Oh woe is me, the Christians probably slaughtered more than they suffered. Just think, if the holocaust wasn't about the Jewish religion but instead Christians, you guys would have proclaimed that no end as Jesus prophesy having come true.
FYI: We were/are instructed to follow PAUL. PAUL was given the gospel of GRACE to spread. We are currently living under GRACE, as I'm sure you've heard. Jesus did not teach GRACE as he hadn't died, and risen yet--the belief in which is required under GRACE. Prior to Jesus, we were under THE LAW. Many draw false conclusions because they don't know, what they don't know. If they knew what they didn't know, then they'd know enough, to know that they should just say, "I don't know."
You will not find anything in the New Testament commanding Christians to kill anyone. Any Christian who kills another is sinning by murder, unless it is justifiable by self-defense in a life-threatening situation, or defending others from an attacker, or law enforcement or military duty.
Journalists misuse that word and plenty of others all the time. A writer from a football blog is hardly a reference standard for word usage. Look, one team is going to win the SuperBowl. Not two teams. We all know that when those two teams enter the stadium, every person on the planet is going to have their favorite team. Nobody says "I don't know. I kinda like them both". Nobody wears a jersey from one team and a hat from the opposing team at the same time unless they just don't give a shit what happens in the game. You've gotten the word favorite confused with "Top 2 choices", Top 3 choices", etc. You can have multiple ice cream flavors that you like, but the word favorite means the one you prefer above all the others. So if you have multiple flavors you like equally, that just means you can't make a decision as to which one is your favorite, which is a completely different issue altogether.
Right. And just for clarification, it was faith, not keeping the law that brought about conversion in the Old Testament times. 1Blessed is he whose transgressions are forgiven, whose sins are covered. 2Blessed is the man whose iniquity the LORD does not count against him... Psalm 32:1, 2a And Abram believed the LORD, and it was credited to him as righteousness. Genesis 15:6
Just want to clarify that what is, or isn't deemed "murder" is up to God, and requires an examination of the heart (knowledge/intent). There are no exempted categories. Killing someone in self-defense, when you could have run, or disabled them might be considered murder in God's eyes. Law enforcement can commit murder. So can the military.