UPDATE:
Recently YouTube removed my video and restricted my account.
However thanks to my appeal the Mohammed/Aisha Movie depicting Mohammed's relationship with Aisha has been restored
Free Speech is alive!
YouTube Bans The Prophet of Islam
A week or more ago I had uploaded the Aisha and Mohammed Movie (PART I) for the sake of free speech:
It is still unclear to me exactly what problem YouTube actually had with this video, as you can see there is no reason provided, not even a vague attempt at an excuse of a reason for this unjustified removal.
I hope YouTube end up taking the right course of action and sanctioning freedom of expression. However in the mean time the Movie is still available here
Mark Bennett Shared on Google+ • Jul 11, 2014YouTube had a problem with this:
This is the the most recent and full movie exposing what Muhammad did to Aisha. I recommend you be of age to watch (18 or 21+) as this will be offensive to many. There are certainly some grotesque moments in this film, meant to show the serious consequences of all future generations because of Mohammed's initial actions.Personally I don't agree with all the "content", because for example I doubt the Mohammed of tradition even existed, I have not researched my full conclusion here. But I think this is definitely a good case where true westerners and human rights supporters and activists can defend freedom of religion, freedom of speech, freedom of expression, freedom of the press. Unfortunately the Pakistani man who created this movie has a warrant out for his arrest so he may be deported back to Pakistan which will inevitably result in his death sentence. This is a cowardice act by the Spanish government who apparently wish to go back to the Al Andalusian period where they can live under a caliphate that suppresses free speech.
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It is still unclear to me exactly what problem YouTube actually had with this video, as you can see there is no reason provided, not even a vague attempt at an excuse of a reason for this unjustified removal.
So you know I went to the next step of the process and clicked on "yes"
And then I described the purpose and contents of the video and why I had age restricted it:
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What I said in my entirety was:
"The content narrates the history of a famous religious figure and cites all the authentic sources in which he engaged various sayings and acts. It is age restricted for content, but suitable for elders"
I hope YouTube end up taking the right course of action and sanctioning freedom of expression. However in the mean time the Movie is still available here
Aisha and Muhammad -- The Movie
This is the the most recent and full movie exposing what Muhammad did to Aisha. I recommend you be of age to watch (18 or 21+) as this will be offensive to many. There are certainly some grotesque moments in this film, meant to show the serious consequences of all future generations because of Mohammed's initial actions.
Personally I don't agree with all the "content", because for example I doubt the Mohammed of tradition even existed, I have not researched my full conclusion here. But I think this is definitely a good case where true westerners and human rights supporters and activists can defend freedom of religion, freedom of speech, freedom of expression, freedom of the press.Unfortunately the Pakistani man who created this movie has a warrant out for his arrest so he may be deported back to Pakistan which will inevitably result in his death sentence. This is a cowardice act by the Spanish government who apparently wish to go back to the Al Andalusian period where they can live under a caliphate that suppresses free speech.
A Myth Dispelled: 33,000 Protestant Denominations
I don't typically involve myself in sectarian disputes, but every now and then one such dispute maybe utilized by disbelievers as a bullet against Christianity, so I would to add my two cents here. Many Roman Catholics frequently cite a "statistic" suppose to show that the doctrine of Sola Scriptura is the underlying cause which results in an overwhelmingly significantly high proportion of protestant denominations. The vastly inflated numbers proclaimed by these Catholic apologists range anywhere between twenty thousand to "millions" of protestant denominations. [1]
Unfortunately Muslims have caught on to this poor polemic and extended the objection to Christianity in general. I have collated a few sources together to show us why this is not a sound argument to abandon a protestant denomination or join the Roman Catholic Church or leave Christianity altogether in order to enter Islam. Firstly as Dr. James White points out the argument is just logically speaking a non-sequitor:
Unfortunately Muslims have caught on to this poor polemic and extended the objection to Christianity in general. I have collated a few sources together to show us why this is not a sound argument to abandon a protestant denomination or join the Roman Catholic Church or leave Christianity altogether in order to enter Islam. Firstly as Dr. James White points out the argument is just logically speaking a non-sequitor:
"Before looking at the source of this argument and the problems associated with it, it should be made clear that the entire argument being presented here can only be identified as “bogus.” It fails scrutiny at every possible level. The leaps in logic and argumentation are vast. Let’s just focus upon two of the obvious problems.
