The Race is Run

The Smashing of the Tablets

...continued from The Qur'an and Da Code

According to Islam, every single word of the Qur'an is an 'exact' reproduction of tablets existing eternally in heaven.

Unfortunately for Islam, the redactors of the Qur'an THOUGHT that the 'Virgin Birth' doctrine was based on the New Testament.

It was included in the Qur'an, and even enlarged upon, to enhance the Qur'an's claim to be a 'further revelation' from Allah.

Thus, by binding itself intimately to the Christian scriptures, the Qur'an could also partake in the enormous clout and authority invested in those scriptures by the Christian world.

Who would dare to question? A clever plot, what?

So, when this blog has conclusively demonstrated that the doctrine of the Virgin Birth IS NOT based on the New Testament...what fate awaits its wholly dependent Qur'anic daughter doctrine? 

Perhaps some old fashioned Mosaic-style tablet smashing?

Coming up: Trinity on Trial - A summary

The Qur'an and Da Code

This truth is stranger than these fictions

Dan Brown, quite unwittingly I'm sure, has done us a great service - he has made known to the general population the existence of certain 'stories' about Jesus.

The Qur'an's portrayal of the 'Virgin Mary' and Brown's Da Vinci Code share a common genesis and will eventually meet up at the same destination.

How can this be? Well...a couple of millenia or so, ago, a thirst to know more about Jesus than the gospels revealed gave rise to the concoction of various 'fables'.

These 'fables' were tailored specifically to resonate with certain audiences and to meet perceived needs and prevailing 'expectations'. Naturally therefore, they were riddled with historical and other errors.

The Da Vinci Code and part of the Qur'an's 'Virgin Mary' story borrowed material from this 'fabled' library and, living up to time-honoured tradition, tailored their own 'fables' to resonate with certain audiences and to meet perceived needs and prevailing 'expectations'. Naturally therefore, they also are riddled with historical and other errors.

Being only a 'lending' library, however, these 'fables' based on 'fables' will eventually be called in by their rightful owner - the great 'fable' library of history.

A Final Warning For The Curious

...continued from Warning! Offences Unlimited

Because Muhammad is proclaimed to be the natural heir to both the Old and New Testaments - the 'Last Messenger' - the compilers of the Qur'an had to make him acceptable to both Jews and Christians...

Warning! Offences Unlimited

continued from Warning! 'Offensive' Material

Read no further etc etc...

An idea has been floated about in recent times that unless one is a scholar of classical Arabic, one cannot understand the Qur'an, or comment upon it.

This, of course, is absolute waffle, designed to not only frustrate scholarly textual criticism but also to intimidate believers.

In fact, the Qur'an is accessible to all - the only requirement being that one can read. Many excellent, authorised translations exist in many languages.

Warning! 'Offensive' Material

"The time has come, the Walrus said..."

Certainly, the citizens of the world can no longer afford the luxury of catering to the 'sensibilities' of religious folk.

Read no further if you intend to be 'offended' by references to the Qur'an, Islam, the Prophet...

"the times they are a'changin"

Readers of an Anglican/Episcopalian persuasion may be interested in a comment I posted on the Times Religion Weblog.

Of course, it has no such limited application. If the cap fits...

Virgin Birth on Trial

To avoid reader 'fatigue', we'll begin our examination of church doctrines with a selection of summaries - virgin birth, trinity, etc...

Matthew and Luke had a compelling reason for compiling their genealogies of Jesus. This reason had absolutely nothing to do with 'virgin birth'!

Except for one important exception, the New Testament was composed in Greek. The Greek-speaking members of the early church very soon outnumbered the small Hebrew sect of the Nazarenes. Thus, as the gospel began to spread, it was preached to many who could not be expected to have an understanding of either Hebrew monotheism or of Hebrew 'messianic' expectations.

Gradually, the teachings about Jesus began to acquire the flavour of Greek and Roman paganism. 

Adoration of virginity and virgin-mothers was a feature of the pagan world and their mythologies abounded with virgin goddesses e.g. Athena, Artemis, Hestia, and demigods  e.g. Achilles, Perseus, Aeneas.

The introduction of the doctrine of Virgin Birth (Miraculous Incarnation) served a two-fold purpose: firstly, it rendered Jesus more 'acceptable' to those reared on a pagan diet and, secondly, it concealed the 'unpalatable' fact that Jesus of Nazareth was born out of wedlock!

In recent times, knowing they're on shaky ground, many Christian denominations have adopted a 'softly, softly' approach to 'virgin birth'. To deny it, however, is still considered 'heretical' by many.

The Christian churches pretend to have obtained this doctrine from the Bible. As their evidence they quote:

• the Old Testament prophet Isaiah
• the New Testament gospel of Matthew
• the New Testament gospel of Luke

These texts will be examined in detail in future posts. Meanwhile, ponder this...why would Matthew and Luke compile lengthy genealogies of Jesus if all they intended to record was a 'virgin birth'?

to be continued...

Coming up: The 'Virgin Mary' and the Koran

The Great Triad Mystery

An objective evaluation of both Old and New Testaments will reveal that the authors, building and enlarging upon the expectations of their predecessors, worked in sequence towards an ultimate goal - the establishment of an ideal kingdom  - the Kingdom of God on earth.

It was only after many years of bitter controversies that the Triad of 'mystery' doctrines - Trinity, Miraculous Incarnation and Transubstantiation - came to be regarded as 'truths' necessary for salvation.

In reality, they serve no other purpose than to confuse the issues and to make appreciation of the 'kingdom' plan impossible.

That these 'mysteries' have their origins in sources far removed from the bible should be obvious to any student of ancient history.

An exhortation of the New Testament is to "Prove all things; hold fast to that which is good." (I Thess 5:21). A wise injunction - one to which I subscribe. One which will form the basis of our examination of church doctrines.

Most reasonable people would reject the notion that all is hidden in 'mystery'. If they are followers of Jesus of Nazareth, they are quite entitled to expect that there is nothing hidden that shall not be revealed. (Luke 8:17)

Coming up: Virgin Birth on Trial

The Dramatist

Simply put, John's gospel presents Jerusalem's Temple precinct as a stage upon which a universal drama was enacted. The protagonists were the forces of God (personified by the 'truth' of Jesus of Nazareth) and the forces of Satan (in this case personified by the 'lies' of the Temple priests).

Check the passage in John 8:44 and note particularly the emphasis placed upon 'truth' and 'lies'. Also note that the actors in this drama are representatives of universal and timeless 'mentalities'.

The Investigator

Luke presents a very personal picture of Jesus from a time preceding his birth to the day of his 'ascension'.

He took extreme pains to be sure of what he was writing, commencing by telling Theophilus that he had traced the course of all things accurately from the first.

His account was one which would have a universal appeal, but particularly perhaps to the Greek method of inquiry.

Coming up: John