tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-891289711377156224.post3108337939021440228..comments2024-03-28T09:46:24.020+02:00Comments on A Political Refugee From The Global Village : Did Muhammad exist? Yes, I think so.Unknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger28125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-891289711377156224.post-56982143978946055722015-01-25T19:23:36.895+02:002015-01-25T19:23:36.895+02:00I read the book recently - fascinating. That what ...I read the book recently - fascinating. That what is now known as Islam (and the koran) has its roots deep in a form of Syriac Christianity, which kept its Jewish traditions, denied the Trinity, and was anathematized at the Council of Nicaea is, for me, beyond doubt (seems more plausible than the story of the koran being the immutable word of god told to a warrior-p*dophile in a cave by an angel). Muhammed was a title meaning the chosen or preferred one. There is good evidence to suggest that it was applied to Jesus Christ, and the inscription in the Dome of the Rock (originally built as a church on one of the supposed sites to Christ's tomb) can be interpreted to reflect this.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-891289711377156224.post-45987028639809786362013-06-18T14:24:58.874+03:002013-06-18T14:24:58.874+03:00If you read Anthony Storr's The Gurus you will...If you read Anthony Storr's The Gurus you will find that many or most prophets or mystics were neither deluded nor con-men. Carlyle said of Muhammed or Mahomet:<br /><br />We will not praise Mahomet's moral precepts as always of the superfinest sort; yet it can be said that there is always a tendency to good in them; that they are the true dictates of a heart aiming towards what is just and true<br /><br />On the whole, we will repeat that this Religion of Mahomet's is a kind of Christianity; has a genuine element of what is spiritually highest looking through it, not to be hidden by all its imperfections. The Scandinavian God Wish, the god of all rude men, — this has been enlarged into a Heaven by Mahomet; but a Heaven symbolical of sacred Duty, and to be earned by faith and well-doing, by valiant action, and a divine patience which is still more valiant. It is Scandinavian Paganism, and a truly celestial element superadded to that. Call it not false; look not at the falsehood of it, look at the truth of it. For these twelve centuries, it has been the religion and life-guidance of the fifth part of the whole kindred of Mankind. Above all things, it has been a religion heartily believed. These Arabs believe their religion, and try to live by it! No Christians, since the early ages, or only perhaps the English Puritans in modern times, have ever stood by their Faith as the Moslem do by theirs, — believing it wholly, fronting Time with it, and Eternity with it.<br /><br />To the Arab Nation it was as a birth from darkness into light; Arabia first became alive by means of it. A poor shepherd people, roaming unnoticed in its deserts since the creation of the world: a Hero-Prophet was sent down to them with a word they could believe: see, the unnoticed becomes world-notable, the small has grown world-great; within one century afterwards, Arabia is at Grenada on this hand, at Delhi on that; — glancing in valor and splendor and the light of genius, Arabia shines through long ages over a great section of the world. Belief is great, life-giving. The history of a Nation becomes fruitful, soul-elevating, great, so soon as it believes.Political Refugee from the Global Villagehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03523068770529814044noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-891289711377156224.post-9513849296793781602013-06-18T00:51:21.643+03:002013-06-18T00:51:21.643+03:00I agree period with the original comment. Religion...I agree period with the original comment. Religionists is not a valid argument any more than immoral people in the government means we should rewrite the constitution of the United States. Christianity is not a religion, it's the New Reality of Man, but 'narrow is the path, and few are those that find it' (Jesus). Broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many 'Christians' might be on that road as well. If Mohammed existed (of how many Mohammeds are there in the world?), he was either ignorant or very evil or actually did 'speak with an angel' but it wasn't Gabriel as they profess. People do comment that do not understand the bible (which is too many to number) and might not have even read the Koran. It only takes 10 minutes of reading it to make the skin crawl. P.S. According to the Koran, Jesus disciples were Muslims.Stephenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01980724753973410660noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-891289711377156224.post-921868765745613522013-06-17T11:16:58.724+03:002013-06-17T11:16:58.724+03:00The prophecy tells about Ahmad; 'Servant of Go...The prophecy tells about Ahmad; 'Servant of God' whom will war to correct the wrongs and bringing judgement based on the law of God. He will also liberate Arabia from worshiping molten images. Wilderness (desert), villages and cities will glorify God since then. As can be seen today, whole of Arabia are worshiping,praising God and singing words of God daily.