Yahweh, the God of the Bible, hates violence so much that He made a decision to destroy humankind because of the violence. In Genesis 6:13 God said to Noah just before the deluge:

“The end of all flesh is come before me; for the earth is filled with violence through them; and, behold, I will destroy them with the earth.” (KJV)

God declared His dissatisfaction with man's violence again in Isaiah 59:6b:

“...their works are works of iniquity, and the act of violence is in their hands.” (KJV)

In the book of Amos, Yahweh also spoke out against the violence and oppression perpetrated by his nation:

Amos 3:10: “For they know not to do right, saith the LORD, who store up violence and robbery in their palaces.” (KJV)

However, no one can deny that in the history of man, ‘Christians’ and organisations committed heinous deeds of violence in the name of Christianity. Think of the Inquisition where thousands of so-called heretics [people who disagreed with (false) teaching] were tortured and killed by the Roman Catholic Church (RCC). It was mainly the true Christians, who did not agree with the false teachings of the RCC, who were persecuted. During the Crusades, which were also led by the RCC, thousands of people were killed because they were not ‘Christians’. These people were mainly Jews and Arabs.

Even Reformers were sometimes violent. Martin Luther encouraged violence against Jews; (something he learned from the RCC) an attitude that was never ‘reformed’. John Calvin was involved with the execution of at least one ‘opponent’, one Michael Servetus. The Swiss Reformer Zwingli died on the battlefield, defending himself against an attack by Roman Catholic groups.

So-called Christians, calling themselves Protestants and Catholics, have been fighting each other for decades already in Northern Ireland. These ‘Christian’ groups are nothing but political parties that developed from Christian groups that were far-removed from true Biblical Christianity, even in their development phase. More examples could be mentioned.

In none of these instances can these ‘Christians’ find justification for their violent behaviour in the Bible. Referral has already been made to the fact that God’s order for man is to love his neighbour, including the stranger.

God loves peace and He wants all people to live in peace.

Romans 12:18: "If it is possible, as much as depends on you, live peaceably with all men." (NKJ) (Emphasis added)

Hebrews 12:14: “Pursue peace with all people, and holiness, without which no one will see the Lord:” (NKJ) (Emphasis added)

Peace will only be achieved when people love each other; Leviticus 19:18:

“but you shall love your neighbor as yourself:” (NKJ)

This includes the stranger; Leviticus 19:34:

“The stranger who dwells among you shall be to you as one born among you, and you shall love him as yourself;” (NKJ)

Deuteronomy 10:19: “Therefore love the stranger,” (NKJ)

God is serious about this. Deuteronomy 27:19:

“Cursed be he that perverteth the judgment of the stranger” (KJV)

God is not to be blamed for violence within Christianity. Some Christians, who were subjected to false teaching, may have been involved with some of the violence that was perpetrated in the name of Christianity. Real Christians know that the love of God compels them to love all people. The Christians who make themselves guilty of violence are 'wolves in sheep's clothing', and only Christians by name. They never really knew and served Yahweh. They were people who did not know the biblical definition of true Christianity. (See the definition in Appendix B).

It has already been demonstrated that a just and loving God has the obligation, because of these attributes, to punish and to protect. God inevitably had to discipline His nation because of their sin. Sometimes He had to punish surrounding heathen nations severely through His nation Israel. This was, however, the result of His love for man, because His plan for the redemption of man was in jeopardy. His action against those nations was necessary to keep His plan on track.

Satan always tried to impede God’s plan to redeem man from the power of darkness. For that reason he not only tried to destroy the nation through which God wanted to bless the world, but he also tried to deceive them into idol worship, with some success. It was essential that God sometimes disciplined His nation by using other nations. At other times, when Israel was in danger, He instructed them to punish hostile heathen nations. The violence was always the result of man’s disobedience, and used for the purification and preparation of His nation for the advent of His Blessing to the world, the Saviour Jesus Christ. It was never meant as a general rule against non-Jewish nations, or for the purpose of Israel’s domination over other nations.

Jesus is God’s Saviour for everyone who believes. When He came to the world, He made it clear that love for God above all else, and love for your neighbour, equal to your love for self, are in effect what the law of God is about, as stated in Matthew 22:37-39:

"Jesus said to him, “‘You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.’ This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like it: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’" (NKJ)

Only those “In whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not” (2 Corinthians 4:4 KJV) are unable to see the great love of God herein.

How can anybody say that he loves God if he is guilty of violence and bloodshed against His command? How can he say that he loves his neighbour, while committing acts of violence against him?

If one should ask God: “If You are a God of love and omnipotent as the Bible teaches, why is there so much violence and senseless suffering on the earth?” His answer, based on the teachings of the Bible, in humility and respect could be as follows: “In My supreme wisdom I created man to live with Me in love and harmony. They were in My presence and under My control. They were intelligent beings with the ability to make decisions. They chose, against My warning, to put their own interests above Mine by being disobedient. I am a God of justice and dispelled them from My presence, immediate control and responsibility, into a world that is cast in wickedness. Their separation from Me meant death for them and that is still the case for everyone who is not reconciled to Me. I had to act in accordance with what I said, otherwise My warning would have been false and that would mean that I could never again expect anyone, including the angels, to believe Me. I am Truth, which means that if I say one thing I cannot do something else. It was their choice against My warning. It is still my desire for them to return to Me voluntarily for My love is never ending towards them. Knowing that people would not be able to return to Me without facing punishment for their disobedience, I reached out to them. I reached out to those who had enquiring hearts about Me, and through them I prepared a nation by making covenants with them into which they entered voluntarily. Through this nation, I made provision for man's reconciliation with Me, (a blessing unto the nations) by sending My Son, Jesus as ransom and propitiation for their sins. Anyone who voluntarily accepts this offer, and now lives through My power in this love of Mine, is reconciled to Me. It will be unjust to force people – in different possible ways – to return to Me. They can only return voluntarily, and in no other way but through Jesus Christ, My Son. Through the ages I have intervened in people's lives (through salvation as well as punishment) only when they willingly subjected themselves to covenants with Me. It is only those people's prayers that I hear and answer. I do not even listen to the prayers of people who call themselves believers but who live in sin (lack of love). There are lots of people who claim to be Christian-believers, but who want to be Christians for selfish reasons, in order to gain some benefit from it. These people have not yet denied themselves and are not prepared to trust Me with their lives. Although I love these people and want them to return to Me in true dedication so that I can hear and answer their prayers, I cannot do it because of My righteousness. These people are already so unbelieving, depraved and self-centered that if I should protect them without them asking for it in prayerful trust in Me, it will only encourage them in their wrongdoing. Others demand My protection and assistance in times of trouble because they claim to be Christians. They are not doing My will and therefore I do not know them. (See Matthew 7:21 where Jesus said: "Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven."). True believers are foreigners and strangers in this world (see 1 Peter 2:11) which is presently still in the power of wickedness, and are often still subjected to pain and suffering as a result of other people's sin (sometimes their own), but I am with them every moment and in My omnipotence I will see to it that everything works out for their good (Romans 8:28)."

From this explanation, the reasons for violence, pain and suffering in Christianity should be clear. The God of the Bible is against violence, it is man's sin (unloving behaviour) that necessitates violence from His side, which He would rather avoid. Violence initiated by Yahweh is exclusively to protect His plan for the redemption of humankind, and His motive is love. All other violence is against God's will and is sin against Him. What would the reason for violence in Islam be?