Quran Read-A-Long: Al-’Imran 102-109 Address Muslim Faith, Past, and Reward

How is it that verse 102 is being directed at those “who have attained to faith” but is warning them not to die until “you have surrendered yourselves unto Him?” That is, what’s the difference between one who’s attained faith and one who’s surrendered himself to God? I would have imagined those to be the [...]

Quran Read-A-Long: Al-’Imran 93-101 Addresses Jewish Arguments Against Islam

Wow! Verse 93 kicked off with a fascinating topic: what Jews can and can’t eat. And why. I would concur with the Quran that Jewish dietary laws – from here forward, kashrut – were never meant to be for everyone and were only meant for the Israelites. Whether they came from God, well, that’s for [...]

Quran Read-A-Long: Al-’Imran 81-92 Continue the Discussion about Those Who Follow Former Revelation

I definitely see the value of the pledge being made in verse 81. However, based on what is being said, doesn’t it make sense that Jews and Christians rejected Mohammed and Islam since, as was mentioned last week multiple times, the revelations Mohammed was receiving contradicted some of the stories in the Bible? I even [...]

Quran Read-A-Long: Al-’Imran 72-80 Continue Talking of Difficulties with Muslims and Jews

Asad offers two understandings of verse 72, both of which make sense to me. The one which came to mind as I read the verse seemed to be saying that Jews and Christians would say to the Muslims that they believed Mohammed’s revelation but would later renege amongst themselves. This would serve to keep the [...]

Quran Read-A-Long: Al-’Imran 64-71 Appeal to Jews and Christians to Worship Only God

To all of the wonderful participants and readers of Quran Read-A-Long,
I’m so sorry for the extended hiatus I took. Not only did I move from San Francisco to Atlanta over the past month and a half, both breaking down one life and setting up another anew elsewhere, but I traveled during part of the interim [...]

Was Pope Benedict XVI’s Visit to Israel Worth It

Check out my latest article in the Nashville Free Press: The Pope’s Visit to Israel – Was It Worth It?
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Cartman Atones and Butters is Probed in South Park Episode 906, “The Death of Eric Cartman”

I find this to be a particularly fantastic episode. First, I love the idea of the boys finally ignoring Cartman for doing the ultimate in unthinkable to them: eating all of the skins off of the KFC. Out of all the terrible things he’s done, that was the last straw. And it is as a [...]

Cartman and Kyle Argue Over Jew-Gold in South Park Episode 908, “Two Days Before The Day After Tomorrow”

The Day After Tomorrow – blech what a craptastic movie. “Two Days Before the Day After Tomorrow” – what an awesome episode.
When Stan and Cartman wreck a dam with a stolen speedboat, thereby flooding a town in a valley below the dam, the entire country freaks out that global warming has caused this flooding and [...]

Kyle, as Jesus, Preaches Faith in the Economy and Saves South Park in “Margaritaville,” Episode 1303

We haven’t stopped hearing about the economy ever since it, well, started crapping all over our heads. But for some reason, I’ve only seen two intelligent pieces on the economy. The first was from Jon Stewart on The Daily Show and comes from his extended debate with Jim Cramer (of Fast Money). Indeed, Stewart had [...]

Quran Read-A-Long: The Cow 254-257 Speaks of Monotheism and the Invalidity of Forced Conversion

From Polytheism to Monotheism
An important element of the Quran’s continual affirmation of God being the only deity (verse 255) lies in the need to do away with the other deities worshiped by the Arabs in the Hijaz in Mohammed’s day. Not that affirming God being the only deity isn’t important anyway, because it is, but [...]