Violence in the Bible and the Qur'an

Answering Islam website ^ | not sure but its definitily after 9/11/01

[AgThorn]

Violence in the Bible and the Qur'an

A Christian Perspective

After the events of September 11^th, the issue of violence and religion has once again come into intense discussions and debate. As soon as Christians and others of good will condemn the Islamic justification and foundation for resorting to violence in the name of God—justifications found both in the Qur'an and the life of prophet Muhammad—we are quickly told that the Bible (especially the Old Testament scriptures) and Christian history are also filled with violence and that we should not single out Islam or the Qur'an in this regard.

For example, Fareed Zakaria, in his report in Newsweek, entitled "Why they hate us: The roots of Islamic rage—and what we can do about it" writes, "The historian Paul Johnson has argued that Islam is intrinsically an intolerant and violent religion. Other scholars have disagreed, pointing out that Islam condemns the slaughter of innocents and prohibits suicide. Nothing will be solved by searching for ‘true Islam’ or quoting the Qur'an. The Qur'an is a vast, vague book, filled with poetry and contradictions (much like the Bible). You can find in it condemnations of war and incitements to struggle, beautiful expressions of tolerance and stern pictures against unbelievers. Quotations from it usually tell us more about the person who selected the passages than about Islam. Every religion is compatible with the best and the worst of humankind. Through its long history, Christianity has supported inquisitions and anti-Semitism, but also human rights and social welfare."

How can Christians respond to such counter-charges? Are Christians and their scriptures no different than Muslim terrorists and others who use violence in the name of God to destroy their enemies? What can we say in light of our own dark Church history and also graphic passages found in portions of the Old Testament that do not seem to cast any better light on the roots and actions of our own faith tradition? The following are some of my reflections on these questions. Time does not allow me to develop each point fully, but I hope that they can be of some help and bring some clarification to these issues.

1. As Christians we must be very emphatic that Christians have and continue to do many shameful things in the name of Christ, BUT the issue is this: Christians who use violence in the name of God to destroy their enemies have no justification for their actions from Jesus Christ, his life and teachings as found in the New Testament. Whereas, Muslims who are engaged in violence and destruction of anyone who opposes Islam, have ample justification for their actions from the Qur'an and the life and sayings of prophet Muhammad. It is beyond the scope of this paper to quote verses and passages from the Qur'an, the Hadith and biographies of prophet Muhammad (the reader can refer to other articles on this web site, e.g. in the sections Muhammad and his enemies or Islamic Terrorism), but suffice it to say that it is beyond doubt that the prophet of Islam did encourage the killing and intimidation of his enemies, not just in self defense as it is commonly reported by Muslims, but in the promotion of the cause of God and the spread of Islam. Needles to say, the actions of the prophet were in direct contradiction to the teachings and actions of Jesus Christ and his disciples. So the point is not that Christians have never resorted to violence and other horrible atrocities. They have indeed committed many horrible acts, but when they have done this, they have betrayed the very person that they claim to follow. But when Muslims commit such acts, they can in fact claim that they are following the example of their prophet and thus fulfilling the will of God and promoting His cause. That, certainly, is a big difference!

2. When we turn our attention to the Old Testamet and look at passages that are found in the book of Joshua regarding the extermination of the Canaanites living in the land, we can still notice a dramatic difference in those passages and the events in the early history of Islam. The primary theme in those accounts is the issue of God's holiness. Even hundreds of years before the invasion of Canaan, God had told Abraham that the sins of the people living in the land had not reached its limit, but when the inhabitants had defiled the land to its limit, the land was going to "throw them up." In fact, God later warned the nation of Israel to be careful in not repeating the sins of the previous people, otherwise the land was going to throw them up too. So we see that God is using Israel as an instrument of His justice to purge the land of its sinfulness and later in history God used other nations like the Assyrians and the Babylonians as His instruments to cleanse the land by destroying the people of Israel for their sinfulness.

   However, when one reads the early accounts of prophet Muhammad's raids and wars, not only one sees no mention of the theme of divine holiness and its opposition to sin, but the primary motivations that one constantly encounters are the looting of the enemies and the obtaining of booty and the spoils of war or the relief and pleasures of Paradise or conquering the enemies and spreading the rule of the prophet. I am not just repeating an old stereotypical charge against Islam. I have just finished reading the most ancient Muslim biography of prophet Muhammad, written by Ibn Ishaq in the second century of the Islamic era (translated by A. Guillaume and published by Oxford University Press in 1955). I truly encourage all Muslims and non-Muslims to read this book to see for themselves the violence in the actions of prophet Muhammad and his early followers.

3. Another important point that we need to keep in mind is the fact that the divine command for the destruction of the few cities of Canaan, was for a specific people, a specific time and place and a specific purpose. Nowhere in the later Old Testament period do we see God commanding the nation of Israel to go and attack other pagan nations, either as self-defense or as a way to promote faith in the true God of heaven and earth. However, in the Qur'an, we encounter general commands to kill and destroy the enemies of Islam that are applicable for all times and places and people groups. It is beyond dispute that from the earliest times, right after the death of the prophet, Muslim splinter groups began fighting, killing and assassinating even each other, in the name of God. The history of Islam, down to the present day is filled with the appeals of various Muslims to ever-applicable Qur'anic passages to destroy and kill their enemies.

