“Most religions are based on books claimed by their followers to be divinely inspired,
without any proof.”
The evidence disagrees… they all are.
“Islam is different because it is based upon reason and proof […] There are scientific
and historical facts found in the Quran which were unknown to the people at the time, and
have only been discovered recently by contemporary science.”
You know, follows of all those other books say the same about their scripture, but, you’ve
got my curiosity.
Though, I wonder, what impeccable references do you have in order to so confidently state
what those in the 7th century didn’t know?
The following are some facts found in the Quran.”
This, is 9 Quranic Miracles – Debunked.
“Number one: origin of life.
Water is essential for all living things.
We all know that water is vital to life, but the Quran makes a very unusual claim.
‘We made every living thing from water.
Will they not believe?’
In this verse water is pointed out as the origin of all life.
All living things are made of cells.
We now know that cells are mostly made up of water.
For example 80% of the cytoplasm--” Okay, so in order keep this video succinct I’m
going to exclude all that’s unnecessary.
And so in this case, the “miracle” is that the Quran claimed that all living things
are made from water centuries before science proved as much: “The fact that living things
consists mostly of water was discovered only after the invention of the microscope.”
However, there are several critical flaws with this assertion, and the primary is that
long before the advent of the Quran many religions, cultures and individuals had claimed the same.
For example, the Hindu legend of Varaha (which dates back to the 7th century BC, or 1,400
years before Islam) states that the universe (including life) was once primordial waters.
And the father of philosophy and science, Thales of Miletus, in his search for what
the ancient Greeks called the “arche” (which means “the beginning” or “the
first principle”), was convinced that it’s water – that everything (including life)
is ultimately made of water.
And he referenced (among other facts) that flesh, when dried or cooked, looses moisture,
and that water so easily transitions between the states of liquid, vapour and ice.
Number 2: Iron.
Iron is not natural to the earth.
It did not form on the earth, but came down to earth from outer space [...] Scientists
have found that billions of years ago the earth was stuck by meteorites.
These meteorites were carrying iron from distant stars which had exploded.
The Quran says the following on the origin of iron: ‘We sent down iron with its great
inherent strength and its many benefits for humankind’ [...] The fact that iron came
down to earth from outer space is something which could not be known by the primitive
science of the 7th century.
Now the first thing to be said about this “miracle” is that despite protestations
to the contrary, people knew way before the 7th century that iron comes from meteorites.
For example, in approximately 1,295 BC (or 1,900 years before Islam), a hieroglyphic
word appeared that literally translates to “from the sky”, and it was applied to
all metallic iron from this time onwards.
So, using Quranic logic, I guess this “proves” that Amun-Ra exists, right?
You know, as a side note, and for the love of the gods, would Merciful Servant and their
associates please do some damn research!
I get that we all have confirmation bias, and that Muslims want to believe that the
Quran is full of miracles, but please, save yourself from embarrassment by reading more
than just one book!
Number 3: Sky’s protection.
The sky plays a crucial role in protecting the earth […] If the sky did not exist,
then the sun's radiation would have killed off all life on Earth […] The Quran asks
us to consider the sky in the following verse: ‘We made the sky a protective ceiling.
And yet they are turning away from our signs!’
The Quran points to the sky's protection as a sign of God.
The protective properties of the sky were discovered by scientific research conducted
in the 20th century.
So first of, while it’s true that the ozone layer was discovered in the 20th century,
the discovery that the sky has protective qualities was made thousands (and likely tens
of thousands) of years ago.
Mere observation yields that atmospheric phenomena (such as clouds) protect us from the sun’s
heat, and so the assertion that the sky has protective qualities isn’t exactly “miraculous”,
is it?
Furthermore, the first culture (that we know of) to attribute the sky’s protective aura
to a god was the Mesopotamians, who worshiped the divine personification of the sky, Anu.
Anyhow, doing other people’s research for them is exhausting, and so for “miracles”
4 to 7 I’ve acquired the aid of my good friend Drew (the Genetically Modified Skeptic),
and so… enjoy!
I know I sure will! *sigh* Steve, why did you rope me into this?
Do you think I’m enough of a masochist to actually enjoy this kind of thing?
I mean, I am, but at least next time warm me about how bad the claims are going to be,
Jesus Christ!
Alright, let’s just get on with the video: Number 4: mountains.
The Quran draws our attention to a very important characteristic of mountains: ‘Did we not
make the earth as a resting place, and the mountains as stakes’.
