We have every right to execute evil terrorists, whenever we like. So there!

Very many thanks, Tom for all these thoughts of yours, particularly for the following that I do think is true:

"It seems to me that we as humans are a warring breed. The human race has warred with each other since we were created and throughout our evolution. I'm going back to biblical times and Well before. Wars generally speaking are largely about territory, retaining our way of life and reclaiming territory we believe to have been taken from us. Another factor is the need for world domination. Muscelling in on others people's territory and way of life. As a result, people have had to defend themselves against aggressors in order to defend their territory and ways of life which they have worked hard to build."

At its height, the British Empire had world domination of about one third of the known world.  We went to war on 4 August 1914 to make clear to upstart Germany who was the world's ruler - US.  And, now, we remain the world's ruler with the full support of the USA with whom we are in tandem!

Just because we have an innate​ instinct for revenge and violence does not mean we should give in to those instincts.  Should we not have more self-control and resist all our aggressive urges?

I do think that we all have to be far less gullible; far more sceptical about whether it really is necessary, let alone ethical and legal for us to attack other countries.  Don't trust the politicians when they tell us we must go to war.  We should think things out for ourselves.  No blind obedience, please!

It now seems that our declaration of war on the 4 August 1914 was premature, when Germany never had any intention of invading the UK nor, at any time during the four years.  The German leaders wanted to control more European territory, certainly.  (One hundred years on, Germany is now the respected and acknowledged leader of the European Union under Angela Merkel, a right wing politician who is liked by both Europe and Russia.)  We should have lived up to our nickname of 'perfidious Albion' and, yet again, broken our outdated 1839 treaty with Belgium and, secondly, refused to go to the aid of France when she was attacked.  Unthinkingly tying ourselves to an alliance with France and going to war 100 years ago when we had a small professional army (100,000 in the UK), and no conscription was sheer stupidity.  We were very lucky to get away with it - and nearly did not!  Unfortunately, one-sided disarmament and reparations and folly was seen with the Treaty of Versailles in 1919.  Even our former Tory leader, Ian Duncan Smith believes that it led to the rise of the Nazis and the 1939 war.

Hence, one 20th century, European, Christian war that led to world war because all these Christian nations had their own colonies all over the world.  And we, clean living Brits were the worst offenders, with the biggest empire ever seen in the history of humanity.  All this, in direct contravention with what our Founder said and did in His temptations before his public ministry!  Every British monarch, for centuries, had been commanded in their Coronation to submit themselves to the "living oracles of God" (the Bible).  Our forbears betrayed Christ and, His life and teaching.  Our Christian nation has engaged in warfare in every single year, ever since (1914).  Shameful!

Now, it seems, our Judeo/Christian based nations are wanting to exterminate every single member of Islamic State.  As if they could!  Israel is engaged in exterminating every member of Hamas by drones that we build, here in the West Midlands (Stafford)  As if Israel could ever bring about such complete slaughter.  We fully support Israel in killing cold blooded murderers without the delay and cost and inconvenience of judicial process.  Never any sanctions against our good friend, Israel.  Then, we bulldoze their homes as further punishment.  We then get all indignant when they try and kill us Brits and Israelis, whether it is in Muslim lands or in our own lands!

For every single year for at least the last one hundred years (Guardian 12.2.2014) we have persistently shown violence to expand our territories or to hold them.  Now, we are reaping what we have sown over our military interventions in the Middle East - more violence from those we have attacked.  In addition, with yet more nuclear weapons as we replace Trident at the cost of £100 billion of irreplaceable resources and gruesome greenhouse gases.  As if a fleet of submarines can stop the rise of Islamic State in Muslim majority Syria and Iraq!  One nuclear warhead from one sub, could wipe out most of humanity.  But that is what most of the electorate think is a very good idea indeed - if it comes to it!

Just because Christian believers, Muslims and the rest are so aggressive and violent, does that give the rest of us an excuse for being equally violent and aggressive, Tom?

Conscience is my god.  But for the children of Abraham (Jews, Christians, Muslims who all have the same God with three names), this is heretical.  At Zion Christian Centre last week, I heard Jeff Lucas, a Christian leader, speaker and author, downplay the importance of conscience as not being adequate when God's Laws and His Will are pre-eminent!

