Marcion did this by getting rid of the old testament, but he didt stop there. The violence of the old testament patterns the atonement of christ. Answering islam does not pretend to be a text book on islam. After the events of september 11 th, the issue of violence and religion has once again come into intense discussions and debate. We had a muslim caller tonight who asked about violence in the old testament.
The church of course remained steadfast and maintained all of the inspired books in the canon including the old testament. As soon as christians and others of good will condemn the islamic justification and foundation for resorting to violence in the name of god. That promise was fulfilled 400 years later, affording the amorites many generations to repent and change their ways before the hebrews finally attacked. In the fall 2002 issue of free inquiry, dawkins wrote. That term was coined by gary wolf in a 2006 article in wired magazine. The mental abuse constituted by an unsubstantiated threat of violence and terrible pain, if sincerely believed by the child, could easily be more damaging than the physical actuality of sexual abuse. Such familial descriptions have given rise to many discussions and debates especially between christians and muslims. Old testament violence is an interesting case in point. But nabeel carefully distinguishes between the roles such violence plays in the history of both religions and whether violence is acceptable for the christfollower today.
Lawson stone shares 7 points we must keep in mind when encountering violence in the old testament. Warfare in the old testament was designed to purge the promised land of the canaanites a group of whom are the amorites, and this was gods promise to abraham. The question is whether old testament violence is justifiable and condoned by god. First, the military violence in the old testament was often mentioned as a fact of history rather than the command of god. The violent god of the old testament brazen church. Mar 18, 2010 violence in the quran, he and others say, is largely a defense against attack. Finally, i m glad that geisler and saleeb provided an appendix on islam and violence. The fact that god commanded the killing of entire nations in the old testament has been the subject of harsh criticism from opponents of christianity for some time. All those who are outside of christ will receive the spiritual judgment of god in hell. I have the following questions in my mind as a response.
Regardless, all the historic violence committed by the hebrews and recorded in the old testament is just thathistory. However, the violence of the bible is a human problem, a case study in primitive ethics and human violence which were projected onto the gods throughout history, our god included among them. This website is for people of various faiths who seek to understand islam and muslims. I was watching a debate recently between david wood and shabir ali on whether or not the bible is a book of peace. Answering jihad is a personal, challenging, and respectful answer to the many questions surrounding jihad. The last prophet in the old testament declares gods word, then i will draw near to you for judgment. What we see though, in deuteronomy 9 and 11, for example, is that this was judgementthe judgement of god coming upon a small group of people relative to all the people that existed. An extreme threat of violence and pain is precisely what the doctrine of hell is. He wants to disclose violence which is at the root of islam, and that the quran. God clearly ordered the hebrews to annihilate the canaanites and surrounding peoples. That there was violence in the old testament is indisputable. By timothy fox there is a better way forward, a way that upholds both truth and compassion.
Sam harris, a neuroscientist, began writing his book the end of faith. What is someone who believes in the bible to make of all the violence in the old testament. A few chapters later, god rains down fire and brimstone on the cities of sodom and gomorrah gen. Maurice bucaille, the bible, the quran and science, trans. Such violence is therefore an expression of gods will, for good or ill. Answering islam evaluates the claims of orthodox islam from a christian point of view, appealing especially to the quran and the bible. How is the islamic idea of jihad different from the violence. They are part of the eternal, unchanging word of allah, and just as.
This third suggested solution for the problem of divine violence in the old testament is simply to say that the bible is wrong. Everything done in the new testament is still being done in relation to the old testament. In that department, we from the muslim fareast feel that this book is great, parexcellance. Mar 10, 2016 is there violence and warfare in the old testament. The old testament was found to be more than twice as violent as the quran. It is, however, a reply to the claims and charges typically made against and on christianity by islam, as its title suggests. Answering islam, a christianmuslim dialog and apologetic.
