Killing

[~Beauty_from_Pain~]

See poll.

 

[JonMiller]

What is it good for?

JM

 

[acropolis]

always a sin, but sometimes there are greater sins that occur from failing to kill.

 

[Windmill]

I voted death penalty killing is not a sin...

But I don't support it on an ethical level at all. I think it is barbaric, cruel, disgusting, idiotic, but not a sin.

 

[Tink]

I voted that killing in time of war is not a sin, but that I'm not sure about the other two instances.

 

[Inkachu]

I voted NOT for all of them, but this assumes a RIGHTEOUS case against the person, not an abuse of power. Obviously if you're slaughtering people just because you can, that's not OK, even if it's in the name of your country. This topic could get sticky lol.

 

[EazyMack]

Depends on the heart of the matter.

 

[20MoreMiles]

Well, God said "Thou shalt not kill", but i voted "not sure" on all three options.


My take:

Killing during war: it depends. To quote the great Joe Louis, during WWII, "We will win, because God is on our side". That would really motivate me, especially against the Axis of Evil. However, someone you have disarmed should be taken as a prisoner and/or interrogated, and killing him in such a situation WOULD be a sin, war or not.

Killing as a form of self-defence: Again, it depends on the circumstances. If the other person has a gun and tries to shoot you, then i think you have all right give him an early ticket to Heaven/Hell. But in most cases, self-defence doesn't include killing.

As for death penalty: i think this is a case of "thou shalt not kill". However, who would you blame? The man who does what he does to support his family and make ends meet who delivers the lethal injection, the judge who made this verdict happen, or the one that made the law that made the judge do what he had to do? It's all very complicated.... i will say one thing, i won't lose a second of sleep over rapists, (child) killers, etc, being removed from our existence here. The only thing that gives me doubt is the fact that it is irreversible, so you have to be 100% sure and that is hard.

 

[Niels]

I don't think self-preservation, or the defense of others, is sinful.

 

[A Taffer]

I don't believe killing for punishment is a sin. People got stoned to death in Jesus time. I don't believe killing for war is a sin, as it was necessary in times in the OT to goto war to slay the enemy. I don't believe killing for self defense is wrong either, he's going down before I am.

 

[puffca]

17Thou shalt not kill.

If someone wants to kill me and I don't have other choices (of course the first choice would be to escape), I'll have to kill him.
But, a sin is a sin, periode.

 

[lostaquarium]

I don't know about the other two options, but I'm pretty sure self-defense isn't a sin. However, I'd try other ways of self-defense, like escaping, or shooting his leg or something, instead of just killing the guy.

 

[Manda_24]

I voted 'Not a sin' to all three of them.

 

[dluvs2trvl]

MOD HAT

This thread has been moved from the singles forum to the Ethics & Morality forum.

If you are not familiar with the FSG's for posting in E&M, please take some time to review them now.

MOD HAT
​

 

[Criada]

I voted 'not sure' on war and yes on the other two.
I o think that there is such a thing as a just war, and in those circumstances, I think that killing is inevitable.
Self defense and defense of others are lumed together, so I voted yes. I think that to kill in self defense is a sin... it is ending the life of someone who is possibly unsaved, and thereby condemning them for eternity. I am not sure that my life is worth that... and scripturally we are called to 'turn the other cheek' rather than to kill our attacker.
I think that killing in defense of another may be justified in some circumstances.
And I am totally against the death penalty in all cases.

 

[Tenka]

Thou shalt not kill, unless you feel it is appropriate.

 

[bigbadwilf]

On war: it all goes back to the Just War Theory (i.e., just cause, right intention, last resort, proportionality, distinction between civilian and millitary and so forth).

Fighting a just war isn't a sin, starting an unjust war is, but for those actually in uniform and fighting it there has to be some mitigation (although "only obeying orders" probably doesn't really help much).

Killing in self-defence and/or the defence of others:

Not a sin, as long as the minimal amount of force is used (difficult to judge in the heat of the moment though.

Capital punishment:

It depends on the crime that has been committed, while at work there are people who demonstrate a level of criminal stupidity that warrants defenstration, it really wouldn't be moral. That and I couldn't afford the glaziers bills.

An interesting factoid for you, the UK has just about got rid of all executable offences, from 1998. Although exactly how long someone convicted of espionage would survive in a prison , or whether or not they would survive long enough to make it before a judge is open to some debate.
My personal favourite capital offence "causing a fire or explosion in a naval dockyard, magazine, warehouse, or ship" was repealed in the Criminal Damage Act 1971.

 

[Wiccan_Child]

I don't believe in 'sin', so I replaced that word with 'immoral'. I believe that killing people as a form of capital punishment or as 'casualties of war' is immoral. Killing people in self-defence, or in the defence of others, is unfortunate, but very often justifiable (killing someone for stepping on their toes is a rather extreme defence...).

 

[ebia]

Killing other people is always counter to God's intention.

 

[Wiccan_Child]

Killing other people is always counter to God's intention.

So when God killed people himself, or commanded humans to kill other humans, that's counter to his intentions?