Initially, the Muslims of Muhammad's time knelt facing Jerusalem when they prayed, but then Allah decided to change the prayer direction to Mecca. This change is referred to in the Quran: "...And We did not make the qiblah which you used to face except that We might make evident who would follow the Messenger from who would turn back on his heels. We will surely turn you to a qiblah with which you will be pleased. So turn your face toward al-Masjid al-Haram [in Mecca]. And wherever you [believers] are, turn your faces toward it [in prayer]" (Quran 2:143-144).
Our Debate Question: Before the change in Qibla, how did facing Jerusalem "make evident who would follow the Messenger from those who would turn back on his heels" whereas facing Mecca would not have made this evident?
Turning our attention to what residents of Hell eat, in Quran 37:66 Allah stated that these residents eat from the tree of Zaqqum. Later Allah indicated that they shall eat only the thorny Dhari plant (Quran 88:6). Allah finally decided that the food Hell's residents shall eat shall only be the foul discharge from wounds (Quran 69:36). Our Debate Question: Does the omniscient god of the universe have logical reasons to keep changing his mind about the food for Hell's inhabitants, or instead does Muhammad have a problem recalling what he said earlier?
Finally, while Allah has made clear in the Quran that he intends to torture disbelievers with fire, he finally decided to let Muslims be kind to them if they wish to. In Quran 60:8 we read: "Allah does not forbid you from those who do not fight you because of religion and do not expel you from your homes - from being righteous toward them..." This abrogates Allah's earlier verse, "Never be a helper to the disbelievers." (Quran 28:86). Our final debate question here is "Why was Allah originally opposed to Muslims being helpers to the disbelievers?"
Our Debate Question: Before the change in Qibla, how did facing Jerusalem "make evident who would follow the Messenger from those who would turn back on his heels" whereas facing Mecca would not have made this evident?
Turning our attention to what residents of Hell eat, in Quran 37:66 Allah stated that these residents eat from the tree of Zaqqum. Later Allah indicated that they shall eat only the thorny Dhari plant (Quran 88:6). Allah finally decided that the food Hell's residents shall eat shall only be the foul discharge from wounds (Quran 69:36). Our Debate Question: Does the omniscient god of the universe have logical reasons to keep changing his mind about the food for Hell's inhabitants, or instead does Muhammad have a problem recalling what he said earlier?
Finally, while Allah has made clear in the Quran that he intends to torture disbelievers with fire, he finally decided to let Muslims be kind to them if they wish to. In Quran 60:8 we read: "Allah does not forbid you from those who do not fight you because of religion and do not expel you from your homes - from being righteous toward them..." This abrogates Allah's earlier verse, "Never be a helper to the disbelievers." (Quran 28:86). Our final debate question here is "Why was Allah originally opposed to Muslims being helpers to the disbelievers?"
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Good discussion of abrogation;
2nd fine discussion of abrogation