Jan 02, 2020 first, the violence prescribed by god in the old testament was intended for a particular time and limited to a particular people group. Is islamic jihad any different from the violence of the bible. Reviews this collection of essays in an invaluable addition to new testament studies that should stimulate much discussion. Unlike nearly all of the old testament verses of violence, most verses of violence in the quran are openended, meaning that they are not necessarily restrained by historical context contained in the surrounding text although many muslims choose to think of them that way. But thats exactly what nabeel qureshi desires for us to show muslims in answering jihad. War and violence in the old testament speaking the truth. Mar 18, 2009 old testament violence is an interesting case in point. The conquest of canaan had clear limits, geographically and historically, making it very different from the continuing islamic commands regarding jihad.
It contains a lot of brief, yet informative articles about different aspects of islam. The popular message is that islam is one of the great world religions, a peaceful religion, a foundation of world civilization, its golden age was the high point of history, and it preserved western thought while we were in the dark ages. It therefore gives unvarnished reports of acts of violence, whereas in other ancient cultures rene girard has elaborated on this 4 violence was veiled in silence, referred to. Many were shocked to find out that islams holy book the koran provides specific injunctions to engage in acts of violence as part of the holy war jihad in the. By the standards of the time, which is the 7th century a. Finally, im glad that geisler and saleeb provided an appendix on islam and violence. All this violence naturally makes one feel intimidated by muslims more than we. Written by a lifelong christian and a former muslim, this theological critique.
I was wondering if any of you have read or know of a book which addresses the issues of violence and war in the old testament from a christian perspective. Violence in the quran, he and others say, is largely a defense against attack. Im glad that geisler and saleeb provided an appendix on islam and violence. Where did christianity and muslims split in the old testament. How is the islamic idea of jihad different from the. Ultimately, the final marching order of islam is jihad. And here, in the old testament, you see in the old testament you have a very, very central theme all the way through the old testament. Christian perspective on violence in old testament. So establish some starting points by looking in a general way at the question of violence and war in the old testament. God destroying the idolaters, god destroying the sinners, god destroying the unrighteous, for the sake of his plan to save the whole creation and to forgive the sinners in. Bible and quran text analysis reveals violence more. Old testament for further reading, studying, and learning the bible, please refer to our new site it has an advance search, audio, dictionary, commentaries, outlines and. Answering islam, 2d ed the crescent in light of the cross.
The authors, a christian apologist and a former muslim, provide apologetic answers to prepare christians for ministry in the islamic context. After the events of september 11th, the issue of violence and religion has once again come into intense discussions and debate. War and violence in the old testament speaking the truth in. Quran as a whole is slightly shorter than the new testament. It raises key issues relating to the violent language of the new testament and, one hopes, will fuel much research in this vital area and facilitate a mutual consideration of the new testament from the perspectives of jewish and christian scholars alike. The new testament law does not differ with the old testament in the areas of proper values, ethics, mercy, and justice. No, it doesnt, because of the questionable nature of. Old testament and the issue of rape revisited answering.
The problem of violence in the old testament centers mainly around the stories of israels struggle to settle the land of canaan. Immediately following the horrific terrorist attacks on 911, many westerners began to take notice of islam for the first time. Common solutions to the problem of violence in the old. The eye for an eye injunctions of the old testament were designed to be prohibitive in their thrust, i. This book details the beliefs of islam and how they are a corruption of the old testament and the gospels, combined with the random thoughts of mohammed. Instead, the character of the people of godnow made up of jew and gentileis dominated by such behaviors as faith in christ working itself out in love, selfsacrifice, praying for ones enemies and persecutors. Old testament for further reading, studying, and learning the bible, please refer to our new site it has an advance search, audio, dictionary, commentaries, outlines and promises.
Five differences between sharia and old testament law by. Violence in the old testament part 1 lawson stone youtube. An analysis into whether the quran is more violent than the bible found killing and destruction occur more frequently in. Adam is said to be son of god and jesus is the one and only son of god. Those who know almost nothing about the old testament section of the bible would do well to start reading and rereading both in the book of psalms and the book of proverbs. Can we be absolutely certain of the theory that the violence in the old testament is merely constructed stories, relying on recognized archaeological data.
