Here's a thought experiment I used to have as a Muslim: If the Islamic world really wanted to shake Christianity and settle the debate, what would it do?
Simple.
Fund massive archaeological excavations across ancient Arabia, especially around Medina, the city once known as Yathrib before Muhammad.
Why?
Because if Muhammad was restoring the original message of Moses, there should be evidence. Ancient Torah manuscripts.
Hebrew texts. Prophetic writings. Something that confirms the Quran's version of the biblical story. But here's the problem:
Every major manuscript tradition we possess today points the other direction. The Dead Sea Scrolls, The Masoretic Text, The Septuagint.
Ancient biblical manuscripts from across the world. They consistently preserve the same core storyline that existed long before the 7th century.
So, where is the Torah that matches the Quran? Where is the manuscript tradition that contains Muhammad's retellings of the prophets?
Where is the evidence? If Islam claims to confirm previous revelation, then there should be historical traces of that revelation.
But after centuries of archaeology and manuscript discoveries, no ancient Torah has surfaced that validates the Quran's unique claims. That's the question that started bothering me.
Because if a text existed that confirmed Muhammad's version of events, it would be one of the most important archaeological discoveries in human history.
And trust me:
If someone found it tomorrow, I'd be paying very close attention. Until then, evidence matters.
And claims need receipts.
I used to smoke, drink, and curse.
I once drove a semi truck all the way to Ohio to buy a bag of cocaine. I tumbled down a mountainside while high on LSD. I chased after women, watched pornography daily, and lived only to satisfy the desires of my flesh.
And do you know what it brought me?
Misery.
I was empty, broken, and ready to die. None of those things ever gave me the peace or happiness I was searching for.
Today, that's no longer my story. The emptiness is gone because it has been filled by Christ Jesus. He changed my life, gave me purpose, and gave me a joy this world could never offer.
a good middle manager looks like a guy who just drinks coffee and forwards emails, but his actual job is secretly absorbing insane executive requests so the team can just do their work
You should express anger so rarely that when you do, everyone who witnesses it is shocked, appalled, and embarrassed by the gravity of the situation.
“You made HIM mad? Yeesh…”
A very good way to live.
gnosticism is one of those things that when you first stumble across feels like some lost esoteric wisdom but when you dig into it you find is actually complete nonsense
Jack Dorsey put 1.3 million dollars into it.
Vitalik Buterin gave it 128 ETH.
You have never heard of it.
It is called SimpleX. It is a messenger. It does not need a phone number. It does not need an email. It does not need a username. It does not need a user ID.
Not a hidden ID. Not a hashed ID. None at all.
Signal needs your phone number. WhatsApp needs your phone number. Telegram needs your phone number. Every messenger you have ever called "private" knows the one thing your bank, your stalker, and your country use to identify you.
SimpleX knows nothing.
It was built by Evgeny Poberezkin, a London-based engineer. Before this he wrote Ajv, the JavaScript validator that runs in 300 million downloads every month. He could have built anything.
He built the messenger with no users on the server.
Here is the trick.
Every other messenger gives you an identity. SimpleX gives you a connection. Each chat is its own one-way pipe. The server never sees who you are talking to. It does not even know you exist as a user.
11,327 stars. AGPL-3.0. Version 7.0 beta released two days ago.
iOS. Android. macOS. Windows. Linux. Free.
A 4-person team in London is the last line of defense between your conversations and every government, every advertiser, and every database breach.
The most private messenger ever built is the one you have never heard of.
(Link in the comments)
George: "Jerry! You're not gonna believe this! Y'know that leftist girl with the big glasses who had me Venmo her $300 for rent money? She called it 'mutual aid'?"
Jerry: "I still can't believe that.. You won't even spot me 5 bucks for a sandwich.."
George: "This was different! She had that 'The system is crushing me' thing going on. I figured she'd be grateful.. she'd see I'm evolved. And *chokes back tears* she.. I just heard she killed herself!"
Jerry: "Oh my God."
George: "Oh my God is right! I'm out 300 bucks!"
Jerry: "George.. The woman is dead. That money was a gift. You're seriously worried about that at a time like this?"
George: "It wasn't a gift; it was an investment! An investment in her continued existence. And she defaulted! She took the ultimate exit strategy and left me holding the bag!"
The One True Church is not Mormon, Catholic, Orthodox, or any other particular religious institution. The One True Church is composed of all those who have been born again through trusting alone in Jesus Christ.