Is Islam true; how do I know it is not

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If we’re talking about mistakes, let’s talk about how “Allah” didn’t actually know what the Trinity is.
 
This is not a very solid defense to the claim that the book you believe is the inerrant word of God is false.
 
It is also based on historical accounts dating back to the apostles who walked with Christ. The church existed pre Bible.
 
Dear Catholicman,

Your on to something but no miss the mark abit. The circular reasoning argument your using sounds sound except for a glaring problem your over looking. Your assuming the Catholic Church is using the same inspired defense which is circular. However, while we do view the Bible as inspired. We also use it as a historical document. The Bible as a historical document is one the most extensively studied documents by both the church authorities and her enemies. Jesus of Nazareth institute’s the church and he is a historical figure so that lends credibility to the Catholic position going beyond the Bible alone as a resource thus defeating the circular reasoning argument. For what it’s worth all the other religions fall into the circular reasoning trap even Islam. Only the Catholic Church and orthodox churches go beyond it. Schism separates the Catholic and Orthodox churches. Hopefully that will be remedied soon though.
 
Yes, they are just as stubborn as Catholics, Protestants, and Jews. We all tend to hold on to our beliefs and even return to them after going astray.
 
Why is that sad? It’s the way most people think. A belief is a well-developed attitude so it is even stronger and tends to be resistant to change. If it does happen to change, however, it often comes back later on. There are exceptions, of course, but the process of human thought is just that, human.
 
Cognitive biases (errors) and emotional attachments are also part of our being human. Such things usually serve us well although not always. We should do a lot of things, but, again, we are only human, and I see nothing so wrong with that.
 
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When I was 19, I was leaving my Protestant church and was trying to decide where to go. Did I consider the Muslim faith? I realized I couldn’t become a Muslim because I believed in Christ.
 
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Jesus founded one Church, the Catholic Church, and promised to be with it always. 600 years later Muhammed seems to have learned Christianity from Christian heretics whose Christology was flawed.
 
CatholicMan17 said:
The gospels are innacurate because they contradict. John the Baptist says he isnt Elijah Jesus says he is.
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The Gospels speak of John in different ways but none are contradictory.

The angel of the Lord speaks of John coming in “the spirit and power of Elijah” (Luke 1:17)

Jesus speaks of John as Elijah. But Elijah and Jeremiah were also depicted as the “new Moses” in the Old Testament. There is no reason to think Jesus was speaking literally here.

And the disciples asked him, “Why, then, do the scribes say that Elijah must come first?” He replied, “Elijah is indeed coming and will restore all things; but I tell you that Elijah has already come, and they did not recognize him, but they did to him whatever they pleased. (Matt 17:10-12)

The problem with taking that statement of Jesus literally that John is Elijah, is that the above discussion immediately followed the transfiguration scene where Moses and Elijah literally appeared to the three Apostles and Jesus. If that was the case, then he couldn’t have meant that John the Baptist was literally Elijah because the Apostles would have recognized Elijah as John at the transfiguration. They didn’t. (Cf. Matt 17:1-13)

The idea that Elijah was to return, in spirit, follows a number of Old Testament prophesies.

“Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet before the great and terrible day of the LORD comes. 6 And he will turn the hearts of fathers to their children and the hearts of children to their fathers, lest I come and smite the land with a curse.” (Mal 4:5)

“You [Elijah] who are ready at the appointed time, it is written, to calm the wrath of God before it breaks out in fury, to turn the heart of the father to the son, and to restore the tribes of Jacob.” (Sir 48:10).

“Now John wore a garment of camel’s hair, and a leather girdle around his waist ; and his food was locusts and wild honey.” (Matt 1:4)

In 1 Kings we discover, Elijah …wore a garment of haircloth, with a girdle of leather about his loins ” (2 Kgs 1:8), just as John did.

After Elijah is taken up by a heavenly chariot at the River Jordan, Elisha receives a “double-portion” of Elijah’s spirit (2 Kgs 2:9–15).

So Elisha was also in ‘the spirit and power of Elijah,’ like John.
 
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CatholicMan17 said:
Prove that Jesus is God no one can. It is not like we have explicit historical evidence that he claimed it.
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Actually, there is a great deal of explicit historical evidence that he claimed it, but there is also a great deal of evidence from the Old Testament that God would become man.

