Posted by Mike Carroll on October 13, 19101 at 10:48:25:
In Reply to: The Basis of Islam, the Koran and characteristics of its prophet posted by Michael Webb on January 13, 19101 at 19:09:55:
: I have noticed that as Catholics we have isted athiests and Protestants and other religionists of a non Christian origin arrive at believing in the truths of our Faith.
: Specifically though, I have found very little by way of our Church's response to the claims of Islam, the supposed inerrancy of its Koran and of the characteristics of its prophet, Mohammed.
: What authoritative sources of information do we have handed down by St Thomas on Islam and its philosophical basis?
: The Islamic misunderstanding of Aristotle and the other philosophers by its development of the "doctrine of the two truths'; I have heard this term used but not know what is meant by it. Guessing I would think it may have something to do with dualism, imbalance in misuunderstanding the harmony between written and oral revelation and the nature of things and the natural law.
: Thanking you in advance for any istance anyone may be able to provide.
In response to this let me say that St. Thomas in the Summa
Contra Gentiles (I'm looking for the pages right
now) clearly argues that Mohammed was a false prophet.
His argument runs something like this:
1) Islam does not promise an after life consisting
of anything more tham the carnal pleasures of this
life. In other words, the contemplation of the
truth, a basic component of the beatific vision as
we see it, is not considered the highest form of
happiness in Islam as it is in true Chritianity.
2) Mohammed's followers spread Islam not by holy
examples, sanctity, persuasive reasoning and
miracles, but by the sword, by force, by coersion.
He gave some other reasons as well, but I can't remember
them at the moment.
Unfortunately, even today the response of many
Muslims to those who disagree with them or challenge
their theology or criticize them is to threaten
the use of force, even murder. Take the Salman
Rushdie case as a simple example.