Monday, May 19, 2008

Khalid Yasin's Blunders

Dr. White recently posted a YouTube video providing a clip in which Khalid Yasin provides a rather spectacular string of blunders. Dr. White's video, which includes Dr. White's own commentary on the blunders is embedded below.

I simply wanted to take the opportunity to try to root out what appears to be the possible conflation taking place in each of Khalid Yasin's mistakes. First, the video, then - after that - I'll provide the short analysis:



KY: "The council of Nicea in 354"

The most famous council of Nicea in the 300's was the council of Nicea of 325. I couldn't immediately locate any record of a council at Nicea in 354.

KY: "The Romans at the council of Nicea"

Nicea (now known as Iznik) is a city in Turkey, not Italy. The council of Nicea (of 325) was called by Emporor Constantine, a Byzantine Emporer. If there was a council at Nicea at 354, it would have been a local or regional council, and consequently wouldn't have included any Romans. The famous council of Nicea of 325 undoubtedly included Roman Christians, but also would have include a large majority of non-Romans.

KY: "that there were five books that they didn't want to include in the New Testament"

There doesn't appear to be any record of the famous (or any other) council of Nicea deciding on a negative canon of Scripture. It's possible that Dan Brown, or a similarly unreliable source, has tried to infer such a decree from the inclusion of certain books in the NT canon by Origen before the famous council of Nicea, and the non-inclusion of such books by Athanasius after the council of Nicea.

KY: "The Gospel of Barnabas"

There was an epistle attributed to Barnabus that was extent in the fourth century, but as Dr. White points out in the video: not the Gospel of Barnabus, which was a much, much later writing.

KY: "Who was the Blind Companion of Jesus"

Barnabas was the companion of Paul on Paul's first missionary journey.

Bartimeaus was a blind man from outside Jericho, who Jesus healed and who subsequently followed Jesus.

Bartholomew was an apostle and companion of Jesus.

Somehow, KY seems to have rolled all three up into one.

KY: "Saint Barnabas"

The primary name associated with the title "Saint" Barnabas is Paul's missionary companion. He does not appear to have been the author of the Epsitle of Barnabas (although some people attributed it to him), and he clearly was not the author of the "Gospel" that bears his name.

The Gospel of Barnabus is a rather obvious medieval forgery. For more information, one may look here: (link). As Dr. White said, those who try to promote Islamic apologetics should be more mindful of the truth, which is something KY was quite clearly not promoting with his reliance on a medieval forgery and garbled history.

-TurretinFan

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

TF

not that either of you, Dr. White or yourself need any cheering on but I am most touched by these verses before, when and after watching the clip addressing with gentle wisdom from above, the error.

To God be the Glory in everything we do and when you come to realize how foolishly "deadly" this attack is, generally and specifically, Islam, it does a heart good to eat the Bread of Heaven daily!

The verses I have in mind:

Pro 26:4 Answer not a fool according to his folly, lest you be like him yourself.
Pro 26:5 Answer a fool according to his folly, lest he be wise in his own eyes.