Who killed more people in the Bible? God or Satan?

[Nahuel]

Reading this thread reminded me of a really neat article on Dwindling In Unbelief. The author (Steve Wells) tries to estimate the number of people killed by God ( READ!) and then by Satan. Here's a transcript:
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Who has killed more, Satan or God?

And the LORD said unto Satan, Whence comest thou? Then Satan answered the LORD, and said, From going to and fro in the earth, and from walking up and down in it. Job 1:1-19

Since I revised the number on God's kill list, I also have to change the God vs. Satan killing contest results. So here it is.

In a previous post, I counted the number of people that were killed by God in the Bible. I came up with 2,301,417, which, of course, greatly underestimates God's total death toll, since it only includes those killings for which specific numbers are given. No attempt was made to include the victims of Noah's flood, Sodom and Gomorrah, or the many plagues, famines, fiery serpents, etc., with which the good book is filled. Still, 2 million is a respectable number even for world class killers.

But how does this compare with Satan? How many did he kill in the Bible?

Well I can only find ten, and even these he shares with God, since God allowed him to do it as a part of a bet. I'm talking about the seven sons and three daughters of Job.

There was a man in the land of Uz, whose name was Job ... And there were born unto him seven sons and three daughters.
...
And the LORD said unto Satan, Hast thou considered my servant Job, that there is none like him in the earth, a perfect and an upright man, one that feareth God, and escheweth evil? Then Satan answered the LORD ... put forth thine hand now, and touch all that he hath, and he will curse thee to thy face. And the LORD said unto Satan, Behold, all that he hath is in thy power; only upon himself put not forth thine hand. So Satan went forth from the presence of the LORD.
...
And there was a day when his sons and his daughters were eating and drinking wine in their eldest brother's house...And, behold, there came a great wind from the wilderness, and smote the four corners of the house, and it fell upon the young men, and they are dead; and I only am escaped alone to tell thee. -- Job 1:1-19

So it seems that both Satan and God share the blame (or the credit) for these killings. If so, then the tally would be:

killings
God   2,301,417
Satan   10


SOURCE

And here's a revised list, much cooler.

[G-Roll]

i dig the chart. it is very helpful and educational.

[Mark L Holland]

To Nahuel

  Actually it is Satan 0 God hundreds of millions.  You missed Job 2

Job 2:1 Again there was a day when the sons of God came to present themselves before the LORD, and Satan came also among them to present himself before the LORD.  2 And the LORD said unto Satan, From whence comest thou? And Satan answered the LORD, and said, From going to and fro in the earth, and from walking up and down in it. 3 And the LORD said unto Satan, Hast thou considered my servant Job, that there is none like him in the earth, a perfect and an upright man, one that feareth God, and escheweth evil? and still he holdeth fast his integrity, although thou movedst me against him, to destroy him without cause.

  God clearly claims responsibility for what happened to Job, Satan may have made the bet but God fulfilled the bet.id, From going to and fro in the earth, and from walking up and down in it. 3 And the LORD said unto Satan, Hast thou considered my servant Job, that there is none like him in the earth, a perfect and an upright man, one that feareth God, and escheweth evil? and still he holdeth fast his integrity, although thou movedst me against him, to destroy him without cause.

  God clearly claims responcibility for what happened to Job, Satan may have made the bet but God fullfilled the bet
 

[G-Roll]

he needs a new chart now...

[Whitney]

he needs a new chart now...

Does it count as God doing it just because it was God's intention?  The bible is pretty clear that Satan had free will; being that he was able to try to overthrow God.

I think the chart is still mostly valid, it just needs note that Satan was instructed to kill by God.

[Mark L Holland]

To Whitney

  Hi Whitney I hope all is going well with you, but as for my post it clearly shows that God did the actual acts.  Whether it was at the urgings of Satan or not, God is the one who actualized the acts.  If you look to the versus that concern God and the Egyptians it is the same scenario God is the one who actually commits the negative actions not Satan.
 

[Mark L Holland]

To Whitney

  Satan according to the bible never  attempted to overthrow God.  If you would remember Satan was left as the authority as God went somewhere else.  Satan when the humans only saw him present begin worshipping Satan as God by the time, (thousands or years maybe) became accustomed to the worship and when God returned Satan simply said your time here is over they accept me as God.

  Nowhere in the bible does it say that Satan wanted to replace God Satan simply believed that the human worship of him on earth made him god of this world nothing else.
 

[Mark L Holland]

To Whitney

  Now we agree with something.  If Satan exists then Satan is employed by God.  Satan performs only those duties that he has been assigned by God.
 

[Nahuel]

If Satan exists then Satan is employed by God.  Satan performs only those duties that he has been assigned by God.
 

I suppose that's a valid conclusion. Very interesting as well.

[wullie1320]

As god or satan does not and could not possibly exsist I think this question is inept, however I think we can all agree that Religion has killed a lot of humans.

[rb24]

This is great, but has no real use for debate in a religious argument with a Christian, because one could easily come up with the conclusion that for example: One who kills is evil, and the devil is evil, and manipulates people to be evil, and thus makes the killer manipulated by the devil, so therefore, Satan has killed many people.

That's at least how I see a conversation going if you were to show this to a Christian.

[Nahuel]

Yes, I see your point. But this is a recollection of all the killing that is told in the bible and that are attributed to God in the book itself. As you said, it has no further use. It's just... something noticeable, I suppose.

[rb24]

Oh yes, I know, I think it's a really cool post, I was just saying. Really awesome post though

[Mark L Holland]

To the Atheists

  Please in regards to my posts, I argue Christianity from the view point of being a Theist not an Atheist.  So I do not argue the existence of a God I simply argue against the existence of their God.  I do not believe that the existence of God or Gods can be proven.  God or Gods can only exist where evidence or proofs have been given that they exist.