The Cancun trip begins

Posted on April 27, 2026 by timlyg

4/26/2026 Sunday at 5:30AM, Nadia and I took Uber to Newark Airport. This is the Costco deal: Marriott, an All-Inclusive Resort in Cancun, 5 nights, roughly $1,300 per person, including flight, room, unlimited food, airport transportation. We're on 5th foor in Room 5070 with great view overlooking the lagoon (the west side of the Hotel Zone strip) rather than the ocean view which I presume would cost more. Marriott's Cevicheria (Hispanic raw/cooked seafood salad) for lunch was the highlight for me, been want to to try Ceviche ever since learning it on Youtube Geography Now a few years back.

I never thought my introduction to Mexico would be Cancun. I thought it would be a desert cross country ride into the country instead. This Marriott resort is also rather grand. All thanks to Nadia. Hotel staffs' attitude reminded me of Indonesia's service in hotel management, professional friendliness.

It's true, coral reef is not an easy place to find in Cancun if we are talking about public accessible beach side snorkeling. However, Punta Nizuc is known to be the 2nd largest barrier reef in the world. Access from shore is tricky because of private resorts around this national park trying to own it's passage, as some on reddit claimed. It's fine for resorts to restrict access through their properties but it's a problem when they overstepped their territory to government property which is the shores to high-tide level being public, not private area. So the trick is to walk 20 minutes from Playa Delphines public beach access. Maybe I'll sign up for the tour to avoid all these hassle (taking R1/R2 bus to Playa Delphines and wall 20 minutes to find the reefs.

It also seems that these past couple of years, the beaches are getting more and more infested by sargassum. Still clean water.

4/27/2026 Monday

Breakfast at Hana Grill. Buffet style. Impressive items are Tuna (smoked?) steak that looks like beef. We like. Waiter Samuel was nice, like many staffs here. He even tried to sell us a $13 USD coconut, I was tempted to ask him if I could climb one of their coconut trees.

We asked about Aquaworld tours (mainly for their skyrider, Subsee, and snorkeling at Punta Nizuc), and Nadia got frustrated with the staff. He seemed frustrated as well. Though this was subtle. But we came back for the three packages with a little discount totaling: $216 USD (Skyrider, parachute ride in sky pulled by speedboat, $75/person, Subsee Explorer+Snorkeling = $78/person, which Nadia is not participating due to motion sickness and interest.) So the Skyrider is for both of us tomorrow and I immediately jetted off to Aquaworld across the street to catch the 10am boat to Punta Nizuc outer reef barrier. After learning that Punta Nizuc is located in the Mesoamerican Barrier Reef System which is the 2nd largest coral reef in the world (after Australia's), I knew I must go check it out.

I spent extensive time the night before reading reddit and other online sources to compare the free beach access in Punta Nizuc (entrance from Playa Delphines and walk south for 20 minutes along the hightide shoreline which is government public property to avoid private resorts-Westlin & Club Med, in that area where they set up guards to prevent people from using their property to shortcut access the reefs, and take the Aquaworld boat tour. When I learned that with Aquaworld, you can go at the earliest at 10am and return anytime you wish with the 4pm boat being the last for the day. This "unrestricted" time window is golden for me, you don't usually get this flexibility with reef tours else where. I used both GoPro and Insta360 as my underwater camera. Nadia was worried at first but I ended up bringing a backpack with my phone in it. Can't really leave without phone especially when Nadia is around: Communication capability is crucial.

Subsee exploration was not bad. It's basically a submarine with V-shape glass window on the left and right, and visitors sat in rows from front to back on seatings that sit 2 max each. I wasn't interested in underwater rock sculptures of any kind. But when later (around 1pm) they arranged a guide to show me around the sculptures, I appreciate that enough (though after a long wait and asking it for a while - that how I could see more sculptures - I actually just wanted to explore further and those areas are not allowed to be done without their guide) that they spared a guide to show me around. So I tipped $100 Mx. I brought $500 Mx + $20 USD because I needed to pay for some docking/platform fee for $20 USD. I was allowed to pay in pesos so the conversion rate they gave was accurate $347 mx, but I forgot to get the chance back from the Aquaworld counter after giving him $400 mx. That's $53 mx = around $2.5 USD. But I'm not sure how much I saved by not paying in USD ($20). And the whole tour they've been looking for opportunity to collect tips. So I gave eventually. Took a photo with the boat crew after returning at 3pm. I was probably the only person who stayed that long in the reef. I am reluctant to say that Punta Nizuc is better than Koh Lipe, but I did find a sea turtle twice (once in Subsee, another while snorkeling with the guide) and the reef space is huge, it's just too bad we are not allowed too far. Koh Lipe's reef are not bad either and no tour/guide needed as the beach has plenty of coral access, plus the point of Koh Lipe was to spend time with my dad (not at first as I was ready to go by myself until my dad decided to tag along, perhaps to make sure I'm safe).

