Expert: George A. Card,sfo, M.I - 4/5/2005

Question
I was raised by a Muslim Father and a Christian mother.  Recently I have heard a lot of biased Christian propaganda against Islam on the basis that Islam is inherently violent.  
I find this downright ludicrous when Christians rant against “violent” Islam and are ignorant of Biblical history.  Take the following texts:

Deuteronomy 7:1-2: "... the seven nations greater and mightier than thou; And when the LORD thy God shall deliver them before thee; thou shalt smite them, and utterly destroy them; thou shalt make no covenant with them, nor shew mercy unto them."
Joshua 6:21: "And they utterly destroyed all that was in the city, both man and woman, young and old, and ox, and sheep, and ass, with the edge of the sword.
Joshua 10:40-41: "So Joshua smote all the country of the hills, and of the south, and of the vale, and of the springs, and all their kings: he left none remaining, but utterly destroyed all that breathed, as the LORD God of Israel commanded. And Joshua smote them from Kadesh-barnea even unto Gaza, and all the country of Goshen, even unto Gibeon."

Deuteronomy 2:26-35 - Land of Heshbon "...we took all his cities at that time, and utterly destroyed the men, and the women, and the little ones, of every city, we left none to remain."

(Numbers 31:7): "They warred against Midian, as YAHWEH commanded Moses, and killed every male. They killed the kings of Midian ... And the people of Israel took captive the women of Midian and their little ones; and they took as booty all their cattle, their flocks, and all their goods. All their cities in the places where they dwelt, and all their encampments, they burned with fire."

(Numbers 31:15) : "Moses was enraged with the officers of the army ... ‘So you spared the women! ... Kill every male among the little ones, and kill every woman who has had sexual intercourse with a man, but keep the virgins for yourselves ... divide them up evenly.'"

1 Samuel 15:2, 20): "Thus says YAHWEH of hosts, 'I will punish what Amalek did to Israel in opposing them on the way, when they came up out of Egypt. Now go and smite Amalek, and utterly destroy all that they have; do not spare them, but kill both man and woman, infant and suckling, ox and sheep, camel and ass.'" And Saul came to the city of Amalek, and lay in wait in the valley. And Saul said to the Kenites, "Go, depart, go down from among the Amalekites, lest I destroy you with them." ... So the Kenites departed from among the Amalekites. And Saul defeated the Amalekites ... and utterly destroyed all the people with the edge of the sword ... And Saul said to Samuel, "I have obeyed the voice of YAHWEH, I have gone on the mission on which YAHWEH sent me, I have brought Agag the king of Amalek , and I have utterly destroyed the Amalekites."
       Leviticus 20:13:13 " 'If a man lies with a man as one lies with a woman, both of them have done what is detestable. They must be put to death; their blood will be on their own heads.


Numbers 15:32-35: 32 While the Israelites were in the desert, a man was found gathering wood on the Sabbath day. 33 Those who found him gathering wood brought him to Moses and Aaron and the whole assembly, 34 and they kept him in custody, because it was not clear what should be done to him. 35 Then the LORD said to Moses, "The man must die. The whole assembly must stone him outside the camp."

In these passages God is instructing his people in the ways of genocide and bigotry.
Please explain to me how Christianity is anymore tolerant accepting and peaceful than any other religion.  

Answer
                   Peace

Dear Amir Zal,

I read the passage you posted them, I didnt read them in their full context.

I noticed you post only Old Testament passage. Isreal was dealing with polytheistic and violent societies around them, and mostly in a defensive manner.

How do I reconcile the above passages with "Peaceful" Jesus of the New Testament. First by stating ritual laws has passed with coming of Jesus but not moral/natural laws of things. Second Jesus focused primarily on personal level in relation to moral laws. He did called for justice as those passages did but also called man to realize mercy is sometimes justice's other name.

              your servant but His first
                          george