Is God Evil in the Old Testament?

Is God Evil in the Old Testament?

Atheist Richard Dawkins famously wrote “The God of the Old Testament is arguably the most unpleasant character in all fiction” and charged him with being a genocidal ethnic cleanser. Other atheists have also specifically criticized the biblical story of the conquering of Canaan by the Israelites because God ordered them to wipe out all who live there—sometimes even including the livestock.

How should Christians understand the slaughter of the Canaanites and the orders God gave to the Israelites? There’s actually more than meets the eye here as we explore why a good God would give such a command.