There are differences, obviously, between Christianity and Islam, in particulars and in general thrust — especially when you look at the centuries and geography that each of them spans. There are passages in the Koran and Hadith that are decidedly unfriendly to neighbors and dissent (and others that are much more tolerant), but Christianity, especially its Old Testament heritage, is hardly clean-handed here.
The story of the Prophet Muhammad actually has many parallels in the Old Testament, in terms of being a tale of war and conquest and struggle, and (as the article notes), you can find any number of violent injunctions in the Jewish heritage of Christianity against those outside who believe differently, or (even worse) those inside who have turned from the True Faith.
The New Testament is, generally, a lot more peaceful — in large part because Christians in that era were a (often-persecuted) minority, not a group with power to strike out against "infidels.". Once Christianity because the official religion of the Empire (In Hoc Signo Vinces) then Christianity became officially part and parcel of both conquest without and internal suppression of dissent (especially religious dissent) within.
The religious atrocities, pogroms, inquisitions, holy wars, and internal "crusades" against heresy across European history from that point forward were, in fact, justified by arguments made from the Bible, both directly (in passages such as the Deuteronomy one quoted here) and indirectly. The cursing of the Jews at Jesus' trial (echoed elsewhere in the New Testament), the militaristic images and rivers of blood in Revelations, the dictate of Christians to support the (God-blessed) state, Old Testament death penalties for "witches" and the like, and the example of the God's mandated treatment of unbelievers in the wars of the Old Testament, were all used (and still are, by some) as a justification for violence and oppression by faithful Christians (or people using Christianity as a tribal flag, or people who just were looking for an excuse for war or oppression or expropriation of goods.
Today, most majority-Christian nations are less bloody-handed in handling sinners and dissenters — though you can find plenty of exceptions, especially if you go back not very far (American history included). There are those today who speak of crusades and forced conversions of non-Christians, who think stoning gays for their sins is Biblically justified, who opine that America should be an explicitly Christian and Biblical nation, with all the historical example of what that means.
I think Tim Wildmon would be better advised to put his efforts cleaning up those sorts of impulses in Christianity, than in arguing whether Christianity or Islam is more "peaceful."
Tim Wildmon Insists There Is Nothing In The Bible Calling For Infidels To Be Put To Death
On yesterday’s broadcast of the “Today’s Issues” radio program, American Family Association president Tim Wildmon voiced his displeasure with those “ignorant people” who cl
Over the past couple of years, I’ve seen an uptick in articles about the more conservative evangelicals sending missionaries to Africa. It has resulted in a heavy anti-gay wave through a number of countries on the continent that go so far as to outlaw homosexuality with a sentence of death by stoning if caught (usually a simple allegation is all that is necessary to find someone guilty). Since they are losing their foothold here, they are looking elsewhere for a breeding ground for their hate. How soon will we need to begin to worry about extremists from both Islam and Christianity attacking us for being heathens? How many of them will find allies w/in our own boarders? Though is it that surprising that Christianity still contains so much hatred? It was only a few decades ago when the Roman Catholic Church finally changed their views on other Christians and Jews. Until the 2nd Vatican Council, the RCC was anti-Semitic, blaming all Jews for the death of Jesus.
That's actually a good observation about violence in Africa, extra-legal and legal, as Christian (or Christian-instigated) activities there are hardly "peaceful".