In short, international law and the UN Charter allows nations to defend themselves but not to be aggressors and to attack other nations, as we do.  Therefore, I am not a pacifist although, like Christ, I do believe in non-violent direct action and passive resistance.  Therefore, for me, the COs were the real heroes between 1914 and 1918.  All the others were badly hoodwinked by the politicians who preached patriotism, nationalism and militarism - and the people gladly swallowed the lies.  The politicians told us to: 'Be silent.  Consum​e.  Die.'  Exactly what happened to so many of them.

Letter to SASRA

Comment on your article: '1914-2014, the same but different'

IN EXPLANATION for even those Christian believers who try and avoid employment in the arms trade and the armed forces:  By our taxes and the parties we vote for, we are all implicated in the Middle East violence.  I think, we all have blood on our hands - even the most righteous of the righteous of the Lord.

SASRA stands for Soldiers Airman Scripture Readers Association

It was very good to have your area rep, Mike speak at our morning service yesterday at Hasbury Christian Fellowship.  I was the guy who spoke to him afterwards about compromising Christians serving in the military who have to put their allegiance to their Commander in Chief before their allegiance to their Lord and Master - or their conscience, for that matter.

Even if the Lord was/is yet another man of violence and aggression, I think the 1914-18 war was a most inappropriate action for true Christians to be engaged in.

Our politicians were in far too much of a hurry to declare war on Germany.  They knew that our island status had deterred Germany from including an invasion of our shores in their 1914 war plans.  The mainland of Europe (and conquering France and Russia) was their preoccupation.  In other words, we committed an act of aggression when our country was not in danger of being attacked.  Not even in serious danger of invasion, even after we declared war on Germany.  Not at any time during the 1914-18 half of the 20th century world war.  Therefore, our declaration of war was illegal, as it was not an act of self defence, in my opinion.

Defending Belgium neutrality from an outdated 1839 treaty by going to war was all too late when German troops were sweeping through the country and all we had was a far too small an army of only five divisions of 'Old Contemptibles', as you put it in your article.  Our army was no match for the German army in August 1914 - and the politicians and military knew that.  Yet, they still foolishly marched off to war instead of biding their time, bringing in conscription and re-arming, in case they did have to defend Britain's shores.

Our premature declaration of war was strongly argued for by Churchill in July 1914 in order to defend the biggest empire in the history of humanity and to maintain the balance of power in Britain's favour.  Again, for Christian believers to be fighting for an empire is a total betrayal of their Saviour, Lord and Master who, even before His ministry began, rejected empire building in the temptations.  Even if, as so many believers argue that the Prince of Peace is in favour of violence and aggressive acts, they have to admit he was against earthly empires.

In His time we had the Roman Empire; now we have the US/UK/NATO empire ruling the world and deciding what is allowed and what is not.  For Bible believing Christians to defend and promote earthly empires and, in so doing, reject the Kingdom of Jesus Christ, is a betrayal of the Gospel.  When that involves them having to accept that Christ was a man of violence that is, in my book and the Bible (and possibly the Koran), nothing short of blasphemy.

The one World War in two halves was the culmination of centuries of off and on warfare between the supposedly Christian Western European nations - including the true, Bible believing, born again Christians who should have had no truck with gladly going off to Europe to kill Germans on the 4 August 1914.  That decision led to the Nazis and World War part two: '39-'45.  The Muslims have had 1400 years of far less violence and aggression and killing - until their patience, finally snapped with 9/11.  This came about after nearly one hundred years of military intervention, British duplicity and coercion in the Middle East by the Western Christian powers.  Churchill seems to have started it with his decision to convert our coal fired warships to oil when he was First Lord of the Admiralty.  He then had to secure Muslim oil for that purpose.   Militant, extremist, militaristic Islam is now as rampant in the Middle East, as Judeo/Christian militarism is in that region.

In my opinion, the three great Abrahamic faiths are morally flawed.  More so now than they have ever been from the sheer level of violence and of human inhumanity to human.  There seems little difference to death by beheading or death by fire and flame.  One man beheads another (Muslims) or mass, anonymous, push button death by being vapourised or bombed to smithereens (Jews and Christians).  The USA Empire, like the Roman Empire from 300 AD, is devout and is largely a Jewish/Christian majority - both nominally and in practice.

