[size=150]Part II[/size]
[size=200]The Holy Bible [/size]
M. Are you sure that the Bible is holy?
C. Yes, I am very sure about it, for it is God’s Word.
M. Read what Luke said about his recording in 1:2-3.
C. “Even as they delivered them unto us, which from the beginning were eyewitnesses, and ministers of the word. It seemed good to me also, having held perfect understanding of all things from the very first, to write unto thee in order, most excellent Theophilus.”
M. If Luke had said that he himself was not an eyewitness and the knowledge he gathered was from eyewitnesses and not as words inspired by God, would you still believe that the Bible is God’s word?
C. Maybe only this part is not God’s word.
M. History has shown that the Bible has been changed. The Revised Standard Version (1952 and 1971), The New American Standard Bible and The New World Translation have expunged certain verses that are found in The King James Version. The Reader’s Digest has reduced the Old Testament by 50 percent and the New Testament by about 25 percent. Some years ago Christian theologians wanted to “desex” the Bible. Does “holy” mean that the Bible is free from error?
C. Yes, that is so. But what kind of error do you mean?
M. Suppose one verse states that a certain person died at the age of fifty years and another verse states that the same person died at the age of sixty years? Can both statements be right?
C. No, for only one can be right or both are wrong.
M. If a holy book contains conflicting verses, do you still consider it holy?
C. Of course not, because a holy scripture is a revelation from God. Therefore, it should be impossible that mistakes or conflicting verses could be found in it.
M. Then it’s not holy.
C. Right. In that case, its holiness disappears.
M. If so, you can’t trust it one hundred percent. What could be the causes of such mistakes?
C. It could be a mistake in the recording or deliberate changes by scribes, such as deletion or addition in it.
M. If there are conflicting verses in the Bible, do you still consider it holy?
C. I believe that the Bible is holy, since I see no conflicting verses
M. There are many conflicting verses in it.
C. In the Old or New Testament?
M. In both Testaments. These are some of them:
II Samuel 8:4
And David took from him a thousand chariots and seven hundred horsemen, and twenty thousand footmen …
I Chronicles 18:4
And David took from him a thousand chariots and seven thousand horsemen, and twenty thousand footmen …
Q. Seven hundred or seven thousand?
II Samuel 8:9-10
When Toi, king of Hamath, heard that David had smitten all the host of Hadadezer, then Toi sent Joram, his son, unto King David to salute him and to bless him, because he had fought against Hadadezer and had smitten him, for Hadadezer had wars with Toil. And Joram took with him vessels of silver, and vessels of gold, and vessels of brass.
I Chronicles 18:9-10
Now when Tou, king of Hamath, heard how David had smitten all the host of Hadarezer, king of Zobah, he sent Hadoram, his son, to King David to enquire of his welfare and to congratulate him, because he had fought against Hadarezer and had smitten him (for Hadarezer had made war withTou); and with him all manner of vessels of gold and silver and brass.
Q. Toi or Tou, Joram or Hadoram, Hadadezer or Hadarezer?
I Samuel 10:18
And the Syrians fled before Israel, and David slew the men of seven hundred chariots of the Syrians, and forty thousand horsemen, and smote Shobach, the captain of their host, who died there.
I Chronicles 19:18
But the Syrians fled before Israel, and David slew of the Syrians seven thousand men which fought in chariots, and forty thousand footmen, and killed Shophach, the captain of their host.
Q. Seven hundred chariots or seven thousand men? Forty thousand horsemen or footmen? Shobach or Shophach?
II Kings 8:26
Two and twenty years old was Ahaziah when he began to reign.
II Chronicles 22:2
Forty and two years old was Ahaziah when he began to reign. .
Q. Twenty two or forty two years?
II Kings 24:8
Jehoiachim was eighteen years old when he began to reign, and he reigned in Jerusalem three months.
II Chronicles 36:9
Jehoiachim was eight years old when he began to reign, and he reigned three months and ten days in Jerusalem.
Q. Eighteen years or eight years? Three months or three months and ten days?
II Samuel 23:8
These be the names of the mighty men whom David had: The Tachmonite that sat in the seat, chief among the captains; the same was Adino the Eznite: he lifted up his spear against eight hundred, whom he slew at one time.
