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Post by Josh on Oct 16, 2011 19:55:10 GMT -8
What are your thoughts on Muhammad?
I'm thinking of an approach similar to C.S. Lewis' "trilemma" in regard to Jesus (Jesus was either a liar, a lunatic, or Lord)
What are the possibilities for the founder of Islam?
Muhammad's revelation of the Quran is either:
1. a fabrication (lie) 2. something he was deceived into believing (by the jinn, as he initially feared?) 3. something he imagined (religious delusion) 4. or something that was revealed by God 5. or some combo of more than one of these factors.
How do you see it?
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Post by stevekimes on Oct 16, 2011 23:04:49 GMT -8
I believe that Muhammad was originally a prophet of God, calling the Arabic people to forsake idolatry and to embrace worship of the one true God. His major misstep was when he stopped being a prophet and began to be a political leader. At this point, he began creating his own agenda, according to what he saw as his political needs.
When he started fighting in Medina, that is when he started speaking against Christian doctrine and the Jews. This is when his followers organized into armies. And soon after, he took up his conquest (although peaceful) of Mecca.
But early in his teachings, I see little different from an OT prophet. He needed Jesus, that's for sure.
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Post by Josh on Oct 17, 2011 18:56:06 GMT -8
So you don't place any credence with his early concerns that his numinous experiences might be the influence of demons (jinn)?
It seems probable to me that his early experiences reflect a conflict between Truth and Falsehood, resulting in a mixed message that was ultimately overcome by the temptation to manufacture revelations as political or personal expedients (somewhat similar to my view of Joseph Smith, although I have much more respect for Muhammad).
Unfortunately, much of Muhammad's rants against Christians are based upon his exposure to Christian cults on the fringe of the empire, with which he came into contact with as a boy, that with a robust Christian orthodoxy. For instance, because of his experience with cults, he misunderstood the Trinity to be referring to God the Father, Jesus the Son, and the Virgin Mary as mother.
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