Miracles of the Qur’an

About a week ago, I had a conversation with a Muslim. His intention was to sell me on Islam. Unfortunately for him, I’m not stupid. Like so many theists, his presentation was nothing more than his religious opinions based entirely on presuppositions, misunderstandings, ignorance and faith, all wrapped up in logical fallacies. It didn’t take me long to clear the air of his holy smoke and reveal his errors. During his retreat, he went for an emergency fix-all, “Go to MiraclesoftheQuran.com and read the truth about Islam.”

I hate it when an ill-equipped person tries to convince me of something, but has no evidence. It’s even worse when I am directed to a website or book and expected to do his work myself! He who makes positive claims always bears the burden of proof. If he can’t defend the position, then he should avoid mentioning it and making a fool of himself. At first, I wasn’t going to visit another website offered to me by a desperate theist. I’ve done it so many times before, and it always proves to be a waste of time. But since I am not as familiar with Islam as I am Christianity, I decided I should give it a fair chance.

Miracles of the Qur’an is organized into sections which list various types of – you guessed it – miracles. When I loaded the page, I was immediately drawn to the list of scientific miracles. Hey, that’s just the kind of evidence I want to see! I started with the last one (I have an odd tendency to read lists bottom to top) and immediately learned something. Either the author(s) of the text is a complete idiot, or he expects his readers to be.

The first miracle I read is entitled “CHEST CONTRACTION WITH INCREASING HEIGHT.” There are a few paragraphs describing how the lungs work to provide oxygen to the body, and how elevation affects this process. It’s all fairly scientific and sensible until it gets to the quote from the Qur’an.

When Allah desires to guide someone, He expands his breast to Islam. When He desires to misguide someone, He makes his breast narrow and constricted as if he were climbing up into the sky. That is how Allah defiles those who have no faith. (Qur’an, 6:125)

This is a miracle? I was confused. The next thing I did was check dictionary.com for “miracle” to be sure I wasn’t missing something.

1. an effect or extraordinary event in the physical world that surpasses all known human or natural powers and is ascribed to a supernatural cause.
2. such an effect or event manifesting or considered as a work of God.
3. a wonder; marvel.
4. a wonderful or surpassing example of some quality; a miracle of modern acoustics.
5. miracle play

Numbers 1 & 2 are what I think of when the subject of miracles comes up. I don’t use it in any other way. The only meaning given that I can fit to what I read is number 3. Many things in this world are amazing and wonderful. The intricacies of the respiratory and circulatory systems are indeed a marvel. But I don’t think this is the meaning the website is intending. I wrote to the website and asked for a definition that reflected their use, but I received no response. I do know how Muslims typically use “science” verses in the Qur’an. They say the presence of scientific knowledge in the Qur’an, which was written well before humans discovered such things, proves that it was revealed to Muhammad by allah.

So a mention in the Qur’an of difficulty breathing at high elevations shows divine knowledge? I don’t think so. Anyone could have experienced the feeling that is described by simply climbing mountains, which I’m sure had been done plenty of times by the 6th century CE. This is precisely why this miracle claim is not compelling. It could have been known through natural human experience. On the other hand, a complete description of how the lungs work would have been impressive. This claimed miracle is laughable.

I read through most of the scientific miracles on the list, and was equally unimpressed by each of them. The presentation on each page is designed to evoke a sense of awe in science, and then tries to connect that awe to the Qur’an. It’s (probably intentionally) misleading. The topic is described using modern scientific knowledge to lend credibility and impress the reader. Then a vague quote from the Qur’an is added and an attempt is made to show that allah revealed it all centuries ago. The reality is modern scientific knowledge has been retrofitted to ambiguous verses in the Qur’an in a desperate attempt to make it seem divine and relevant. If this sacred book is so filled with scientific knowledge, why isn’t it used by scientists to do science? Why hasn’t it ever been used to advance science in any field?

There is a way in which to make each and every described miracle seem wholly credible: presuppose the existence of the omnipotent, omniscient, invisible, immaterial, eternal, self-caused, undetectable, unprovable entity which is given credit for it all.

On a related note, this week’s edition of the Point of Inquiry podcast features Taner Edis discussing Islam and modern scientific undertanding.

God, Guns & Glory

From the Statesville Record & Landmark newpaper’s Community Forum section, 30 March 2007:

God wants us to have guns and use them to carry out his will

The debate on guns has a long history. The debate continues. I am writing to state again the evil of anti-gun laws. Anyone holding to such laws is showing an evil character. I say that because it is true and such souls need reformation. To deny one’s right to keep and bear arms is hell instigated. The record shows that God uses the means of weaponry to carry out his will. We must not deny what God confirms.