The Quran indicates that mountains have deep roots by using the word stakes to describe
them.
In fact mountains do have deep roots, and the word ‘stakes’ is an accurate description
for them […] The fact that mountains have a deep stake like roots was not known until
after the development of the theory of plate tectonics in the beginning of the 20th century.
First off, did you notice how the video immediately equated mountains being described as stakes
with the idea that mountains have roots?
Those are not the same thing.
The word used in the original Arabic to describe mountains here means something like a tent
stake, a bulwark, something to keep things stable.
If you know anything about geology, you know that mountains don’t act as stakes to keep
the earth’s crust stable.
Mountains are actually a result of tectonic plates colliding.
They’re a result of instability.
If we take a look at where earthquake epicenters usually lie, we see that they’re almost
always located within mountain ranges.
Mountains aren’t much help in stabilizing the earth’s crust.
Even if this isn’t the intended meaning of describing mountains as stakes, and it’s
simply meant that mountains are shaped like stakes due to their roots, the Quran is still
wrong.
Mountains are like icebergs: bulky masses of lighter material “floating” in heavier
material.
The majority of a mountain is below the surface, yes, but its shape is nothing like a stake
or peg.
Number 5: expansion of the universe.
At a time when the science of astronomy was still primitive, the expansion of the universe
was described in Quran – ‘And it is we who have built the universe with our [creative
power] and keep expanding it’.
The fact that the universe is expanding was discovered in the last century […] The Quran
mentioned the expansion of the universe even before the invention of the telescope.
Here is yet another product of interpretation with an agenda.
The original Arabic seems to describe the subject of the verse, the builder, rather
than describe an action.
It also seems to refer to the sky, not the universe.
Other common interpretations vary from the one shown here.
Often saying something like, “We built the heavens by Our authority; and We are the Lord
of power and expanse.”
Many interpretations don’t support the description of an expanding universe, but of a god who
made the sky, which is not a scientifically verified claim.
You’d think that if God himself wanted to convey that the universe is constantly expanding,
he’d make it so clear that interpretations couldn’t conflict on that point.
You know, it’s as if the Quran was written by a fallible being...
huh!
“Number 6: Sun’s Orbit […] It is now a well-established scientific fact that the
sun is not stationary, but is moving in an orbit around the centre of our Milky Way galaxy.
The Quran mentions the orbit of the sun: ‘It is he who creates at night and day, the sun
and the moon, each floating in its orbit’.
The Quran would have been wrong according to astronomers just a couple of decades ago,
but we now know that the Quranic accounts of the sun's motion is consistent with modern
astronomy.”
You know what, the Quran does mention the suns orbit.
Translations that don’t say orbit at least say something like “rounded course,” which
is pretty close.
So way back in the 7th century, Muslims did definitely think the sun was in orbit...around
the earth.
This was written around nine hundred years before the heliocentric model began to gain
any traction with the likes of Copernicus, Kepler, and Galileo.
Up until that time, geocentrism dominated.
Again, if God intended to convey that the sun actually revolved around the center of
mass in our galaxy, don’t you think he could make that a littler clearer?
Number seven: the ocean.
The Quran uses imagery to convey its deep meanings.
Here it describes the state of the unbelievers as ‘Darkness out in a deep ocean, which
is covered by waves, above which are waves, above which are clouds, layers of darkness
one upon the other.
When one puts out his hand [therein] he can hardly see it.
Those God gives no light to, they have no light’.
It is commonly thought that waves only occur on the surface of the ocean.
However, oceanographers have discovered that there are internal waves that take place below
the surface of the ocean.
This description is not only remarkable because it describes the internal waves in the ocean,
but also because it describes darkness deep in the ocean.
Let’s entertain the idea that this verse actually did mean to describe the reality
of the ocean, and wasn’t simply describing a hypothetical place for analogy’s sake.
Have you ever stepped into a body of water and felt an undercurrent?
I’m sure many of you have, and so had plenty of people in the ancient world.
Even those who hadn’t, could likely reasonably infer that waves don’t just exist on the
ocean’s surface.
As for the description of darkness deep in the ocean, that isn’t a remarkable prediction.
It’s a logical inference.
We know that the deeper we dive into water, the darker it gets.
Ancient people probably had the figured out too.
So it stands to reason that at great depths in the ocean, it’s dark.
Still though, why is this verse taken as a literal description of the ocean, rather than
as an imagined place for analogy sake?
