Comment:
I`m no scholar but to say that the Bible has no scientific arrors is totally false. One huge mistake occurs on the first page when God says let there be light and the sun was not yet created. Also the Bible claims that the earth is only 6000 years old and that man and dinosuars existed together we know this is not correct. Abrogations occur in the Quran because of the
way it was revealed.The Quran was not written by numerous greek scribes edited and compiled the way the bible was.It is not always a structured narrative but a stream of cousuisness. The quran is not the inspired word of God it is the verbatims words of God which was revealed to prophet Muhammad by god over a period of 23 years.When a situation arose a revealation would occur.Such as drinking alcohol.Originally the revalation sent down limited the amount of alcohol you could drink then later a new revelation came that did away with it all together.As Muslims we believe in all of the scriptures reavealed before the Quran. We love and respect all of the prophets from Adam to Jesus.The Quran is God’s last revalation to mankind and it was sent to clarify and correct the scriptures that came before it that were tainted by the hands of men.
Response:
I will stick by my claim. I have a PhD in chemistry and physics and still have not found a science error in the scripture, including your supposed error which is, in fact, not an error. Let me explain. Scientists believe that in the early history of the earth, the atmosphere was extremely different than it is today. The early earth atmosphere had very little nitrogen and oxygen, but instead lots more water, methane, ammonia and organic molecules. Almost certainly it was not possible at that time to see the heavens from the earth. On the first "day" there was already night and day, but from the point of view of the earth, the sun, moon and stars could not be seen. Once God created life, it gradually changed the chemistry of the atmosphere. Eventually, the amount of ammonia, carbon dioxice and methane in the atmosphere reduced, while the amount of nitrogen and oxygen increased. Finally, on the fourth day, the stars, sun and moon appeared in the sky. We can see that in this case, the writer of Genesis one gets it right. The Bible does NOT say that that the earth is 6000 years old. This is simply not the case. The "days" of Genesis represents the periods over which God created the earth as it is today. The Bible definitely does not say that dinosaurs and humans lived together. This is simply not found anywhere in the Bible. You have seen some false ideas about the Bible. I stick by my claim that there are no bona fide science errors in the Bible and I challenge anyone who likes to find one.
I do not claim to be an expert on the Koran, although I have read the entire Koran and studied Islam quite carefully. If you are comfortable with the idea of abrogation: that God has to change what he revealed earlier, then that is up to you. For me, I am uncomfortable with this idea. If what God said is inspired, then there would be no reason to change it. The Bible has never been abrogated. How you feel about this is up to you. I understand how the Koran was formed. It is true that God used various writers to produce the Old and New Testament, and also that the Koran says that the Jews and the Christians should follow those scriptures.
I disagree that Muhammed is a legitimate prophet of God because he denied what Jesus said about himself. He denies that Jesus is the Son of God and that he was crucified for forgiveness of sins. I understand and respect that you do not agree, but that is my conviction. If Jesus is a prophet, as Muhammed says, then his words are from God, and Jesus clearly said that he is God and that he came to die for our sins. You should believe what Jesus said and he said that he was God.
Thanks for your letter.
John Oakes
