"If you are attacked and wronged, it is okay to defend yourself in any way necessary," said Muhammad, in essence. "Those who persecute you for your religion, fight them, so that there will always be freedom of religion." "Inflict only the punishment you have suffered."

Muhammad used this justification to attack Meccan camel caravans when he had migrated to Medina, looting and killing as necessary. After all, Mecca had wronged him. He was just getting even. He actually declared war on the city of Mecca and eventually won that war, and many more.

Sounds Mosaic.

And what could be wrong with freedom of religion? Should we not fight for this priceless privilege? With the sword if necessary?

Sounds American.

Muhammad further enjoined, If you hear of an evil man stirring up trouble, "who will remind you of Satan," kill him!

Sounds logical.

But my commitment in this study is to compare the words and lives of Muhammad and Jesus. Not Muhammad and logic, or Muhammad and Moses, or Muhammad and America. Jesus sounds decidedly different here.

"...I tell you not to resist an evil person. But whoever slaps you on your right cheek, turn the other to him also. If anyone wants to sue you and take away your tunic, let him have your cloak also..."

"...I say to you, love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you."

As for those Satan look-alikes and wannabes: Jesus cast out demons. He delivered people from evil. His very name means deliverance. And He taught His people to pray "deliver us from evil."

Deliverance is a spiritual thing, not a first-cousin to murder.

Lings relates how Muhammad stood by praying as his men tortured enemy soldiers. When the Meccans counter-attacked Muhammad at the famous battle of Badr, he simply prayed, O Lord, destroy them!

Like the Pope promising indulgences to Crusaders, he promised his men then and always that if they would fight for him, they would enter Paradise. (Jesus has one such promise recorded in our Scriptures: a promise given to a dying thief who believed in Him. )

Many Meccans were then slaughtered. Others were taken captive, females passed around to worthy soldiers.

"If you overcome them in war, make an example of them, to strike fear..." he says.

Things were so bad at Badr that many of the Jews woke up to the reality of this new religion. They are fully awake today, of course, as Islam and Judaism, Ishmael and Isaac, continue their feud.

By contrast, Jesus weeps over evil Jerusalem, though He knows a similar fate is coming to them as to Mecca. Worse, in fact. He shows us the heart of the Father who delights not in the death of the wicked, even when He must initiate that sentence.

"You know not what spirit you are of," could easily be said to Muhammad, who along with Allah seems to delight in all the blood being shed. No "love your enemies" here. Definitely not the god of the Bible.