Upon returning to the resort, I lunched at Cevicheria for the last one I wanted but haven't tried: fish ceviche at around 4:30pm. But the fish is not raw so I prefer the mix ceviche (which has octopus) we had the day before. Fish seemed overcooked for me, shrimp ceviche is better. I then went for a swim in the sea hoping to learn body surf but either I did not learn or that the waves weren't strong enough. Checked out their chess tournament (every Monday) where big pieces are on the big floor board by the pool slides, nobody playing there was actually into chess.

Nadia and I dined for dinner at Tuscani restaurant next to the Hana Polynesian Grill. Italian food was okay but Nadia did not like it enough. She saw a waiter carrying a plat of fried large fish and learned that this was for Hana restaurant. We regret that we've made the wrong reservation after learning that Hana only opens on Mondays and Fridays for diner. We missed today, there's no more chance as we leave on Friday.

Walked around the night Gazebo after dinner. Saw some Latino modern dance performance in the lobby. Nadia returned to room to rest. I brought my laptop down to the lobby to type this diary and do some camera file transfers.

4/28/2026 Tuesday

Breakfast at Hana again. Seems to be the only place for breakfast in the resort. By the way, room service is also included, but Nadia doesn't like the food choices.

Then we spent most time sitting out on the hotel ocean deck overlooking the sea. I went in to swim a few times until it gets very hot. Don't want sunburn, despite having sun scream. At 12pm, Nadia took part in their Aquaboxing (learn to exercise in water using boxing technique). Nadia definitely enjoyed their water events. Earlier today they had Aqua Basket Ball game (two teams swim to shoot the hoops).

At 4:30pm, I decided to explore the R1/R2 bus route myself. Both busses will pass Kukulcan Blvd. (The strip with all the major hotels) or Hotel Zone. I took R2 into the suburban area (Paseos Kabah) and I think that was enough, I think the bus would keep going until Villas Otoch per Google AI. But I certainly learned a lot. Where this ferry station is, how Walmart looks like here, and more. I also had to push myself to speak Spanish with the locals. One trip already took about 45 minutes, due to heavier traffic than coming back. These drivers give change only if you paid in pesos ($12 MX), but not in $1 USD according to many sources, including Marriott Resort Receptionist, who broke the change of $100 mx to me in $20's. I had to ask around in Spanish in order to get onto the returning bus (at least catching returning bus is as easy as walking across the streets from where you were dropped off), because there's no bus stop signs, so I could only play by ears and eyes. When getting off at Marriott, I asked "Por favor, paras en Marriott?" (excuse me, do you stop at Marriott), seconds before. "Bahan aqui, por favor" (getting off here, please) would be another way to say it but I didn't get to.

Then Nadia and I went to Casa Madre (mother's house) for dinner as reservation was made two days before via the Concierge because reservation was not working on the app (Marriott Experience app) they asked us to use. We certainly love this dinner more compared to before. Nadia decided to give the waiter Adrian $40 Mx tip.

Now at 10:44pm I finish typing today's diary. Am tired. But want to read some book in our balcony (I have brought light for reading). I brought Charlie Kirk's book (from library) called Stop (it's about keeping the Sabbath) and the Occult Bondage and Deliverance book by Kurt Koch. Or I could just read Kindle.

Posted in Geography, Travel | Leave a comment

Review of Edward J. Erler's "Are We Subjects or Citizens? Birthright Citizenship and the Constitution

Posted on April 24, 2026 by timlyg

This is the latest Imprimis article from Hillsdale College. Edward J. Erler is obviously a great proponent of banning birthright citizenship from illegal immigrant parents (would he care about legal immigrant parents, one would thought so, but then he went on to also attack...) and dual citizenship (Taiwanese, watch out!).

My critic is done by the help of Google Gemini.

Anticipating this coming summer (late June or early July 2026?), the Supreme Court's decision for Trump v. Barbara (class-action lawsuit challenging President Trump's executive order ending the practice of birthright citizenship), Erler argued that birthright citizenship was never meant by the framers of the Constitution and the 14th Amendment. To confuse what the framers meant, which was that citizenship comes with the exclusive allegiance demand (which Erler interpreted from "subject to the jurisdiction" in the Fourteenth Amendment), which is broken by illegal immigrant parents as well as dual citizenship holders, according to Erler, is to drive America back to feudalism and replacing citizenship with the master-servant relationship.