Repentance and salvation should begin and end in the House of the Lord.

With best wishes and every blessing

Tim

Which power bloc of humanity does the most killings?

Many thanks, John.  Sorry for this length - I just love to crystalise my thoughts in writing!

Which power bloc of humanity does the most killings - the Christian capitalist West or the Communists and Muslim extremists in the East?

I particularly liked 'Drop Medicines, not Bombs'.  Not just medicines but, for Afghanistan and Iraq from the War of Terrorism started on 7 October 2001, we would have been better off dropping 'bikes' not bombs!  By bikes I mean everything but handing out death and injury.  Parachute humanitarian aid in to these poor countries and never death dealing devices, unless authorised by the Security Council and never Congress and the US President.

My Christian discipleship also means doing what Paul advised, "Think of others as better than yourselves."  Hence, I am very unpatriotic in mischievously delighting to point out how it appears that the Christian West, down too many centuries (not just the 20th) has been the worst offender in killing other humans.  Death by all kinds of horrendous means that the West got to do first. From, just 1945:- use of WMD, Korea, the Kenyan atrocities in the 1950s, the West's wars against the Communists in many countries of SE Asia, extra judicial killings but, good news, we do seem to refrain from suicide bombing (I wonder why?  Of course, no need to when we have drones to keep us safe when killing!)

It seems, that it was not the Arab Muslims or the Communists who did the most killings (even when remembering but, never verified, Stalin's millions that he killed*).  For me, this is because of the European nation's responsibility for rounds one and two of the industrialised scale slaughter.  Known, by me, as the wild West's World War 1914 to 1945, with the interlude between 1918 and 1939.  20 million godless Communist Russians were slaughtered to help the Christian West defeat Nazism.  Nazism that came out of a Christian country, too!

I think it is unlikely that the Nazis would have risen to power if the West had not started the 1914 war.  The victors saw to it that vanquished Germany was treated without Churchill's much vaunted magnanimity.  German reparations meant that they had their noses rubbed in the dirt.  It was all a breeding ground for very angry, very patriotic, right wing, National Socialism.  Thus, the sequel in 1939.

We persist in thinking that the violent Communists and the violent Islamists are worse than ourselves because, quite naturally, we more carefully keep a record of their killings of us than that of our own of them - and, we never really like violence, of course; it is forced upon us!  In the last century, the 'Christian' Europeans even got their colonies to help in the slaughter to defend their mighty empires in the (so worthy) West's World War.

Hence, my boring and constant theme:- that I would like - shock horror - to hear, occasionally, a Christian preacher exhorting their flock to avoid arms manufacturing and the armed forces when it comes to a job.  Actually, I did hear Tony Campolo (on Friday 6 Sept at B'ham Christian Centre) do just that in the context of President Obama wanting to punish Syria for using chemical weapons in August.  Praise the Lord - and pass the ammunition!**

NOTES *"Ralph Miliband was a supporter of Marxist ideology that was being used to run governments in other parts of the continent and other parts of Europe which was responsible for an awful lot of terrible things, including millions and millions of deaths."  (Jon Steafel, Dep Editor of Daily Mail, on 'Newsnight', BBC2 on 1 October 2013)

** Christians might only vote for political parties that try non-violence or, at least, non-aggression and who abide by Security Council wishes or UN resolutions.  That means, for me, voting for none of the major three war parties.  Therefore, abstaining. 

So much in common but the differences dominate!

Jews, Christians and Muslims are so similar but so different.  So much in common, yet are not only so divided but have been so full of hatred, enmity and killing of each other from time to time through the centuries and today.  Far too much at each others throats when it comes to nations with one of these religions predominating - the Christian West, the Jewish Israel and the Arab Muslims.  This is madness, this is tragic, this is scandalous.

What unites them all:

• All children of Abraham.  All have the same father!
• The Christians scriptures are Jewish and include their Torah!
• The Muslims regard Jesus Christ as a great and important prophet, second only to their own Mohammed.
• Jesus was a Jew, as were the first Christians. 
• Disgust at homosexuality is common to them all.
• Sexual immorality is more important, a far greater sin, than violence.