One example from history as to his claim is that he was crucified for blasphemy. Claiming to be God would be blasphemy as far as the Sanhedrin were concerned. The chief priest asked a very specific two part question:
Again the high priest asked him, “Are you 1) the Messiah, 2) the Son of the Blessed One?” Jesus said, “I AM; and ‘you will see the Son of Man seated at the right hand of the Power,’ and ‘coming with the clouds of heaven.’”

Then the high priest tore his clothes and said, “Why do we still need witnesses? You have heard his blasphemy! What is your decision?” All of them condemned him as deserving death. (Mark 14:61-64)
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Now being the Messiah could not have been blasphemy, because the Jews were expecting a human Messiah, so there was nothing blasphemous merely in claiming to be the Messiah.

The blasphemy had to be in the second part of the question: “Are you the … Son of the Blessed One?”

So what does it mean to be the “Son of the Blessed One?” The Blessed One is God, and Jesus specifically claimed that HIS being the Son of the Blessed One implied that they would see him "seated at the right hand of the Power,’ and ‘coming with the clouds of heaven.’” The two depictions are straight from the prophet Daniel and they entail having the same power (right hand of Power) and the same dignity and honour (coming in the clouds of heaven) as God himself.

That was the claim of Jesus – his having the power, authority and honour due God alone – that the Sanhedrin knew was blasphemy. A man claiming to be God. That is why they tore their garments and sentenced him to death.

This is to say nothing of Jesus’ I AM statement, which is a direct reference to the name of God I AM WHO I AM in the theophany to Moses.

By the way, the name of God, itself, contains within it direct evidence of the Trinity: I AM (Son) WHO (Holy Spirit) I AM (Father).
 
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The only barrier is pride.

If God made one religion, and not a cluster of heresies, then he would make a distinct mechanism for those seeking the truth.

The Lord wants all to find the one true faith, so much so, that all they have to do is ask. Earnest prayer over a period of 9 days will reveal the truth every time, with a miracle in most cases.

But, one after the other, Protestant, Jew, Hindu, Muslim, agnostic etc., will come up with some reason in their mind why they don’t see themselves ever with those people, or giving up the social club that they belong to, or that doesn’t look like fun. Some people will just not accept the truth, even if he raises someone from the dead.
 
The Church, which received the gospel first hand, was established to be the mouthpiece of God, holding, preserving, and proclaiming the faith which she understands even without Scripture. She held and preached the truth before a word of the New Testament was written and Scripture can often be interpreted and argued plausibly from different, conflicting, positions.

To believe in her authority is to come to agree with her teachings, which occurs the more we seek truth on our own. Pray and study; ask, seek, and knock.
 
CatholicMan17 said:
If the bible is the word of God I should be able to have read most of the bible and the whole Quran and consider both and not be convinced the bible is a collection of archaic texts and the Qur’an is one immaculate text
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Personally I can’t imagine anyone being ignorant enough to be angry at your reading the Qur’an. Or maybe, unfortunately, I can imagine it, but either way I’ve read both books and certainly could never walk away from the Qur’an thinking that I read anything very spiritual, or revealing about the nature and will of God, or “immaculate” in any way. And it surely contains historical errors.

And while the Christian bible may contain some contradictions and inaccuracies, none of those impact the message of God’s extraordinary love for humankind and desire to save all. You’ll find that love in His humble and willing passion and death in human flesh, and in the resurrection that definitively demonstrates and proves His will for our final destiny. A very counter-cultural sort of God, totally unlike the superheroes of this world.
 
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@CatholicMan17

“A time is coming when people will no longer listen to sound and wholesome teaching. They will follow their own desires and will look for teachers who will tell them whatever their itching ears want to hear. They will reject the truth and chase after myths.”

So, when do you think this was written?
 
Minks said:
@CatholicMan17

“A time is coming when people will no longer listen to sound and wholesome teaching. They will follow their own desires and will look for teachers who will tell them whatever their itching ears want to hear. They will reject the truth and chase after myths.”

So, when do you think this was written?
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Answer: 1Timothy 4: 3-4

Timothy walked and talked with Jesus, Himself, so this dates back to the 1st century.

All the religions that came after Christ fall short.

Find out everything that you can about the Catholic faith. Learn it so well that you could easily—without much effort— participate in a debate. Then check out the other religions, if you still have a hankering to do that. At this point, you don’t know nearly enough about Catholicism to reject it.

The main thing to remember is that you’re talking about your soul—for all eternity.
 
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