Through Force or Faith? — Page 176
?— A Reply to Pope Benedict XVI 176 ordered that, besides the men of Midian, all their women were to be killed also; but the virgins were spared. All their towns were set on fire. But these were the events at the beginning. When this nation gained power, it assassinated all men, women, and chil- dren of sixty towns of one nation. Their towns were burnt but the booty was kept for themselves (Deuteronomy 3). Their thirst was not satisfied even with that. Therefore, the Bible commanded that in all the land that was their inheritance, they should not leave anything alive (Deuteronomy 20:16). Even the animals were to be killed. And if the inhabitants of any city renounced the faith of the Bible and adopted another religion, not only all people of that city and their animals were to be killed, all their belongings were to be torched as well (Deuteronomy 13). Islam declares that if someone seeks peace, you cannot reject his overture just because he is not a believer (ch. 4: v. 95). And, if someone renounces Islam and adopts another faith, he is fully entitled to do so. No one has the right to punish him. His fate is with Allah (ch. 4: v. 138). Islam says that you should defend yourself lest the houses of worship of other faiths and your own mosques are destroyed. But the Bible says that when you conquer other nations in the Holy Land, do not make any accord of peace with them, do not leave anyone of them alive and even raze their temples (Deuteronomy 7). If someone thinks that these ordinances were in the Torah and were abrogated subsequently, he should consider that these teach- ings were reiterated in Samuel 15:3 and then in Ezekiel 9:5-7, and, it is specifically stated that elderly, young girls, women and babies, all should be slaughtered and no mercy should be shown to them. Even the livestock was to be put to death. The Pope might say that