REFUTING THE SILLY ARGUMENT OF AN ISLAM LEADER AGAINST THE BIBLE

Moses in Prayer

Anonymous said...

good afternoon father! i saw 1 video of an islam leader saying our bible is not true. he tells one of the reasons why: in the last part of the book written by Moses, it says, "...moses died..." the islam leader then said how can a man who died have written that he died? it should have been. if he was the writer of that book, the it should have been "... I died...." but then again how can he write if he's dead?. father, this is just one of his reasons. can you enlighten me please. thanks!

November 29, 2010 4:05 PM

Fr. Abe, CRS said...

[good afternoon father!]

GOOD AFTERNOON TOO.

[i saw 1 video of an islam leader saying our bible is not true.]

THAT ISLAM LEADER DEFINITELY IS WRONG.

[he tells one of the reasons why: in the last part of the book written by Moses, it says, "...moses died..." the islam leader then said how can a man who died have written that he died?]

THAT IS HIS MISTAKE. THE CATHOLIC CHURCH IS NOT TEACHING THAT THE SO-CALLED BOOKS OF MOSES AS WE HAVE THEM NOW ARE WRITTEN BY MOSES VERBATIM. RATHER WE ARE TEACHING THAT THE TEACHINGS AND IDEAS WERE HANDED DOWN BY GOD THROUGH MOSES. THUS, IT CONTAINS VALUABLE INFORMATION THAT ONLY MOSES RECEIVED FROM GOD.

ON THE OTHER HAND, WE ARE ALSO RECOGNIZING THE FACT THAT THERE ARE HISTORICAL NARRATIVES CONTAINED IN THOSE BOOKS. THOSE PARTS MUST HAVE BEEN WRITTEN BY HISTORIANS OF THE HEBREW PEOPLE OR PRIESTLY SCHOLARS IN THE TEMPLE LATER ON. THUS, THERE ARE PASSAGES THAT SIMPLY NARRATES WHAT HAD HAPPENED TO MOSES AS IF HE WAS A MERE SUBJECT OF THE NARRATIVE RATHER THAN THE ONE WRITING A PERSONAL TESTIMONY.

IT IS NOT A PROBLEM FOR US CATHOLICS. IN FACT, EVEN THE GOSPELS OF JESUS WERE NOT WRITTEN PERSONALLY BY JESUS. THE ACTS OF THE APOSTLES WERE NOT ORIGINALLY WRITTEN BY THE ACTUAL TWELVE APOSTLES.

TO INSINUATE THAT A THING IS WRONG BECAUSE IT IS NOT WRITTEN BY THE PERSON CONCERNED IS ILLOGICAL. BECAUSE EVEN IN COURT TESTIMONIES OF OTHERS ARE ACKNOWLEDGED AND THERE IS SUCH A THING AS OFFICIAL BIOGRAPHY. OTHERS COULD WRITE SOMETHING WHICH IS A VALID TESTIMONY ABOUT A PERSON EVEN IF THE ACTUAL PERSON WAS NOT THE AUTHOR ITSELF.

[it should have been. if he was the writer of that book, the it should have been "... I died...." but then again how can he write if he's dead?. father, this is just one of his reasons.]

THAT IS WHY THE CHURCH IS TEACHING US THAT IN INTERPRETING THE SACRED SCRIPTURES WE HAVE TO CONSIDER THE HISTORICAL CONTEXT AND THE NATURE OF THE DOCUMENTS. IN THE PENTATEUCH OR THE FIVE BOOKS OF MOSES THERE ARE PARTS PRESENTING THE ACTUAL WORDS OF MOSES AND THERE ARE PARTS THAT WERE WRITTEN BY LATER HISTORIANS OR SCHOLARS WHOSE WORKS HAD BEEN INSPIRED BY THE HOLY SPIRIT.

THE ARGUMENT IS VALID ONLY IF WE ARE TEACHING THAT MOSES WROTE PERSONALLY THE ACTUAL BOOK. NO, WE ARE SAYING THAT THEY ARE COLLECTIONS OF THE FAITH TESTIMONIES OF MOSES AND THE HEBREW PEOPLE OF THAT TIME.

[can you enlighten me please. thanks!]

HOPE THIS WILL HELP. GOD BLESS YOU!

November 29, 2010 8:23 PM