Complex Islamic response to evolution emerges

[genius pauper.]

Do We Have Good Reasons to Believe?

Why is the universe the way it is?

One of the most important questions that almost all thinkers, philosophers and people like you and I have asked

is “Why does the universe exist at all? And why is it the way it is?” In response to this question there are those

who say that the universe is uncaused, in other words it is eternal, meaning it has no beginning and no end. If this

is true, there should be an infinite history of past events. However, the infinite in the real world is not possible

as it implies a quantity that is limitless. Let’s take the following examples into consideration: if there were an

infinite number of books in a room and two were taken away, how many would be left? The response may be

“infinity” or for those who are logically inclined “infinity minus two”. In any case, the responses don’t make sense

because although two have been taken away from infinity there still remains infinity! Consequently, we’re not

able to count the remaining books left in the room. Therefore the infinite leads to contradictions and simply

doesn’t exist in the real world (although it exists in mathematical discourse; however it is based upon certain

axioms and conventions). Therefore, it logically follows that the universe must have a finite history of past events,

which indicates that it must have begun to exist at some point in time.

The above may sound too philosophical, but it is also supported by scientific evidence, for instance, Stephen

Hawking, in his lecture The Beginning of Time states, “The conclusion of this lecture is that the universe has not

existed forever. Rather, the universe, and time itself, had a beginning in the Big Bang, about 15 billion years ago.”i

According to contemporary cosmologists, the universe began at time zero with the event commonly called the

“Big Bang”. The theory postulates that the universe began as a “singularity”, an extremely hot and dense entity

that expanded and subsequently cooled, going from something incredibly small and hot to the current size and

temperature of our universe. In light of these facts, it is interesting to note that there is no scientific explanation

as to what happened before time zero. In addition to this, the Big Bang theory can only postulate what happened

1 x 10-34 seconds after the Big Bang but not anytime before it. What happened before this particular point in time

is unknown.

In the context of the above discussion, it can be concluded that generally physicists agree that as a result of the

Big Bang, physical time and space were created as were energy and matter. So two premises can be drawn from

all the above: 1. Whatever begins to exist has a cause 2. The universe began to exist - Therefore the universe

has a cause. How do we get to this conclusion? Well, if everything we know and see that begins to exist has a

cause, for example a noise in the room or the pyramids at Giza, then the universe - which also began to exist -

must also have a cause.

The Cause for the Universe = God?

Our discussion so far has provided good reasons to believe that there must have been a cause for the universe.

However, this doesn’t tell us much about what the cause is, but if we think deeply about the nature of the cause -

also known as conceptual analysis - we can conclude that it must be very powerful as it brought into existence

the entire universe, and it must be:

One...

http://www.hamzatzortzis.com/LeafletDoWeHaveGoodReasonsToBelieve.pdf

[genius pauper.]

PART TWO

 

The cause for the universe must be a single cause for several reasons. An attractive argument to substantiate this

claim includes the use of the rational principle called Occam’s razor. This principle is commonly summarised as

“the simplest explanation is the best explanation”. In philosophical terms the principle enjoins that we should not

multiply entities beyond necessity. What this basically means is that we should stick to explanations that do not

create more questions than it answers. In the case of the cause for the universe we have no evidence to claim

multiplicity, in other words more than one, and if we did it would create more questions than it answers.

Uncaused & Eternal...

This cause must also be uncaused due to the absurdity of an infinite regress, in other words an indefinite chain of

causes. To illustrate this better, if the cause of the universe had a cause and that cause had a cause ad infinitum,

then there wouldn’t be a universe to talk about in the first place. For example, imagine if a Stock Trader on a

trading floor at the Stock Exchange was not able to buy or sell his stocks or bonds before asking permission from

the investor, and then this investor had to check with his, and this went on forever, would the Stock Trader ever

buy or sell his stocks or bonds? The answer is no. In similar light, if we apply this to the universe we would have to

posit an uncaused cause due to this rational necessity.

However, some philosophers and scientists claim that “why doesn’t the cause be the universe itself?” and “why

can’t the cause stop at the universe?” Well, the problem with these claims is that they would imply the universe

created itself, which is absurd because how can anything exist and not exist at the same time? Finally, it would be

irrational to claim that whatever begins to exist causes itself!

Immaterial...

The cause has to be immaterial since it created everything. If you were to take any state of physical existence,

you would come to the conclusion that, that state of physical existence owes itself to another state of physical

existence. And that state of physical existence, owes itself to another state of physical existence. But you can’t go

back states of physical existences ad infinitum. There has to be a beginning to the entire state of physical

existences. Therefore, the logical conclusion is that the origin of all creation has to be a non- physical state.

After thinking about the nature of the cause for the universe we come to the remarkable realisation that it has all

the basic attributes of the traditional monotheistic God, namely that He is one, eternal and immaterial. But what

reasons do we have to start claiming that a particular religion is true? This leads us to discuss the Qur’an, the

book of the Muslims.