<br /><br />And we continue reading Isaiah 42:18 - 25; about Children of Israel, whom will still be deaf and blind neglecting the message brought by this 'Servant of God'. <br />~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~<br /><br />In Isaiah 42:1, it is not a coincidence upon seeing the writing of both אתמך (Atmc) אחמד (Ahmd). And the word before אתמך (Atmc), is עבדי (Abedi~My Servant). For indeed, It is indicating Ahmad; Abedallah (Ahmad; Servant of God). <br /><br />Not to mention אתמך (Atmc) is a special term foretelling the coming of a righteous man and is used only ONCE throughout the entire Book. [could this be a copying error or an intended error?] <br /><br />Children of Israel have been foretold upon the coming of Ahmad but sadly, only a few accepts.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-891289711377156224.post-53090772013195650092013-06-04T17:43:26.272+03:002013-06-04T17:43:26.272+03:00What if Muhammad was so popular for having brought...What if Muhammad was so popular for having brought law, decency and spiritual fulfillment to Arabia that, a sufficient time after his death, his own popularity was used to elevate him in to a blasphemous monstrosity?Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-891289711377156224.post-48192676455650860662013-06-04T17:43:07.138+03:002013-06-04T17:43:07.138+03:00"Did Muhammed exist?"
And if he did exi... "Did Muhammed exist?"<br /><br />And if he did exist, was he actually trying to found a new religion, or a prophet at all, or just someone trying to reform the Christian church? What if Muhammad was just a Martin Luther who also realized that Arabia needed to be unified to keep law and order? Tradition says he took at least two Christian wives and had many Christian friends - since his "works" were not written until nearly a hundred years after his death, who is not to say that Omar the Bloodthirsty (the title of the Caliph of the Quranic period) did not purposefully misrepresent Muhammads works to create a feud over nothing and conquer most of the Near East?Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-891289711377156224.post-49903383375933311532013-06-04T06:28:41.716+03:002013-06-04T06:28:41.716+03:00Anonymous 1 June 19:08. Who are you speaking to ( ...Anonymous 1 June 19:08. Who are you speaking to ( to<br />whom are you speaking?Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-891289711377156224.post-79252136882452778092013-06-02T23:38:19.247+03:002013-06-02T23:38:19.247+03:00That is comprehensible. Correct. Does Anyone care....That is comprehensible. Correct. Does Anyone care... <br />Check. Clarification x2. I was flippant. You maybe were being persnickety. <br />Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-891289711377156224.post-86821775851752486252013-06-02T19:18:50.454+03:002013-06-02T19:18:50.454+03:00That is comprehensible, just about, but you asked ...That is comprehensible, just about, but you asked 'Does anyone who's not a Muslim care if he existed or did not?' Political Refugee from the Global Villagehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03523068770529814044noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-891289711377156224.post-37347450618956842302013-06-02T19:16:49.581+03:002013-06-02T19:16:49.581+03:00I agree with the last commentI agree with the last commentPolitical Refugee from the Global Villagehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03523068770529814044noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-891289711377156224.post-61549491317135257912013-06-02T19:15:39.658+03:002013-06-02T19:15:39.658+03:00I agree. I agree. Political Refugee from the Global Villagehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03523068770529814044noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-891289711377156224.post-54522360866105479012013-06-02T17:51:38.545+03:002013-06-02T17:51:38.545+03:00I have already tried to comment once - perhaps thi...I have already tried to comment once - perhaps this time will go better.<br /><br />Yes Mr Wood - even in my deeply tried state I generally agree with what you are saying.