But are guns the invention of man? Warring is conducted by man. What weapons are used, even bare hands, is not the point. God did bring guns into existence for His own glory.

God has a purpose for wars. Everything does bring glory to God. Man conducts wars justly or unjustly.

The gun is a part of the scheme of things. Each person or nation must choose the use thereof and will be judged for that choice.

Jerry Allie
Statesville

It astounds me that real people say and think things like this. Scary.

Jerry Allie is an open-air evangelist. I can remember him standing on the corner near a local bar and pool hall I used to frequent when I was younger. He would shake his bible at passers-by, calling them sinners and screaming out biblical platitudes. He was good for a laugh after leaving the bar and feeling a little tipsy. Other than his annoying ranting, though, he seemed harmless. Now I have an idea how dangerous such a person can be.

I want to say, first, that an omnipotent god – one that actually exists – can do anything it wants. That includes creating guns for humans to carry out its will for a glorious outcome. However, like gun laws, the debate over claims that various gods exist has a long history. This issue hasn’t been resolved for a whole list of gods, except by those with faith in them. This is why his position is so insane. His certainty mirrors that of religious people all over the world in many other religions. If he is right… then so are they.

Everything that Mr. Allie has said is based on the assumption that his particular notion of god exists, and that his particular version of his particular holy book contains the accurate information about it. It’s a safe assumption that the Muslims who hijacked planes back in 2001 for use as weapons felt the same way. Their actions perfectly fit Jerry’s idea for using weapons of all kinds for carrying out the will of a god, and yet he likely considers their actions to be evil. He isn’t different from them except that he hasn’t yet received his orders to kill. I hope he nevers does.

Why does an all-powerful god need humans to carry out its will, and why are guns necessary to do so? The modern age of science has crippled the gods so greatly that they can’t get along without their followers. After such feats as creating mountains and oceans, planets and stars, and even existence itself, the gods have become impotent. Without the ignorance of nature’s workings to disguise divine manipulation in our world, it’s hard to get things done. Any evil that needs irradication must be carried out by a naive, faithful gopher instead. And why guns? In short, expedient justice.

A common idea among religions is obedience to the ultimate divine authority over all else. God comes first, and everything else is secondary. It’s not a big deal to break the law if a god says it’s okay. Such devotion has nasty implications if the devotees have mistaken natural phenomena for metaphysics. The contradictory claims of a number of religions guarantees that, at least, most of these gods don’t exist. So what happens when a person uses a weapon to carry out the will of a nonexistent god? An expedient dose of justice becomes a hasty mistake, and humanity suffers.

He was right. The gun is part of the scheme of things and every man must be judged on his usage. I am judging you, Jerry Allie. You fail to see that you are part of the problem rather than the solution.

Peter Answers

This is an editted transcript from Yahoo’s Christian Chat:12, early morning 22 APR 2007. I have removed the messages of those not involved. The original transcript is available here in rich text (RTF). For those that visit Christian Chat:12, greatvauleshopper calls himself “Apostle Anthony.” He is apparently responsible for The Sword Bearing Prayer Warriors.

greatvalueshopper: How is everyone.
greatvalueshopper: Room seems really empty unlike the usual. Did yahoo do something?
greatvalueshopper: Hello, how are you?
greatvalueshopper: I did the other night.
greatvalueshopper: I could really use some prayer, my family just prayed with me as well.
greatvalueshopper: I am a christian, I teach others about Christ, but I don’t know what to say except I got stupid.
greatvalueshopper: A friend of mine while we were at my sisters house was asking some website a bunch of questions, it was answering him and another relative.
greatvalueshopper: They had me ask it some questions, it told me my spirit was not compatible, that I was a unbeliever in it.
greatvalueshopper: And that it would leave its soul in my house this night.
greatvalueshopper: It had to have been witchcraft.
greatvalueshopper: It was a website answering instantly.
greatvalueshopper: It knew my last name.
greatvalueshopper: It knew who was all around me.
greatvalueshopper: It knew what movies I had at my house
greatvalueshopper: Ive been praying and breaking curses, it just freaked me out.
atheist_jsbrown: LOL
greatvalueshopper: What do you mean?
atheist_jsbrown: I want the web address.
greatvalueshopper: Noone said anything about me. It just said that I was not able to be answered about, my soul was not part of it.
greatvalueshopper: Because I am christian it couldnt answer me, but it would answer them about me.
atheist_jsbrown: greatvalueshopper, May I have the link to the web site?
greatvalueshopper: It starting making threats towards me “I will have my soul under his bed tonight”
greatvalueshopper: Just please keep me in prayer, I’ve never encountered a demon or spirit this…profound I guess.
greatvalueshopper: yes, just pray danz.
greatvalueshopper: …
atheist_jsbrown: danzig159, Apostle may have me on ignore. Will you please ask him, for me, the web address to the site he is speaking of? Thanks.

