Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

To: TNdandelion
Mohammed was a warrior. Jesus was a peacemaker. "Slay them whereever ye shall find them" versus "Turn the other cheek" and "Blessed are the Peacemakers" and "love your neighbor as yourself." The Old Testament is a little harsh? Well, yes, but Jesus made clear that "And eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth" was on the way out to be replaced with "Vengeance is mine sayeth the Lord" even though he was diplomatic about it.

The Koran is a blood soaked history of Mohammed giving it out. The only blood in the New Testament is really Jesus' taking it and not fighting back.

It is pretty clear what the general thrust of the founder of religion was.

A Christian cutting off the head of a man is doing so in contravention of Jesus' instructions. A Moslem doing so is fulfilling Mohammeds'. Christians who realize there may be necessity of war in this world have typically had to philosophize a justification to bend it around New Testament prohibitions on violence. Mohammedans have no need to bother with squaring their circles, for their holy book refers to the world as "Dar Ul Harb" or "Land of War" which it shall be in perpetuity until Islam has spread everywhere.

Interpretation of isolated passages is made easier by looking at the style and overall thrust of the text. Jesus spoke in parable and metaphor all the time, so when puzzled by a passage, see if the metaphorical interpretation makes it make more sense. When Jesus tells you to pluck your eye out, you simply look to see if he encouraged anyone around him actually to do this followed by his effusive praise. Since no one around Jesus was going about plucking eyes and Jesus didn't seem to upset by this, it's safe to say that he was being metaphorical. Contrast this with Mohammed saying, "Chop their heads off" followed by actual head chopping with Mohammed not being upset by the physical manifestation of his words. It gives you a clue that he was not being metaphorical.

Here endeth my crash course in Comparative Hermeneutics.

45 posted on 05/24/2005 10:15:44 PM PDT by caspera
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 44 | View Replies ]


To: caspera

Well said.


53 posted on 05/25/2005 6:52:32 AM PDT by agrace (All I have seen teaches me to trust the Creator for all I have not seen. - Ralph Waldo Emerson)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 45 | View Replies ]

To: caspera
Those are good points, but I don't think that you will find any Christians willing to denounce the violence, mistreatment of women and mass murder found in the Old Testament quite as quickly as they would the same found in the Koran. Therein lies the comparison and hypocrisy.

Most christians will dismiss the lives lost and ruined in the Old Testament as nothing more than ancient history and not worth deliberating about...but look how nice Christianity is.....today.

59 posted on 05/25/2005 9:43:35 PM PDT by TNdandelion
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 45 | View Replies ]

To: caspera
A Christian cutting off the head of a man is doing so in contravention of Jesus' instructions

Beauty is in the eye of the beholder. Jesus said he brought the sword. Go Figure.

60 posted on 05/26/2005 10:26:44 AM PDT by Podkayne (Islam is a lie. Allah is not Jehovah. Burkas are evil.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 45 | View Replies ]

Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article


FreeRepublic, LLC, PO BOX 9771, FRESNO, CA 93794
FreeRepublic.com is powered by software copyright 2000-2008 John Robinson