4. I would like to conclude this brief article by using a popular Islamic analogy. Muslims generally believe that since Islam is the final great monotheistic religion, it is superior in every respect to Judaism and Christianity. Living in the Middle East and growing up in a Muslim country, we were always told that Judaism was like elementary school, Christianity was like high school and Islam is like university. Each religion was from God, but each one became progressively higher and better. Now the question that we must ask is this, how can Islam claim to have a superior ethics to the New Testament, and yet resort back to the use and justification of violence, elements that were supposedly part of the early Jewish tradition? It seems that Islam not only has not improved on the teachings of Jesus and the New Testament in regard to the use of force, but that in fact Islam has gone back many steps in this regard.

I hope that the above comments have been helpful in clarifying some of the issues that we are facing these days regarding the use of violence in the Qur'an and the Bible. As Christians, we must not forget that the lens through which we must look at everything in life and even the Bible is the cross of Jesus Christ. Ultimately, it is the cross that defines for us who God is, what is He like and the means by which He is redeeming the world.

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Related articles: The Goodness of God

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Answering Islam Home Page

[AgThorn]

Excellent piece to rebute your Islamic rationism that you are getting from others....

I love the part about

we were always told that Judaism was like elementary school, Christianity was like high school and Islam is like university. Each religion was from God, but each one became progressively higher and better

Right. Any study of the Qur'an shows that Islam is anything BUT a step up from Christianity. Only someone that has no familiarity of the Bible would even attempt to make such a stupid claim. In my view, there is no 'Logic' to the teachings in the 'Qur'an'. It is like reading a "LONG" fortune cookie insert.

I commend those of the Islamic faith that follow it's peaceful dictates, but I do the same to anyone who would follow the ways of peace. This does NOT improve on Christianity one bit though.

There are many "so called" Jews and Christians that are anything but what they claim to be
(Why does Ted Kennedy come to mind ;-). But if Ted Kennedy is the "poster child" of a "bad Catholic", I would choose his faith any day compared to "Bin Laden" or "Saddam Hussein" being the poster child of a bad Muslim.

[isthisnickcool]

Islam=Cult

[AgThorn]

Still further -
to even attempt to try to compare Muhammed to Jesus Christ is further evidence of poor religious studies, let alone a poor understanding of both individuals, the history of the times, and both the Bible and the Qur'an.

[Frumanchu]

Excellent article! Bump!

[Khepera]

If Jesus Christ was not the authority he said he was why quote or mention him at all.

Three cheers for Christ and a Bronx cheer for Islam!

[RoughDobermann]

I hate the religious aspects of our present situation. I, for one, wouldn't shed a tear if ALL organized religions never existed.

[wwjdn]

You most likely wouldn't be alive to shed a tear.

[RoughDobermann]

You most likely wouldn't be alive to shed a tear.

Why do you say that?

[keithtoo]

There would be no stifling of human ambitions and if you were in someone....anyone's way, you would be eliminated. After all, if their is no Authority to answer to and we just disolve into unconciousness, then taking a life really isnt taking anything at all. Life is just a tiny accident, with no meaning, no importance, no design, no processes worth considering except 'what's in it for me'.

As for my well being depending on observing the Golden Rule. That's OK right up until I fail to see MY immediate benefit from it, then it goes in the ashcan.

[RoughDobermann]

I see your point, but I do disagree with you. My authority is my family, my friends and my country. My best to you.

[wwjdn]

Without religion, in my opinion, we wouldn't have survived this long. Early man was pretty brutal especially when religion was rejected. Not that we are much better today, but religious principles are the basis of our country. The United States is a great country because of those principles. Although they are being undermined and we are losing our greatness.

[Aquinasfan]

Thank you for this important and timely post.

[RoughDobermann]

Early man was pretty brutal especially when religion was rejected.

No offense, but the attack on the WTC, Pentagon and PA were about as brutal and ruthless as ever witnessed on this planet, IMO. And, they were committed by people who claimed to be Muslims. Twisted and insane, yes, but they still did what they did in the name of their religion. When one looks back throughout history at the wars/atrocities committed in the name of religion, I would hope that it makes any thinking person cringe.

[wwjdn]

True, but look at crimes done without religion...they are much worse. Look to China recently.

[RoughDobermann]

You mean the crimes against the Christians there?

[Caleb1411]

Ultimately, it is the cross that defines for us who God is, what is He like and the means by which He is redeeming the world.

Or, as Jesus unequivocally put it, "I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except by me."

Jesus' statement obliterates the theologically mushy assertion that Christianity and Islam are complementary, or that they're progressive revelations of a single religion.

[etcetera]

"Are Christians and their scriptures no different than Muslim terrorists and others who use violence in the name of God to destroy their enemies?"

The only test that matters to us today is how a religion is being practiced today. Muslims who say Islam is a peaceful religion need to look at the world and not just their back yard. As practiced today, Islam is an intolerant and violent religion. Clerics in the Middle East spew hate filled sermons against Israel and America. Muslims around the world are killing and enslaving non-Muslims for their religion. It's not the fault of non-Muslims that their opinion of Islam is being formed by the actions of the followers of Islam.

[wwjdn]

There are many crimes against humanity that have nothing to do with religion. many more than in the name of religion.

[Patria One]

Mohammed's mission was to rid the fallen away monthesists from including household idols in their worship. If you read about his life and the message that he brought, you'll find that he wasn't raiding and looting carvans, but speaking out against the incorporation of idols.

He was however a caravan master for many years which was in those times a position of great trust.

[RoughDobermann]

There are many crimes against humanity that have nothing to do with religion. many more than in the name of religion.

Possibly true, but certainly not quantifiable. Hitler does come to mind for me, although religion did play its part in his madness, though more through socialogical than true religious differences. However, many wars/atrocities have been carried out in the name of religion; from the Crusades to Bosnia to today's events. I just think that is a shame, that's all. Especially since not all (and perhaps only one) of the faiths can be the one true faith.