In today’s Jesus and Mo strip, called “sperm2” (!), Mo adopts the common fundamentalist view that scripture (whether Jewish, Christian, or Muslim) really did anticipate the findings of modern science. Here Mo defends the Qur’anic position that the first humans came from “a spurting fluid), but one that comes from the wrong place.
If you want to see a really detailed defense of this position, with various Islamic interpretations, it’s a hoot to read the Sapience Institute’s piece “Does the Qur’ān make a mistake on where semen or sperm is produced?” Of course the answer is “no,” for the Sapience Institute’s vision is of “a world convinced of Islam.”
Here’s the original Qur’anic story:
Let people then consider what they were created from!
˹They were˺ created from a spurting fluid,
Stemming from between the backbone and the ribcage.
Wah— Wah— Wah—
[ close up of Mo’s eyes here ]
Wahhhhhhhh
It’s a great example of how flawed our interpretations of sense experience can be. I mean, under the right conditions it can certainly feel as though that’s where it’s originating from.
😁 Elvis gave more of an insight than…
“Stemming from between the backbone and the ribcage.”
I was amused by reading the Sapience Institute screeds. One defence is that of course you have to study the quote in the original Arabic. But then it seems that three renowned Quranic experts each have different interpretations of the meaning.
I was mostly amused by their failure to correctly label their none too helpful diagram. Who knew there is a “prostrate” in there. Presumably giving thanks! I guess in a related context I did once see a talk flyer that pertained to to a study on “seminar vesicles” presumably an administrative reinterpretation of the speaker’s intent
I do believe that many countries will shortly be celebrating a holiday based on the birth of a savior born of a virgin. Simultaneously many will be awaiting the arrival of a godlike figure seen on many street corners who will break into houses through their chimneys and leave toys for the tots. Unfortunately much of the world is just trying to survive.
The secret power of all apologetics is Hindsight, fueled by human ingenuity and turned towards Prophesy. Give any reasonably ingenious person $20 and ask them to play a game of loose connections and vague resemblances, and theology institutions are out of a job.
Islam makes a lot of “scientific” claims, all of which are howlingly wrong.
That salt and fresh water “can not mix” and humans are derived from blood clots are two which are at the top of my mind but there are many others.
You can see some at (my occasional publisher) Jihadwatch.org
D.A.
NYC