It seems that Erler is hoping that the 1898 Supreme Court decision in U.S. v. Wong Kim Ark (6-2 vote that a child of legal resident aliens is entitled to birthright citizenship) be overturned this summer. Because Supreme Court Justice Horace Gray confused the terms by stipulating that "citizen" and "subject" were convertible terms, confusing feudal monarchy and republicanism.

Erler's attack is chiefly based on the need to distinguish Birthright Subjectship (as defined by William Blackstone) from Birthright Citizenship, an American concept unknown to British common law (jus soli, right of the soil). Perpetual allegiance vs. exclusive allegiance. Feudal vs. consensual model (Locke's Social Contract philosophy).

My opinion:

Thus the weakness in Erler's argument is where he interprets the "jurisdiction" clause as owing "exclusive political allegiance" to the U.S. instead of just being subject to U.S. laws which applies to tourists, legal and illegal aliens alike. By dividing "jurisdiction" into a territorial one and a political one, Erler is positing, dare I say, an even more radical direction for U.S., which is a nationalistic (U.S. is always #1 in the world) one, not a patriotic (I love U.S.A. my country) one.

As for exclusive allegiance, it is obtuse to assume legal immigrants would consent to U.S. jurisdiction better than illegal immigrants simply because of the legality of their immigration status.

To be honest, I really don't see the need to dichotomize Jus Soli with Erler's Social Compact Theory. I see many U.S. citizens do serve their country in a Feudal master-slave relationship and everyone loves it when nobody is throwing fits about it. And already you have virtual entire political opposition party who would idolize the reciprocal consent (both parties must agree) that their right wing opponents like Erler prefer, yet they would not vote for Erler's view nor vice versa because they would take Erler's consensual concept to an extremity that would probably disgust Erler.

The only concern of radical right folks like Erler I am willing to fight for, would be folks like the Chinese making a business out of this, a deliberation of making U.S. babies by sending pregnant women to U.S. just to get birthright citizenship. This is a loophole that needs to be addressed. Severe punishment, what not, I'm mostly for it. But not all kinds of immigrants in general, this is a very poor argument of overgeneralization by the radicals, right or left.

Gemini:

The "Exceptions" Argument: Most historians (other originalists like Erler such as James C. Ho would disagree with Erler) agree that the Framers of the 14th Amendment intended only three specific exceptions to birthright citizenship: 1) children of foreign diplomats, 2) children of invading armies, and 3) members of Indian tribes. Since illegal immigrants are not in those three categories, many legal scholars argue the text must include them.

Counter-Argument: Critics argue that Erler's view turns citizenship into a "gift" from the state rather than a "right" held by the individual. They argue that a territorial birthright is a more objective, stable "bright-line" rule that prevents the government from picking and choosing who "belongs" based on shifting political whims.

If Erler’s view were adopted, the U.S. would move toward a system more like Germany or Japan (jus sanguinis, or right of blood), where citizenship can only be passed down through parents. And non-citizens must apply for naturalization themselves. This would be a seismic shift in American identity, as the U.S. has historically defined itself not by shared bloodline or ancestry, but by the "accident of birth" on the "consecrated soil" of the Republic. Erler's position is no stranger to the 1866 Congressional Debates: During the drafting of the 14th Amendment, Senator John Conness of California explicitly addressed the children of Chinese immigrants (who were legal residents at the time but barred from naturalization). He stated: "The children of Chinese parents… are and will be citizens… This will have no other effect."

Posted in Economics, Geography, Reviews | Leave a comment

Alexander the Great

Posted on April 24, 2026 by timlyg

So I browsed through the South Amboy Library one day and came across some interesting books by the children's section. One of the books I borrowed is Alexander the Great - Master of the Ancient World by Doug Wilhelm, from the Wicked History series. This drew my desire to learn about folks in history that I should already have known. It's never too late, so I shall start with Alexander the Great. I will prepare a spreadsheet for this since it's a historical figure with a timeline. Wilhelm's book will not be the only resource here. The spreadsheet shall be called "Alexander the Great Study" with Wilhelm's map of Alexander's route, I shall save it in my library drive, Academic/History folder.