<br /><br />By the way there is one grain of truth even in the insane ravings of Mr Blair - early Muslims did believe they were "returning to the origins" of Christianity and Judaism, but there was nothing progressive in that position, On the contrary the Islamic cry of "raise your hand" to Jews was about the Jewish Talmudic practice of placeing one's hand over the savage punishments listed for various thing in the Torah (Leviticus, Deuteronomy) when reading aloud - least one read out the savage punishments in the Torah (which the Talmud, at very great length, tries to explain away), The Islamic position was (and is) that the savage punishments should be read out - and practiced. Surely this is not what Mr Blair means by "Progressive"?Paul Markshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/18376632035812989444noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-891289711377156224.post-70011359575415189462013-06-02T17:41:30.620+03:002013-06-02T17:41:30.620+03:00Yes - now I am less tired (although still very tir...Yes - now I am less tired (although still very tired) this occurs to me also. Of coursre Muhammed did formally speaking "write" the Koran (he coudl not write - not a shameful thing at the time), but someone composed (and spoke) this poetry - and the verses appear to be in the style of one man. Of course Muslims claim that the Koran was composed by God - but we are not Muslims so an alternative explination is requred,. To me the most likely one is that it was oral versues spoken by a man called Muhammed and then written down by his followers. By the way - your quotation from Mr Blair, on the nature of the Koran, is scary - Mr Blair is either a wild liar or a utter lunatic. Paul Markshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/18376632035812989444noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-891289711377156224.post-73450984972893598802013-06-02T12:46:18.651+03:002013-06-02T12:46:18.651+03:00It sounds to me -I have not read the book - that M...It sounds to me -I have not read the book - that Muhammad very probably did exist, because of the references to him or someone like him in some Christian authors. But it is good to see someone suggest he did not to remind us of the,limitations of our knowledge. People still sometimes argue that Jesus is an Egyptian myth or what have you, of course, though this is not taken seriously by scholars. We do not of course know whether the doctrine Muhammad preached was that contained in the Koran or not and we do not know if it was his doctrine that energised the Arabs to conquer half the world or not. It is even possible that the creation of that religion followed the conquests though the other way rounds sounds much more inherently likely. Spencer in this book sounds a like clever people denying Shakespeare wrote the plays attributed to him.Political Refugee from the Global Villagehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03523068770529814044noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-891289711377156224.post-89495012493412902522013-06-02T12:35:22.075+03:002013-06-02T12:35:22.075+03:00I liked Robert Spencer's previous books better...I liked Robert Spencer's previous books better.<br /><br />He set himself a modest task in previous works - let us look at what is actually in traditional mainstream Islamic literature and bring what it actually says to the attention of the public.<br /><br />In this task Spencer utterly refuted the whitewash merchants (Armstrong and so on) and showed the life and teachings of Muhammed for what they are (even in mainstream Islamic literature).<br /><br />In this work he sets himself a more difficult task - to try and see if Muhammed ever existed in the first place, and (if he did exist) whether he was actually much like the figure described in traditional Islamic works.<br /><br />I am reminded of Archbishop Richard Whately's work "proving" that Napoleon did not exist (R.W. was mocking "ractionalist" claims that their could never have been miricles because they had never seen any...). An obscure farmer's son from an unimportant island rise to become the ruler of Europe, and making his relatives the Kings and Queens of virtually everywhere? Absurd! What will these mad novelists think of next........<br /><br />Of course it is quite possible that Muhammed did not exist - I am not old enough to have met him and (more importantly) there is not one scrap of physical evidence that he existed (or that Moses and Jesus existed either).<br /><br />These things are cultural traditions - memories past down for a long time before they are written (indeed written only when it become obvious that the generation who knew the person I dying off).