Comparing Islamic Terrorism and Old Testament Conquests

I hear a lot of rhetoric these days from individuals (non-Christians) coming to the defense of the religion of Islam, saying there is no difference between what terrorists do and what Israel did during the Old Testament. After all, there were times when God commanded the Israelites to go into an area and kill every man, woman, and child – sometimes even the livestock as well.
So why are Christians or Jews any different than Muslims?

Granted, there are some things in the Old Testament that are hard to swallow, and many much more intelligent people than I have attempted to explain some of these situations and why God did what He did. However, I am convinced that the two ideologies are entirely opposite and there is no comparison with the God of the Bible and the false god of Islam.

First of all, God is a God of love. He loves us, but He hates sin.
Allah does not love anything or anyone. In fact, Allah hates sinners (i.e.: all of us)
God is unchanging (what do you change when you are perfect?).
Allah can change any time he wants to.
God is holy and cannot sin. For instance, God can’t lie.
Allah can do anything he wants to do. Allah can lie.
God wants a personal relationship with us. He reveals much about Himself through His Word.
Allah has no interest in a relationship with us. Allah is unknowable. He reveals only his will.
God offers salvation through grace by faith.
Allah might offer salvation if you do enough good works and they outweigh your sins. Even then, there’s no guarantee. The only way to guarantee a free ticket to heaven is to die while murdering those who don’t believe in Allah.

The Bible is full of Scripture explaining that God is a merciful, long-suffering God.

Psalms 86:15: “But thou, O Lord, art a God full of compassion, and gracious, long suffering, and plenteous in mercy and truth.”

II Peter 3:9: “The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.”

Ezekiel 33:11:” Say unto them, As I live, saith the Lord GOD, I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked; but that the wicked turn from his way and live: turn ye, turn ye from your evil ways; for why will ye die, O house of Israel?”

Ezekiel 18:32 “For I have no pleasure in the death of him that dieth, saith the Lord GOD: wherefore turn yourselves, and live ye.”

Jonah understood this. That’s why he got in trouble with God when he was commanded to go and preach to the Ninevites. Jonah hated the Ninevites because of what they’d done to his people. He KNEW God was long suffering and merciful and would spare the Ninevites if they repented and turned to Him. So he ran away. He wanted Ninevah to be destroyed.

Jonah 4:2:” And he prayed unto the LORD, and said, I pray thee, O LORD, was not this my saying, when I was yet in my country? Therefore I fled before unto Tarshish: for I knew that thou art a gracious God, and merciful, slow to anger, and of great kindness, and repentest thee of the evil.”

So I have to believe that in the few instances in Scripture where God specifically commanded the Israelites to go into a land and wipe out everyone, this was only after He had given numerous opportunities to the inhabitants to repent of their worship of their pagan gods and turn in faith toward Jehovah God, the true god. Everything seems to indicate that these people were pagan worshipping, sexually deviant, child-sacrificing degenerates who had ample opportunity to repent and be saved but chose not to. And the majority of them went straight to hell when they were killed. I say the majority, because some of them were children, and the Bible clearly tells us that if a child dies before he/she comes to the age of accountability, he or she goes to heaven. So in actuality, God spared the children of these pagan groups from going to hell by allowing them to die before the age of accountability. God is a holy, just and perfect judge. We are ALL going to die. He just decides when and how. Who are we to tell God how our lives should end or under what circumstances?

Now contrast that with the terrorist mindset and Allah’s command to kill infidels. There’s no call from Allah to repent. It’s a demand to submit or die. There is no remorse on Allah’s part when infidels die. He hates us all. He evidently enjoys murder, as that is the only instance where he guarantees heaven – if a follower dies while killing Christians and Jews.

Jehovah God offers heaven to all who will receive His Son.

God gave us an advocate in Jesus Christ. Through Him we can become adopted sons and daughters.
Allah offers no advocate.

Christianity offers love and forgiveness. One can choose to accept or reject it.

Islam offers nothing. Islam demands submission with the threat of death.

There is no comparison between the two religions.