The 'Great News' from Sura 78, is the great intolerance of the El-Lah moon cult. There is no 'news' within this Sura which extols the virtues and greatness of true religiosity, namely; the Golden Rule; humility, penitence, charity to all regardless of association; gratitude for life; rationality; faith through reason; free-will and the recognition that humans are individuals with special skills and aptitudes. The 'Great News' for Muslims is simply this – obey Allah; kill those who are not cult members; and use violence, coercion, and intolerance to achieve your objectives.

This Sura, which was written as Muslim power was growing in Median during the 620s AD, is a warning to Arab Jews, Christians, and pagans, that Islam will never tolerate anyone who is not a moon-cult member:

“Verily, We have warned you of a Penalty near, - the Day when man will see (the Deeds) which his hands have sent forth, and the Unbeliever will say, 'Woe onto me! Would that I were (mere) dust!'” [78:40]

Nice. The day of the penalty for all non-Muslims will be when the thing Al-ilah, the old masculine moon deity of pre-Mohammedan Arabia, 'assembles' all of the worthless humans [created from sperm and meaningless material, see Suras 76 and 77]; and pronounces his judgement. How rational. Of course the Allah thing is the only 'creature' which can talk. Never talk to or with the Allah. Never dare to argue or question him. No free-will and no rationality is tolerated within Islam. None. The crime for even thinking of querying the Allah object is Hellfire and torture.

“(Allah) Most Gracious: none shall have power to argue with Him. The Day that the Spirit and the angels will stand forth in ranks, none shall speak except any who is permitted by (Allah) Most Gracious, and he will say that is right.” [38]

He will determine who is 'saved' and gets the nubile boys and young girls in 'Heaven' and who is damned. The cursed are of course the infidels. Those abominable non-humans who refuse to prostrate themselves in unthinking ignorance to a moon idol and family deity of Mohammed. When Allah comes to 'sort out' who is blessed and who is cursed, the Infidel will be thrust into the eternal Hell-fire of punishment. How charitable.

“Verily the Day of Sorting Out is a thing appointed,-The Day that the Trumpet shall be sounded, and you shall come forth in crowds;....Truly Hell is as a place of ambush,-For the transgressors a place of destination: They will dwell therein for ages. Nothing cool shall they taste therein, nor any drink, Save a boiling fluid and a fluid, dark, murky, intensely cold, A fitting recompense (for them).” [17-26]

Notice the wonderful artistry and poetry of the words. Hell as a place of ambush...burning liquids for the Infidel to drink....along with another one which is cold, dark and used to cool down the humiliated and damned victim so he or she can drink the boiling concoction again and repeat the process for eternity...it is almost Pushkinesque in its majesty is it not?

'Them' is of course the Infidel who dares to defy the moon-cult and Mohammed. This would also include Muslim apostates, with apostasy punished by death under Koranic law [with 3 days given as a grace period to reconsider your decision]. The Koran is the most starkly racist and supremacist document written in history. 'Them' are not 'bad' or 'evil' people. Nor is the group named 'them' collections of criminals, destroyers, the insane or merely deluded and dangerous. 'Them' references  arrogant and intransigent, non-Muslims:

“But they (impudently) treated Our Signs as false. And all things have We preserved on record. 'So you taste (the fruits of your deeds); for no increase shall We grant you, except in Punishment.'” [28-30]

Charming. All natural occurrences are considered by Muslims to be 'signs'. Anything of importance, use, or of material value is a 'Sign'. Waking up is a 'sign'. The passing of the moon is a 'sign'. A flower blooming is a 'sign'. In this irrational equation Islam is true and valid because through the aegis of Allah, all 'signs' are displayed. What a demented world-view this is. Infidels who reject the El-Lah moon cult must be killed because they dare to assume that the natural world, life, thoughts, deeds, actions and events have nothing whatsoever to do with a moon object? No wonder Islam is so backwards. The entire theology suspends intelligence and rationality and replaces it with fantasy and stupidity.

So why would someone join the Muslim cult? To get the benefits in heaven proffered by the sign-giver, the thing Allah of course:

“Verily for the righteous there will be a fulfilment of (the Heart's) desires; Gardens enclosed, and grapevines; Companions of Equal Age; And a cup full (to the brim)....” [32-34]

Muslims are the only 'Righteous' people of course. Non-Muslims are the 'them' of the Hellfire. There is no objective ethical program or measurement of religiosity within Islam. Either you belong to an irrational, prostrating, ritualised cult of immoderate hate, supremacism and violence or you don't. And if you don't you are damned. It is all pretty damn clear.

[Note: This sura is taken from 'The Holy Quran', translated by Abdullah Yusuf Ali, reprinted in 1995, Goodword Books. Regarded as one of the best translations from Arabic to English of the Koran.]