<br /><br />Did Muhammed exist? I do not know - but it is enough that the enemies of the WeAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-891289711377156224.post-73340660863078410572013-06-01T19:23:32.537+03:002013-06-01T19:23:32.537+03:00He said he would be Muslim if not for it being &qu...He said he would be Muslim if not for it being "a false religion". But then when is any organized religion not false? At least, false to its founder's original aims. The organized Christian churches of today, most of them, leave much to be desired, if you compare them to what is written about Jesus in the 4 Gospels (and remember, there are no direct writings of Jesus). I do not claim to be an expert on Islam, I have read some chapters. I agree with much of the criticism of the book, some of it sounds as though the writer was either mentally ill or on drugs. But some is beautiful. And I believe that it is up to the individual to get what they need/want, and that makes any interpretation of any religion totally subjective and individualized. I do not believe 'organized religion' is inherently good, like any organization, corruption sets in. Religion, after all, is one's own beliefs. Which is why we have so many different kinds of people in every religion. And that is why we cannot condemn all Muslims for the behavior of a few. Or Christians, for that matter (thinking of the people who kill abortion doctors). What bothers me is why the Islamic peoples did not condemn Osama Bin Laden & his ilk, and why they still do not universally rise up & condemn them in no uncertain terms. Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-891289711377156224.post-44274597074041518132013-06-01T19:11:07.641+03:002013-06-01T19:11:07.641+03:00Don't be too negative. I agree, there is a lo...Don't be too negative. I agree, there is a lot of negativity connected with the Islamic peoples, but there is also negativity connected with Christianity down through the ages. There are religionists today who use Christianity to bash other people, there are even those who use it to justify killing people. Being religionist is not the same as being moral or good. Look at the individual, not just the religion. Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-891289711377156224.post-51109334633336187492013-06-01T19:08:42.378+03:002013-06-01T19:08:42.378+03:00I find fault for your knee-jerk reaction. If you ...I find fault for your knee-jerk reaction. If you have proof, then list them, otherwise your remark is unreliable. Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-891289711377156224.post-48593956407364950702013-06-01T08:40:13.064+03:002013-06-01T08:40:13.064+03:00History is long and not a simple narrative. I am i...History is long and not a simple narrative. I am interested in history but have my own areas of interest.<br />This is not particularly one of them. Why is or should<br />that be incomprehensible to you or to anyone?Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-891289711377156224.post-1363587810757657472013-05-31T08:10:00.810+03:002013-05-31T08:10:00.810+03:00Did Mr P.V.E just say that Islam is a false religi...Did Mr P.V.E just say that Islam is a false religion but in the same breath say he thinks Christians and Muslims should be natural allies? (since he said he is a Christian) Does that will that ever work? <br />Marren Jn.Pierre<br />Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-891289711377156224.post-22410386095158183352013-05-31T08:04:53.436+03:002013-05-31T08:04:53.436+03:00Of course! Anyone interested in history. How incom...Of course! Anyone interested in history. How incomprehensible your lack of curiosity is for me.Political Refugee from the Global Villagehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03523068770529814044noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-891289711377156224.post-10588176326322852042013-05-31T07:58:27.465+03:002013-05-31T07:58:27.465+03:00Just my two cents. Does anyone who's not a Mus...Just my two cents. Does anyone who's not a Muslim care if he existed or did not? Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-891289711377156224.post-872511114354345062013-05-30T11:26:29.159+03:002013-05-30T11:26:29.159+03:00I had not realised that the Prophet Mohammed, Peac...I had not realised that the Prophet Mohammed, Peace Be Upon Him, was so poorly attested in the pseudopigrapha. I am displeased that you suggest that contraception is a sin. It reduces human suffering and that is no bad thing. GeorgeAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-891289711377156224.post-52193172575891637102013-05-30T11:05:37.619+03:002013-05-30T11:05:37.619+03:00Yes - read my recent blog posts! http://pvewood.bl...Yes - read my recent blog posts! http://pvewood.blogspot.ro/2013/05/british-muslims-behead-british-soldier.htmlPolitical Refugee from the Global Villagehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03523068770529814044noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-891289711377156224.post-81233421964677050122013-05-30T10:57:51.101+03:002013-05-30T10:57:51.101+03:00I think the evidence that he existed is convincing...I think the evidence that he existed is convincing, but we already discussed this.<br /><br />Are you becoming more polite yourself though, Paul? I was expecting stronger words following the events last week. I do agree with your comment on Cameron, as he, of course, is not an authority on the subject. Any thoughts on the EDL, by the way?<br />JoelAnonymousnoreply@blogger.com