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As always with this format, this complex entry is admittedly, non-exhaustive.
I viewed President Trump's trip to Saudi Arabia on Fox News and CNN. Fascinating imagery of a vastly different culture was presented. It appeared to be a very kind welcome to the Islamic Kingdom.
To be clear, I am not attacking Islamic people. Academic evaluation is the objective in my scholarly work.
I have made friends with persons of other worldviews, including Islam. Obviously, from my writings, I am opposed to radical Islam, and any violent, radical worldview. I certainly do not hold to Islam, in any form, as being essentially true as a religion and worldview.
As a very brief, non-exhaustive, explanation, I reject Islam because it is chronologically later (claimed) revelation than the New Testament and Hebrew Bible. It is originally from Arabia, not Israel and Europe and not within the traditions of the Hebrew Bible and New Testament. Islamic doctrine rejects essential New Testament doctrine, such the trinity and deity of Jesus Christ, the atoning and resurrection work of Jesus Christ.
In contrast, the new covenant of the New Testament replaces and amplifies the old covenant of the Hebrew Bible. If it replaced with outright contradiction, illogic, it would be void. The New Testament is viewed as progressive revelation from the Old Testament. The Bible is not 'flat', but neither would outright contradiction be intellectually tenable.
Yet, Islam, in part claims the divine validity of the Hebrew Bible and New Testament, while denying and contradicting certain biblical essentials. This is fatal contradiction. The importance of this should not be overlooked. Being an Abrahamic, monotheistic faith in no way counters this fatal objection.
The New Testament, for example, having thousands of manuscripts in whole or in part for support which would be contradicted outright by later Islamic rejection of the trinity and salvific work of Jesus Christ.
For me the popularity of Islam is irrelevant as a truth claim. I would place more credibility in a supposed, hypothetical, religious worldview which presented something new and denied the divine inspiration of the previous biblical revelation which it contradicts in regard to certain essential theology.
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Wikipedia
Wikipedia defines Saudi Arabia as Unitary Islamic absolute monarchy.
Cited
'Saudi Arabia is an absolute monarchy.[108] However, according to the Basic Law of Saudi Arabia adopted by royal decree in 1992, the king must comply with Sharia (Islamic law) and the Quran, while the Quran and the Sunnah (the traditions of Muhammad) are declared to be the country's constitution.[109] No political parties or national elections are permitted.[108] Critics regard it as a totalitarian dictatorship.[110]'
In regard to government and significant societal influence, no other worldview is permitted, other than the Kingdom's interpretation of Islam and Islamic Law.
Essentially, all other worldviews have been dismissed and any serious intellectual challenge with premises and conclusions of Saudi interpretation of Islam, religion and worldview has been legally and culturally defined out of possibility. Other religious and worldview alternatives are defined out of possibility, by limiting intellectual thought and expression to rules within a State/Religion model.
This in my humble opinion, is connected to spiritual blindness. John 12: 37-43, 2 Corinthians 4: 3-4.
John 12:37-40
New American Standard Bible (NASB)
37 But though He had performed so many [a]signs before them, yet they were not believing in Him. 38 This was to fulfill the word of Isaiah the prophet which he spoke: “Lord, who has believed our report? And to whom has the arm of the Lord been revealed?” 39 For this reason they could not believe, for Isaiah said again, 40 “He has blinded their eyes and He hardened their heart, so that they would not see with their eyes and perceive with their heart, and [b]be converted and I heal them.”
Footnotes:
John 12:37 Or attesting signs
John 12:40 Lit be turned; i.e. turn about
2 Corinthians 4:3-4
New American Standard Bible (NASB)
3 And even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled [a]to those who are perishing, 4 in whose case the god of this [b]world has blinded the minds of the unbelieving [c]so that they might not see the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God.
Footnotes:
2 Corinthians 4:3 Lit in
2 Corinthians 4:4 Lit age
2 Corinthians 4:4 Or that the light...image of God, would not dawn upon them
Also, notably this concept in Isaiah.
A few other philosophical considerations within worldview, not of salvific nature where alternative premises and conclusions can be defined out of possibility.
Secondary Christian doctrine
Politics
Nationalism
Sports philosophy
Ageism, dating and marriage
Defining alternatives out of possibility can be a fallacious method of deleting, philosophical, religious and worldview risk and potential exposed error. A correct worldview and related views within, may have been reached, but if this is done by defining away other worldviews, philosophical and theological views, this is more likely achieved fortuitously than through reason and research.
This significantly increases the possibility of spiritual and intellectual error.
For clarity:
Humanity does not have infinite knowledge and absolute (100%) certainty. If something is defined out of possibility, this needs to be done through reason and research, not by lazy intellectual thinking and risk avoidance. Something can be defined out of reasonable possibility without absolute certainty, through reason and research. I would add that seeking divine guidance through Scripture and the Holy Spirit is essential.
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Encountering The New Testament Greek Manuscripts, Part or All of the New Testament.
Page 10.
Papyri Cataloged 127
Uncial Mss. Cataloged 318
Minuscule Mss. Cataloged 2, 880
Lectionaries Cataloged 2, 436
Total 5, 761 (Numbers in all categories inch up periodically with new discoveries) German numbers from 1994 and 2011 are accessed.
ELWELL, WALTER AND YARBROUGH, ROBERT W., Third Edition (2013) Encountering The New Testament, Grand Rapids, Baker Academic.