We have to be honest and face up to these 9 observations on the Faith!

God is wrong in having 'Rules for Waging Holy War' in Deuteronomy 20 v 1-20.

He is mistaken about homosexuality being immoral.  I believe I am right in saying that Christians, Muslims and Jews did nothing about changing the law to prevent homosexuals being imprisoned.  Now, all of them accept the new law without a murmur of dissent being heard.  Homosexuality is not unheard of in the animal kingdom, of which we are part, as the human animal.

God shows favouritism in having one nation out of 193 nations as his one and only Chosen, Special and No 1 nation who is the apple of His eye (Israel).  For the surrounding Arab nations, Israel is seen as part of the all powerful, all domineering, War of Terrorism Western powers.  The West is noted for its centuries of Christianity and, unfortunately, its Scriptures command the faithful to pray only for the peace of Jerusalem - certainly NOT Mecca or any other city!  Thus Israel is identified even here, with the West in the heart of the Arab and Muslim Middle East.

God has missed out the most obvious and much needed command that should be the first and foremost viz: "Thou shalt embrace non-violence and never embark on attack, aggression and dominating other countries." The last one, domination, in defiance of temptation 3 that Jesus rightly rejected.

The Lord's Commandment no 6 is not strong enough with "Thou shalt not murder."  It let the people of Israel off the hook to allow them to wipe out the inhabitants of the holy land - the land that God promised them and them alone - as now.  Hence, we have in the Bible how the people rejoiced that, "King Saul has slain his thousands but David his tens of thousands."  No wonder the modern people of Israel are so ready to attack their neighbours, of course in self defence and, so desperate not to kill women and children.  However, Israel always seems to end up killing many more of them than their enemy kill Israelis. Over ten times more in both the November 2012 attack on Gaza and the 2008/2009 war on Gaza when 1,400 Palestinians, unfortunately and quite unintentionally, of course, ended up dead.

All God-fearing Jews, Christians and Muslims should see this behaviour, above as morally deviant.  Perversely and shamefully they do not, viewing instead, homosexuality as being morally deviant.

God is wrong in having Kings and Queens over past centuries who all appointed themselves as having the authority and power of God on earth; together with Presidents and Prime Ministers down the years.  Two of them, since 7 October 2001 with the War of Terrorism, who both believed they were doing God's will in attacking first Afghanistan on 10/7 (2001) and then Iraq in March 2003.

God is prejudiced in disallowing women from positions of leadership in His church.  Yet, His Son was forgiving, compassionate and sympathetic to women - even those caught in adultery and, prostitutes, too.

It is unacceptable for God to promise one nation, Israel all the land from the cedars of Lebanon in the north to the deserts of Sinai in the south; from the rivers Euphrates and Tigris in the east to the Mediterranean Sea in the west (Joshua 1 v 4).  It all the more encourages that nation's expansionist tendencies, the growth of illegal settlements on the West Bank and in east Jerusalem; and, the flouting of UN resolutions.

The problem of Israel - an outpost of the loathed USA

The problems that I have with Israel are these:

As last night's film showed, it is a mirror copy of the West, in particular the USA from whom it gets so much funding and enthusiastic support from the powerful Israeli lobby in the corridors of power.  There are many US companies in tiny Israel.  I feel the UK is the 51st state of the US and Israel is the 52nd.  Both countries are swift to carry out the wishes of
the USA in the Middle East.  As a result, both the UK and Israel incur the wrath of the vast majority of the populations of the Middle East who are horrified by the West's and Israel's attack, invasion and occupation of first Afghanistan from 7 October 2001 and then Iraq from the 19 March 2003.  I include Israel with the West and NATO because, as I say, it looks and feels like a very powerful Western nation.  They even speak the most impeccable English, too!

While Israel continues, by its own tragic admission in last night's film, to be "surrounded by enemies", it is a failed state.  It can make the desert bloom but it cannot turn enemies into friends.  It cannot turn the victim mentality of the Palestinians into bosom buddies.  "It is more blessed to give than to receive" is beyond its comprehension.  It simply takes yet more land in the West Bank for itself, feeling that is fair enough when it gave up Gaza.  But that was without the agreement of any Palestinian.  And what was left behind was razed to the ground to prevent the hated Palestinians from benefiting in any way!

