If you are interested in a really fast-paced debate with two well-prepared scholars, I must recommend this recent debate between Christian apologist, David Wood, and Muslim apologist, Ali Ataie, at the University of California, Davis. The debate was sponsored by the Muslim Student Association, Campus Life, and Campus Crusade for Christ.

These two apologists reject political correctness to get at the heart of the issues surrounding Muhammad’s character, the scientific evidence for the Qur’an, the reasons Christians reject Muhammad as a prophet, and the material from the earliest Muslim manuscripts.
At the beginning of the debate, Wood cordially suggests that this will be no “interfaith picnic” and that the debate is not going to be “pretty.” His descriptive foreshadowing of the two hours ahead is spot on. Wood proceeds to lay out a series of arguments against the character of Muhammad and against the trustworthiness of the argument from scientific evidence and from literary excellence. Ataie responds with a rejection of the source material Wood is quoting, calling Wood’s arguments a “smokescreen” and pointing the finger back at the character of Jesus. In the end, though, Wood’s arguments go unanswered. Ataie spends more time attempting (but not succeeding) to build a similar case against the character of Jesus than he spends on defense of the character of the prophet Muhammad.

The debate is available on DVD from Amazon.com. For more information on how to purchase a copy click here.

MJ

12 thoughts on “Debate: Who Was Muhammad?

  1. This is how it happens in the religious debates, we smear you to win but we have nothing constructive or sensical to say about our beliefs.

  2. Anonymous,

    Although this is definitely a possibility in debate, I do not think it to be true 100% of the time. I do see a problem with people understanding the difference, however, between a good argument and ad hominem.

    Thanks,
    MJ

  3. The roving gangs of Islamists that roamed through the streets of French cities burning and pillaging are stark testimony that even so called moderates of that faith are only a hairsbreadth different than their extremist brethren.
    The sad thing is that we in the West have given Islam a free pass. In California it’s the religion of favor in both the public school system as well as the California Prison system. In the schools students have been required to know Islam�s 5 pillars of faith and in some cases act out Islamic scenarios. Islamic speakers have been invited to speak to students. In the prisons, when Islamic prayer time comes work stops while the Islamic inmates walk outside and spread their prayer mats.
    The secularists tread carefully when it comes to Islam yet publicly attack Christians and their faith. Of course there is nothing to fear from Christians except they unite and vote. It seems that the old double standard is alive and well today.

  4. I just found you both. What an encouragement to find two more apologists who are WOMEN. YAY! Where are you both stationed?

    My husband and I work as a husband wife time of apologist (soulation.org). He’s the one who found you guys.
    Thought you’d enjoy knowing about a recent project of mine: defining and defending the value of the woman’s soul. It came out in book form this April, Ruby Slippers: How the Soul of a Woman Brings Her Home. It’s an apologetic for women’s value, grounded the existence of her soul as a unique manifestation of God on earth. A sort of deeper step than Captivating. winks,
    jgf

  5. Jonalyn,

    Hey thanks for the encouraging words. It is really great to see more women involved with apologetics. It is also refreshing to see a husband and wife team.

    Thanks for the information on your book and website! The book sounds like it touches on a much needed topic…for women of any age.

    We’ll be looking forward to seeing more of Jonalyn Fincher out there in the apologetics realm. 🙂

    Thanks,
    MJ

  6. What the Bible teaches
    about Jesus vs What the Quran teaches about Mohammed

    Jesus is the Son of God
    (John 10:36)
    Mohammed was a man
    (Surah 18:110)

    Jesus performed miracles
    (Mark 7:37)
    Mohammed Did not perform miracles
    (Surah 17:59)

    Jesus knew what is inside people’s hearts
    (Revelation 2:23)
    Mohammed did not know what is inside People’s hearts
    (Surah 11:31)

    Jesus is our advocate with the Father
    (1 John 2:1 & 2)
    Mohammed is not our advocate with the Father
    (Surah 9:80)

    Jesus forbade His followers to use the sword
    (Matthew 26:52)
    Mohammed urged his followers to use the sword
    (Surah 8:65)

    Jesus taught forgiveness
    (Matthew 5:38,39)
    Mohammed taught revenge
    (Surah 2:194)

    Jesus was sinless
    (1 Peter: 2:22)
    Mohammed was sinful
    (Surah 47:19)

    Jesus words never change
    (Matthew 24:35)
    The Quran words changed
    (Surah 16:101)

    Jesus healed the blind man
    (Luke 18:35-43)
    Mohammed turned away from the blind man
    (Surah 80:1-10)

    Jesus called on people to come to Him
    (Matthew 11:28-30)
    Mohammed was admonished because he sent people away
    (Surah 6:52)

    Jesus taught monogamy
    (Matthew 19:5,6)
    Mohammed taught polygamy
    (Surah 4:3)

    People were free to accept Jesus’ message or reject it
    (Luke 10:10,11)
    People were forced to accept Mohammed’s message
    (Surah 9:29)

  7. Mary Jo!!

    Great website! I just recently finished watching a copy Nabeel gave me of that DVD and wow, what an eye-opener! I actually have the great opportunity to be taking a crash course in Islam right now, and as we’re reading the Qur’an, I’m finally starting to ask myself all those same tough questions addressed in the debate. I look forward to learning more and more of this stuff as time goes on. 🙂

    Take care,
    Michelle

  8. Michelle,

    Hey girl! Thanks for dropping by!

    The debate was awesome. I’m so glad you had some time to watch it.
    Yeah, these are the kinds of questions we should be asking.

    I’m so glad I had the opportunity to meet you. 🙂 Thanks for carting me around VA.

    Rock on, sister!
    MJ

  9. When blood ran knee-high to the horse in the Islamic world during the Crusades led by Christians, who were the real terrorists?

  10. What specific event from the Crusades are you referencing in your statement? The statement sounds like a generalization and in that case, Christians have been slaughtered by throughout history, as well (and still are today…check out “Voice of the Martyrs”).

    Although the crusaders themselves did horrible things (not making excuses for them at all), we cannot rewrite history to make a case against Christianity.

    Dr. Clay Jones’ quoted Thomas Madden in his lecture, “Crusades, Inquistions, Witch-hunts, Slavery, etc”: The crusades were in every way a defensive war. They were the West’s belated response to the Muslim conquest of fully two-thirds of the Christian world. While the Arabs were busy in the seventh through the tenth centuries winning an opulent and sophisticated empire, Europe was defending itself against outside invaders and then digging out from the mess they left behind. Only in the eleventh century were Europeans able to take much notice of the East. The event that led to the crusades was the Turkish conquest of most of Christian Asia Minor (modern Turkey). The Christian emperor in Constantinople, faced with the loss of half of his empire, appealed for help to the rude but energetic Europeans. He got it. —Thomas Madden

    Thomas Madden quote from “Crusade Propaganda: The abuse of Christianity’s holy wars.” Available at http://article.nationalreview.com/?q=MzhhODM1MDhkYWMxNTRiYmRjMzg2NmY2YjM3ZTRiZDQ=#more

    Again let me emphasize that this does not let those Christian Crusaders who committed atrocities off the hook. However, blaming ALL Christians for the acts of other Christians, especially when those committing the atrocities act without the clear teaching of the Bible to support them, is really no more than an accusation of guilt by association. This would therefore be turned around on Islam as well for any crimes their followers have committed. See the problem?

    Thanks,
    MJ

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