When Christians confront Muslims for having verses in their Quran that command followers of Prophet Muhammad to kill and punish unbelievers, the Muslims usually respond, "But what about the violent verses in the Bible?"
American Jewish author and radio talk show host Michael L. Brown said this Muslim challenge needs to be addressed properly since it cannot be denied that both the Holy Bible and the Quran have violent verses.
In a Charisma News opinion article, Brown tackled the subject, saying what should be pointed out is that the "violent verses in the Bible were for a specific time and place while the violent verses in the Quran are spoken in general terms."
Brown cited at least two violent verses in the Scripture. "In the Bible, God commanded Joshua to annihilate the Canaanites, meaning to kill men, women and children, since the Canaanites were considered guilty sinners. Centuries later, during the time of King Saul, the prophet Samuel said that it was God's will to annihilate the Amalekites because of the sins they had committed," he wrote.
However, Brown said that "while these commands seem monstrous to many readers today, they cannot possibly be applied to contemporary situations and they have never been considered normative for all times in either Judaism or Christianity."
In contrast, Brown said, "the Quranic injunctions to smite at the necks of unbelievers and to kill and punish them in various ways have been applied to contemporary situations since the days of Muhammad, right up until today."
Moreover, for Christians, the Old Testament, where the violent verses are found, serves as the foundation on which the New Testament is built, which means that the New Testament contains the "final revelation," Brown said. "Significantly, there are no verses in the New Testament in which believers are called on to kill their enemies."
The situation is totally different in the case of Islam. "For Muslims, the Quran is the final revelation," the author said. "Throughout Islamic history, the violent verses have often been applied literally by Muslims in their treatment of unbelievers and enemies."
But what sets the Bible and the Quran totally apart is how they depict the founders of their respective faiths.
"Jesus was crucified and ordered His followers not to defend Him from His fate," Brown pointed out.
In contrast, "Muhammad, who began his mission as a preacher rather than a soldier, led pillaging raids (to get money for his followers); fought aggressive, offensive wars to subdue his enemies; and on one famous occasion, beheaded his Jewish captives," the author said.
The only "violent" thing Jesus did as described in the Bible was when he overthrew the tables of the money changers in the Temple and drive out the animals, Brown added.
"How can anyone compare the two? Jesus is called the Lamb of God in numerous texts, speaking of His sacrificial death on the cross, and He is worshipped by Christians as the Lamb who was slain. Do Muslims commonly think of Muhammad in those terms?" the author asked.
