I don't know about you but that certainly sounds to me like the Crusades were carried out in the name of Christ in an effort to stop the spread of other religions in favor of Christianity. I suppose you could interpret it as greed for power, but the base of that power was their view of Christianity.
Couldn't the same be said of Muslims? There are plenty of peaceful Muslims out there so why you can make the same exceptions for the violent ones that you do for the violent people that call themselves Christian?
It is true that Christians have not always been nice. Many atrocities have been committed throughout church history in the name of Christ. Muslims are fond of referring to the Crusades, the Inquisition and the fighting in Ireland between Protestants and Catholics. "Christians" have done and continue to do many evil things in the name of Christ. However, when "Christians" have engaged in such violence, they have BETRAYED the teachings of Jesus and have turned their back on the examples that He set for us. But when Muslims engage in violence, murder, and other acts of terrorism, they can legitimately claim that they are following the commands of God as found in the Qur'an and in the examples of Muhammad and his teachings. This represents a MAJOR distinction between Christianity and Islam.
Here are some Quranic verses that are used to support the Islamic violence and are passages supposedly direct revelations from God to Muhammad and the Muslims.
"Fight in the cause of Allah those who fight you....and slay them whereever you catch them....and fight them on until there is no more tumult or oppression and there prevail justice and faith in Allah" Sur 2:190-193. This command is to keep fighting, to keep slaying wherever you catch the enemies of God.
"Fighting is prescribed upon you, and ye dislike it. But it is possible that ye dislike a thing which is good for you, and that ye love a thing which is bad for you. But Allah knoweth and ye know not." Sura 2:216 Here we see some reluctance on the part of the Muslim community to fight; but God tells them, "I know what is good for you."
"For the Unbelievers are unto you open enemies (Sura 4:101). "They but wish that you should reject Faith, as they do, and thus be on the same footing (as they); so take not friends from their ranks until they flee in the way of Allah....But if they turn renegades, seize them and slay them wherever you find them" (Sura 4:89)..."fight and slay the Pagans wherever you find them, and seize them, beleaguer them, and lie in wait for them in every stratagem (of war)" (Sura 9:5). "Fight those who believe not in Allah nor the Last Day, ....nor acknowledge the Religion of Truth from among the People of the Book (Jews and Christians)" Sura 9:29.
Some of the violence commanded is gruesome: "The punishment of those who wage war against Allah and His Messenger, and strive with might and main for mischief through the land is: execution, or crucifixion, or the cutting off of hands and feet from opposite sides, or exile from the land: that is their disgrace in this world, and a heavy punishment is theirs in the hereafter" Sura 5:33. "Smite ye above their necks and smite all their fingertips off them. This because they contended against Allah and His Messenger. If any contend against Allah and His Messenger, Allah is strict in punishment" Sura 8:12-13. "therefore, when you meet the Unbelievers, smite at their necks; at length, when you have thoroughly subdued them, bind the bond firmly" (sura 47:4.
These are not isolated passages that some people are misinterpreting or quoting out of context. Such verses are prevalent thruout the Qur'an, supporting the view that Allah wants his people to fight and destroy the enemies of the people of Allah by the use of the sword or other violence. That destruction can take the form of assassinations, persecution, suicide bombings, or a death sentence on anyone who supposedly ridicules the Islamic faith.
El-Duderino are you a Muslim?
Now, I challange you to show me anywhere where we are to bomb abortion clinics or slay the Muslims for simply not adhering to the faith of Christianity using the words of Christ.