Dear Zack
Asalamu 3alykum
I think it is very clear from reading posts and articles that most people on this forum are not blind believers in the Quran. After one takes the oath to God that he/she has believed in the testimony of the Quran, then yes the stories in the Quran remain pure and true UNTIL proven otherwise. When I say proven otherwise which I am convinced they can never be, I mean in a scholarly academic way that presents undoubtable evidence.
The Quran will remain open to critical thinking, as I think many will agree the more one gives thought to the Quran the more one is convinced its the word of the Lord without any doubt(Alhamdulila Insha'Allah).
I think many before they claim to say
"because the Quran says so" have somehow came to be convinced that the Quran is the word of God. It is after this has been acknowledged and in matters that are "unknown" or cannot be verified through history(cameras, etc) or real scientific logical evidence that they say "because the Quran says so".
Why should we deny the stories in the "Quran" when there is no reason at all to doubt it only that they may not be fitting to ones own worldly views. I mean if one really gives thought to the creation of ones own life it also cannot be fully understood but we exist. But in reality it does not fit with the worldly view. All we can say is that God told us how we were created in the Quran or Bible and we have no other way of figuring it out and no time machine to take us back. When the stories speaking about people living long lives, or prophets and messengers were sent with miracles it maybe hard to understand them, but we cannot disprove them.
Also God has His ways to show His signs to His creation. Something that believers just feel and understand but cannot explain.
Also I notice and feel at times that you think the Quran is prophet "Muhammad's(pbuh)" words and his thoughts and not the word of God, the same God of Abraham, Moses, Jesus(pbut)?, excuse me if I am under the wrong impression and I apologize.
If you really did believe it was the word of God, the same God who sent the Torah to Moses(pbuh) and Gospel to Jesus(pbuh) do you not realize what you maybe implying? That 3 different revelations with somehow different stories and at times in contrast with each other.
God is clearly saying the Quran is a confirmation of the message that went before it. But God also protect His words of the Bible through His final revelation at least what He deemed to protect.
Believers of the Scriptures can clearly see this. Its not that one is better than the other. Its just that one is newer and purer than the other. God's words do not contradict each other whether it is within the same Book or from a revelation to a revelation.
Believers believe the stories in the Quran over the differences in stories in the Bible not because we are favoring one over another. Its the fact that we believe that the one true God has revealed the Bible and also revealed the Quran. They both belong to Him. But it is God Himself who uncovered the faults and fabrications of the past. He is the One who had informed us that the Quran is a guard over any difference that is present. He also chose to use the Quran to protect His own message that went before it as people had fiddled with it.
We ultimately make no distinctions between any of them only we use the Quran as a final criterion to guard the truth and correct all the misconceptions that ever spread from the time of the Bibles ministry to the end of time Insha'Allah. In this capacity that the messenger Muhammad(pbuh) and the Quran are also a mercy and a guidance to the People of the Book.
I also think its safe to say that the God did not reveal or document every incident that ever happened about the Prophets and Messengers in the Bible.
Stories mentioned in the Quran that are not mentioned in the Bible should not be taken as fake or tales because the Bible is silent on the matter.
No one is saying that Allah(swt) is intending to reveal the historical events of the past. As brother Joseph stated that the Quran does not intend to be a historical book, but it is a Book that protects God's words and message if they had been twisted. And as a whole its been guarded.
You said "instead the Quran guards, confirms, affirms etc. the previous message."
Its really confusing sometimes that I hear that from you and then at times you do not believe that it also corrects some passages or some incidences that was said to be from God.
Take a look at this article about the exodus of Moses(pbuh) people
[1] from a Quran's perspective compared to the exodus from the Bible's perspective.
If one says they believe in the Bible and the Quran to be from God then its clear that they have to choose one version of the story over the other to be the correct story. As I do not find you take this approach and I kindly respect that.
The Quran is admitting that its a confirmation of the message and truth with the People of the Book. That its the same God speaking to humanity once again. But at the same stroke also confirming that it corrects and guards the stories that were invented in the name of God from the people gone before the Quran. Any historical or message that is different between the two, the Quran should be taken as the truth not the other way around. Especially when you believe that both are from God otherwise something is problematic with this ideology.
Salam
[1]EXODUS OF PROPHET MOSES'S (pbuh) PEOPLEhttp://quransmessage.com/articles/exodus%20of%20moses's%20people%20FM3.htm