Fenix's lack of understanding

Submitted by Richard Burd (United States), Aug 18, 2003 at 18:19

To say Christanity is far more violent than Islam is to say Germans are more violent than Serbs.

Without getting into theological symantics & issues of exegesis or hermenutics, let's suffice to say that Christanity has had a violent past associated with it. But Christian civilivation has since then (the middle ages) evolved and matured, esp. after the 30 years war and the 18th century enlightment. Today, that same mature interpretation of Christanity is spread across Africa & south Asia by western missionaries. Now this mature understanding evolved over several centuries and has a long & complex history; so much so that a person like yourself who wants to fit complex social phenomena into simplistic paradigms (that allow you to articulate an opinion) wouldn't really be interested in hearing about.

Furthermore, in showing your own lack of understanding with these complex issues, you site John, Luke, Corinthians and Titus as having violent passages. But if one bothers to read these passages they will see these either refer to divine punishment of the soul [for personal sin] or communal ex-communication for teaching false doctrine. Where do these New Testament writers call for spreading Christanity by the sword? Where do they call for the creation of a Christian state with a legal system based on the teachings of Jesus Christ? -Nowhere, this is a personal religion spreading across the Roman empire, not a religion with a built in political theory like Islam, or what Pipes calls Islamism.


As for the Old Testament citations of yours, they are either equally irrelevant to your thesis or (in some cases) actually support it. Needless to say, the ancient Israelites were a violent bunch living in violent times. I'm a Jew, and I will be the first to say that we've matured since the times of Joshua. I don't care how much incest, robbery, or idolatry a society tolerates, it doesn't deserve to have it's property taken by another because some insecure god says it's part of his master plan. That's not the kind of God I believe in, yet I am still deeply religious. Will you see Muslims criticising the Quran and finding fault with it like Christians & Jews do with the Bible? Mabye in 50 or 100 years, but right now they're stuck in the middle ages, with the answer being a flat no.

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