Salaam Unite,
I have little time to contend with articles that do nothing more than affirm the consequent. With football season coming up, the time I have to spend on forum will be given to football boards. Just to know.
I didn't ask what is meant by freethinking, the only question mark I used was in the citation for quote. Albeit, I did point to the comment, "interrogation beyond the status quo" as nothing more than beaux geste. However should your postings be an example of freethought, then understandable where notion of simplicity or complexity comes from. Certainly, with enough false assumptions, one could prove anything.
Even if your observation is correct, e.g. many people fall in trap of begging the question (along with other fallacies), imo: that hasn't seemed to preclude you from doing the same. The soc.religion.islam thread linked in pervious post, was in hope of solving some of the ongoing problems I am having with your articles. Even the newsgroup topic title alone, God, Logic & Special Pleading, is good illustration of the problem. Appears (if link was read) you have been unable or unwilling to apply the examination to your argument. When I do see some hope, in your posts, for agreement as base to build understanding, it is usually and quickly trampled upon by whimsical expression or presupposing attitude.
Let's set aside the poetics of Islam's concept of Creator and deal with theological concept instead. Following should suffice for time being.
Islam holds Allah is impersonal and so dissimilar to creation, that it's impossible for anything from it to reach him. Allah cannot be known but whose will is known by eternal attributes, which are sublime yet below him. Dependency of Allah upon Attributes did not escape the attention of Muslim scholars, that in order for him to be Creator he must create, etc. etc. etc. Nor did the fact, separate identities reside in the eternal essence of Allah, and Tauhid allows for no internal plurality. Allah is above and below himself. Muslim formula for this relationship, "they are neither he nor are they other than he."
Just as important to concept of Allah is the Quran which is considered by Muslims more than a book, and if it's more than a book then what is it. There are competing thoughts on how the heavenly Quran exist. Some Muslims believe the Quran is eternal, existing as uncreated tablet with letters, words and sounds and replicated on earth, clothed in binding, ink and paper. Majority of Muslims (imo) believe The Word is an eternal Idea subsisting in essence of Allah, revealed to man, expressed in letters, words and sound, clothed in binding, ink and paper. It need be noted, most Muslims will base claim of Arabic being "divine language" on the former view, while same time, adhering to the latter view. Whatever the view, Infinite and finite natures are associated with the Quran. Following is a credal statement to Quran.
"We confess that the Kuran is the speech of Allah, uncreated, His inspiration and revelation, not He, yet not other than He, but His real quality, written in the copies, recited by the tongues, preserved in the breasts, yet not residing there. The ink, the paper, the writing are created, for they are the work of men. The speech of Allah on the other hand is uncreated, for the writing and the letters and the words and the verses are manifestations of the Kuran for the sake of human needs. The speech of Allah on the other hand is self-existing, and its meaning is understood by means of these things. Whoso sayeth that the speech of Allah is created, he is an infidel regarding Allah, the Exalted, whom men serve, who is eternally the same, His speech being recited or written and retained in the heart, yet never dissociated from Him."
Now, the above is not suggesting Muslims believe in a trinity, just submitted for readers' inspection. Also I can find no reason why the Sunna should be excluded from the relationship of Allah, Attributes and Quran. On this and similar issues about the nature of Allah, Muslims are content with this authority, "without knowing how and without comparison."
So then, where does the "communication" go, who occupies the heart throne (or is this just poetic) and are the Muslim's good works, magic utterance, rituals interceding on his/her behalf and to who. Notice there is no question mark.
regards, joseph
BTW: Readers may recall Gary Miller's book a Muslim posted on JFC. Which in part said, "although Islam has speculations, we do not make doctrinal on them"(paraphrased). Imo: this should be interpreted as, the keepers of Islam feel any discussion on difficulties in Islam, may cause some Muslims to be sympathetic to Trinity. PhD. (Piled higher and Deeper) Gary Miller gave a knowing wink to Muslims who are aware of the paralysis (despite being called mere "speculation"), while treating the majority of Muslims and dawaganda candidates as though they are mushrooms. Freethinking in ignorance simplifies many things.