Written and collected by Zia H Shah MD, Chief Editor of the Muslim Times
The most well known scientist in the West from the era of renaissance is none other than Isaac Newton. Many do not know that he was a Unitarian and opposed the dogma of Trinity.
Encyclopedia Britannica says about Newton and Trinity:
Newton found time now to explore other interests, such as religion and theology. In the early 1690s he had sent Locke a copy of a manuscript attempting to prove that Trinitarian passages in the Bible were latter-day corruptions of the original text. When Locke made moves to publish it, Newton withdrew in fear that his anti-Trinitarian views would become known. Reference.
Generally, I am for pluralism and talking about common goals and objectives, but, once in a while I want to highlight the differences if those are of some high academic or other value.
My trigger for this article was an Islamophobic comment by a well known atheist scientist Richard Dawkins, who came out swinging for Christianity and against Islam, despite his clear and loud proclamations for atheism:
The scientists that I have particularly in mind today are those who are member of the Intelligent Design Movement (ID).
I became one of the early members of an online discussion group for ID around 2000. After I quoted a Quranic verse in line with the theme of discussion, I was silenced that it was in bad taste because of some other fairly benign comment in the same paragraph. I understood, I was not welcome there with my Muslim faith in the Quran.
I have, nevertheless, periodically followed their activity and kept pace with their work. I believe their work is good theology in as far as they present a Creator for our universe and ourselves. Unlike their concepts I believe that their work is good metaphysics, but not good science. Their work is in line of the following verses of the Quran:
He is Allah, the Creator, the Maker, the Fashioner. His are the most beautiful names. All that is in the heavens and the earth glorifies Him, and He is the Mighty, the Wise. (Al Quran 59:24)
We shall show them Our signs in every region of the earth and in themselves, until it becomes clear to them that this Quran is the Truth. Is it not enough that your Lord witnesses everything? (Al Quran 41:53)
But, when they go beyond metaphysics and comment on science they go wrong. The Encyclopædia Britannica explains that ID cannot be empirically tested and that it fails to solve the problem of evil; thus, it is neither sound science nor sound theology.[1] I have written a detailed article on the same theme as expounded by Encyclopædia Britannica: Why Intelligent Design Movement is Not only Bad Science, But Also Bad Theology. The Quranic verse that they violate is:
Such is Allah, your Lord. There is no God but He, the Creator of all things, so worship Him. And He is Guardian over everything. Eyes cannot reach Him but He reaches the human consciousness. And He is the Incomprehensible, the All-Aware. (Al Quran 6:102-103)
In their ambition for their political and other agenda they forget that human eyes cannot reach God in a scientific or any other paradigm, unless He chooses to reveal Himself to the prophets and the saints through different veils.
ID has an institute called Discovery Institute. Their online store has a dozen or more books on sale that are very helpful for understanding the metaphysics of God the Creator of Judaism, Islam and Unitarian Christianity, once we understand the limitations and misunderstandings that all of them have.
The members of ID sometimes hide their true colors but at others it is completely apparent that they want to promote the Triune God of Christianity as the Intelligent Designer or the Creator. For example, William Dembski is a leading member and in December 2007, he told Focus on the Family that “The Designer of intelligent design is, ultimately, the Christian God.”[90]
As a final thought every thing good that the Jewish, Muslim, Unitarian Christians and Jehovah Witnesses have written against Trinity becomes a powerful argument for my thesis that any good religious work by the Trinitarians in fact is only for the sake of the One God, Who has no father or any son or daughter.
We also have a fairly large collection of articles about Trinity.
References
- Ayala, Francisco Jose (27 May 2021). “evolution – Intelligent design and its critics”. Encyclopedia Britannica. Retrieved 22 June 2021.
The Quranic Compassion 