Thought-provoking Scientific Reflections on Religion: Which God is Creator of the Universe?

Two things are infinite: the universe and human stupidity; and I'm not sure about the universe.

(Albert Einstein).

The world is not threatened by the people who are evil, but by those who allow evil!

(Albert Einstein).

What causes people to believe that an all-powerful God, the Creator of a universe of seventy billion light years, needs helpers and accomplices on earth (which is only 1/7 light second)?

How malicious must the people be who promise that God would reward murder, robbery and the rape of infidels with Paradise?

Table of Contents

Foreword

Introduction

Dance on the Volcano

Religion

The carrot and the stick in the service of religion

The instinct for self-preservation and its possible transformation into diabolical degeneracy

The formula for religion

The difference between primal and modern superstition

Religion and modern globalization

The psychology of the revelation

Can reason and faith be combined?

The indoctrination of faith

Miracles

Miracles in the Old Testament

Miracles in the New Testament

Miracles in Islam

The detriments and benefits of religion in the here and now and in the afterworld

Religion’s influence on the human conscience

Ethics

Rules for divorce

Divine justice

The description of Paradise and Hell in the Quran

The foundations of the Abrahamic religions

The origin and authenticity of the Holy Books

The legitimacy of the Old Testament based on an examination of the most recent archaeological research

The relationship of Christianity and Islam to the Old Testament

Similarities between the Old Testament and the Quran

Noah in the Bible and the Quran

Joseph in the Bible and the Quran

Cain and Abel in the Bible and the Quran

Conflicting commandments in the Bible and the Quran

God's commandments about food

God’s personal relationship with Moses, Jesus and Mohammed

The relationship between the Abrahamic God and his believers

The Massacre of the Jewish tribe Banu Qurayza

God’s omnipotence and all-mercifulness

Omniscient God

The all-merciful God

Surah 9 The Repentance (Al-Tauba)

Atheism

The principle of randomness in the origins of being.

Childish superstition: Einstein’s letter makes view of religion relatively clear

Mysterious questions

To conclude, the three central pillars of religion.

Thought-provoking Scientific Reflections on Religion

Foreword

Before I address this fundamental but awkward topic I would like to precede my remarks with a simple analogy – let us assume that one man has invested a few euros in a company while another has put his entire fortune, earmarked for his old age, into the same company. Now imagine, if you can, how differently both shareholders will probably react to the news that the company has gone bankrupt. On this basis I would like to ask anyone who underwent a strict religious upbringing as a child, particularly if they are now elderly, not to read this book. The reason for this? Because, on the one hand, in keeping with the motto It may not be what must not be, you will struggle to accept the facts the book discusses and, on the other, you may find that these facts anger you.

A short comment as regards this book – Some readers of the first edition complained that they found the proof I provided from the Holy Books boring and superfluous. As you will, however, probably notice when reading this book, it is my intention to convey the realization that we should obtain the most detailed information possible concerning religion and its background, rather than credulously and uncritically believing in something. It would, therefore, be a mistake to trust every quotation, including my remarks, without sufficient facts and proof being provided. Historical research often reveals that humanity has frequently become involved in absolutely unnecessary wars because of its credulity and ignorance. Wars which have resulted in immeasurable suffering and bloodshed. A typical phenomenon in this context is for the vigour and enthusiasm with which people go to war, usually coupled with the populace’s naivety and lack of information, to later tip over into great misery.

We should thus not disregard the fact that even in democratic countries the inevitable outcome of cutting the people off from the information they require by means of censorship, for whatever reason, is that democracy becomes absurd. Sufficient, correct, adequate information is thus the cornerstone of democracy.

The topic of Religion is a very sensitive, personal one, meaning that I must be sparing with my comments, allowing readers to come to their own conclusions with regard to the Holy Books which form the basis of religions. I would thus also like to request your understanding should I occasionally overtax your patience with my informative, possibly even long-winded proofs.

I would like to refer to a number of Internet links in order to enable you to scientifically trace the content of this book:

http://quran.com/

In addition to this, I recommend a biography of the Prophet Mohammed (Ibn Ishag: Leben des Propheten, ISBN: 978-9-963-40022-5). It will also allow you to gain your own insight into the authenticity of global Islamic terrorism.

in the Quran. It is currently predominant practice to translate or interpret this verb as struggle instead of as kill". The Arabic word for struggle "

Moreover, as becomes obvious in Surah 66 Ayeh 12 and Surah 21 Ayeh 92, the Quran texts are often manipulated and embellished in the process of translation.

