Kreeft-Spencer debate on Islam
November 10, 2010
The Thomas More College of Liberal Arts-- one of a handful of Catholic colleges nationwide praised by the Cardinal Newman Society for its strong Catholic identity-- has hosted a debate between Peter Kreeft and Robert Spencer on the question “Is the Only Good Muslim a Bad Muslim?”
“Essentially, when Muhammad was weak and unpopular, he asked members of other faiths to live and let live,” said Spencer, director of Jihadwatch. “Once he controlled the city of Medina and led an army, he received new revelations that called for jihad and religious persecution. Islamic scholars believe that the later revelations abrogated (or overruled) the earlier ones. But when they are in a position of weakness-- as they are today in America-- Muslims like to cite the peaceful verses.”
“I would say that today the spirit of the secular Enlightenment-- which rejects God altogether, and encourages us to worship ourselves-- is far more dangerous to our souls than a world religion that is devoted to worshiping the same God as Christians and Jews, albeit in a partial, somewhat primitive and distorted manner,” said Kreeft, a Boston College philosophy professor and author of numerous works of apologetics.
For all current news, visit our News home page.
Further information:
- Peter Kreeft and Robert Spencer Engage in Lively Debate on Islam (Thomas More College of Liberal Arts)
- The Newman Guide to Choosing a Catholic College
All comments are moderated. To lighten our editing burden, only current donors are allowed to Sound Off. If you are a current donor, log in to see the comment form; otherwise please support our work, and Sound Off!
-
Posted by: garedawg -
Nov. 10, 2010 10:00 PM ET USA
Muslims are very similar to Protestants. The Protestants interpret the Bible as they see fit, sometimes with disastrous results. Likewise, different Muslims interpret the Koran different ways. This is what life is like without a Pope.
-
Posted by: -
Nov. 10, 2010 5:47 PM ET USA
It's not an either/or: both the spirit of secular Enlightenment AND Islam are utterly deadly.
-
Posted by: rpp -
Nov. 10, 2010 3:25 PM ET USA
Peter Kreeft is a good man and has a very charitable outlook on others. However, it is possible for one to be so charitable as to not see a dangerous person or movement for what it really is. Robert Spencer, on the others, is not always as charitable, but in this case, as demonstrated in daily headlines, his views are more correct than the esteemed Mr. Kreeft's.
-
Posted by: samuel.doucette1787 -
Nov. 10, 2010 9:06 AM ET USA
I agree with Spencer for several reasons: 1) everywhere Islam gains power, it oppresses and the historical record proves it; 2) their own ethical/legal code called the Hadith (akin to the Jewish Talmud) says basically that it's OK for Muslims to lie to non-Muslims as long as it's to the advantage of the spread of Islam. Bottom line, Kreeft is naive to trust Muslims. I certainly don't.
