Please expand your comments

Submitted by Oliver (United States), Apr 19, 2008 at 09:45

A careful study of the scriptures of Islam and Christianity shows that the LORD God of the Bible and Allah of the Quran are different personalities in many respects.

I have not read Mark Durie's book, however, from the above statement I can only state that Mr. Durie has concluded that YHVH and Allah display very different character traits (besides the fact that they have completely different NAMES) and that it is fair to conclude that they are totally different entities. I do not 'see' any conjecture that Allah = Satan or is Satanic in any way (although that is my perspective).

You say, I believe, that because 'Alif Lam' (EL in English transliteration) frequently refers to and forms the root of many words that refer to YHVH in the Tanakh - and that because Allah also begins with 'Alif Lam' this is conclusive proof that YHVH and Allah are one in the same. I say that even before the time of Abraham EL was used to refer to many gods in that part of the world and that, especially in the Tanakh, ELohim is used to refer to 'other gods' besides YHVH - these FACTS prove that the root EL is generic in nature and can be used to refer to any god as well as the 'one ture god' - therefore, the appearence of 'Alif Lam' at the beginning of Allah does not connect Allah to YHVH in any manner.

Is it absurd or dishonest to suggest that NAMES and TITLES are 'different' and cannot be used to make 'connections' between two entirely different entities. Many countries have Presidents as Heards of State - If I were to say the President traveled to England for a meeting, without a NAME you would not know who I was referring to. Just because 'men' have ascribed the same TITLES to entities they consider to be god(s) does not make those entities one and the same god.

Let's take an 'honest' look at Isa 45:7 - YHVH says 'I make the light and the darkness' He is making a 'contrast' in terms of things that can be seen - no? It is usual in Hebrew prose for 'contrasts' to be given in couplets - so here comes the second - YHVH says ' I make peace and evil'??? Wait, I don't get it, I can 'see' the contrast of 'good and evil' or maybe 'peace and war' but 'peace and evil' I don't see the contrast. Now the Hebrew word translated as peace literally means peace - so we're obliged to keep the peace (so to speak). But the Hebrew word that is translated evil also means calamity (like that of war).

Calamity: 2. grievous affliction; adversity; misery: the calamity of war.

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