re: #230 Walter L. Newton

Not totally correct. Yes, there is violence in the hebrew scriptures, violence that was ordered by god. But, nothing in the hebrew scriptures warrants a command that the Jews continue to follow those orders.

That is why, in general, at least theologically, Jews do not believe that they have some mission to save the world, rule the world, kill and subject.

But the Koran has OPEN rules and commands to CONTINUE to do this, subject, till the world comes to allah. And this subjection comes with methods, such as taxes, slavery if need and, the big prize, death.

Two totally different theological tracks.

Walter, I think that people can find rules and commands within the Old testament (and other places) to justify anything, if they look hard enough.

There is no shortage of bloody stories and violent commands.

I just can’t believe anyone who wants to claim that Islam is fundamentally violent or that the Koran is fundamentally violent; neither are ‘fundamentally’ more violent than the OT, and the history of Christianity surely proves that the practice ofa religion can bear very little relation to its sacred books. (I’m thinking of the contrast between the New Testament and the crusades, the inquisition. I would never think those were indicative of the nature of catholicism or christianity. Why the difference? )