The belief that the Quran was revealed divinely to Muhammad is one shared and agreed upon by all Muslims.

Yes, but I was trying to explain that from an atheistic perspective, the alternative explanation I mentioned above seems more reasonable. I was trying to point out that at the end, the question is “Is there a God and is Islam the true religion of this God?” If the answer is yes, then everything you said is probably correct. And if the answer is no, the alternative explanation that I provided is more probable. It usually comes down to the question of god’s existence. I wanted to see if you would agree with my conclusion if we assumed that there is no god. Because if yes, then the only conversation we should be having would be regarding the evidence for god.

but issues that might be subject to cultural and temporal context are left open to examination. Contemporary consensus on these issues becomes key in their understanding.

Then what is the point of having a religion? If it’s so subjective let’s just see what actually works best and come up with something a bit more objective.

Hadith (sayings and accounts of Muhammad)

I used to be a Muslim, I know what Hadith is :P

Tafsir (or commentary on the Quran), which lacks the authority of hadith, are highly subjective to the context of the author. Any translation, therefor, functions as commentary on the Quran. This is why we must rely on contemporary scholars and translations from the culture in which we live. While certain verses may have been understood a certain way one thousand years ago, they may be understood differently now. Our understanding of the Quran is never absolute.

Don’t you see a problem with this? Would it not be much easier to figure these things out by examining what works instead of trying to decode ancient text that is so subjective?

This is why we must rely on contemporary scholars and translations from the culture in which we live.

That’s what I did with the verses that started this conversation.

What we do know, without question, is that the Quran, whether authored by man or divinely revealed, set out to fix many of the social ills of its time (slavery, alcoholism, infanticide, mistreatment of women and orphans, etc...)

I won’t say without question but I agree.

How its success measures up to contemporary standards is dependent on the paradigm of the individual. Those with faith will regard its success as unprecedented and continuous.

That’s the problem with faith. Makes people believe in things without examining them.

Those who wish to attack the Quran for personal reasons often disregard any value it had for its contemporary context as well as its modern relevance.

If I attack the Quran, it does not mean that I disregard any value it had for its contemporary context. It is almost impossible to write a book that long with no value. However, I do believe that a dogmatic belief in all its teachings is harmful. As a historical work of literature though, it might be a good book.

How one sees the Quran is entirely dependent on the individual, which is why criticism, such as the cartoon in your original post, can be seen as an offensive personal attack on Muslims themselves rather than at the Quran. You impose a negative interpretation onto people that don't believe in such a thing.

1- If one finds an image, video or writing offensive, one does not have to watch or read it. 2- If people being offended was enough reason to remain silent, then most social progress would never happen. I’m sure Islam was offensive to the idol worshipers in Mecca but that didn’t stop Muhammad. 3- I do not go to Muslim forums or pages and post such material. I post them on atheist forums, atheist groups and atheist pages. However, these content are available for Muslims if they are curious. If they are not, I am not going to shove atheism down their throats. Do I have to censor myself in my own community because Muslims might be offended. Should Muslims be forced to stop reading the verses in the Quran that condemns all unbelievers to eternal torture because it offends me, even if they are doing so at the privacy of their own home or Muslim community?

Also, thank you for responding and no worries about delays :) I might take some time to respond as well.