counterparts of the Christians to the extent that they resemble them, and in so doing they part company with the religion of the Muslims. Some among them, however, remain closer to the Muslims’ faith, whereas the extremists are far closer to the Christians; indeed, a number of them are even more unbelieving than the Christians themselves.

The Christians base their doctrine on what they transmit either from the Prophets or from others whose authority they deem binding. Whenever an objection is put to their scholars that would render their view impossible, they answer, “So it is in the Scripture; the Scripture itself declares it; these Books were brought by the messengers.” By “messengers” they intend those supported by miracles, and by that they mean the disciples. Their clinging to these texts rests solely on what they presume to be recorded in the divine books, even when they see it standing in open defiance of plain reason.

For that reason they forbid their laity from research and debate on the matter, knowing full well that once sound intellect grasps their religion it will recognise its falsehood. Thus the claim advanced by some that we only speak of “Father, Son, and Holy Spirit” in order to validate the assertion that God is living and speaking is an obvious lie—and they know it to be a lie. Affirming that God is living and speaks does not depend on that formula; it can be established by legal, scriptural, and rational proofs and expressed in clear language, as Muslims and others do, without our having to say “Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.”

Among the points that make this plain is a second consideration: namely, that the Christians—who themselves acknowledge that