I Chronicles 11:11
And this is the number of the mighty men who David had: Jashobeam, an Hachmonite, the chief of the captains; he lifted up his spear against three hundred slain by him at one time.
Q. Tachmonite or Hachmonite? Eight hundred or three hundred?
II Samuel 24:1
And again the anger of the Lord was kindled against Israel, and he moved David against them to say: “Go, number Israel and Judah.”
I Chronicles 21:1
And Satan stood up against Israel, and provoked David to number Israel.
Q. Is Satan the Lord of David? May God forbid it!
II Samuel 6:23
Therefore Michal the daughter of Saul had no child until the day of her death.
II Samuel 21:8
But the king took the two sons of Rizpah, the daughter of Aiah, whom she bore unto Saul, Arrnoni and Mephibosheth; and the five sons of Michal, the daughter of Saul, whom she brought up for Adriel the son of Barzilai the Meholthite.
Q. Did Michal have children or not? Note: The name Michal in II Samuel 21:8 is still present in The King James version and The New World Translation of the Holy Scriptures used by the Jehovah’s Witnesses, but has been changed to Merab in The New American Standard Bible (1973).
C. I never saw any of these before. Are there many more?
M. Do you still need to hear more? Are these examples not sufficient to deny its holiness? See Genesis 6:3: “And the Lord said: 'My spirit shall not always strive with man, for that he also is flesh: yet his days shall be one hundred and twenty years.”
But how old was Noah when he died? More than a hundred and twenty years. See Genesis 9:29: “And all the days of Noah were nine hundred and fifty years when he died.” Some Christian theologians claim that this does not mean that the maximum age of man will be a hundred and twenty years, but that the Flood would come in a hundred and twenty years. Even this doesn’t fit, because at the time of the Flood Noah would have been six hundred and twenty (500 + 120) years old. However, the Bible states that he was six hundred years. Study Genesis 5:32: “And Noah was five hundred years old . . .”; Genesis 7:6: “And Noah was six hundred years old when the flood of waters was upon the earth.”
Christianity believes that God created man in His image: white, black or another color, male or female? This is according to Genesis 1:26: “And God said: 'Let Us make man in our image, after our likeness . . .” But this contradicts Isaiah 40:18, 25: “To whom then will ye liken God? Or what likeness will ye compare unto him? . . . ‘To whom then will ye liken Me, or shall I be equal?’ saith the Holy One.” See also Psalm 89:6: “For who in the heaven can be compared unto the Lord? Who among the sons of the mighty can be likened unto the Lord?” and Jeremiah 10:6,7: “For as much as there is none like unto Thee, O Lord . . . there is none like unto Thee.”
C. But all these are in the Old Testament.
M. Well then, let’s go to the New Testament.
John 5:37 Ye have neither heard His [God’s] voice at any time, nor seen His shape.
John 14:9 … he that has seen me has seen the Father …
John 5:31 If I bear witness of myself, my witness is not true.
John 8:14 Jesus answered and said unto them: “Though I bear record of myself, yet my record is true.”
These are only some of the contradictions in the New Testament. You will find more if we discuss the truth of such doctrines of modern Christianity as the Trinity, the divinity of Jesus Christ, the divine sonship of Jesus, Original Sin and Atonement, not to mention the biblical accounts of many prophets engaging in degrading activities: worshipping false gods and committing incest, rape, and adultery.
C. Where do you find that in the Bible?
M. Noah is reported to have been drunk to the point of becoming naked in the presence of his grownup sons (Genesis 9:23-24): “And Shem and Japhet took a garment, and laid it upon both their shoulders, and went backward and covered the nakedness of their father; and their faces were backward, and they saw not their father’s nakedness. And Noah awoke from his wine, and knew what his younger son had done unto him.”
Solomon was accused not only of having a large harem but also of worshipping false gods (I Kings 11:9-10): "And the Lord was angry with Solomon … And had commanded him concerning this thing, that he should not go after other gods: but he kept not that which the Lord commanded. "
Aaron, a prophet who accompanied his brother Moses on his mission to Pharaoh, was accused of having fashioned the golden calf for the Israelites to worship (Exodus 32:4): “And he [Aaron] received them [golden earrings] at their hand, and fashioned it with a graving tool, after he had made it a golden calf: and they said: 'These be thy gods, O Israel, which brought thee up out of the land of Egypt.”’
