I have found a couple of websites that have attempted to compile the number of deaths attributable to God and God’s followers in the Christian Bible. These websites differ a little in exact numbers, but are in the same ballpark. One attributes about 2.8 million deaths from specific numbers mentioned in the Bible, the other 2.4 million (and subdivides these into about 400,000 by God, and 2.0 million by God’s followers). One site also attempts to estimate deaths due to God and/or his followers for events that are without specific numbers in the Bible (like Noah’s Flood) and estimates about 25 million deaths in total.
http://www.debunkingskeptics.com/DebunkingChristians/Page22.htm
http://dwindlinginunbelief.blogspot.com/2010/04/drunk-with-blood-gods-killings-in-bible.html
Are these numbers close to being accurate? Both of these sites were clearly non-Christian sites, so is anyone aware of a pro-Christian site that similarly attempts to compile these numbers?
-Removed-Are you saying that god is responsible for death in a generic sense (god didn’t make people immortal, so everyone will die sometime), or are you arguing that god determines the exact moment of death (theological determinism)?
If you are arguing the former, then these numbers are important, because god would be actively choosing to end lives earlier than would happen otherwise. If you are arguing the latter, then god is actively responsible for every death, including for example, the 6.6 million children under the age of five that died in 2012 (http://www.who.int/mediacentre/factsheets/fs178/en/), and as such the 25 million number would be a gross underestimate.
Originally posted by wolfgang59I agree that Lord Voldemort is comparable (at least in terms of reality if not in scale). I just think there are at least two aspects of religious debate. First is whether the god (or gods) exists, but second is whether the god is worthy of worship and/or admiration. I’m extremely skeptical that a god responsible for millions of deaths should garner any type of worship or admiration, and wanted to see if anyone had any counter-arguments.
As accurate as the 147 deaths attributed to Lord Voldemort.
The only response so far is divegeester’s argument that there is no difference between god setting an average human lifespan and god actively killing people, which I find unconvincing to say the least. I’m pretty confident that if I told someone they probably wouldn’t live past seventy, the law would look far more kindly upon me than if I chopped that person's head off.
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Originally posted by PatNovak"I’m extremely skeptical that a god responsible for millions of deaths should garner any type of worship or admiration, and wanted to see if anyone had any counter-arguments."
I agree that Lord Voldemort is comparable (at least in terms of reality if not in scale). I just think there are at least two aspects of religious debate. First is whether the god (or gods) exists, but second is whether the god is worthy of worship and/or admiration. I’m extremely skeptical that a god responsible for millions of deaths should garner any typ ...[text shortened]... st seventy, the law would look far more kindly upon me than if I chopped that person's head off.
To some people it depends on whether he kills their friends or their enemies.
Originally posted by PatNovakGod gave all those people chance to repent and turn the other way before destroying their cities
I have found a couple of websites that have attempted to compile the number of deaths attributable to God and God’s followers in the Christian Bible. These websites differ a little in exact numbers, but are in the same ballpark. One attributes about 2.8 million deaths from specific numbers mentioned in the Bible, the other 2.4 million (and subdivides these ...[text shortened]... es, so is anyone aware of a pro-Christian site that similarly attempts to compile these numbers?
-Removed-I can't go any further in this line of discussion until you answer my earlier question as to whether or not you think god determines the exact time of death for every single person, or just for some people (like the people referenced in the original post). Your latest analogy isn't even remotely relevant to your argument (because neither part of your analogy dealt with the issue of god setting up an average human lifespan), and in any event is unanswerable because you didn't tell me if the plane crash was intentional or accidental.
I am interested in something else you mentioned earlier, that god is responsible for all the good things in life as well. Are you arguing that doing enough good will make up for doing something bad?