Reply #88: If a man on roller-skates believes he’s driving a BMW we “take his word for it”?

[ironbark]

“If a man says he believes in a different god than Muslims do, you can only take his word for it.”

We can “only take his word” that he holds that “belief”.
There is no requirement whatsoever to accept that his ‘belief’ is true in any sense.


“People get to define what their own beliefs are.”

Sure they do. That doesn’t mean that their beliefs are in any way accurate or reflective of the truth....or not simply 'whacko'.

A Christian/fundamentalist may reject the notion of Allah or even oppose it as Antichrist…that does not change, remove or negate the potential reality of the god of Judaism being the same as the god of Christianity and the same as the god of Islam.

“Fundamentalist whackos these people might be, but you don't get to dictate, in your omniscience…”

Sal didn’t “dictate” anything….she just rejected the pov presented and deemed it whacko and pointed out how this fringe/whacko pov is often reflected here -
“The Christian, Muslim, and Jewish God are one and the same.
I've heard your opinion before.....from fundamentalist whackos.”

The problem for the aligned pov of Atheists and fundamentalist Christians on this issue of difference/distinction/separation of god/s is that the rest of the world (religious, academic, common man) has moved on.
Islam has always recognised ‘The People of The Book’ (Jews,Christians.Islam) as worshiping the same god.
The major Christian denominations (Catholic and Anglican) have come to the same conclusion.
Courses in Comparative Religion, History, Theology and Religious History have also come to recognise the deep commonalities rather than the superficial differences.
Most importantly…the average Joe of >any< denomination or persuasion is far more likely to recognise same god/common religious ground or tolerate difference than in the past.

The minority holdout fundamentalists of all persuasions who insist on division/opposition are increasingly loosing ground and are rendered irrelevant.