You can read of Prophet Lot’s incestuous encounter with his two daughters (Genesis 19:36): “Thus were both the daughters of Lot with child by their father.”
You can read of a prophet who was married to two sisters at the same time (Genesis 29:28): “And Jacob did so, and fulfilled her week: and he [Laban] gave him Rachel his daughter to wife also.”
And another prophet accused of adultery (II Samuel 11:4-5): “And David sent messengers, and took her [the wife of Uriah], and she came in unto him, and he lay with her; for she was purified from her uncleanness; and she returned unto her house. And the woman conceived, and sent and told David, and said: 'I am with child.”’
My question is: How could David be accepted in the genealogy of Jesus when it started with a person who committed adultery? May Allah forbid it! Does this not contradict what is mentioned in Deuteronomy 23:2: “A bastard shall not enter into the congregation of the Lord; even to his tenth generation shall he not enter into the congregation of the Lord.”
Another allegation is that of incest along with rape by Ammon, the son of David, on his half sister Tamar (II Samuel 13: 14): “Howbeit he [Ammon] would not hearken unto her voice, but being stronger than she [Tamer], forced her and lay with her.”
Still another multiple rape, by Absalom on David’s concubines, is recounted in II Samuel 16:33: “So they spread Absalom a tent upon the top of the house, and Absalom went in unto his father’s concubines in the sight of all Israel.”
Another incest, by Judah and Tamar (his daughter-in-law): "Judah on his way to Timnath to shear his sheep saw Tamar. He thought her to be a harlot because she had her face covered (Genesis 38: 18): “. . . And he [Judah] gave it [signet, bracelet and staff] to her, and came in unto her and she conceived by him.”
Although Jews and Muslims often have differing views, no Muslim would dare to write a book and stamp any Israelite prophet like Judah, David, Jesus, and so on with rape, adultery, incest, or prostitution. All prophets were sent by Allah for the guidance of mankind. Do you think that God had sent the wrong people for guidance?
C. I don’t think so. But don’t you believe in the Bible?
M. We believe in all divine scriptures, but in their original form. God sent a prophet as a warner to each nation, and some of them with a scripture as a guidance for that particular nation only. The Suhuf was brought by Abraham, the Torah (part of the Old Testament) by Moses, the Zabur (Psalms) by David, and the Injil (New Testament) by Jesus. None of the these scriptures remains in their original form. As part of Allah’s original plan, He finally sent Muhammad as the seal of all prophets and with the Qur’an as a guidance for all mankind, anywhere and anytime.
Jesus himself said that he was sent only to the people of Israel (Matthew 15:24): “I am not sent but unto the lost sheep of the house of Israel.” Also (Matthew 1:21): “And she shall bring forth a son and thou shalt call his name Jesus; for he shall save his people from their sins.” He even said that he came not to make changes but to fulfill (Matthew 5:17-18): “Think not that I am come to destroy the law or the prophets. I am not come to destroy, but to fulfill. For verily I say unto you: 'Till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law till all be fulfilled.”’
C. But in Mark 16:15 Jesus said, “Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature.”
M. This contradicts what is mentioned above in Matthew 15:24 and Matthew 1:21. Secondly, Mark 16:9-20 has been expunged in many Bibles. The New American Standard Bible has put this part in brackets and made the following commentary: “Some of the oldest mss. omit from verse 9 through 20.” The New World Translation of the Holy Scriptures used by the Jehovah’s Witnesses admits that certain ancient manuscripts add a long conclusion or a short conclusion after Mark 16:8 but that some omit those verses. And The Revised Standard version prints the following footnote: “Some of the most ancient authorities bring the book to a close at the end of verse 8 …” This means that the resurrection is not true, as it is described in Mark 16:9.
C. But Jesus said in Matthew 28:19: “Go ye therefore and teach all nations …”
M. “All nations” must be explained as the twelve tribes of Israel, otherwise it contradicts Matthew 15:24 and Matthew 1:21. In The New American Standard Bible and The New World Translation of the Holy Scriptures, it is not translated as “all nations” but as “all the nations,” which means the twelve tribes of Israel. What do you think of the Bible now?
C. I am not so sure about its holiness now.
M. I am sure you will be convinced of the authenticity of Islam after we have discussed our differences.
[size=200]WoW[/size]
[size=200]WoW[/size]