Biblical criticism & the truth about stoning in Islam.
Reader comment on item: Debate: Islam and Democracy

Submitted by Richard Burd (United States), Jul 17, 2003 at 17:41

Although I appreciate Pipes' point on Jews & Christians developing 'higher criticism' of the Bible (Also known as source criticism or redaction criticism) I think it's important for people to understand that not *ALL* Christians & Jews recognize the validity of this academic research. Christian Fundamentalists, particularly the Southern Baptists, reject Biblical criticism as heresy and hogwash. They take the Bible as seriously as the Muslims do the Qur'an. They also reject the theory of evolution because it contradicts the Bible's creation story in Genesis. Is should be noted that these fundamentalist Christian groups are the key power-players in the religious right, and effect decisions made by our Republican President. Orthodox Jews also reject Biblical criticism, though Jewish fundamentalism of this sort differs with Christian fundamentalism in several ways.

Needless to say, Islam has not developed a critical tradition that views the Qur'an as the result of human authorship, this has serious ramifications for the Islamic world, and contributes to it’s intellectual impotency.

O and also, the Qur'an does *NOT* require stoning for Adulterous women, but *does* command flogging (24;2). The Stoning practice is based on the Ahadith of Al-Bukhari, or the Oral traditions of Muhammad’s teachings that supplement the Qur’an, not Deuteronomy. (See: Al-Bukhari Ahadiths: Volume 3, Book 34, Number 421; Vol. 4, Book 51, # 8; Vol. 5, Book 59, # 596; Vol. 6, Book 60, # 79; Vol. 8, Book 80, # 741-Narrated by Ayesha of all people, the Prophet’s own wife!; Also: Vol. 8, Book 80, # 741; Vol. 8, Book 81, # 763) Islam considers the Torah to be a corrupted version of the Qur’an, so why would they go to it for legal rulings? They don't! - This is another deceptive attempt of the Islamist apologist to pass the blame for *HIS* culture’s own impotency onto the west.

In sum, the Qur’an is not compatible with 18th century enlightenment values, the values of which the west is built on, then again neither is the Bible (at the very least not Leviticus, Joshua, & Revelations) But that’s OK because most Jews [including myself] and Christians don’t take the Bible too seriously. That doesn’t mean we don’t believe in God, we just don’t think He’s as insecure as the Bible makes him out to be. We also don't believe the bible has all the answers.

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