Compare and contrast

When Christians are unjustly executed by Muslims in Indonesia, the Indonesian Christians call for non- violence as tensions between the two factions rise. When Muslims shoot an elderly nun in Somalia, she cries, “I forgive, I forgive” with her dying breath. When Muslims and the New York Times misconstrue the Pope’s words as an insult against Mohammed, Muslims call for violence until they deem their prophet’s honor has been sufficiently redeemed.

Which god is more holy: the God of the Christians, who forgives personal injustice and respects and serves others instead of self; or the god of the Muslims, who demands innocent blood to avenge even imagined, not real, slights? The worst of the pagan idols of the Canaanites were also vengeful, who demanded appeasement with human blood.

Of them, and those like them, it is just as true today as it was 3000 years ago:

That night the LORD said to [Gideon], “Take your father’s bull, and the second bull seven years old, and pull down the altar of Baal that your father has, and cut down the Asherah that is beside it and build an altar to the LORD your God on the top of the stronghold here, with stones laid in due order. Then take the second bull and offer it as a burnt offering with the wood of the Asherah that you shall cut down.” So Gideon took ten men of his servants and did as the LORD had told him. But because he was too afraid of his family and the men of the town to do it by day, he did it by night. When the men of the town rose early in the morning, behold, the altar of Baal was broken down, and the Asherah beside it was cut down, and the second bull was offered on the altar that had been built. And they said to one another, “Who has done this thing?” And after they had searched and inquired, they said, “Gideon the son of Joash has done this thing.” Then the men of the town said to Joash, “Bring out your son, that he may die, for he has broken down the altar of Baal and cut down the Asherah beside it.” But Joash said to all who stood against him, “Will you contend for Baal? Or will you save him? Whoever contends for him shall be put to death by morning. If he is a god, let him contend for himself, because his altar has been broken down.” Judges 6:25-31

Amen. Let He who is God, contend for Himself, and let the whole world see it. For God, the Creator of heaven and earth, will defend His own honor, and does not need human help, or human blood, to do so.