[samtheman]

If you're saying that Christianity has been around longer and had more time to mellow, I agree with that. If you are saying that Christianity and Islam are essentially the same at their respective starting points, then I strongly disagree. These two religions absolutely fail the test of moral equivalence, whether you compare them at their source, at different points in their respective evolutions, or in the modern world today.

The equivalence you so evidently yearn for just isn't there. Sorry.

[punster]

I was referring to the Old Testament, which reflected the cultural influences of pre-Christianity. Christianity was a significant change from those earliear cultural influences.

Christianity was a change to compassion. Instead of just, "Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.", Christianity instructed, "Love your neighbor as yourself." This calls for compassion towards others.

Sometimes, there have been excesses committed by some individuals, who claim to be Christian, such as those of the Spanish Inquisition, Salem Witch Trials, and etc. Those individuals were violating the above mentioned commandment.

We can also exam the history of Judaism. We have seen Judaism progress, from the very early tribal behavior, to a much more compassionate religion.

You can see changes of that nature among some individuals in Islam. I see that it will take many years for Islam to purge itself of the narrowness of the likes of the Ayatollah Ruyollah Khomeini and others (the ones who have committed terrible atrocities).