Question: Sam Harris writes, "Every devout Muslim has the same reasons for being a Muslim that you have for being a Christian...." How can one tell which "holy book" is true and which is not? Isn't it one man's word against another man's?

Question: Sam Harris writes, "Every devout Muslim has the same reasons for being a Muslim that you have for being a Christian. And yet, you do not find their reasons compelling. The Koran repeatedly declares that it is the perfect word of the creator of the universe....Can you prove that Allah is not the one true God? Can you prove that the archangel Gabriel did not visit Muhammad in his cave? Of course not!" How can one tell which "holy book" is true and which is not? Isn't it one man's word against another man's?

Response: We can prove that each of Islam's claims is false. Harris displays abysmal ignorance both of Christianity and of Islam. There are many profound differences and only a few superficial similarities. The "God of Israel" inspired 40 different prophets over a period of 1,600 years to write the Bible. Most of them never met any of the others, yet their prophecies all agree with and supplement one another. There are no prophecies in the Qur'an, any more than in the Hindu Vedas or sayings of Buddha.  Every one of the 40 biblical prophets has 39 independent witnesses, most of whom lived in different cultures and times in history and never even met one another, yet their testimonies agree. This is a powerful witness to the truth of the Bible.

For the veracity of the Qur'an, there is only one — Muhammad. He began his career with more than 20 murders and perpetuated  his power by murdering thousands more through disciples following his example. This evil continued until his death. Islamic historians admit that far from dying like Jesus Christ as a willing sacrifice, Muhammad died ignominiously, poisoned by the widow whose husband he had murdered.

Christians have a multiplicity of prophecies and witnesses, testifying to Christ's sinlessness. The Qur'an itself urges Muhammad to confess his sins, but, at the same time, it admits the sinlessness of Jesus Christ. Proof of the Bible is found in hundreds of prophecies recorded centuries before their fulfillment. The Qur'an has none. 

Many eyewitnesses have attested to the fact of Christ's resurrection. Some of the greatest legal minds and many historians declare that the Resurrection of Jesus Christ is established on such solid evidence that it would stand up in any court. Islam has nothing comparable.