As soon as christians and others of good will condemn the islamic justification and foundation for resorting to violence in the name of god justifications found both in the quran and the life of prophet muhammad we are quickly told that the bible especially the. The quran mentions the torah, the zabur psalms and the injil gospel as being revealed by god to the prophets moses, david and jesus respectively in the same way the quran was revealed to muhammad, the final prophet and messenger of god according to muslims. How is the islamic idea of jihad different from the violence in the bible. Bible and quran text analysis reveals violence more common. Structured around 18 questions about jihad, radical islam, sharia, muhammad, and more, the book provides an examination of history, as well as perspectives from contemporary scholars. In this video, he addresses whether the book of joshua provides a warrant for violence and. Dec 19, 2015 atheists are good at pointing out the violence in the old testament and making the bible into an immoral, unethical book. I would like to get comments on the following websites text. Most of the violence in the old testament was not commanded but simply recorded, but there were a few battles that were commanded. As soon as christians and others of good will condemn the islamic justification and foundation for resorting to violence in the name of godjustifications found both in the quran and the life of prophet. Only 6 chapters into the book of genesis, god is already planning on destroying the world with a flood. I will be a swift witness against the sorcerers, against the adulterers, against those who swear falsely, against those who oppress the hired worker in his wages, the widow and the fatherless, against those who thrust aside the sojourner.
It has been adopted by a large percentage of christians, and is, i admit, the most. Yes, it does, because undeniably violence and wars were recorded in the bible and many of them were waged in the name of god. The new testament leaves behind the violent, tribal, insideroutsider, rhetoric of a significant portion of the old testament. The old testament enemies of god received the military judgment of god in conquest. Jun 16, 2016 most of the violence in the old testament was not commanded but simply recorded, but there were a few battles that were commanded. There are three major religions that has abraham as a major patriarch. Oct 01, 1993 answering islam evaluates the claims of orthodox islam from a christian point of view, appealing especially to the quran and the bible. Yahweh clearly ordered the hebrews to annihilate the canaanites and surrounding peoples. Compassion is probably the last word you would expect to find in a book about jihad. Because god liked abels animal sacrifice more than cains vegetables, cain kills his brother abel in a fit of religious jealousy. It details many quranic teachings and how christians can refute the claims. Jun 28, 2017 notorious south african muhammadan polemicist yusuf ismail, and a ahmed deedat wannabe, is fond of quoting judges 19 as an example of the bible condoning mass rape supposedly with gods approval, in order to divert attention away from the fact of his false prophet permitting and sanctioning the rape of captive women, even in cases where.
Servant songs in the book of isaiah in the hebrew bible, has been a. The bible, especially the old testament, also records much violence. Many were shocked to find out that islam s holy book the koran provides specific injunctions to engage in acts of violence as part of the holy war jihad in the. Why did god condone such terrible violence in the old testament. The quran is a vast, vague book, filled with poetry and contradictions much like the bible. The quran contains at least 109 verses that call muslims to war with nonbelievers for the sake of islami. The bible describes true believers as gods children and people bent on evil as the devils children. These stories center on the books of joshua and judges. Explore what jihad is, how it relates to isis and islamic terrorism today, and the most appropriate response we should make.
Qureshi wrestled with islams traditions and scripture, concluding that islam glorifies violent jihad arguably more than any other action a muslim can take. Jan 02, 2020 that there was violence in the old testament is indisputable. A christian response to islam glendale christian church. It refers to a new breed of atheists that arose in the aftermath of the muslim attacks on america on september 11, 2001. How is the islamic idea of jihad different from violence in the bible. Islam and the rewriting of biblical history and theology. Why did god condone such terrible violence in the old. A look at what judeochristian scholars say about the authenticity and preservation of the old testament. In his bestselling book the god delusion, atheist richard dawkins refers to the god of the old testament as a vindictive, bloodthirsty ethnic cleanser. Violence does the quran really contain over a hundred verses promoting violence. It is this challenge that assures the future of books like answering islam.