First, how does the Roman Catholic apologist go about demonstrating that sola scriptura is the source of these divisions, specifically? For example, when we see division in the ranks of Rome, and see strong disagreements on key issues, does it follow that the Roman magisterium is to blame for the differences of viewpoint? If a Christian believes the Scriptures a sufficient rule of faith, how does it follow that an abuse of such a sufficient source is an argument against its sufficiency? Such simply does not follow. The Scriptures can be perfectly suited to their purpose, but men are still sinners. Men are still imperfect. Men are still ignorant. And, most importantly, men still have their traditions. So while these apologists pretend it is a “given” that sola scriptura is to blame for these divisions, that assumption is insufficient to prove the argument.
Second, and related thereto, is the painfully obvious observation that only a small percentage of “Protestant” churches today self-consciously even seek to profess, let alone confess and practice, sola scriptura. In fact, a large number of non-Catholic churches embrace all sorts of concepts that violate sola scriptura, so how can the principle be blamed for the actions of those who do not even believe in it?Obviously, it can’t be. In reality, those churches that specifically seek to profess, confess, and apply sola scriptura are significantly more united in their theology than those churches that look to some external, inspired/guided source of either interpretation or revelation.
So, while the “33,000 Protestant churches and it is all sola scriptura’s fault argument is common, that doesn't make it at all valid." [2]
Recently Reformed Christian Apologist Keith Thompson also addresses this in his latest documentary film: "Reformed Answers on the Roman Corruption of Christianity":
But there are even more problems with this argument presented by Catholics and Muslims:
But this isn’t the entire picture. As you begin to work through the list of “Protestant” denominations, you discover that they include non-Trinitarian groups such as the Oneness denominations, as well as other groups like the Seventh-Day Adventists! Some of the other denominations listed openly embrace “revelation” in the modern period, hence meaning that they would hardly hold to any meaningful doctrine of sola scriptura to begin with.
After the Protestant groups you have “Independent” groups, followed by “Marginal Christian” groups. But all of these are added into the 33,820 number! Please realize, this includes “Gnostics” (!), Mormons (122 denominations worth!) and Jehovah’s Witnesses (228 denominations)!
So the serious-minded reader is left with one conclusion: Steve Ray, Tim Staples, and the rest of the Roman Catholic apologetics community that throws the 33,000 number around like a football are embarrassing themselves to no end every time they repeat this myth. Not only is it painfully obvious that sola scriptura is not to blame for this 33,000 number, but in this source, read in its own context, the large portion of those listed in the 33,000 number do not even confess the doctrine, let alone practice it in their theological enunciations and development! Even amongst the Protestant groups listed, how many seriously know the issues surrounding the doctrine, let alone make a conscious effort to apply the truth? So no honest person could possibly, in light of this information, continue to make use of this number the way Ray and Staples and others do with regularity.
Ironically, on the page after that cited by Ray (p. 11), we find a chart relating to martyrs during the history of Christendom. It claims 11,000,000 martyrs have died as Roman Catholics since AD 1000 (are they including the Crusades?–we are not told). It likewise lists 3,170,000 Protestant martyrs, and 838,000 “Catholics prior to AD 1000.”
But, in the next section it lists who was responsible for killing these martyrs. Secular governments and atheists score big, with 55,597,000 and 31,519,000 respectively. The Muslims are high-performers on the martyr-production scale as well with 9,101,000 to their credit. Animists come in fourth with 7,469,000, and guess who is #5 on the martyr-producing hit parade? Yes, Roman Catholicism, with 4,951,000! I wonder if Ray and Staples will be quoting that statistic anytime soon? And if not, why not? [7] [8]
End notes:
[1] John Martignoni, Tyler McNabb, Patrick Madrid, Tim Staples, Steve Ray etc (http://www.aomin.org/aoblog/?s=33%2C000+denominations)
[2] http://www.aomin.org/aoblog/index.php/2007/08/22/the-33000-denominations-myth/
[3] Can be purchased on DVD at www.reformedapologeticsministries.com
[4] http://triablogue.blogspot.com/2010/09/33000-protestant-denominations.html
[5] http://triablogue.blogspot.co.m/2010/09/roman-catholic-suicide.html
[6] http://www.aomin.org/aoblog/index.php/2010/09/18/its-not-33000-protestant-denominations-but-millions/
[7] Written: http://www.aomin.org/aoblog/index.php/2007/08/22/the-33000-denominations-myth/
[8] Video: http://www.aomin.org/aoblog/index.php/2009/01/08/the-33000-protestant-denominations-lie/
[3]
But there are even more problems with this argument presented by Catholics and Muslims:
"If these are mutually contradictory denominations, then in what sense are they all “Protestant”? You can’t very well classify them under the same rubric unless all “33,000” denominations share a core identity.
