There have always been, and likely will always be, tensions between groups based on their differences. Whether the differences are based on religion, culture (and the two are often confused both by the participants in a conflict and by observers), skin colour, economic disparities and on and on and on.

So they're supposed to only hate pagans, not other monotheists. Great. I now have as much respect for them as they have for my religion, Wicca.

Generally speaking, when the Qu'ran is speaking of violence or otherwise appearing to be judgemental, it is referring to issues current at the birth of the religion.

When it denounces the pagans, it is denouncing a specific group who had been persecuting muslims for some time even up to the point of killing those without the protection of powerful families. The Qu'ran isn't referring to the Hindu, Shinto, Wiccan or any other faith either directly or by implication.

And I suspect most muslims have a sophisticated enough understanding of our religion to understand that.

The current thinking is that the ancient Israelites emerged from a Canaanite underclass, merged with a small migratory group that is thought to have come into contact with a Yahweh cult in the Sinai, if memory serves. From this perspective, the rationale for the Joshua story would appear to emerge from a cultural and historical context in which taking land by conquest was a surer confirmation of ownership than merely living on it.

'Pagans' — i.e., those who live on the land, the indigenous villagers — bear the brunt of the Abrahamic dysfunction, but we all suffer.

It should not be comforting to rational people that a religion is less violent towards the adherents of similar, if not completely accepted, irrational beliefs in the supernatural. Of course they are going to support fellow monotheistic believers of the same god. Ask them what they think of believers of Ba'al or Thor or Zeus.

I think it's ignorant to be giving a pass to Islam, or Christianity for their disgusting and violent histories, and present day unquestionably unethical teachings and policies around the globe.

I would like to see more cartoons. Not less. The contemptible should be treated with contempt. These are treacherous and dangerous beliefs, we should be calling people out on them, not making glittering generalities about how one is more violent than another when both are the most disgusting and perverted uses of human imagination and ingenuity that have ever occurred.

Metaphysical speculation + wishful thinking is the basis of all religion.

To invert Gandhi : all religions are false, all religions have some truth in them.

No offense juan but arent you being a bit forgetful, what about the Armenian, pontic greek and assyrian genocides, bangladesh in the seventies and the millions killed by the sudanese government.

As an atheist i think all the religious books are pretty demented, however from what ive read of each the torah would be the most violent, followed by the slightly schizophrenic koran, i would place the bible third due to the fact that for christians the new testament is the most relevent part and as far as religious books go it is fairly benign.