05-12-2007, 06:46 PM
Quote:He didn't, I thought he spoke to an angel ? (equally untrue though)Well, in Islamic theology he also ascended to heaven (the Meraj) and met Moses (as) and spoke with God. Scholars debate whether this was meant to be understood as a "real" event or a dream he had with symbolic meaning.
Anyhoo, either way there is a difference between arguing the "fact" -- whether the Prophet spoke with God or with angels, and whether people are born Muslims -- and arguing the belief. It is clear that in Islamic BELIEF these things are "true," and as such Muslims treat them as true. So again I say that your disputing their truth or falsehood isn't really pointful. What you *can* and ought to dispute rather is the objectivity of the claim, which I'm sure we can agree is NOT objective but rather a subjective belief dependent on the presuppositions of a particular faith. Then again, I don't think Wel has tried to make a case for the objective truth of the claim, as he said specifically that it is "the Islamic belief."