[WXRGina]

Excellent piece by Mr. Day!

[Sans-Culotte]

Bump

[WXRGina]

I didn’t even catch Mr. Day’s typo of “Trickle Down Poverty” in the first paragraph. We all know he means “Tyranny.”

[fishtank]

God did not allow King David to build His temple:

I Chronicles 28:2-3

Then King David rose to his feet and said, "Hear me, my brethren and my people: I [had] it in my heart to build a house of rest for the ark of the covenant of the LORD, and for the footstool of our God, and had made preparations to build it.

"But God said to me, 'You shall not build a house for My name, because you [have been] a man of war and have shed blood.'

. . . . . . . . ..

I agree with the author. I'm the FR founder of the Michael Savage daily thread, and I agree that Savage is very uninformed and incorrect about the difference between the Bible and the Koran.

The article says it well, but I wanted to mention King David, because when God refused to allow David to build the temple, God was showing that the Old Testament warfare, bloodshed and killing was SPECIFIC and LIMITED, it was not meant to be continual and ongoing.

[Thommas]

A thoroughly enjoyable explanation.

[skeeter]

I’m no biblical scholar, but since the Christian bible contains the five books making up the Torah, wouldn’t Mr Savage’s charge also apply to it, as well?

[Fiji Hill]

He is a great champion of traditional conservatism and a defender of America and freedom.

Oh, really? He supports California governor Jerry Brown, who is anything but a champion of traditional conservatism and a defender of America and freedom.

[jboot]

Not a bad reply, but verbose to the point of tedium. A handful of bullet points will suffice.

1. God is always a just Judge. His judgements are absolutely fair and exacting. His rewards and punishments are always fully deserved.

2. We humans may not see it that way, but we have no standing to judge God. If we read the OT and are horrified, the problem lies with us, not God.

3. In the OT, Israel (among other nations) acted as the instrument of God's judgement. Not one sin was committed by the Israelites carrying out God's commands, even when they slew women and children (see 1 and 2 above). Rather they sinned when they were disobedient and allowed the objects of judgement to live.

4. In the age since Christ, the Church acts as the instrument of God's grace. The church is not in the judgement business-yet. Yet the church is not without authority: what the church looses on earth will be loosed in heaven and what the church binds on earth will be bound in heaven.

[stayathomemom]

We do NOT worship the same god! The way I see the distinction is this:
The 10 Commandments all boil down to the 1st: "Thou shalt have no other gods before me." Hence, the ultimate judgement is God's and his alone. His judgement is omniscient and perfect.
Islam says "There is no god but Allah and Mohamed is his profit." Hence, they are to follow the commands of Mohamed who used vengeance against the infidel. Allah is a small "god" and needs help. Those who judge in his name do an imperfect job.

[old school]

I think people are given to make broad generalizations when it proves to be less taxing than actually verifying what it is they say. I would think it very difficult to read the New Testament (in context) without having read the Old Testament. But, that’s just my opinion.

[JimWayne]

I think Michael Savage is right about the existence of the edicts in the OT. The author misses some of the verses in Deuteronomy which call for death to those who worship other gods. These verses were the reason for the Crusades and Inquisitions by the Catholics.

[RobbyS]

“something like saying a number of Hail Mary’s and then you’re guilt-free.”. Or putting your finger on a randomly chosen Bible verse /s.

[RobbyS]

“something like saying a number of Hail Mary’s and then you’re guilt-free.”. Or putting your finger on a randomly chosen Bible verse /s.

[Carriage Hill]

Need your expertise on this thread Ping!

[grumpa]

While we essentially agree with the author, we would explain it differently. See our article:

http://www.faithfacts.org/world-religions-and-theology/christianity-vs.-islam

[NELSON111]

I like a lot of what Savage has to say...but I’ve heard enough to come to the conclusion that his theology is not Christian. He may call himself Christian, I don’t know. However, calling oneself a Christian doesn’t make it so. There are enough examples around to prove that point.

[onedoug]

Swell thread. Thanks for posting.

If you’re not a Dennis Prager fan, you should be.

[rockabyebaby]

The “nation” may be interested in this thread!

[MEGoody]

Savage is a border line lunatic (and I'm being kind). His position on God, the scriptures and so forth vacillates from day to day.

Frankly, I'm glad our local talk radio station took him off their schedule. He was on during my evening drive, and I usually ended up changing the station or putting in a CD.

[nonsporting]

In chapter three, page 63, addressing “Christian terrorism”, he points out that the Koran instructs, “smite an infidel and put a knife to his neck”, adding, “If you look at the Old Testament of the Bible, it has similar edicts.”

This kind of moral equivalence we have seen spewn from the left. I don't listen to Savage, so I do not know what his political leanings are.

If such language existed in the Bible, Savage should supply it. But I suspect he is sloppily equating God's command to the Children of Israel to take the promised land with radical Islamic "Terrorism." The Jews were commanded to kill (almost without exception) every living thing--humans and animals. God is just. The Jews failed to do as God commanded and allowed evil to remain in their midst and it turned their hearts from God, evetually leading God to abandon Israel (the curse part of "the blessing and the curse" -- Deut 29:18-28).

There are no such commands from God to "conquer the land" today with force of arms. The seed of promise (Jesus Christ) has come. And we are charged with preaching the gospel to all nations. Our battle is not with flesh and blood:

For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places. (Ephesians 6:12)

And this is how we are to be "armed":

Stand therefore, having your loins girt about with truth and having on the breastplate of righteousness; And your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace; Above all taking the the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the firey darts of the wicket. And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the spirit, which is the word of God. Ephesians 6:14-17)

Parallels with Islam? No way. However, the natural man is blind. So, I am not surprised Savage doesn't see it.