Here's some of Wilhelm's recommendation for further reading:

  • Adam, Simon. Alexander the Great: The Boy Soldier Who Conquered the World. 2005 (64 pages): A concise visual biography of his life, from childhood to military conquests.
  • Behnke, Alison. The Conquests of Alexander the Great. 2007 (160 pages): Account of his successes and failures as a commander.
  • Guerber, H. A. The Story of the Greeks. 2014 (190 pages): History of Greece.
  • McGowen, Tom. Alexander the Great: Conqueror of the Ancient World. 2006 (160 pages): Blends historical facts with lore to tell the story of his childhood, education, and rise to power.
  • Pearson, Anne. Ancient Greece. 2007 (72 pages): A colorful look at the history, people, and customs of ancient Greece.
  • Sounders, Dr. Nicholas. The Life of Alexander the Great. 2006 (48 pages): Graphic novel format
  • Robert, Katherine. I Am the Great Horse. 2006 (401 pages): Fiction, the war horse Bucephalus recounts his adventures from 344-323 B.C. with Alexander.

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Why Debates are Spicy Good

Posted on April 23, 2026 by timlyg

It's not surprising now to meet people, even in the Christian camp, who despite debates. Not surprising because the West educates the heresy of "judge not" vehemently since the 90s.

They are not without justification of course, debates often end badly, destroying relationships, vain glorification, building pride, and often time, nothing edifying.

However, the alternative they suggested is not any good either. It looks good for a short time. Instead of being judgy, give praise, vain flatteries aren't too bad either. It gets boring. It becomes fake. It inevitably repels smarter folks of all camps. So it's not surprising for some who cares, to inject some spicy challenges in the midst of this boring flattery and vain praises, to rattle the cage, to reveal and isolate the wolves, pretending to play the peaceful game, in sheep's clothing.

It's either that or let people keep getting drunk in their religious opium.

Posted in Theologization | Leave a comment

Journal of the Week

Posted on April 21, 2026 by timlyg

4/21/2026 Tuesday

From this video the major take I get is the part on suffering and sanctification. Here's Gemini's feedback, introducing terms like Hedonic Treadmill, fatherly chastisement, PTG:

Hedonic Treadmill, which Tucker explicitly mentions. It explains the tendency of humans to quickly return to a relatively stable level of happiness despite major positive or negative events [45:39]

Reformed Perspective: Tucker’s claim that "you can't grow without suffering" echoes the Reformed view of Sanctification. The Westminster Shorter Catechism and various Reformed theologians argue that trials are "fatherly chastisements" or tools used by God to conform believers to the image of Christ [29:25].

External Source: This is consistent with the psychological concept of Post-Traumatic Growth (PTG), which suggests that individuals can experience positive psychological change as a result of struggling with highly challenging life circumstances.

Tucker’s "caveman" analogy for the amygdala’s fight-or-flight response is a standard model in Neuropsychology. It explains how the brain's limbic system can hijack the prefrontal cortex (the logic center), a theme Tucker uses to explain why people choose "safety" over "logic" in politics [21:26].

Posted in Theologization | Leave a comment

The Allie Beth Stuckey vs. David French Debate

Posted on April 18, 2026 by timlyg

This one is so good I would have to do a comment on it.

When French brought up a horse-shoe diagram about the ultimately same camp where extreme left and extreme right land together, it is so similar to my circle chart, which I presented later to David Tong on a Facebook comment. I did a full circle instead of half or horseshoe because the bottom curve needs to show that being neutral or not left or right leaning can ALSO be a bad thing, in fact, it's the highest IQ or the lowest. Someone who avoid getting involve, seek to bury the truth (usually in the name of some perverted peace or love) is actually worst than the extreme left or extreme right, because he is claiming that he has no position while his inevitable position is actually opposing everyone from left to right such that only his position is the winner, he just doesn't admit what he's doing, which makes him worst.

But this is about the debate between Allie and David, so I shall explore with the summary of this video:

Good point by Kaitlyn Schiess against Allie's Toxic Empathy being focusing only on the emotion of empathy, while missing toxic anger and disgust being emotions as well that is frequently used to justify righteous empathy or, as Phil Vischer puts it, "masculine" empathy, as good empathy, "feminine" empathy as toxic empathy.

Update 6/3/2026:

Skye Jethani and Bri Stensrud could be stereotyping a little bit, but they do have a point against Allie Beth's book: Toxic Empathy, in such that one camp would pick and choose what they considered empathy if it aligns with their own self-believed righteous agenda; And where they don't align with their political ideals, it's toxic empathy:

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Answering the Fools

Posted on April 16, 2026 by timlyg

Took me a while, but this is where I note down the come backs I would have/should have/have given when facing real life challenges, particularly in churches.

