Let the Spinnin’ Wheels Spin

2005/11/01

Most people, no matter what their religious beliefs may be, will have a simple answer when asked, “Why do you believe this?” That answer is: Faith.

When having a discussion with a follower of Islam, the definition of simple faith is not accepted. If a Christian does not believe every word exactly as put down in the Old and New Testaments that is proof to a Muslim that Christians are weak in their faith and ignorant of Christian teachings.

To have an understanding of why Muslims feel this way one must realize how Muslims view the Quran. Muslims believe that every word in the Quran was given to Mohammed from Allah himself. They believe this because Mohammed said it was so. Mohammed told his followers that he went to rest and meditate in a cave and the Archangel Gabriel appeared to him and from this vision the Quran and Islam sprang. It isn’t just the words that are sacred, but the very book itself. The slightest doubt expressed about the Quran or Mohammed is considered blasphemy.

Muslims are so strong in this belief that hysteria drives them when it is reported that any copy of their Holy Book, the Quran, has been mishandled. The later-proven-to-be-wrong report in “Newsweek,” claiming Quran desecration at Guantanamo prison set off riots in Afghanistan that cost the lives of at least 15 people. Rage, driven by a mob mentality ingrained in Muslims from birth by the Quran itself, caused a type of temporary insanity simply because this mob thought some water splashed on a copy of the Quran.

Misuse of the Quran is not the only thing that will cause Muslims to turn into a murderous lynch mob. Recently in Egypt , Muslims rioted because it was rumored that Christians had watched a play that somehow was offensive to Islam. Had the Egyptian police, many of whom were injured in the fray, not been successful in stopping the mindless, raging mob, the Christians hiding in the church, probably would have been killed. One person died and many were injured because of a rumor. But a rumor is enough to send a mob of Muslims into a rage that often leads to someone’s death.

While Muslims will tell you repeatedly that Islam has only tolerance of others, their actions demonstrate otherwise. If a Christian were to stand in the middle of the street in Saudi Arabia and yell, “The Quran is nothing but a pack of lies,” his life expectancy would probably be about three minutes. In an Islamic county, even the slightest blasphemy to Islam, real or imagined, would be considered “suicide by Muslim.”

If one asks a Muslim how he knows that the Quran is perfect and is the word of Allah, he will answer that he knows this because Mohammed proclaimed it. When you ask a Muslim if he can prove that Mohammed actually heard the Angel Gabriel in a cave, he will say that it is proven in the Quran, which was dictated by Mohammed. If you are puzzled, you are not alone.

Basically, Muslims claim the Quran is perfect because Mohammed said so and Mohammed is a prophet because the Quran says so. There is a circular pattern of “he says, it says,” that is completely illogical to anyone who is not Muslim.

There are several passages in the Bible that state that Jesus is the Son of God. When Jesus was asked if he was the Son the God, Jesus is quoted as saying, “I am.” If Christians use these passages as proof that Jesus was the Son of God and not just a prophet as stated by Mohammed, Muslims will say that is not good enough. They want more proof. Yet, when they are asked to produce some evidence that Mohammed actually had a visit from an angel in a cave, they are outraged. To even question Mohammed or the Quran is blasphemy and triggers the irrational thought patterns that often leads to riots and death. Mohammed seems to have placed within the Quran a very effective self-defense mechanism.

Muslims know this miraculous event is fact because the Quran says so and the Quran is perfect and how dare anyone question the Quran. To Muslims, this is not faith, it is fact. The Quran was written by Allah through Mohammed because the Quran says so and that is all the proof that anyone should need. Muslims are genuinely bewildered that non-Muslims don’t also accept the Quran as perfect but have no problem with labeling as rubbish the passages from the Bible that indicate Jesus was the Son of God. Muslims seem to believe that anyone who reads the Quran will immediately see its perfection and convert to Islam as if the words are hypnotic. For the children who must mechanically memorize the Quran, it is hypnotic.

Trying to unravel the logic, or complete lack of logic, that seems to govern many Muslims, is challenging. That challenge brings to mind the song by Blood, Sweat and Tears titled, “Spinning Wheels.”

Did you find the directing sign on the
Straight and narrow highway
Would you mind a reflecting sign
Just let it shine within your mind
And show you the colors that are real

Often, when in a conversation with a Muslim, all one is doing is spinning wheels. If only it were possible to show Muslims a reflecting sign that could shine the light of logic into their minds. Muslims cannot make the simple statement that they believe the teachings of Mohammed and the Quran because of faith. This would be a sign of lack of complete belief in the teachings of Mohammed and the Quran teaches Muslims that they will be severely punished for having doubts. Doubts might cause one to ask questions, and that is not allowed in Islam. Questions require answers that Islam does not have.