on line. If I could figure out how to link directly to the video feed in a player, I would, but that’s a bit beyond my technical capacities. I’m honored to have gotten to contribute to the segment along with the

   I continue my examination and rebuttal of Ali Ataie’s article, “Can Paul Be Trusted?”Ataie has been alleging that Paul contradicted Jesus, and thus far, we have seen that in each instance, it is Ataie who is in error, not Jesus nor Paul. We continue with these assertions: Jesus exhorts his followers to strictly adhere to the laws and commandments (Mark

   I continue my review and refutation of Ali Ataie’s attack upon the Apostle Paul titled “Can Paul Be Trusted?” Thus far we have seen Mr. Ataie offering horribly flawed interpretations of Paul’s words that betray both a great prejudice and bias on his part (bordering on bigotry) as well as a tremendous amount of ignorance concerning the art of serious

   I continue with my review of, and response to, Ali Ataie’s article, Can Paul Be Trusted? Mr. Ataie continues:    Not unlike the Christian missionaries of today who travel into Muslim lands dressed in Muslim garb, Paul admits that he employs the use of deception to catch fish for Christ–becoming a Jew for Jews and a Gentile for Gentiles, that he

   This morning I listened to an information-packed, highly useful lecture by Dr. Patrick Sookhdeo of the Barnabas Fund. Even if Islam is not “your topic,” you cannot afford to remain in the dark about it, and this lecture is tremendously useful. I challenge you to find the time to listen and learn!

Larry Wessels and Steve Morrison deal with topics in Islam in a video series. They are uploading some of them to the net: Islamic Holy War – Jihad Answering Islamic Apologists (Part 5) Did Mohammed Marry a Nine Year Old Girl.

   I will be in Toronto next week speaking at a conference along with Michael Haykin (Toronto Baptist Seminary) and Thabiti Anyabwile. The conference is being put on by Sola Scriptura Ministries, and the title is “Christianity – Islam: Two Faiths! Two Worldviews! – One God?” I will be speaking on “Discussing the Bible and the Qur’an” and “Discussing Christ and

   Islam denies, fundamentally, the propriety of the worship of anything or anyone other than Allah. Indeed, shirk is the unforgivable sin in Islam. Yet, we saw what happened when some cartoons were drawn depicting the prophet of Islam–is that how people respond when a mere man is caricatured? Rioting and looting and burning and beheading is the response of those

   I have begun reviewing Ali Ataie’s article, Can Paul Be Trusted? I provided his conclusions first just to give the reader a good taste of the kind of conclusions arrived at by Islamic writers. We continue examining Mr. Ataie’s assertions and arguments. Paul’s revolutionary view of Jesus’ crucifixion and its redemptive value as well as his doctrine of original and

   Ali Ataie of the Muslim Interfaith Council has posted an article titled, “Can Paul Be Trusted?” I provided his conclusions in the previous article. I now begin the process of reviewing his arguments and what leads him to his radical conclusions. Mr. Ataie begins: The apostle Paul is the single most influential person in all of Christian history. Many scholars

   I ran across this summary just yesterday: 1. Paul admits that he is the founder of Christianity. 2. Paul admits that he is regularly tormented and beaten by a demon. 3. Paul admits that he speaks on his own authority, not on God’s. 4. Paul admits that he uses deception and treachery to make converts. 5. Paul admits to stealing

   When you read that headline, do you automatically assume it is in reference to some Islamic state with Sharia law in place, clerics as judges, and prisons filled with those who do not think exactly as they should? Well, guess what? This isn’t about Pakistan or Saudi Arabia or anywhere else other than…the good ol’ USofA. Here’s the AP story.

   If you really believe you have the truth, why do you have to kill those who speak contrary to you? Why not just demonstrate they are in error? Ask the Taliban.

   I mentioned yesterday on the DL that I needed to post this table on the blog. If you are going to read the Qur’an, you need this table. Read from left to right, top to bottom, this is a good, scholarly “guess” at the chronological order of the writing of the Surahs of the Qur’an. Remember, the Qur’an is organized

   “American and European arrogance!” That is what we are told. “Western foreign policy!” It is our fault, we have heard over and over. Muslims are the poor victims of western arrogance and imperialism, they tell us, and our culture, our victimized and ever so compassionate culture, so quick to be sensitive but so slow to be discerning, begin to parrot

   Outrage was expressed by fans all across the world that the DL will not be airing all of this week! Authorities have tried to calm the maddened crowds of DL fans by assuring them that next week will be worth the wait!    OK, ok, not quite. More from the “Religion of Perpetual Outrage” about an aging British author. Want to

   I am writing a review of LDS author Daniel C. Peterson’s work, Muhammad: Prophet of God put out by Eerdmans (yes, Eerdmans, the formerly evangelical publisher). One of the topics addressed by the book relates to the power of the spoken word in Arabian thought. Poets were particularly potent enemies. Muhammad faced the wrath of a number of them (and

“Christians in Charsadda, a town in North-West Frontier Province in Pakistan, have been warned that if they do not convert to Islam by 17 May they will face ‘dire consequences and bomb explosions'” For more of the story go here.

   I was following some links this morning and came across this article. Notice the use of the phrase “cross-worshippers.” The rejection of the atonement found in scholastic and historic Islam becomes pure hatred in this form of militant Islam. What is more, it blinds its adherents, since, obviously, the vast majority of Westerners have no love for the cross, no

   Despite Ergun Caner’s “Calvinists are worse than Muslims” statement (which he has yet to withdraw, modify, or apologize for), the following article, which contains an article from Emir Caner found in the Baptist Press, is an important read. The pressure to see Allah and Jehovah as merely two different names for the same God is great, especially in the missionary

   Over the last couple of blog entries, I have briefly examined the doctrine of Qadar, or Predestination, in Islam. In the first article, I defined the doctrine as taught in the Qur’an and the Hadith. Then, in the second, I presented Dr. Norman Geisler’s critique of the doctrine from his Arminian viewpoint, and also offered an analysis of this approach,