I was asked one time at Jireh Church (Marlboro township) by some member: You must have a lot of time from your job, that you can talk about/study theology?

Answer (should have been): Because America is a country full of Christian cults, we really should make time for theology! Making sure that we don't go to fake churches or for fake beliefs.

From a Crossroads Men's meeting (on challenging questions, i.e. can spy lie? etc.). When I took one of the given question list by the host and asked my group: So what do you think of this Israel challenges, do we support Israel, what is Israel to Christians? And I got the response from a black guy: It is a distraction from Christian love.

Answer (should have been): Ok, let me ask another question then, should Christian have debates? How would you sort out differences? Do we seek the truth or bury it?

To be continued with more examples...

Posted in Dialogues, Theologization | Leave a comment

Journal of the Week

Posted on April 13, 2026 by timlyg

4/16/2026 Thursday

Just came across this program called GauntletAI, highly selective bootcamp, but once selected, you go through a FREE 10 week program (3 weeks remote, and you will be flown into Austin, Texas for free, free hotel, free food, for 7 weeks) and after that your alleged starting salary is $200k, building AI projects for companies that partnered with GauntletAI for hiring. GauntletAI is supposedly paid by the hiring partners in some sort of commission. Gauntlet's founder is Austen Allred, also CEO of the for profit bootcamp Bloom Institute of Technology (formerly known as Lambda School) which has faced criticism for its claims, so it's still hard to tell if GauntletAI is all it's claiming to be, despite the fact that it says this is not for everyone by design, highly competitive (if you fail the projects you may be put and some sort of probation and then kicked out), and some has apparently benefited from it.

I note this down as a reference to AI Bootcamps. It seems to me that these AI (or developer) bootcamps are quite serious about the claim of their results. Folks gone in, they get good paying jobs after that. But I think I still need more convincing, and Bootcamps like Gauntlet seems to require me to quite my job to bet on the 10 week program, despite everything from transport to room being free.

Sore muscles for last two days, because wife made me do pushups (I think 30+) for out of anger yelling at her (I was sick of her not placing fragile things on the floor but not specifying where when I was moving them on top of a newspaper on the dining table, except for waiting for me to place it there and complained about it, so I exploded: "Stop it!" at her, which I apologized after a shower).

4/15/2026 Wednesday

The Pope and J.D. Vance (and Trump) are now in a theological feud on Just War theory, as the Pope called Trump's Iran war (EPIC FURY) as unjust. I am alerted by BBC on this news when Vance's previous brawl with the same Pope on issue of migrants was mentioned, with Vance calling attention to Ordo Amoris (order of charity/love) where one needs to focus on his own citizens (family) rather instead of immigrants (Pope's view). I do find myself leaning to the Pope's position, though not entirely due to anthropocentric elements. Ordo amoris makes sense only when we talk about responsibility to the family (or fellow citizens if you really want to go there). Responsibility really has nothing to do with love or charity, because it is beyond the kind of love one may put in the order. Rome/the Pope could rebut this easily with the good Samaritan parable. As for Just War theory, I would say Trump's administration really need to answer the bombing of girl school in Iran, deliberately or not is beside the point. And if U.S. is responsible, then what is the repercussion that is other than saying: "oops, it was a mistake, it's terrible that people die."

On that note, I'm surprised (in this case I consider high praise, superficially, higher than Alex's) that Alex's mom would like my comment: "When cultural Christianity becomes Christian Nationalism." on his post regarding Trump's latest debacle on the now removed post of him looking like a divine "healer" of the country with civilians praying as if to him. Makes me reflect more on what I said.

4/14/2026 Tuesday

With Gemini's help, some interesting points and reminders from Rev. Dr. Henry Ongkowijoyo:

Anthropomorphism and God's Nature: Dr. Henry argues that emotions like anger, jealousy, or regret in God are real, he warns against seeing God as a "static" or "mechanical" being, emphasizing that He is dynamic and personal [11:11].

Apostasy and Perseverance (Hebrews 6:4-6): Addressing whether the elect can fall away, he references 1 John 2:19 to explain that those who "apostatize" were never truly part of the elect; they appeared to be Christian but did not possess genuine faith [17:25].

Imams/Priests before Sinai: Exodus 19:22, he suggests that "priestly" functions (offering sacrifices) existed through heads of households or elders before the formal Levite priesthood was established [23:42].