The Qur’an

The Qur’an is no ordinary book. It has been described by many, who engage with the book, as an imposing text,

but the way it imposes itself on the reader is not negative, rather it is positive. This is because it seeks to

positively engage with your mind and your emotions, and it achieves this by asking profound questions, such as

“So where are you people going? This is a message for all people; for those who wish to take the straight path.”ii

and “Have they not thought about their own selves?”iii

However, the Qur’an doesn’t stop there, it actually challenges the whole of mankind with regards to its divine

authorship, it boldly states “If you have doubts about the revelation we have sent down to Our servant, then

produce a single chapter like it – enlist whatever supporters you have other than God – if you truly think you can.

[genius pauper.]

PART THREE

 

If you cannot do this – and you never will – then beware of the fire prepared for the disbelievers, whose fuel is

men and stones.”iv

This challenge refers to the various wonders in the Qur’an, even within its smallest chapter, that give us good

reasons to believe it is from God. Some of these reasons are historical and scientific.

Historical...

There are many historical statements in the Qur’an that show us good reasons that it is from God. One of them is

that the Qur’an is the only religious text to use different titles for the rulers of Egypt at different times. For

instance while addressing the Egyptian ruler, at the time of Prophet Yusuf (Joseph), the word “Al-Malik” is used

which refers to a king (note: that during the middle old kingdom Hyksos Asiatic families were governing Egypt and

they did not use the title Pharaoh, as the Qur’an mentions “The King said, 'Bring him to me straight away!’”).v

In contrast, the ruler of Egypt at the time of the Prophet Musa (Moses) is referred to as Pharaoh, in Arabic

“Firaown”. This particular title began to be employed in the 14th century B.C., during the reign of Amenhotep IV.

This is confirmed by the Encyclopaedia Britannica which states that the word Pharaoh was a title of respect used

from the New Kingdom (beginning with the 18th dynasty; B.C. 1539-1292) until the 22nd dynasty (B.C. 945-730).

So the Qur’an is historically accurate as the Prophet Yusuf lived at least 200 years before that time, and the word

“King” was used for the Hyksos kings, not Pharaoh.

In light of this, how could have the Prophet Muhammad known such a minute historical detail? Especially

when all the other religious texts, such as the Bible, just mention Pharaoh as a title for all times? Also, since

people at the time of the revelation did not know this information and hieroglyphs were a dead language,

what does this say about the authorship of the Qur’an? There is no naturalistic explanation.

Scientific...

The Qur’an always mentions nature as a sign for God’s existence, power and majesty. Every time these are

mentioned, they are expressed with a great accuracy, and they also give us information that could have never

been known at the time of the Prophet Muhammad. One of these signs includes the function and structure of

mountains. The Qur’an mentions that mountains have “peg” like structures and that they have been embedded

into earth to stabilise it, a concept known in Geology as isostasy. The Qur’an mentions: “We placed firmly

embedded mountains on the earth, so it would not move under them…”vi and “Have We not made the earth as a

bed and the mountains its pegs?”vii

The Qur’an’s eloquent renderings of the facts mentioned above are confirmed by modern science which only

came to be understood by the end of the 20th Century. In the book Earth, by Dr. Frank Press, former president of

the U.S. National Academy of Sciences, states that mountains are like stakes, and are buried deep under the

surface of Earth.viii

With regards to the vital role of mountains, it was formerly understood that mountains were merely protrusions

rising above the surface of Earth. However, scientists realised that this was not actually the case, and that the

parts known as the mountain roots extended down as far as 10 to 15 times their own height. With these features,

[genius pauper.]

PART FOUR

 

mountains play a similar role to a nail or peg firmly holding down a tent, which has been discovered by modern

geological and seismic research, a concept known as isostasy.ix

In conclusion, how can we explain this in the light of the fact that this is relatively recent science (with no one

at the time of the revelation knowing this information)? What does this tell you about the author? Again, there

is no naturalistic explanation.

Is Life Absurd without God?

The writer Loren Eiseley said that man is a cosmic orphan. This is quite profound, as man is the only creature in

the universe who asks: why? Other animals have instincts to guide them, but man has learned to ask questions. If

many of these questions raised by man exclude God then the conclusion is simple: we are the accidental byproducts

of nature, a result of matter plus time plus chance. There is no reason for your existence and all we

face is death. Modern man thought that when he had got rid of God, he had freed himself from all that repressed

and stifled him. Instead, he discovered that in killing God, he had also killed himself.

If there is no God, then man and the universe are doomed. Like prisoners condemned to death we await our

unavoidable execution. What is the consequence of this? It means that life itself is absurd. It means that the life

we have is without ultimate significance, value, or purpose. For example, according to the atheist worldview this

life is purposeless, or at best, just assembled to propagate our DNA. The way some atheists get out of this is by

saying we can create purpose for ourselves, however this is a self-delusion as we try and find some purpose by

attributing purpose to the things we do in life, but remove purpose from our very own lives. Also, without God

our lives do not have any ultimate meaning. If our ends are the same, in that we just pass out of existence, what

meaning does that give our lives? Does it even matter if we existed at all? If the universe was never in existence

what difference would it make?

