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Towards a Constructive Dialog on Inerrancy - II
"All scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work." - Bible, 2 Timothy 3:16-17
"This is the Scripture whereof there is no doubt, a guidance unto those who ward off (evil)."
"By this word [inerrancy] we mean that the Scriptures possess the quality of freedom from error. They are exempt from the liability to mistake, incapable of error. In all their teachings they are in perfect accord with the truth."
"The Koran is the final, infallible, direct and complete record of the exact words of God, brought down by angel Gabriel and firmly implanted in the heart of His final Prophet and Messenger Muhammad (peace be upon him)." Bible citations are from the Revised Standard Version. Koran citations are from the Pickthall translation. Today's text "Then, when the sacred months have passed, slay the idolaters wherever ye find them, and take them (captive), and besiege them, and prepare for them each ambush. But if they repent and establish worship and pay the poor-due, then leave their way free. Lo! Allah is Forgiving, Merciful." - Koran, Repentance 9:5 Questions Does this verse mean that non-Muslims should be slain? Why or why not? If captured, must non-Muslims convert to Islam or be put to death?
The Opening 16:125 says:
"My brother the Mujahid: here are our enemies who stand in front of us day after day. They are walking in our markets buying and living in our lands. Why don't we go to these places and sacrifice the most precious things to fight them? We can see them by our own eyes. Why don't we kill them? Why don't we eliminate them? Why don't we crush them?"
"The persecution or elimination of non-Muslims has been a cornerstone of Islamic conquests and rule for centuries. The Koran provides ample evidence that Islam encourages violence in order to win converts and to reach the ultimate goal of an Islamic world. Conversions from Islam to any other faith are often punishable by death."
"No other religion can claim to teach tolerance, pluralism and respect for the other as beautifully as Islam."
"...I find much confusion of ideas even among Muslims on this subject, owing to defective study of the Qur'an and the Prophet's life. Many Muslims seem to forget that our Prophet had allies among the idolaters even after Islam had triumphed in Arabia, and that he `fulfilled his treaty with them perfectly until the term thereof.' The righteous conduct of the Muslims, not the sword, must be held responsible for the conversion of those idolaters, since they embraced Islam before the expiration of their treaty."
"It has been quite an effort to prevent Infidels from getting the wrong (that is to say, the right) impression of Islam, at least until such time as Muslims in the West currently singing the praises of "pluralism" no longer have need for Infidel good will and tolerance. To date, the twin techniques of "Taqiyya" and Tu-Quoque have been relied on. "Taqiyya" is the religiously-sanctioned doctrine, with its origins in Shi'a Islam but now practiced by non-Shi'a as well, of deliberate dissimulation about religious matters that may be undertaken to protect Islam, and the Believers. A related term, of broader application, is "kitman," which is defined as "mental reservation." An example of "Taqiyya" would be the insistence of a Muslim apologist that "of course" there is freedom of conscience in Islam, and then quoting that Qur'anic verse -- "There shall be no compulsion in religion." But the impression given will be false, for there has been no mention of the Muslim doctrine of abrogation, or naskh, whereby such an early verse as that about "no compulsion in religion" has been cancelled out by later, far more intolerant and malevolent verses. In any case, history shows that within Islam there is, and always has been, "compulsion in religion" for Muslims, and for non-Muslims. The "compulsion" for Muslims comes from the treatment of apostasy as an act punishable by death. And though "dhimmis" are allowed to practice their religion, they do so under conditions of such burdens and restrictions that many, not as an act of conscience but rather as a response to inexorable Muslim pressure, have converted (or "reverted") to Islam." A note on the approach Some will find the reductionist approach used in these articles inappropriate. Many propose that the Bible, for example, is inerrant as a whole, but that individual verses are too easily taken out of context to serve as a basis for solitary belief. However, singular passages are often parsed for meaning and put forward to support a particular belief or practice. Inerrancy is an absolute assertion. We submit that deep consideration of subsets of the text is one reasonable approach to understanding. Theological scholars also warn that simplistic readings of these texts lead to false interpretations. This discussion will ignore that warning - because the vast majority of the readers of these books are not theological scholars. Millions of people shape their views and behavior based on a straightforward reading of the words. If we read the text "like a child", perhaps we will better understand how the words actually influence thought and action.
"Truly, I say to you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God like a child shall not enter it." -- Mark 10:15
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