4/13/2026 Monday

Allie Beth Stuckey's take on the Therapy Culture:

With the help of Gemini, this is my response:

Here's the summary from Stuckey's perspective: Stuckey breaks it into 3 parts: Inner Child Theory (comfort the inner child in you) which is against 1 Corinthians 13:11 - put away childish ways, Shadow Work (integrating with the dark side of you) which is against Colossians 3:5 - mortification of sin, Somatic Therapy (the body keeps the score so medicalize the mind - Stuckey claims that body doesn't make you sin nor heal you from sin, the soul does). This is an example two extremes, Stuckey brings the extreme examples against Biblical values out to judge from her own extreme takes. So there's some strawman, some shallow take on psychology.

One can refute Stuckey (and also the opposite extremes that she's attacking, of course) by refocusing the "inner child theory" as a metaphor for processing wounded memories, finding Christ's rule in these memories, rather than self-re-parenting.

On Shadow Work: Stuckey is not wrong but shallow here that the heart is desperately sick (Jeremiah 17:9). So instead of integrating dark shadow, repentance and killing of sin are key. However, since this is counseling, Stuckey fail to go deeper into dark faults. Christians should focus on bringing hidden works of darkness into the light (Ephesians 5:11-13), this is an important deep self-reflection to identify hidden idols or sins to be mortified in God's grace.

On Somatic Therapy: This is a kind of paradox I would say that Stuckey fail at. The body can become a stumbling block to the soul and emotion, rather than just "providing the context for our struggles". Our body is cursed, hence it needs to be put to death, this is where Stuckey and I think many Christian Fundamentalists today don't get, that we are cursed due to the FALL. Though finding physical relieve is not the solution to sin, having a cursed body can certainly influence us, already fallen (that means Christ is an exception), to sin.

When it comes to counseling, or Christian counseling, you don't want Stuckey as your counselor. However, that the people whom Stuckey finds to interview, could be a different story, because Stuckey definitely has shown to have an eye for interviewing the right guests for the job.

A informative chart showing that Strait of Malacca is the busiest Strait, not Strait of Hormuz. Though they are pretty close together as the world largest transits in Million Barrels per day (Mn B/D).

Posted in Computer Science, Faults, Geography, Theologization | Leave a comment

Journal of the Week

Posted on April 6, 2026 by timlyg

4/10/2026 Friday

If China's Xi Jinping's meet up with Taiwan KMT's Cheng Li-wen was just reading scripts to each other, then I wonder why bother meeting?

4/6/2026 Monday

From time to time I do appreciate interviews done by Allie Beth Stuckey. A few with former porn stars, etc. This one is Brittni De La Mora, with ministry called: https://www.jesuslovespornstars.org/. Allie is wise enough to not take issue with "female" pastors in this case. It's also interesting that these kind of testimonies usually involve pimps who are some sort of backsliding Christians, demon possessions, drugs, and the pride of having money in the porn industry. Once nick named Jenna Presley, Brittni was convinced by the verse: Revelation 2:20-23 and repented.

Posted in Geography, Theologization | Leave a comment

How the Quran Refutes itself

Posted on April 1, 2026 by timlyg

Refuting the Quran, same way Sye Ten Bruggencate did in another entry I had: This is Pastor David Hentschel's Quranic verses that refute itself (If we have the word of God, Islam is false, if we don't have it, Islam is still false, the Islamic Dilemma) which I believe he credited to David Wood @1:34:42:

Surah 3:4 Allah revealed the Quran and before that he revealed the Torah as guidance for mankind.
Surah 18:27 says no one can change Allah's words.
Surah 7:157 says Jews and Christians who read about Muhammad and we find him mentioned in the Torah and the Gospels that have been written down to us.
Surah 2:85 if you don't believe in all your book, he says I will send you to hell.
Surah 5:43 Jews come to Muhammad to settle a dispute and Allah says why are they coming to you if they have the Torah? And Muhammad actually says bring me a Torah. He gets up from his cushion, he puts the Torah on the cushion and says let the Torah be your judge.
Surah 5:48 says Allah sent Muhammad as a guardian of the previous scriptures.
Surah 5:68 he says you have no ground to stand upon unless you stand fast on the Torah and the Gospel.
Surah 10:94 Allah said Muhammad, if you're in doubt, ask those who are reading the book before you, make sure your revelation lines up with theirs.

On the side note, good for MBC to grow to a point that they are announcing two services in April, just like Crossroads in March.

Posted in Theologization | Leave a comment