[antiRepublicrat]

Man Allah sure is bloodthirsty.

Yeah, the god of the Old Testament was really peaceful.

[Bommer]

Yeah, the god of the Old Testament was really peaceful.

Isn't he the same God as in the New Testament? Funny how you left that part out!

[mcg1969]

Point me to any verse in Scripture that commands its readers to violence. There is a lot of violence in the Old Testament, yes---even commands of genocide from God to the Israelites. But in Scripture it is placed in historical context; it does not form a doctrine of continued violence. The other poster commenting on your omission of the New Testament has a point, but I think that the Old Testament alone stands up well to scrutiny next to the Koran.

[Centurion2000]

Man Allah sure is bloodthirsty.

Yeah, the god of the Old Testament was really peaceful.

The difference is that Christianity has been through a reformation and matured over 2000 years.

And Islamic New Testament is required or else their civilization will eventually go the way of the Aztecs, Carthage and the Kali-Thuggee worshippers.

[AnalogReigns]

The God of the Old Testament (same God as in the New) was brutal in our way of thinking--concerning the conquest of Canaan. The Torah's civil laws seem harsh too, by our way of thinking--calling for the death penalty for a number of offenses.

However--if the residents of Canaan were anything like their Arab counterparts now--its no wonder the command then was to totally wipe them out. Also, you'll find no general command to go out and conquer (like in the Koran) as God's commands to take the land were limited geographically to Palestine, not a general world-wide military offensive, as certainly seems to be the case of the Koran's god.

As to severe laws--they were less severe and much more reasonable than any other contemporary law codes. And many of the "death" offenses could be avoided by paying fines....hence execution was actually rarer in ancient Israel than we suppose. Things like required two witnesses for capitol offenses also put a check on abuse. The ancient world was virtually always a brutal severe place--and the ancient Jews had brutal severe laws to deal with the environment they were in.

Moreover you'll find no Jew or Christian today who really wants to put Old Testament law into literal effect for today. (yes I do know about Christin Reconstructionists...).

There are millions of Muslims today however, that want and have already, in at least a few countries, put 8th Century Sharia law into effect however.