(danzig159 was on voice chat)

greatvalueshopper: yes?
atheist_jsbrown: danzig159, Thank you.
greatvalueshopper: I know him.
greatvalueshopper: Yes.
greatvalueshopper: peteranswers.com
greatvalueshopper: …
greatvalueshopper: I think im going to breakdown.
atheist_jsbrown: It’s an “interactive souls engine.”
greatvalueshopper: It said it was a tarot thing right?
greatvalueshopper: nvm, don’t tell me.
greatvalueshopper: I know, its devination. thats why im saying I got dumb, I did it while my spirit said it was wrong.
atheist_jsbrown: Okay, I just asked a question, and it replied “Someone that doesn’t believe in spirits is around, please go away.”
greatvalueshopper: Do you beleive in them Atheist? You never seem to credit anything that involves spirits, I have no doubts now.
atheist_jsbrown: Second question, it gives a contradictory answer- “The souls are getting closer, keep trusting.”
greatvalueshopper: I asked it a ton of things, wouldnt answer me, as soon as I handed it to Andrew, it answered him like they were good buddies.
atheist_jsbrown: greatvalueshopper, No, I don’t believe that spirits exist. I don’t believe that what you area in fear of right now exists either.
atheist_jsbrown: greatvalueshopper, It’s a software version of a magic eight ball. The end.
greatvalueshopper: Um, atheist.
greatvalueshopper: Why did it know my last name.
greatvalueshopper: Why did it know what movie we were about to watch.
atheist_jsbrown: greatvalueshopper, I don’t know that it did.. I wasn’t there.
greatvalueshopper: how do you even explain that?
greatvalueshopper: So…your saying im lying?
atheist_jsbrown: greatvalueshopper, I know nothing about what you and your friends did with it. It’s possible that your friends tricked you.
atheist_jsbrown: greatvalueshopper, I am saying that I don’t know anything about your experience. I never mentioned that you lied.
atheist_jsbrown: greatvalueshopper, I just lack information.
greatvalueshopper: They didnt know alot of stuff about me, it answered questions they asked instantly.
greatvalueshopper: “who is to my left” (Tony)
atheist_jsbrown: greatvalueshopper, Type one of the questions you asked, and I will try it myself.
greatvalueshopper: “who is to my right” (courtney)
greatvalueshopper: Uh, try…what color shirt am I wearing, or something…
greatvalueshopper: I dont know…andrew asked that.
greatvalueshopper: It told him it was green (correct)
greatvalueshopper: then that he bought it at disney land, also correct.
greatvalueshopper: Anything atheist?
atheist_jsbrown: greatvalueshopper, All I can say is that it hasn’t done anything to suggest that it’s actually supernatural. In fact, I haven’t gotten any specific answers at all.
greatvalueshopper: you havent responded in a little while.
atheist_jsbrown: greatvalueshopper, I’ll ask about you now.
greatvalueshopper: What did it say?
greatvalueshopper: IT would NOT answer me at any point in the hour I was there.
greatvalueshopper: As soon as I handed the laptop to someone else, it answered them instantly.
greatvalueshopper: I tried two different computers.
atheist_jsbrown: greatvalueshopper, I am only receiving vague response; no answers.
greatvalueshopper: Thats what it did to me.
greatvalueshopper: The ENTIRE time.
greatvalueshopper: Everyone else it just answered instantly, and everytime, even if asked weird questions, it was right.
atheist_jsbrown: greatvalueshopper, I’m still trying. It seems like a software to me.
atheist_jsbrown: greatvalueshopper, Like I said, I wasn’t there to see what you did. I have no way to verify what you say, even if you are being truthful.
greatvalueshopper: If its not giving you answers, then its doing the same thing it did to me. Try letting someone else use it.
greatvalueshopper: well, your right.
atheist_jsbrown: greatvalueshopper, My experience with it doesn’t match what you told me. I’ll keep trying.
atheist_jsbrown: greatvalueshopper, If you like, I will ask it questions for you. I can try to duplicate your experience. Just let me know.
atheist_jsbrown: greatvalueshopper, I’ll record my questions and responses.
greatvalueshopper: No thanks atheist…
greatvalueshopper: I’m not going to do that again.
atheist_jsbrown: greatvalueshopper, Seriously, you should try it alone. That will eliminate any trickery by your friends.
greatvalueshopper: No
atheist_jsbrown: greatvalueshopper, If you actually believe that you are protected by a god, then I don’t see what you have to fear.
greatvalueshopper: I am not getting involved in it ever again.
greatvalueshopper: The Bible says not to play or even go near anything of the sort.
greatvalueshopper: It opens a door into your life.
atheist_jsbrown: greatvalueshopper, It’s possible that you are in fear of something imaginary. If you don’t actually put it to the test, then you will never know.
greatvalueshopper: With two others there who witnessed it?
atheist_jsbrown: greatvalueshopper, We’ve covered this already.
atheist_jsbrown: greatvalueshopper, I’m trying to be objective about it. That’s all.
greatvalueshopper: People running around in the living room, and it answered who was directly in front, or behind, or wherever.
greatvalueshopper: I know you are, but I know what happened, its witchcraft.
atheist_jsbrown: greatvalueshopper, Now… be careful about making such conclusions.
atheist_jsbrown: greatvalueshopper, It’s easily possible that someone tricked you.
greatvalueshopper: While using TWO different laptops, and a desktop?
atheist_jsbrown: greatvalueshopper, Yes, it’s still possible.
atheist_jsbrown: greatvalueshopper, Until you have evidence that points specifically to witchcraft while eliimating all other natural possibilities, then it’s a mistake to conclude the source.
greatvalueshopper: IT knew things noone else besides me knows. Therefore, unless a website reads minds, it was witchcraft.
atheist_jsbrown: greatvalueshopper, What did it know about you that no one else knew?
greatvalueshopper: Personal things.
atheist_jsbrown: greatvalueshopper, Like? Give me an example.
greatvalueshopper: …
greatvalueshopper: Things that I don’t feel are appropriate in a chat room.
atheist_jsbrown: greatvalueshopper, Fair enough.
atheist_jsbrown: greatvalueshopper, I’m still asking questions, and it’s still acting like a spoiled child.
greatvalueshopper: Nothin sinful, but personal things about me that noone should know except me.
atheist_jsbrown: greatvalueshopper, Who was typing and reading the answers when all of this happened?
greatvalueshopper: Either my friend, or my relative, both of which had no way of knowing most of those answers.
greatvalueshopper: They couldnt hardly spell the questions their so unlearned.
greatvalueshopper: They spell rasist, instead of racist.
greatvalueshopper: If I tried to ask, it would tell me my soul was not compatible, or that I did not beleive in it.
atheist_jsbrown: I asked, “Are square circles logically impossible?” It replied, “The theosophical semantic of the question is not valid.”
atheist_jsbrown: Square circles qualify as theosophy?