So the very objection to Protestant diversity tacitly assumes that all Protestant denominations have a common denominator. They must have something essentially in common that makes all of them “Protestant.”And:
So the Catholic epologist needs to begin with his general definition of “Protestant.” If, however, there’s a general definition of “Protestant,” then whatever diversity there exists among Protestant denominations can only be measured against the benchmark of their fundamental unity as “Protestant” denominations." [4]
"One of the problems with that sentiment is that it undermines Catholicism. Catholics often argue for the Roman Catholic Church by first arguing for Jesus. Supposedly, Jesus founded the Roman Catholic Church and taught, directly or by implication, that it has the authority it claims to have. But that sort of argument for Catholicism requires the Catholic to argue for, or depend on others who have argued for, Jesus' existence, His identity, what He taught, the meaning of what He taught, etc. And there are many differing and contradictory interpretations of Jesus and His historical context. Consider, for example, all of the views of Jesus you come across on the web and in modern scholarship, including Catholic scholarship. The Catholic appeal to the historical Jesus as an argument for Catholicism depends on our being able to sufficiently discern the historical Jesus. If we can do so, despite all of the disagreements that exist on the subject, why should we think the same isn't true with regard to the Bible and sola scriptura? Much the same can be said about all of the disagreements concerning the existence of God, the Messianic prophecies of the Old Testament, the apostle Paul, the church fathers, etc.
Catholics should ask themselves what would happen if they were to apply their arguments against Protestantism to their own belief system. It seems that they often don't do that.
One way to answer the Catholic who cites a large number of Protestant denominations is to cite the large number of views of Jesus. Or the large number of views of the origin of the universe. Or the authenticity of the writings of Ignatius of Antioch. Or the meaning of what Irenaeus wrote. Or the validity of particular claimants to the papacy. Etc." [5]As James Swan points out drastically different figures are presented almost every time, but this is problematic for several reasons:
"Aside from the fact that his estimate of millions of Protestant denominations has no real evidence to back it up, there are a few other problems with his burning in the bosom apologetic conclusions. His subjective feelings have informed him that sola scriptura is the culprit. This reminds me of someone who blames a situation on one idea or a particular group of people at the expense of other factors that should figure into an equation. Secondly, his feelings don’t seem to be moved when it comes to evaluating divisions within Romanism. Is sola scriptura the culprit for that as well? The irony is that this very statement from Mr. Martignoni was not written in response to a Protestant, but to Roman Catholics stating the 33,000 denominations argument should be abandoned. That is, Martignoni’s is at odds with the conclusions of another Romanist. It’s one Romanist opinion against another. Perhaps sola scriptura is responsible for this as well? No, Romanists are allowed to disagree with each other simply because they say they say they are able to do so.
Mr. Martignoni then gave his personal opinion of what constitutes a Protestant body. This also appears to be based on his burning in the bosom apologetic conclusions. Is this Rome’s official definition? No, it’s once again, John’s personal opinion." [6]Finally Dr. James White solidifies all the above in summary when he points out:
GLOBAL CHRISTIANITY had
(1) 26,350 (2) 33,820 denominations/paradenominations
with
(1),391,020 (2) 3,445,000 congregations/churches
composed of
(1) 1,130 (2) 1,888 million affiliated Christians
dichotomized intothe 2 global categories below
The first number is from 1970, the second from 2000. The two “global categorizations” offered are “denominationalism” and “postdenominationalism.” It is vital to realize that the 33,820 number, used by Ray and Staples and the other RC apologists, combines all the “denominations” included in both lists. But if these men would just do a small amount of reading on the very page they cite, they would realize that this is not a listing of “denominations” arising from the Protestant Reformation (though, again, for clarity I note, this is exactly the claim of Steve Rayas documented above). 21,990 of these denominations are in the “postdenominationalism” category, 11,830 in the denominational. And please realize, the denominational number includes Roman Catholics, Orthodox, and Protestants! In fact, amazingly, this source lists 242 Roman Catholic denominations! If these ever-so-careful researchers had bothered to read on to page 16, they would have discovered:
- This source lists 781 “Orthodox” denominations (i.e., Eastern Orthodoxy), predicting 887 for 2025.