Introduction

The objective of this book is to discuss religion in terms of more than just simple faith, using straightforward logic to analyse it. It is well-known that each religion attempts to present its own Holy Book as a divine revelation, without providing a shred of proof to support this claim. Although the content of these books is usually contradictory, both in the context of the text itself as well as also in relation to other Holy Books, and also repudiates scientific facts, it is a curious phenomenon that clerics and the clergy in general try to present this deficit as an asset. Their self-interest causes them to promote it as a divine fact. Even well-educated, intelligent scientists are apparently rarely able to free themselves from the faith and dogmas which were instilled into them as children. On the other hand, people are able to identify the shortcomings of other religions’ dogmas without any effort. Throughout history it has been this nonsense which has, unfortunately, led to many deaths resulting from religious wars and will, in future, undoubtedly lead to still more. As will be discussed, it is most probably this disinformation which has caused us to stop questioning and exploring the distance which humanity still has to travel before it will ever even perceive the creator of this incredible universe.

Dance on the volcano

Despite the obvious indications that there is a risk of war it is clear that attempts are currently being made to play down the conflict between the cultures for reasons based on short-term interests. Since any future war of the cultures would, in all probability, result in a nuclear conflict it is crucially important that humanity engages with the issue of religion and its hostile dogmas in order to be able to arrive at corresponding solutions. Initial attempts may initially be made to physically ward off this fundamental risk of war. As this book will, however, later discuss (e.g. in Surah 9 Ayah 111), within the context of their ideology some believers are of the opinion that the death of infidels and being killed in the struggle against these unbelievers are, among other things, a precondition for achieving eternal bliss in Paradise.

Humanity will therefore have no alternative in the long term but to ward off this risk by intellectual means as soon as possible without engaging in physical conflict. It is thus expedient to engage with religions and their aggressive dogmas in order to subsequently arrive at a peaceful coexistence. Since, following any atomic war, the survivors will envy the dead, in the final analysis even the clergy will be forced to distance themselves from inciting conflict between the denominations as they have done for thousands of years in order to expand their market share and to still their unholy greed for power. Since any serious approach will primarily provide information about the Abrahamic religions (Judaism, Christianity and Islam) by quoting from the Bible and the Quran, I will, in the following, refer extensively to these texts. In order to avoid any misunderstandings whatsoever concerning the explicitness of the Quran quotations I would like to cite the following comments from the Quran. As they will show, Allah stated four times, for example in the Surah The Moon, that HE revealed the Quran with unambiguous Ayah. Anything else would fallacious since, if Allah wishes to indicate something, then we must assume that HE would also wish his texts to be understood. In line with this statement, any interpretation of Allah’s commands must be viewed as pure blasphemy.

http://quran.com/

Quran:

Surah 54 AL-QAMAR (THE MOON)

Ayeh 17: „ And We have certainly made the Qur'an easy for remembrance, so is there any who will remember? "

Ayeh 22: „And We have certainly made the Qur'an easy for remembrance, so is there any who will remember? "

Ayeh 32: „And We have certainly made the Qur'an easy for remembrance, so is there any who will remember?

Ayeh 40: „And We have certainly made the Qur'an easy for remembrance, so is there any who will remember? "

As it is often said that one should not view the Ayehn out of context or cite them by themselves, you will later have the possibility to see Surah 9 (Al-Tauba) in its entirety as an example.

Quran:

Surah 2 AL-BAQARAH (THE COW)

Ayeh 216

Ayeh 216 Fighting (killing) has been enjoined upon you while it is hateful to you. But perhaps you hate a thing and it is good for you; and perhaps you love a thing and it is bad for you. And Allah Knows, while you know not.

Surah 9 AT-TAWBAH (THE REPENTANCE)

Ayeh.111: "Indeed, Allah has purchased from the believers their lives and their properties [in exchange] for that they will have Paradise. They fight in the cause of Allah, so they kill and are killed. [It is] a true promise [binding] upon Him in the Torah and the Gospel and the Qur'an. And who is truer to his covenant than Allah? So rejoice in your transaction which you have contracted. And it is that which is the great attainment."

