More Bible "contradictions"

On the Islamic newsgroup soc.religion.islam in article <4r3fc0$pav@usenet.srv.cis.pitt.edu>, burhaan@ix.netcom.com (Muhammed A Asadi) writes:

Paul says in the Bible , "God is NOT the author of confusion (1 Corinthians 14:33)". Yet everyone knows the story in the Bible where God, at Babel, CONFUSED the language of the people?

That is Genesis 11, for those who are interested to check up on it.

A better translation for the verse in 1 Cor. 14:33 is

"God is not a God of disorder but of peace."

But which translation isn't really that important and different.

Every text has a context and that is always important to take into consideration. You throw together two verses just because they contain both the word "God", and the word "confuse". But it really takes more to produce a contradiction. And had you read my article on The Taste and Test of Faith you might already have had a clue on the solution to this "contradiction".

  This is the Book; 
  in it is guidance sure, without doubt,
  To those who fear Allah.    Sura 2:2

And many more verses say that the Qur'an is a "clear guidance" etc.

But though this is not said every time, it is obviously only a guidance, let alone a clear one, to those who are willing to be guided. To those who reject it it means confusion. Those who doubt are the ones that are confused. Isn't that what the Qur'an says basically?

So, the Qur'an claims to be "clear" but somehow it isn't clear to all, and only if you approach it with the correct attitude. Now, is it or is it not clear? Isn't that a major contradiction?

And that is basically what Paul is talking about too in the verse you quote. It is in the context of instruction about proper worship and that everything should be done in proper order, i.e. not several people talk at the same time. Speaking [prophecying] that causes disorder and confusion [because several speak at the same time] is not of God, because God is not a God of disorder. God is not a God of disorder/confusion and hence the speaking of God's word is not in confusion but in clear language. It is about speaking on the revelation of God, sharing insight about his word. And that should be clear as it is appropriate for God.

Now, what about the confusion in Genesis 11? Read the story and you will see that people are prideful and instead of honoring the name of God, they want to make a name for themselves. And they believe they are powerful and can build a tower reaching to heaven [God].

Well, God has only to do a little thing to let the whole endeavor collapse. He "confuses" their language. I.e. everybody speaks now a different language and they can't understand each other anymore. God is still very clear. His revelation and will is still very clear. Only the people [the disobedient and enemies of God] are confused now.

Rebellion against God ends in confusion.
Submission to God leads to peace [1 Cor. 14:33 says that too].

Where is the contradiction?

If you want to erase all context, then Allah's anger contradicts his patience and mercy.

Here you have your Qur'an contradiction.

The Bible says that Abraham was married to his sister SARAH. The Bible also says that anyone who marries his sister is cursed of God. YET the Bible mentions that Abraham was blessed by God in everything - a multiple contradiction.

First, Sarah is only Abraham's half sister.

Second, this law of not marrying your near relatives was a command of God given through Moses to the Israelites about 400 years AFTER Abraham.

Yes, the curse of God is on those who willfully disobey the clear command of God given to them. But this was not a command given to Abraham. It was also a law to Israel, and not to all the people in the world who didn't even know about it. God for sure didn't curse the people in China for breaking a law they have never heard about from God.

It always helps to read the Bible [as every other book] with a little thinking of what is actually said.

But, to those who hunger and thirst for contradictions, they will sure be satisfied and diligent search will be rewarded ... even if it is really superficial.

If you read the Qur'an the same way you seem to approach the Bible, then I don't know how you can save yourself of all the contradictions on every other page.

allowing alcohol in certain circumstances -- forbidding it completely
praying towards Jerusalem -- praying towards Mekka
no compulsion in religion -- but killing the infidels

etc etc.

You cannot find a mistake in the Koran, that is my challenge to you.

Tell me why the above are not as good as yours? (But this challenge was subsequently taken up because Mr. Asadi did push me hard. So, I started to collect contradictions in the Qur'an.)

And if you start claiming "abrogation" etc. for the Qur'an, why would you not allow the same for the Bible?

Just try to be a bit consistent and fair and life will be so much more friendly. Just imagine how much peace there is if the urge to produce Bible contradictions is no longer there. :)

But Mr. Asadi was not content with the above explanation and had to continue in another article with his accusations against the Bible insisting on this contradiction:

Deuteronomy 28:22:"CURSED BE HE WHO LIES WITH HIS SISTER, WHETHER THE DAUGHTER OF HIS FATHER OR THE DAUGHTER OF HIS MOTHER..."

Now Abraham said: Genesis 20:12: "BESIDES SHE (SARAH) IS INDEED MY SISTER, THE DAUGHTER OF MY FATHER, BUT NOT THE DAUGHTER OF MY MOTHER, AND SHE BECAME MY WIFE.."

First, when you say, the during Abraham's time there was nothing wrong in marrying your sister, you are saying things which make your "God" sound silly. According to the Koran, the Law (sunna) of God never changes. You'll have to give me an example from the Koran, and not Muslim tradition, when you accuse Islam to the contrary. Further, if marrying your sister is bad now, then God justice demands that it be bad all the time - because a sister is a sister.

Abraham being God's spokesperson should have known of God's commandments. And you cannot prove to me from the Bible your claim that at the time of Abraham, marrying one's sister was lawful.

Isn't it even an Islamic principle that what is not explicitly forbidden is allowed? There is no explicit command at Abraham's time, therefore it is not forbidden. Just stick to your own standards.

Let me make it even clearer, since we are in the marrying business here. Can different laws hold for different people at the same time or even different laws for the same people at different times?

Sure. Look at a Christian and a Muslim woman. Do they have the same options whom to marry? No. The Christian can marry a Christian man, while the Muslima cannot.

Now imagine the Christian woman converts to Islam. Is she still allowed to marry a Christian? No. A new set of rules becomes active for her.

Back to the alcohol thing. Was it haram for all Muslims to drink alcohol BEFORE the command was given? Did Muslims have to repent and pray for forgiveness for the alcohol they have consumed BEFORE it was forbidden? You answer that for yourself.

The law never changes? How come that Muhammad didn't get all the law in the first night of revelation? Didn't the law constantly "change" in the sense of becoming larger and more detailed over the process of 23 years of revelation?

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