- This source lists 242 “Roman Catholic” denominations for 2000, predicting 245 for 2025.
Do either of these groups arise from the Reformation? Of course not! Instead, continuing on page 16, the over-arching group “Protestant” is listed as having 8,973 denominations in 2000, predicting 9490 by 2025. If we stop just here, this means Steve Ray and Tim Staples are off by 24,000 denominations in their oft-repeated claims, i.e., the actual number in the source is only 27% of the number they give. They are inflating the number by more than 300%! Why? Are they simply going on second-hand references without ever even looking at the sources? Or are they being dishonest? Which is it?
But this isn’t the entire picture. As you begin to work through the list of “Protestant” denominations, you discover that they include non-Trinitarian groups such as the Oneness denominations, as well as other groups like the Seventh-Day Adventists! Some of the other denominations listed openly embrace “revelation” in the modern period, hence meaning that they would hardly hold to any meaningful doctrine of sola scriptura to begin with.
After the Protestant groups you have “Independent” groups, followed by “Marginal Christian” groups. But all of these are added into the 33,820 number! Please realize, this includes “Gnostics” (!), Mormons (122 denominations worth!) and Jehovah’s Witnesses (228 denominations)!
So the serious-minded reader is left with one conclusion: Steve Ray, Tim Staples, and the rest of the Roman Catholic apologetics community that throws the 33,000 number around like a football are embarrassing themselves to no end every time they repeat this myth. Not only is it painfully obvious that sola scriptura is not to blame for this 33,000 number, but in this source, read in its own context, the large portion of those listed in the 33,000 number do not even confess the doctrine, let alone practice it in their theological enunciations and development! Even amongst the Protestant groups listed, how many seriously know the issues surrounding the doctrine, let alone make a conscious effort to apply the truth? So no honest person could possibly, in light of this information, continue to make use of this number the way Ray and Staples and others do with regularity.
Ironically, on the page after that cited by Ray (p. 11), we find a chart relating to martyrs during the history of Christendom. It claims 11,000,000 martyrs have died as Roman Catholics since AD 1000 (are they including the Crusades?–we are not told). It likewise lists 3,170,000 Protestant martyrs, and 838,000 “Catholics prior to AD 1000.”
But, in the next section it lists who was responsible for killing these martyrs. Secular governments and atheists score big, with 55,597,000 and 31,519,000 respectively. The Muslims are high-performers on the martyr-production scale as well with 9,101,000 to their credit. Animists come in fourth with 7,469,000, and guess who is #5 on the martyr-producing hit parade? Yes, Roman Catholicism, with 4,951,000! I wonder if Ray and Staples will be quoting that statistic anytime soon? And if not, why not? [7] [8]
End notes:
[1] John Martignoni, Tyler McNabb, Patrick Madrid, Tim Staples, Steve Ray etc (http://www.aomin.org/aoblog/?s=33%2C000+denominations)
[2] http://www.aomin.org/aoblog/index.php/2007/08/22/the-33000-denominations-myth/
[3] Can be purchased on DVD at www.reformedapologeticsministries.com
[4] http://triablogue.blogspot.com/2010/09/33000-protestant-denominations.html
[5] http://triablogue.blogspot.co.m/2010/09/roman-catholic-suicide.html
[6] http://www.aomin.org/aoblog/index.php/2010/09/18/its-not-33000-protestant-denominations-but-millions/
[7] Written: http://www.aomin.org/aoblog/index.php/2007/08/22/the-33000-denominations-myth/
[8] Video: http://www.aomin.org/aoblog/index.php/2009/01/08/the-33000-protestant-denominations-lie/
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