(After a period of time…)

atheist_jsbrown: greatvalueshopper, Still nothing remarkable.

(He didn’t post another messsage, and eventually left the room)

 

After thoroughly interrogating Peter, I decided to google the name of the web site to see if other people had written anything about it. Sure enough, searching for “peteranswers.com” yields insightful results. To see how this “witchcraft” works, check out this article.

It’s clear from this example how easy it is for a human to be fooled. We all can be tricked, conned, swindled and scammed. This could have happened to me as well, though I would have handled it quite differently. But because this guy views the world through the irrational lens of his religion rather than reason, he is more vulnerable to being duped.

It’s a part of Christianity that “evil” powers exist and are out to corrupt and deceive godly people. In his mind, it’s perfectly reasonable to assume witchcraft or some other adversarial supernatural power is pursuing him. The problem is that he hasn’t arrive at his Christian position by using reason and seeking evidence. He is operating on a special, possibly magical system of validation known as faith. Since his Christian faith affects the way he thinks about the world and what is in it, he is without any way to accurately and objectively seek the truth. Because of this, he jumped to a drastic conclusion instead of following the evidence. The responsible thing to do is admit being confused and unable to explain things, and that he didn’t know how it was happening. But, no, he used his faith to assume an answer rather than being reasonable about it. He was certain it was witchcraft – certain and wrong.

This is an excellent example of how religious superstition hurts mankind. It discourages people from seeking the real answers, replacing interest in knowing and understanding with satisfaction of ignorance. Many stop short by saying “God did it,” or in this case, “evil did it.” There is such an enormous evidentiary void between being ignorant of something and declaring it happens as the result of the supernatural. There is a valuable lesson to be learned here, and I hope my great-value-shopping friend recognizes it. This event has reinforced what I learned a long time ago. Maybe you can benefit from it too.