Which of the two doctrines is better?

Submitted by Prashant (United States), Sep 26, 2012 at 00:26

Dear Dr Pipes:

Your reader who signed his name as 'Ibn Warraq the repentant' said that an oft-cited verse of quran that asks muslims to attack the non-believers is taken out of context. This reader says that the right context of the verse just says that Muslims have the right to strike back when under attack. Let me grant that this reader is right.

So now I have two doctrines. The first says that when you are attacked you have the right to attack back (in quite a violent fashion). The second doctrine says that when someone slaps one of your cheeks, you should turn and offer him your other cheek. Let us call the first doctrine Muhammad doctrine and the second Jesus doctrine. Which of the two doctrines sounds better?

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