In addition, the abysmal track record of who does the most killings puts Israel at the top of the league.  Its might is right, shoot first ask questions later tactic means it simply ratchets up the loathing.  The occasional extra-judicial killings by Mosad don't exactly help, either.  Those of us who want to be proud of Israel, continue to observe their answer of aggression to every problem, in utter amazement at such a foolish and counter-productive policy.  For them, it is always war, war and never jaw, jaw.  Lots of military aggression against the Lebanese and Palestinians but not lots of talking or acts of sacrificial giving or sharing of the land.  Now, threats against Iran to wipe their nuclear installations off the face of the earth.  No balance of terror is allowed by Israel; only they are allowed to place Iran and Syria under the threat of nuclear annihilation, with the blessing of the USA.  All their wars have got them absolutely nowhere.  It has not given them the peace and security that other Western nations enjoy.  Israel and the West are not respected by so many in the Arab world.

Yet, knowing all of this, many evangelical Christians look upon Israel as the apple of God's eye.  It doesn't say much for God!

Two problems with Christianity

One problem with Christianity is that it is mixed up with Judaism and the very different values, beliefs and behaviour of the people of Israel in the Old Testament. With its quite shocking track record down the centuries, even to the present day, Christianity I think, should really be confined to the life and teachings of Christ in the Gospels. His teachings should not have been mixed up with scores of other teachers, prophets and kings outside of four New Testament books in the Bible of 66 books. Christians have to be syncretists and to take on board so much that it is different from Christ's values and practices. You then have to be into defending the indefensible or, cherry picking the more ethical teaching and, even explaining what should, simply, be repented of.

Problem two is what my youngest brother in law mentioned to me at Christmas. He had read the mighty tome called 'A History of Christianity - over the last three thousand years'. One conclusion he came to was that Christianity's history has been noted by a love for truth rather than a desire for unity. I agree. I have found division, conflict and war within Christianity and out to others since the conversion of Emperor Constantine. Nothing changed with the rise of secularism over the last 100 years. War to defend our vital strategic interests around the globe is as common among the secularists as the church-goers.

Down the centuries, Christians have slugged it out between the different denominations and churches of Christendom. Now, against the Muslims and the Taliban in Afghanistan and the border with Pakistan whose killings we justify 'cos they are the terrorists and we are the angels of light, truth and justice; the angels of goodness bringing democracy and Western values to those who don't know better! All the Christian churches - and everyone else - are fully involved apart from the Quakers, whom the evangelical Christians sadly shake their heads at as not being Christians, at all.

Kings Kids thoughts

This was an enjoyable evening of Israeli dance, music and verses from the Bible performed by mostly young Israelis who were all, also, Messianic Jews (Jewish Christians). Therefore, all had an unshakeable conviction that God had chosen only themselves, the People of Israel, for a special blessing and favour from the Lord. Only this tiny portion of God created humanity was to be treated as special, as God's Chosen People. All the other 99% of humankind is very plain and ordinary. Therefore, God shows partiality, favouritism, that is hardly in line with God being a God of justice, treating everyone the same.

It is also an unfortunate impression that Israel is a cut above all the other peoples of the world. It indicates that Israel has a certain hubris. Christianity also feels that it, alone is the true faith. Some Christians say they are the new Israel, the new Chosen People of God (replacement theology, I understand). Their faith alone is the manifestation of God's will; is the true Kingdom of God. They are the true city set on a hill; sometimes known as manifest destiny, who have a special favour and relationship with God. Therefore, the majority of humankind are second class citizens.

The evening was also noted for the leader of Kings Kids speaking with approval that one of the brothers was to enter the Israeli Defence Force in a few weeks time. The 16 year old young man in the dance group also told me how he was looking forward to entering the army. Therefore, Messianic Jews deny the Old Testament assertion, "Not by might, nor by power but by my Spirit, says the Lord" (Zech 4 v 6). The spirit of Jesus, that should include non-violence but never does, goes out of the window in favour of military might, great power and force. You don't talk and compromise and make friends of Arabs, Palestinians, Muslims, Hamas, Hezbullah, you just grind their noses in the dirt and make even more vociferous enemies of your neighbours. Extraordinary!

