Does The Bible Promote Violence Than The Quran?

A recent textual analytics of the Bible and the Quran revealed that the Old Testament and the New Testament contain more references to killing and destruction than the Quran, "Killing and destruction are referenced slightly more often in the New Testament than in the Quran (2.8% vs. 2.1%), but the Old Testament clearly leads—more than twice that of the Quran—in mentions of destruction and killing (5.3%)."1This may surprise many, for the Bible may not have been considered as the more violent religious text.

If the Bible contains more references to killing and destruction, does it mean that the Bible promotes violence? Alternatively, how do we reconcile the biblical notion that God loves us so much so that Christ died for our sins, but the exact same God has mandated a gory killing of many in the past?

When people question our total love and commitment to a seemingly bloodthirsty God of the Bible, we, who call ourselves as professing Christians, ought to offer reasonable answers (1 Peter 3:15). Why do we love our God, who appears as bloodthirsty and violent in the verses of the Bible?

Although the text analytics has compared the Quran with the Bible, this article will only endeavor to represent the Bible in its truthful light.

Let's think this through from two vantage points.

First, I ask myself this question. Why did I not think of God as violent and bloodthirsty, when I read the Bible? As a professing Christian I study the Bible diligently. However, when I encountered the violent verses in the Bible, I did not honestly think of God as horrendously bloodthirsty.

Here is an excellent instance of violence in the Bible, "Samaria will be held guilty, For she has rebelled against her God. They will fall by the sword, Their little ones will be dashed in pieces, And their pregnant women will be ripped open" (Hosea 13: 16, NASB, Emphasis Mine). Wow this is indeed gory!

But I honestly did not think of God as gory and bloodthirsty when I read this verse. Why?

As I was reading the Bible, the first unbiased understanding that I had of God was HIS holiness. God, by virtue of HIS holiness, cannot tolerate sins. Sins are, in essence, an assault on God. The Bible also teaches that the consequence of sin is death. I had no problems whatsoever in comprehending this truth.

When I read the 13th chapter of Hosea, the first few verses revealed God's love for Israel, the rebellion of Israel, and the judgment of God upon Israel. God loved Israel so much so that HE delivered them and cared for them greatly.

But Israel, after having enjoyed God's blessings, chose to rebel against HIM. Hence God announced HIS judgment upon Israel by using the most gory and gruesome similes (a figure of speech), "Yet I have been the Lord your God Since the land of Egypt; And you were not to know any god except Me, For there is no savior besides Me. I cared for you in the wilderness, In the land of drought. As they had their pasture, they became satisfied, And being satisfied, their heart became proud; Therefore they forgot Me. So I will be like a lion to them; Like a leopard I will lie in wait by the wayside. I will encounter them like a bear robbed of her cubs, And I will tear open their chests; There I will also devour them like a lioness, As a wild beast would tear them." (Hosea 13: 4-8, NASB, Emphasis Mine)."

Against the backdrop of God's great love, HIS people's mindless rebellion against HIM, and HIS judgment of rebellion, the gory details of God's judgment, as an entailment of sin, did not consume me. All I cared about then and now is to earnestly understand God's love for me and to love God more and more. I endeavor to be thankful for all that HE has done for me and not rebel against HIM.