I’ll say it one more time: Why did God communicate this so ambiguously if He intended it to be
understood as a scientific miracle proving his word?
Thanks for having me on, Steve.
I hope your audience enjoyed this enough to come check out my channel.
Cheers Drew, much appreciated!
Needless to say, if you lovely lot enjoyed what he had to say, then be sure to head on
over to his channel, and while you’re there may I suggest that you watch his recent takedown
of “Muslim feminism” (because I’m in it), and then his “Jordan Peterson’s Most
Ridiculous Claim Yet”, because, well… it’s ridiculous!
So moving on, here’s the eighth miracle: Number 8: lying and movement.
There was a cruel, oppressive tribal leader, named Abu Jahl, who lived during the time
of Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him).
God revealed a verse of the Quran to warn him: ‘No indeed!
If he does not stop we will seize him by the forehead, his lying sinful forehead’.
God does not call this person a liar, but calls his forehead (the front part of the
brain) lying and sinful, and warns him to stop.
This verse is significant for two reasons; the first is that the front part of our brain
is responsible for voluntary movement.
This is known as the frontal lobe […] Secondly, numerous studies have shown that this same
region (frontal lobe) is responsible for the lying function of the brain […] The Quran
links movement and lying to this area.
These functions of the frontal lobe were discovered with medical imaging Equipment, which was
developed in the 20th century.”
Okay, so you know how most of these “miracles” have been predicated on the assertion that
no one knew something until it was revealed in the Quran… only to find that this isn’t
true?
Yeah, here we go again.
Despite the ancient Egyptians notoriously removing the brain during excerebration, the
knowledge that the brain is the locus of thought (or at the very least an essential part) dates
back at least 12,000 years to the Neolithic period, as evidenced by cave painting depicting
trepanation surgery, and thousands of skulls to accompany them.
And if that doesn’t convince you, consider Alcmaeon of Croton, who in the 5th century
BC (or 1,200 years before Islam) accurately concluded that all senses and memories are
seated in the brain; or Hippocrates, who in the 4th century BC accurately associated many
cognitive impairments with the brain, and even speculated that the brain’s two halves
are capable of independent processing.
Number nine: pain receptors.
For a long time it was thought that the sense of feeling and pain was dependent on the brain
[…] Consider the following verse on pain: ‘We shall send those who reject our revelations
to the Hellfire.
When their skins have been burned away we shall replace them with new ones, so that
they may continue to feel the pain.
God is all-mighty, all-wise’ […] The Quran makes it clear that pain is dependent upon
the skin.
The discovery of pain receptors in the skin is a fairly recent discovery for biology.
So first of, what a lovely threat to end on; remember kids, if you don’t swallow this
nonsense than big daddy (who loves you) is going to burn you forever and ever and ever
and ever… for simply using the brain that he so lovingly gave you.
Secondly (and most relevantly), pain is not dependant on the skin… it’s dependant
on the spinal cord and brain.
While we have pain receptors (on nociceptors) within our skin, corneas, muscles, joints,
bladder, gut, and digestive track (which is to say “not just the skin”), these receptors
don’t feel any pain – instead, upon stimulus they send “possible threats” to the spinal
cord and brain, and if they’re perceived as a threat the brain creates the sensation
of pain.
And this is why, for instance, anaesthetics are effective – they simply block these
receptors.
And thirdly, the Quran wasn’t the first to link pain to the skin and flesh.
For example, in Hesiod's Theogony (1,400 years before Islam), Prometheus was chained to a
rock for eternity, having each day his liver eaten by a giant eagle, only for it (and him)
to be regenerated by night.
Anyhow, in wrapping up, I just want to once again thank Drew (the Genetically Modified
Skeptic) for joining me – and again urge everyone to checkout his extraordinary content!
Drew is quickly becoming one of our community’s most prominent voices, and we’re very lucky
to have him.
As always, thank you kindly for the view, and an extra special thank you to my wonderful
patrons and those of you who’ve donated via PayPal.
Oh, and thanks for responding to my question regarding the “Debunked” game – I’m
super pleased to announce that I’ll be releasing a Kickstarter soon!
For miracles 4 to 7 I've acquired the aid of my good friend Drew (the Genetically Modified Skeptic)
And so, enjoy... I know I sure will!
God damn it! I need my tea!
Enjoy... I know I sure will!
Fuck that's hot! Hahahaha