The evening was also noted for use of the quote from the Bible, that we are"to pray for the peace of Jerusalem." The context is never quoted but, it goes on as, "May they prosper who love you. Peace be within your walls,and security within your towers." (Psalm 122 v 6, 7). This is often quoted by Messianic Jews and born again Christians (the true believers) but, the verses strike me as fair enough if the literal interpretation is taken, that Jerusalem is never to be the subject of war - ever again. However, it again shows God as biased, showing favouritism and only interested in peace for one capital city out of the 193 nations of the world. All the other 192 can have struggles, conflict and wars, as far as God is concerned. Again, quite extraordinary!

However, the leader of Kings Kids on the evening, told me that it meant praying for the return of Christ. My wife said it was to do with the people of Jerusalem finding true peace through making their peace with God through the Lord Jesus Christ.

Quran v Bible; Islam v Christianity

My motivation for reading the Koran was to get to the truth about the widespread assertion that the Koran tells Muslims to go out and kill the infidels (the unbelievers). In addition, as Muslims believe that Jesus is a great prophet, do they then follow his teaching in the Sermon on the Mount about loving enemies, turning the other cheek and being a peacemaker rather than a warmonger? (Not that the followers of Jesus, themselves, have been zealous in following this particular teaching for the last 1,700 years.)

This is the Jesus who was non-violent and non-aggressive in all he said and did. The irony is that the faith where Jesus is the most central is by far and away the most violent and aggressive when comparing the track record of Muslim and Christian nations over the last 1,400 years. The evidence for this is found on my blog and, in particular, in my piece, "Islam is all sweetness and light when ... " Both Islam and Christianity accept violence/aggression as perfectly acceptable from time to time, especially for self-defence. Having now read both the Koran and the Bible, the Bible, thanks to the Old Testament, is clearly the winner with the prize of most bloodshed.

Today, I finished reading the Koran (over 600 pages). Rather heavy going and nothing much that anyone could possibly take exception to. Lots of "God is Forgiving and Merciful" and being condemnatory of the unbelievers and polytheists and hypocrites. Old Testament characters and Jesus are given a similar treatment as we have in the Bible, except that Jesus is not the Son of God or divine, of course.

There were no stories of blood and gore, either, as you get in the Bible. No killing of unbelievers (infidels), except in self defence or when they are persecuting the Muslims. "Kill those who war against you." No holy war, either that we get in Deuteronomy ch 20 v 1-20 with the rules for waging holy war! The word, 'paradise' was never found, nor was that pernicious idea of suicide bombing to go straight to paradise. The nearest word to paradise was heaven and the Garden. However, I did find the following:

"And those who are slain in the way of God, He renders not their actions vain. He will guide them and improve their state and bring them into the Garden, which He has made known to them." Surah 47: 4-6. Also, Surah 4: 74, below.

Earlier in verse 4 in this Surah we read that, after battle against unbelievers, to show "either grace or ransom till the war lays down its burdens." Grace, I suppose, meaning showing forgiveness and mercy and releasing prisoners or, ransoming prisoners of war, perhaps.

One good verse about "Assuredly, the creation of the heavens and the earth is greater than the creation of humankind" Surah 40 v 57. And, my translation had humankind, too and not mankind. This is good, for me, if the verse means that the heavens and the earth will outlive humans and, if it means that we need to stop the deterioration of the earth's life support systems from human activities. This verse got the nearest to humans needing to follow the principles of stewardship of the planet. Stewardship of the earth's resources is also not found in the Bible - only plenty of references to people being stewards or servants. Sharing/equality (aka the Marx/Engels idea) is found in 2 Corinthians 8 v 13-15. Again, in contrast, the Bible has humans being greater than every other living thing (in Genesis 1) and being free to do as they will with the earth's resources and everything on it ("dominion over").

