Quote from jcl:
Both religions are comparable when you look at the kill rate. Although Christianity has killed many more than Islam - f.i. the Conquista reduced the heathen indigenous population by about 200 million, directly as well as through slavery and starvation - they also had more time and opportunity.
That number 200 million is very debatable. (especially when there were only 30 million indigenous population in 1492.) 80% of all the indigenous population died of disease, so I think its unfair that just because a human being came in contact with another one and the other one died that its their fault. If you had the flu and went to the mall and some child or old man caught it from you does that mean you killed them and if so and you are an atheist, does that mean atheism caused another death of some poor innocent old man or child?
And lets not forget, that most of the violence in the new world was started by the indigenous populations. The europeans would go to the chiefs and offer them items for the land they lived on. The chiefs had no concept of ownership of land and thought they were pulling a fast one on the white man. Then they found out the white man put up fences around that land and denied them access, so the indians got mad and started attacking and claiming "we stole their land" even though we paid for it fair and square.
Its like if you bought a house and then the previous owner wanted to keep using the pool and have family gatherings in your backyard, you telling him no and then he starts attacking you and your family because you wont let him use it. Don't you have the right to defend your property that you PAID for? (yeah, they dont like to teach that inconvenient fact in high school history, do they?)