Quote Originally Posted by Worf101
Sorry man, you can find just as many bloody exhortations to kill the Philistine in the old testament of the bible. Look ALL "organized" religions have their faults. Considering the dirt the Catholic Church has done down through the Centuries against Protestants and Muslims I personally wouldn't be one pointing fingers. Still, you can't fault the religion but what people DO WITH THAT RELIGION. Hell according to the Book of Mormon I'm a lesser human being stained with sin, so trust me there's plenty of dirt to go around.

Da Worfster
On the contrary, you can fault religion: see Christopher Hitchens, God is Not Great. But I agree that it is generally sanctimonious to criticize one religion versus another.

I don't recall the details, but I think it was Hitchens who recounts the story of T.H. Huxley's son (nephew?) who, having been brought up without religion, was exorted to read the Bible by a fellow solidier (WWI?). Huxley read the Old Testiment for a week or two, and exclaimed, "Isn't God a sh!t!", referring e.g. to Yahweh's instruction to the Tribes of Israel to slaughter the ememies, man, women, child, and domestic beast.

The God of the Old Testment is indeed a jealous and vengeful god and that's where Mohammed got his initial ideas, I suppose. The "God of Love" of the New Testement is argueably an improvement, (though I personally am not making the arguement).