Murder

Murder is the unlawful killing of a human being with "malice aforethought." Cases involving multiple murders may be known as any of the following:
 * mass murder
 * serial murder (or, more informally, killing sprees)
 * genocide

Murder in the Bible
The supposed "first murder" occurs in, in which Cain slays his brother Abel and is cursed by God for doing so.

Believers tend not to ascribe the term murder to the many killings committed by God in the Bible.

Mass murder seems to be commanded by God many times in the Old Testament. One such example can be found in Leviticus 26:7-9, "You [Israel] will chase your enemies, and they shall fall by the sword before you. Five of you shall chase a hundred, and a hundred of you shall put ten thousand to flight; your enemies shall fall by the sword before you. For I will look on you favorably and make you fruitful, multiply you and confirm My covenant with you. You shall eat the old harvest, and clear out the old because of the new." The usual argument to justify God's commandment of genocide is that because God is righteous and just, fulfilling his commandment of by committing genocide must also be righteous and just. However, the [Euthyphro Dilemma] may be extended to argue against the idea that following an immoral command of God does not make it morally right.

Mass murder is also enacted directly by God on several different occasions. The most famous is the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah in Genesis 19. There are also accounts of acts of God aiding the Israelites in battle, such as in Joshua 6 against Jericho and in Joshua 10 against the Amorites.

External link

 * Who has killed more - Satan or God? - The atheist blog Dwindling in Unbelief analyzes the numbers of deaths attributed to both God and Satan in the Bible, and finds that God comes out way on top: 2,270,365 to 10. (The point spread is really much wider, however, since Satan had God's help for his 10, and mass deaths with no reported numbers, such as the Great Flood, are not factored in.)


 * Rational Christianity - Genocide in the Old Testament - A apologetic on why God commands genocide and murder