Existentialists such as Jean-Paul Sartre and Albert Camus understood the meaningless reality of life in absence of

acknowledging the purpose of our existence. This is why Sartre wrote of the “nausea” of existence and Camus

saw life as absurd, indicating that the universe has no meaning at all. The German Philosopher Friedrich Nietzsche

argued in clear concise pronouncements that the world and human history do not have any meaning, any rational

order or aim. Nietzsche argued that there is only a mindless chaos, a directionless world tending towards no end.

It is not wonder the philosopher Arthur Schopenhauer said he would have wished the world never existed. All of

these views on the world are absurd conclusions carved by the atheist world view.

[Nina Fox]

buurdheere You are right, Qur'an is over-rated for you. When you get sick "Newtonian optics", "E=MC 2" and "Keplers Law" theories hala igu aqriyo dheh, call a scientist.

[burahadeer]

Nina Fox;736447 wrote:

buurdheere

You are right, Qur'an is over-rated for you. When you get sick "Newtonian optics", "E=MC 2" and "Keplers Law" theories hala igu aqriyo dheh, call a scientist.

when we gona stop being hypocrites!!o.k. promise me you neva visit pharmacy,see doctor or take any kind of western medicine; and don't use internet,all kind bad things will come across you.

heheee ha socoto..

[burahadeer]

Now I see why most of the forum r busy in SL/PL,humor,basically fun.People r silenced any time discussion about science or polotical ideology is put forward.Religion has become mechanism to outmaneuver anything & almost everything even though we know we all do the inevitable truth out of necessity & pragmatism.Other day I asked many questions,one of which is the following:

We all know Quran says that hand of thieves must be amputated.we as muslims in somalia knew all along but neva practised upto today(ofc with exception of less than 20% shabab controls).They don't practice in any muslim country except saudi arabia.We all know people refused to accept & seen as barbaric& as I mentioned earlier it's in Quran.Then why not follow quran!There r many otha scenarios like that.

Religious zealots we were on the same page neva bothered to answer & seen thm on other pages running ...as usual.What happens behind closed doors is another thing alltogether!

Words like infidel,atheist has become a catch word to thwart any potential fact.

I will be around in the neck of woods.

[genius pauper.]

.People r silenced any time discussion about science or polotical ideology is put forward

this is not true. the problem is you are not straight in your head, beacuse you haphazardly put words and expect a gentle discussion.

 

Religion has become mechanism to outmaneuver anything & almost everything

this is really the purpose of religion.

[genius pauper.]

.Other day I asked many questions,one of which is the following:

We all know Quran says that hand of thieves must be amputated.we as muslims in somalia knew all along but neva practised upto today(ofc with exception of less than 20% shabab controls).They don't practice in any muslim country except saudi arabia.We all know people refused to accept & seen as barbaric& as I mentioned earlier it's in Quran.Then why not follow quran!There r many otha scenarios like that.

atleast you stated the reason. don't you seem to see that? also know that, there is a difference between a muslim and islam.

[Nina Fox]

burahadeer;736504 wrote:

when we gona stop being hypocrites!!o.k. promise me you neva visit pharmacy,see doctor or take any kind of western medicine; and don't use internet,all kind bad things will come across you.

heheee ha socoto..

I dont actually take any form of medication, not even strepsils lool. Can't stand the stuff. Matter of fact its been around 7 years last I stepped into my doctors office. Thanx for asking thou.

[burahadeer]

this is not true. the problem is you are not straight in your head, beacuse you haphazardly put words and expect a gentle discussion.

 

 

 

Lame excuse..u can't defend ur shabab stuff.

[burahadeer]

genius pauper.;736532 wrote:

atleast you stated the reason. don't you seem to see that? also know that, there is a difference between a muslim and islam.

No way out for you!!! FAIL

[burahadeer]

genius pauper.;736531 wrote:

this is not true. the problem is you are not straight in your head, beacuse you haphazardly put words and expect a gentle discussion.

 

 

this is really the purpose of religion.

You need ur head examined!!!

 

and noticed everyone leaves once you get in any thread.That's ur ultimate goal, to stop intellectual exchange...atleast you partly succeeded in that,I have to admit.

Typical extremist tactics!

[genius pauper.]

burahadeer;736792 wrote:

and noticed everyone leaves once you get in any thread

This clearly shows your childish utter. didn't you realised, am not everyone?

 

That's ur ultimate goal, to stop intellectual exchange

surely, what is intellectual in failing to respect the religion of others? calling the believe of others barbaric is intellectual? it is easy said than done.

[burahadeer]

genius pauper.;736836 wrote:

This clearly shows your childish utter. didn't you realised, am not everyone?

 

 

surely, what is intellectual in failing to respect the religion of others? calling the believe of others barbaric is intellectual? it is easy said than done.

Let people read the whole thread & see where "barbaric" is in.I said somalis & muslims see hand amputating barbaric & don't practice..I stand by my words.Ask the muslim world why they don't follow quran this time. who is childish here trying to refute the truth cos he has no defence! and trying to paint infidel on everyone else.Pull a brown bag in ur face...u refuse to accept truth & is no help to religion.