Christian apologists like Apostate Prophet make the false claim that “we have all the things that Jesus said,” yet this goes against their own scripture, which states that there are many more teachings of Jesus that did not make it into their books. The Gospels themselves say, in plain language, that they contain only a … Continue reading Does the Bible Contain All of Jesus’ Teachings?
The Prophet as Witness: How European Painters Enlisted Muhammad in Defense of the Immaculate Conception
The doctrine and the problem The Immaculate Conception is the Catholic teaching that Mary was preserved from original sin from the first moment of her existence. It is often confused with the Virgin Birth, which concerns Jesus. The Immaculate Conception concerns Mary herself, and it was one of the most contested questions in medieval theology. … Continue reading The Prophet as Witness: How European Painters Enlisted Muhammad in Defense of the Immaculate Conception
The Moral Problems of Deuteronomy: A Reference Guide
Deuteronomy is the fifth book of the Torah, the Pentateuch traditionally attributed to Moses. It is presented as a series of farewell speeches delivered on the plains of Moab, east of the Jordan, as Israel prepares to enter Canaan after forty years in the wilderness. Moses recounts the journey so far, restates the law given … Continue reading The Moral Problems of Deuteronomy: A Reference Guide
Child Marriage and the Quran: Why 4:6 Must Come Before 65:4
The Argument to End All Arguments The debate over child marriage and the Quran often begins with 65:4, a verse concerning divorce. But that is the wrong place to start. Before asking what happens when a marriage ends, we must first establish who is eligible to enter one. Consider a simple analogy. Suppose one law … Continue reading Child Marriage and the Quran: Why 4:6 Must Come Before 65:4
A Response to “The Orthodox Muslim”: God Does Not Share His Throne
A post has been making the rounds. It reads: Muhammed is The Son of Man who will sit at the right hand of God with him on his throne. Muhammed is The Son of Man who will separate the sheep from the goats. He is the beloved who holds the keys of paradise. Muhammed is … Continue reading A Response to “The Orthodox Muslim”: God Does Not Share His Throne
A Calf That Lowed & Egyptian and Mesopotamian Mythology
The Quran's account of the golden calf includes a subtle detail that the Book of Exodus omits. The calf, we are told, was a body that made the sound of a calf. It is easy to read past this as a piece of narrative color, a miraculous flourish. It is anything but. To an audience … Continue reading A Calf That Lowed & Egyptian and Mesopotamian Mythology
The Offer Lot Already Knew Would Be Refused
When Lot stands at his door and offers his daughters to the crowd pressing toward his guests, most readers wince. Taken at face value, it reads as a father bartering his children to a mob. But the Quran does not leave the episode at face value. Read alongside the way scripture elsewhere shows the wise … Continue reading The Offer Lot Already Knew Would Be Refused
The God Who Depends on No One: Aseity and the Trinity
One of the oldest and least negotiable ideas about God is that He depends on nothing. Everything else in existence leans on something. A tree needs soil, a child needs parents, a flame needs fuel, a building needs a foundation. God, by definition, leans on nothing at all. He is the one reality that exists … Continue reading The God Who Depends on No One: Aseity and the Trinity
Jesus’ Universal Operating System for Living Under Any Legal System
When Jesus told his followers to sit at the feet of the scribes and Pharisees, to observe everything they taught but not to follow their example (Matthew 23:2–3), he was issuing an instruction of remarkable subtlety. He was not critiquing the content of Jewish law, nor was he calling for its reform or abolition. He … Continue reading Jesus’ Universal Operating System for Living Under Any Legal System
Two Kinds of Law
Not every law in the Quran is the same. Some are universal—meant for all people, in every place, for all time. Be just and never biased. Do not commit murder. Do not steal. You could drop these commands into any century and any country, and they would hold without a word of adjustment. Others are … Continue reading Two Kinds of Law
