Friday, January 9, 2015

Aquinas on the Falsity of Mohammedanism

A certain false prophet in Hell, tortured by demons: 
a 15th C. fresco by Giovanni da Modena, 
in the Basilica of San Petronio, Bologna.

… Mohammed… seduced the people by promises of carnal pleasure to which the concupiscence of the flesh goads us.  His teaching also contained precepts that were in conformity with his promises, and he gave free rein to carnal pleasure.  In all this, as is not unexpected, he was obeyed by carnal men.  As for proofs of the truth of his doctrine, he brought forward only such as could be grasped by the natural ability of anyone with a very modest wisdom.  Indeed, the truths that he taught he mingled with many fables and with doctrines of the greatest falsity.  He did not bring forth any signs produced in a supernatural way, which alone fittingly gives witness to divine inspiration; for a visible action that can be only divine reveals an invisibly inspired teacher of truth.  On the contrary, Mohammed said that he was sent in the power of his arms – which are signs not lacking even to robbers and tyrants.  What is more, no wise men, men trained in things divine and human, believed in him from the beginning. Those who believed in him were brutal men and desert wanderers, utterly ignorant of all divine teaching, through whose numbers Mohammed forced others to become his followers by the violence of his arms.  Nor do divine pronouncements on the part of preceding prophets offer him any witness.  On the contrary, he perverts almost all the testimonies of the Old and New Testaments by making them into fabrications of his own, as can be seen by anyone who examines his law.  It was, therefore, a shrewd decision on his part to forbid his followers to read the Old and New Testaments, lest these books convict him of falsity. It is thus clear that those who place any faith in his words believe foolishly.


   St Thomas Aquinas, Summa Contra Gentiles, I, 6, 4.

4 comments:

  1. R J has attempted to leave an intemperate comment.

    For the record, R J, this is a not a statement in support of the pretended "freedom of expression" of certain recently slain cartoonists (for I share your objection to their dirty anti-Catholic and other vulgar scribbles, an account of which they will have had to render to the Supreme Judge), but rather a classic statement from a Doctor of the Church, offering a sober theological rebuttal of the beliefs of their cruel and wicked murderers.

    I don't think I deserve to receive attacks comparing me to Offenbach and Auden (amongst other bizarre allusions that ignorant me cannot fathom).

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  2. No further attempted comments from R J, please!

    Unless they are friendly and not condescending...

    ReplyDelete
  3. Dear Patricius, it depends on what you attempt to say! But good manners will be a good start, and I am sure you have those.

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