Burn the Qu'ran day!

This is ridiculously awesome, a must watch:

I guess it was only a matter of time...

I've been keeping quite on the whole ERGUN CANER saga for a number of reasons. Primarily, it is because I have not had the time necessary to put together a convincing case as others have done. Initially, I didn't think that the accusations were that big of a deal. But as JAMES WHITE has regularly covered the issues for several months now, I have begun to see his point on why this matters. For those unfamiliar with what i'm talking about, Ergun Caner is the president of Liberty Theological Seminary. And it would be an understatement to say that Caner is a prominent evangelical apologist. But what is all the fuss about? The issue is truth, consistency, and credibility. Though it pains me to publicly expose a fellow brother in the Lord through the painstaking work done by devout Muslims in researching his claims (who knows how many hours the below video took to make), it is time to join the club.

If you are a follower of Christ who cares about truth and accuracy, consider the parallel. What if one of the most prominent Muslim apologists in the world today made the equivalent claims that Caner makes? For instance, this fictitious Muslim apologists claims to be a former Christian for most of his life, speaks Koine Greek, and debates Christians all over the world. What if this Muslim treated Christianity and the biblical languages the way Caner treats Islam and Arabic? Would this Muslim have any credibility in your eyes? Please watch the below video to see what i'm talking about:



As I don't know Arabic or Islamic theology/culture, I have not checked the accuracy of this video. If anyone has information that falsifies any of the claims made by the Muslim author of the video, please let me know and I will remove this video immediately. In fact, there is nothing I would want more than to disregard all of this and see Caner as innocent.

***UPDATE***

It looks like these claims have been confirmed:

"Radical Agenda for Ground Zero Mosque"

If you live in the west, in particular, the U.S., then this concerns you. Islamic studies currently remain scarce in my apologetic work, but when I hear about issues such as these, it motivates me to get more informed. If you have the same drive, i'd recommend getting started by following the ANSWERING MUSLIMS BLOG, where major and minor Islamic current events issues are discussed from a biblical worldview, including the Ground Zero Mosque that is being built:





(ht: ANSWERING MUSLIMS)

David Wood on the Ground Zero Mosque

Everyone should watch this:

A Critical edition of the Qu'ran?

It's about time! Finally, a critical edition of the Koran. Now, honest Muslims and those researching the Islamic faith can look at the real textual history of this book. I believe this will turn out to be a very useful work for both Muslims and non-Muslims alike. However, I can only imagine the uneasiness (and that is probably an understatement) of Muslims who will hear about this work, as i've heard plenty of Muslims claim that there are no textual variants in the Koran. Perhaps this will lead Muslims to reevaluate their view of inspiration? Certainly, Christians have to deal with a similar struggle, as the Bible is not without its critics. The difference is, we publish our own critical editions of the Bible for all to see. We have nothing to fear. Bring in the evidence and publish it. And if anyone wants to argue that textual variants disprove inspiration, then let's talk about it.

The sad thing is, most Muslims will probably not carry this type of attitude. It seems that only the "revisionist" Muslims are into this sort of thing. Its an amazing thing when a group wants to suppress the evidence. But its another thing to be a follower of the one who claims to be "The way, the truth, and the life." (John 14:6)

You can read the full Boston Globe article HERE.

(ht: Evangelical Textual Criticism)

Homegrown Jihad: Terrorist camps in the U.S.

I get the chills watching this, knowing that there are Muslim terrorists being trained in my backyard:



(ht: Answering Muslims)

"Freedom of speech" in the U.K.

From The Telegraph:

It is understood that among the topics debated was whether Jesus was a minor prophet, as Islam teaches, or whether he was the Son of God, as Christianity teaches.

Among the things Mr Vogelenzang, 53, is alleged to have said is that Mohammad was a warlord. His wife, 54, is said to have stated that Muslim dress is a form of bondage for women.

The conversation, on March 20, was reported by the woman to Merseyside Police. Officers told the couple that they wanted to interview them over the incident.

After being questioned on April 20, they were interrogated again three months later before being charged on July 29 with a religiously-aggravated public order offence. They appeared in court on August 14 and are now awaiting trial.

I wonder if the same would have applied if the Christian were offended by the Muslim? I doubt it. Ah, political consistency! You gotta love it!

(ht: Answering Muslims)

Why Muslims need the gospel more than ever

I fear the spread of Islam. I really do. We all, as Christians, need to be more equipped to defend our faith against the beliefs of Muslims (which means, learning what they believe as well!) and be ready to share the gospel with them every chance we get!

Islam and Wife-beating

Anyone who knows anything about Islam knows that men can beat their wives. But the question is, in what context? Here, a muslim apologist explains:

Osama Abdallah Defines Situations Where Men Should Beat Their Wives with David Wood's comments

I didn't believe it until I saw it

Surely, western nations aren't banning respectful, public, moderated dialogues on important issues concerning religion? Think again. I was absolutely blown away by this. If you are a thinking individual who actually cares about your freedom of speech, then you must watch this video. I was honestly laughing out loud (I should have been crying) at the complete and total absurdity of the U.N. "hate speech policy" defender. This is unbelievable. It really is time to wake our nation up and encourage interaction on the public square. Too many are becoming apathetic in the name of "political correctness." And if we keep burying our heads in the sand, you can watch our freedom get flushed right down the toilet. Please pray for our leaders, that we not lose our most precious freedoms.

You can watch the video HERE.

Its coming folks, and don't say I didn't warn you.

And, following a 2008 U.N. resolution urging nations to outlaw "defamation of religion," several nations - including Italy, the Netherlands and France - are attempting to ban "hate speech" against religious groups.

Right. I can see the U.N. banning the publication of Richard Dawkins' next anti-Christian book. The U.N. is consistent, right? I mean, surely they aren't singling out Muslims and would prosecute anyone who degrades the name of Jesus Christ?

This kind of "political correctness" really disgusts me. When is radical Islam going to grow up and stop strapping bombs to their chests every time someone slanders their "holy prophet?" I hope and pray that our example as Christians can become an example to radical Islam, that responding with sound argument and rationality is far more productive than blowing yourself up. Its truly sad.

The article above can be read HERE.

Muslim vs. Christian debate on the authenticity of the New Testament

This is Nadir Ahmed vs. James White on the authenticity of the New Testament. Although this debate was a tad unbalanced (as James White is far above Nadir in his argumentation), Nadir displays a good example of the type of argumentation that you might hear from a typical Muslim on the street. But even if you rarely encounter Muslims, you will find that a lot of their arguments are borrowed from skeptics and atheists in attacking the New Testament's authenticity. Either way, this is a great way to learn how to better defend your faith against unbelievers!

Adnan Rashid vs. James White - Trinity and Shirk

This was a very interesting debate on a pretty unique proposition. "Shirk" is a word in Islam that conveys the highest form of idolatry and damns any violator to hell. I found it pretty interesting that James White sought to defend the belief that the Trinity doesn't violate the Koranic understanding of "Shirk." Of course, the Muslim disagrees. See for yourself. This was an excellent debate featuring clear presentations from both sides!

Muslim and Christian dialogue on the Trinity

Its a rare thing when these kinds of dialogues take place without either side being rude, obnoxious, or interruptive. I found the Muslim, Abdullah al-Andalusi, to be respectful and articulate (which seems to be a rarity with Muslim apologists). So I just wanted to commend this discussion to you all. It took place recently in London by a radio station titled, Unbelievable.