The Old Testament… Why is it the most violent ?

On February 10, 2016, The Independent published a controversial article in which Australian researcher Tom Anderson presented the results of an analytical study of Biblical texts. The conclusion of the research was shocking :  

5.3% of the Old Testament texts discuss killing and destruction, while the percentage drops to only 2.8% in the New Testament.  

This simply means that the Old Testament—the sacred scripture of the Jews and the foundation upon which Christianity was built—contains twice as much violent rhetoric compared to the New Testament.  

Between Text and Reality  

Texts are not just ancient stories ; for believers, they are " divine revelation " and a source of legislation. And herein lies the danger : when killing and genocide are attributed to God, the killer sees himself as devout, and the massacre becomes an act of worship.  

The Old Testament… Endless Bloodshed  

1. ( 1 Samuel 15 : 3 )  


   " Now go, attack the Amalekites and totally destroy all that belongs to them. Do not spare them ; put to death men and women, children and infants, cattle and sheep, camels and donkeys."  

  2. The Book of Joshua  


   " They devoted the city to the Lord and destroyed with the sword every living thing in it—men and women, young and old, cattle, sheep and donkeys." (Joshua 6:21)  


   " Put to the sword all the men in it. As for the women, the children, the livestock and everything else in the city, you may take these as plunder for yourselves."


(Deuteronomy 20:13-14)  

3. The Book of Numbers  


   "Now kill all the boys. And kill every woman who has slept with a man, but save for yourselves every girl who has never slept with a man."


 ( Numbers 31 : 17-18 )  

A shocking text that orders the killing of all male children and all adult women, sparing only the young girls!  

These are not metaphors but commands of genocide , reinforcing the logic of " We are the chosen people, and the rest are to be killed."

These texts are the essence of the warfare doctrine in the Torah , where God is portrayed as a God of war who commands His people to commit merciless mass killings : men, women, children, and even animals.  

 The New Testament… Fire and Sword, Not Peace  

Jesus in the Gospels did not only speak of love but also of fire and the sword :  

- " Do not suppose that I have come to bring peace to the earth. I did not come to bring peace, but a sword."


- (Matthew 10 : 34)  

- " I have come to bring fire on the earth, and how I wish it were already kindled !" (Luke 12:49)  


 


- " But those enemies of mine who did not want me to be king over them—bring them here and kill them in front of me." (Luke 19:27)  

- " If you don’t have a sword, sell your cloak and buy one." (Luke 22:36)  

So where is the " absolute peace " they speak of ?


The texts themselves say the opposite.  

 The Quran… A Religion of Mercy and Justice  

In contrast, the Quran establishes strict boundaries :  

- Fighting only against aggressors :  

  " 190) Fight in the way of Allah those who fight you but do not commit aggression. Indeed. Allah does not like aggressors.."


 ( Quran 2 : 190 )  

- Peace is the first option :  

  " 61) And if they incline to peace, then incline to it [also] and rely upon Allah.  ." ( Quran 8 : 61 )  

- The sanctity of human life :  


  " 32)  that whoever kills a soul unless for a soul or for corruption [done] in the land – it is as if he had slain mankind entirely.  And whoever saves one – it is as if he had saved mankind entirely. ." ( Quran 5 : 32 )  

"42) And never think that Allah is unaware of what the wrongdoers do.  He only delays them [i.e., their account] for a Day when eyes will stare [in honor]. "


( Quran 14 : 42 )

Conclusion : A Message Addressing the Mind and Heart  

If we reflect with reason and sincerity, we find a fundamental difference :  

- The books of the Old and New Testaments depict a God who commands killing and genocide in the name of religion.  


- The Quran, however, presents a completely different image of God—a Merciful and Just God, who hates oppression and aggression, making peace the norm and permitting fighting only as an exception in self-defense and to repel injustice.

No bloodshed for greed, no wars in the name of a " bchosen people ,"but justice and mercy for all humanity.  

A Question for Every Rational Mind  :  

Which image of God aligns with your innate nature ?  


A God portrayed as an inciter of bloodshed, or a God who calls for justice and mercy ?

A sound heart and a free mind cannot accept mass killing as a " divine commandment ." Therefore, true religion is not built on bloodshed but on mercy , not on tribal favoritism for a chosen people , but on a universal message for all humanity.  

✦ If you seek the truth, do not look at slogans—look at the texts. The texts reveal everything.