Surah 61. AS-SAF (THE RANKS)

Ayeh.11-12: "you believe in Allah and His Messenger and strive in the cause of Allah with your wealth and your lives. That is best for you, if you should know.

He will forgive for you your sins and admit you to gardens beneath which rivers flow and pleasant dwellings in gardens of perpetual residence. That is the great attainment".

Surat 9 AT-TAWBAH (THE REPENTANCE)

Ayeh.123: „O you who have believed, fight (kill) those adjacent to you of the disbelievers and let them find in you harshness. And know that Allah is with the righteous! "

Religion

I would like to begin this section with a story which is intended as scientific food for thought. When humans still lived as hunters and gatherers they had to work every day to secure their existence. In order to minimize the risks involved in hunting and to increase the chances of success they learned over time how to hunt in groups.

When they returned to their huts with their kill it was logical that it should be distributed among those who had taken part in the hunt. As also evidenced by primitive tribes today, even then there were people who were too lazy to subject themselves to the exertion and risks of hunting. These idlers thus had to come up with a plan to avoid going empty-handed when the kill was distributed. By claiming that Your hunt was only successful because we called up the gods they succeeded in establishing a claim to a share in the kill. It is certainly conceivable that history’s first shamans were able to gain special status within their community by these means. After this astute group had, thanks to its fraudulent claim, gained permission not to take part in hunting but still be fed, it was able to use its extra time to explore the surrounding flora and fauna. The first shamans thus became the first medicine men and women. Over time they discovered that they could make a huge impression on their contemporaries by means of impressive rituals which were continuously expanded. The medicine men and shamans were thus able to cast a spell over their fellow tribesmen. Initially they tried to differentiate themselves from the others by wearing eye-catching items. They adorned themselves with impressive furs, animal skulls and jewellery. This practice was subsequently supplemented, among other things, by including ornate sculptures (idols) in their rituals; decorating places of worship with gold and precious stones; etc. in order to fascinate the faithful. When the medicine men and shamans realized that humanity’s unsuspecting nature is infinite, they named these places houses of prayer and told their followers that visits to the temples and the offering of sacrifices were both necessary and would bring luck. Take note: these questionable buildings were claimed to be the special home of the creator of the universe. Be that as it may, almost every believer swears solely by his or her own place of worship. In the course of time, narcotic and hallucinogenic substances such as incense, myrrh and magic mushrooms, deadly nightshade and hashish were also discovered and were used by the medicine men and shamans for their own purposes, thus gaining them even more prestige and securing their positions. A further accomplishment was the discovery that monotone sounds and movements during religious dances could trigger hallucinations and narcotize the body. This natural phenomenon is due to the effect we experience when endorphins, a substance produced by the body and similar to morphine, are produced in the brain as a result of monotone sounds and movements. In addition to this, the shamans and medicine men, who bit by bit later became the clerics and the clergy, were skilful practitioners when it came to fascinating their followers by using so-called idols – in the form of specially shaped stones, wooden figures and holy animals. Aside from their previously mentioned eye-catching outward appearance, intended to gain the desired devotion of the masses, the clergy exploited people’s anxieties for their own purposes. Clerics accordingly took advantage of the opportunity to represent their contemporaries’ fears – e.g. ignorance of the causes of disease and death or inexplicable natural phenomena such as thunder and lightning or forest fires caused by lightning strikes – as the work of invisible beings with evil influence and powers. They also created a counter-pole to this – angels with positive characteristics – claiming that these beings could drive away the evil powers and/or direct the healing powers of their gods. This in turn ensured that the clergy gained even more prestige and attention. In addition to this, the clerics had to consider how they would behave should one of their predictions fail to come true – for example if, despite their knowledge of clouds, a rain dance was unsuccessful and the medicine man was so exhausted that he had to break off his dance. In such cases he could justify himself with the simple excuse that the promised rain would come in the future, thus rebutting his followers’ criticism. The fulfilment of predictions was thus postponed further and further into the future and the medicine men realized that the majority would still follow them even if the success of their supposed efforts were deferred until Judgement Day. Interestingly, the clerics also discovered that the threat of punishment is a far more effective tool for making people amenable than the promise of rewards. I would like to use the following analogy to illustrate this human phenomenon.

The carrot and the stick in the service of religion

This section is devoted to the impact of rewards and punishments, which religious indoctrination shamelessly exploits. I would like to relate the following improvised, analogous anecdote to better illustrate this procedure, which