General thoughts on debates and some help for preparing future dialogs

CONTENDING EARNESTLY FOR THE FAITH; Logic, Debate and Apologetics is an insightful article on the general issue of debates, presented by Ex.Atheist.com, well worth reading for anyone who intends to enter, or is forced to participate in debating.

Christians-Muslim Meetings: Some Planning Guidelines

Note: Displaying this debate material or links to such material does not constitute an endorsement of any of the arguments presented by the individual speakers. Just as Muslims, Christians are not of one unanimous opinion about everything. Furthermore, this page is not a priority for us. We make our own arguments. No attempt is made to give a complete overview on debates, but see the link in the last paragraph.

Pointers to past

Muslim-Christian Dialogs and Debates

Debates between Christians and Muslims have a long tradition. Sadly many of these debates are not done by the scholars on either side and are not really helpful to thoroughly understand the important topics. Debates are about a match of wit rather than depth. They live by surprising the opponent through something he was not prepared for. Not by presenting hard arguments which most of the audience could probably not follow anyway. But all really important questions are also complex and can hardly be dealt with in the necessary thoroughness within the alotted time. But there is a great interest in debates among Muslims. We present this collection of debate transcripts and materials as well as pointers where to find more of them as a service to the readership, but stress that we ourselves do not find this approach very helpful. But decide for yourself if you find some of the presented arguments helpful in your search for truth.

  • Faith Forum presents transcripts of a two session dialog with the topics: "Who is God?" and "Who is Jesus?"

  • "Is the Qur'an the word of God?" was the topic of two debates. First between Mr. Jay Smith and Dr. Jamal Badawi on August 9, 1995 at Trinity College, University of Cambridge and then again between Jay Smith and Abdur-Raheem Green on May 29, 1996, Southbank, London University.

  • What is God like? The concept of God in Islam and in Christianity (Debate between Dr. William Craig and Dr. Jamal Badawi, February 27, 1997, tapes available now). The Muslim announcement of this debate.

  • November 9, 1996. Debate between Dr. Jamal Badawi and Dr. Robert Morey:
    Dr. Morey's debate notes.

  • A debate from soc.religion.islam between Jeremiah McAuliffe, a Catholic convert to Islam, and Abdul Saleeb, a Muslim convert to Christianity about the book "Answering Islam" authored by Norman Geisler and Abdul Saleeb.

  • Radio Debate on Islam "Raheem & Quadar vs. Guthrie": [1], [2], [3], [4]

    • Ahmed Deedat Debates, see also the Ahmed Deedat Rebuttal Page

  • "Was Christ Crucified?" was the topic of the debate between Josh McDowell and Ahmed Deedat in August 1981 in Durban, South Africa.

  • Mr. Ahmed Deedat and Dr. Anis A. Shorrosh have debated twice. The transcript of the first debate with the topic "Is Jesus God?", held in December 15, 1985, is contained in chapters 8-10, pages 235-280, of the book Islam Revealed - A Christian Arab's View of Islam, Dr. Anis A. Shorrosh, 1988, Thomas Nelson Publishers, ISBN 0-8407-3015-2. (The book can be ordered from any bookstore or directly from Anis Shorrosh Evangelistic Association, P.O. Box 577, Spanish Fort, Al 36527, U.S.A.) Their second debate under the title "The Qur'an and the Bible, which is God's Word?" took place in August 7, 1988, and is available on video and audio tapes which can be ordered from the same address.

    A Debate of Dr. Anis Shorrosh in real audio (failure of Deedat to show up led to an impromptu debate with some other Muslims).

    Discussions, disputations and debates between Muslims and Christians are not a new invention. Many real ones were held, and also imaginary ones produced, past and present.

  • A Debate (supposedly) dated AD 1165 in the time of Sultan Saladin.
  • Also one of the greatest theologian of the Catholic Church, Thomas Aquinas, 1225-74 A.D., wrote extensively on the topic in his "Summa contra gentiles" which you can access through this page on Philosophy and Theology. I have been told that "Summa contra gentiles" is mainly a defense of the Christian faith against Muslims.
  • The oldest written Christian defense of the Trinity to Muslims, AD 778
  • The Apology of Al-Kindy, AD 830
  • A fragment of a dialogue between an Emir and a Monk, AD 1698

    • Muslims have put on the web various dialogs and debates and links to many of them are collected on this page. In some of these debates the Christians do not look good, but we trust that nobody will dismiss the whole faith because some Christian was surprised by some Muslim arguments and couldn't find a good answer on the spot. Some of these debates (most infamously Deedat / Swaggert) were set up by Muslims with Christians who were ignorant of the Islamic faith and arguments and where they are completely overrun. Obviously, Muslim organizations make available only those debates where they look good, and not those that they lost. We have yet to see them sell the debates by Dr. Badawi, or Mr. Green against Jay Smith. Muslims organized and taped the debate, and we do not have ourselves tapes in a quality that can be put on the internet. Anyway, we are preparing answers to most of the main debators on the web, and they can be found in our rebuttal sections.

    A Muslim asked us to display: How to respond to Christians according to the Qur'an.

    Answering Islam Home Page