Onward, Mujahids!

Christian and Muslim traditions are both storied with tales of war, both symbolic and literal,. In Paul's letter to the Ephesians, he talks of putting on the armor of God, but prefaces the instructions "For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms." Likewise, the literal translation of the word Jihad, as used in the Quran, likens to "Striving in the way of God."

The hymn "Onward, Christian Soldiers" was penned by Sabine Baring-Gould in 1865, with Sir Arthur Sullivan composing the accompaniment in 1871. The lyrics (should you choose to view the video) explicitly mention the Christian faith going to war, however it is not a war they battle with men, it is a war against the devil, and all things unholy. However, extremist groups of both the Christian and Islamic religions misinterpret the calls to war of hymns and the scriptures, taking them to literally mean that God wants them to go to war. Couple this misinterpretation with other false doctrine regarding the evils of other religions; the scriptures say that each religion is the truth, and the ultimate salvation, condemning all other believers to Hell. There is nothing in either scripture that instructs believers to hold nonbelievers at gunpoint and force them to renounce their God. This sort of miscommunication of beliefs is what has caused the majority of conflicts between these two faiths, along with the inherently violent nature of humanity. We can not blame a faith for their outcast groups, but we can blame the outcasts for polluting the faith.