When asked which of the commandments was the greatest Christ says "Love God with all your heart, and all your soul, and all your mind, and all your strength. Second, love your neighbor as you love yourself...." Part of Christ's mission was to bring us face to face with our shortcomings and bloodlust (i.e., our old "sinful" rebellious nature) so that we could move beyond it.
Where in Islam is the message of mercy and forgiveness and love (for Jews and Christians as well as other Muslims)? Yes, the Old Testament is full of violence and murder, and Christ teaches us that we do not have to be a slave to what the past has given us.
If the history of Judaism, Christianity, and Islam are less than exemplary then by all means blame men. But only one of these religions explicitly teaches us to do good to all that hate us. One of the other religions explicitly tells its adherents to kill others with whom they disagree.
Koran, surah 3:113: "There are among the People of the Book some upright men who all night long recite the revelations of God and worship Him; who believe in God and the Last Day; who enjoin justice and forbid evil and vie with each other in good works. These are righteous men: whatever good they do, its reward shall not be denied them. God well knows the righteous."
I could quote more. There is a lot of humanity and goodness in the Koran; and that is where its future rests. People who only get their information on the Koran from polemical websites have a warped impression of its message; to be sure, there is stuff in it that can get warped and manipulated by people with malice and evil in their hearts - who can use it to justify hideous acts. There's stuff in the Old and New Testaments that can be exploited too.
Yes, the Old Testament is full of violence and murder, and Christ teaches us that we do not have to be a slave to what the past has given us.
Indeed, and history supplies examples of the lesson learned. If Judaism and Christianity could mature beyond the murder and violence some people wanted to use it for, then Islam certainly can too.
If the history of Judaism, Christianity, and Islam are less than exemplary then by all means blame men. But only one of these religions explicitly teaches us to do good to all that hate us. One of the other religions explicitly tells its adherents to kill others with whom they disagree.
The Koran, surah 41:34: "Good deeds and evil deeds are not equal. Requite evil with good, and he who is your enemy will become your dearest friend."
It's in their Book, and eventually Islam, like the other religions, will learn the lesson.