Quotations on the subject of Islamic warfare or, what we prefer to call, Islamic terrorism:

Surah 2: 190-193 "Fight in the way of God against those who fight against you, but begin not hostilities. Lo! God loves not aggressors. ... if they attack you then slay them. Such is the reward of disbelievers. But if they desist, then lo! God is Forgiving, Merciful. And fight them until persecution is no more."

Surah 2: 216 "Warfare is ordained for you, though it is hateful to you."

Surah 2: 217 "Warfare (in the sacred month) is a great transgression. ... And they will not cease from fighting against you until they have made you apostates from your religion, if they can" (This is what NATO - the traditional Christian nations of N America and W. Europe - is doing in Iraq, Afghanistan and the Pakistan border. In addition, on the backs of the military, are the Christian missionaries working hard to save Muslims as they turn from Islam to Christ or, to make them 'apostates' from their religion.)

Surah 3: 199-200 "Be patient and outdo your enemy in patience, be ready and fear God, in order that you may succeed."

Surah 4: 29-30 "... and kill not one another. Lo! God is ever Merciful to you. Whoever does that through aggression and injustice, We shall cast him into Fire, and that is ever easy for God."

Surah 4: 74 "Let those fight in the way of God who sell the life of this world for the other. Whoever fights in the way of God, be he slain or be he victorious, on him We shall bestow a vast reward." (not a harem of virgins in Paradise for the men and nothing for the women suicide bombers, as is commonly supposed by non-Muslims - and some Muslims, too!)

Surah 4: 75-76 "How should you not fight for the cause of God and of the feeble among men and of the women and the children who are crying, 'Our Lord!'. Bring us forth from out this town of which the people are oppressors! Oh give us from you some protector! Oh, give us from you some defender! Those who believe do battle for the cause of God; and those who disbelieve do battle for the cause of idols. So fight the minions of Satan." (this appears to reflect a time when Muslims were being persecuted)

Surah 4: 84 "So fight (O Muhammad) in the way of God. ... Perhaps God will restrain the might of those who disbelieve. God is stronger in might and stronger at inflicting punishment." (appears that the Muslims were suffering at the time of these writings)

Surah 4: 88-89 "... if they (self: unbelievers) turn back to enmity then take them and kill them wherever you find them, and choose neither protector nor helper from among them." (killing only in self-defence is allowed)

Surah 4: 90-91 "If they keep not aloof from you nor offer you peace nor hold their hands (self: nor hold back from killing Muslims), then take them and kill them wherever you find them. Against such We have given you clear warrant."

Surah 4: 100-101 " ... it is no sin for you to curtail your worship if you fear that those who disbelieve may attack you. In truth, the disbelievers are an open enemy to you."

Surah 7: 55-56 "(O People!) Call upon your Lord humbly and in secret. Lo! He loves not aggressors."

Surah 47: 4-6 "Now when you meet in battle those who disbelieve, then it is smiting of the necks until, when you have routed them, then making fast of bonds; and afterward either grace or ransom till the war lays down its burdens. ... He may try some of you by means of others. And those who are slain in the way of God, He renders not their actions vain. He will guide them and improve their state, and bring them into the Garden, which He has made known to them."

Quotations about men/women:

Surah 2:228 "Women have rights similar to those of men over them in a just manner and men are a degree above them. God is Mighty, Wise."

Surah 4:26-28 "God would make the burden light for you, for man was created weak." (However, 'man' here, probably means men and women.)

Quotation about Abraham (Muslims, Christians and Jews are all children of Abraham or, all descended from him)

"Abraham was not a Jew, nor yet a Christian; but he was true Muslim, and he was not of the polytheists."

The Quran on manslaughter

Surah 5: 32 "We decreed for the Children of Israel that whosoever kills a human being for other than manslaughter or corruption in the earth, it shall be as if he had killed all human kind, and whoever saves the life of one, it shall be as if he had saved the life of all humankind."

The Quran on Judaism and the Bible

Surah 5: 67-69 "O People of the Scripture! You have nothing (of guidance) till you observe the Torah and the Gospel. ... Lo! Those who believe and those who are Jews and Sabaeans and Christians - whosoever believes in God and the Last Day and does right - no fear shall come upon them neither shall they grieve."

Tim Weller 21 November 2010