Would you kill someone if God told you to?

[Grumpy Old Man]

Christians often say that there can be no morality without God, so I thought I'd ask this question. Yes, it's a hard one but I want people to be honest. Most Christians believe that God speaks today, so what would you do if God told you to kill someone? Would you do it?

Before anyone says that God wouldn't ask this of someone in this day and age, I would stipulate that it's a hypothetical question. Also, remember there is a precedent for this in that God asked Abraham to kill Isaac.

 

[GrayAngel]

Christians often say that there can be no morality without God, so I thought I'd ask this question. Yes, it's a hard one but I want people to be honest. Most Christians believe that God speaks today, so what would you do if God told you to kill someone? Would you do it?

Before anyone says that God wouldn't ask this of someone in this day and age, I would stipulate that it's a hypothetical question. Also, remember there is a precedent for this in that God asked Abraham to kill Isaac, so I'm asking something along similar lines.

To ask such a hypothetical question is silly, considering it would go against God's nature. It would be like asking what we'd do if gravity suddenly turned upside down.

I don't believe that God ever changes, so I wouldn't use the "in this day and age" argument. But even when God asked Abraham to kill his son Isaac, it turned out to be just a test of Abraham's faith. I doubt He would use the same trick twice, now that everyone knows that story.

If I did hear a voice telling me to kill someone, I would be extremely skeptical that that voice is really God speaking to me, and not some hallucination or demon producing the voice.

 

[Grumpy Old Man]

To ask such a hypothetical question is silly, considering it would go against God's nature.

But it doesn't. Abraham was sent to kill Isaac. Many times God commanded Moses and other prophets to kill people.

When I used to go to church people would always talk about wanting to be prophets like Elijah. Elijah killed 500 (I think) prophets of Baal. Elisha, his apprentice once cursed some children who were then slaughtered by bears;

2 Kings 2:23-25

English Standard Version (ESV)

23 He went up from there to Bethel, and while he was going up on the way, some small boys came out of the city and jeered at him, saying, “Go up, you baldhead! Go up, you baldhead!” 24 And he turned around, and when he saw them, he cursed them in the name of the Lord. And two she-bears came out of the woods and tore forty-two of the boys. 25 From there he went on to Mount Carmel, and from there he returned to Samaria.

So my question still stands. And I think it's a valid one.

If I did hear a voice telling me to kill someone, I would be extremely skeptical that that voice is really God speaking to me, and not some hallucination or demon producing the voice.

Given this (and I suspect most Christians would agree with what you say here), do you think that there's reason to believe Abraham may have been deceived by a demon, or that he was possibly mentally ill? What about other people in the Bible; because they often heard God's voice too? How do we determine whether someone is mentally ill or hearing from God?

 

[GrayAngel]

But it doesn't. Abraham was sent to kill Isaac. Many times God commanded Moses and other prophets to kill people.

When I used to go to church people would always talk about wanting to be prophets like Elijah. Elijah killed 500 (I think) prophets of Baal. Elisha, his apprentice once cursed some children who were then slaughtered by bears;

So my question still stands. And I think it's a valid one.

Abraham did not kill his son. A curse does not kill either, but God causes it to happen. Moses and the prophets who ordered the deaths of others did so because of something those people did wrong, and because they were harmful for their society. It would be different today, when we have prisons and law enforcement to contain and handle criminals. If God did order someone to be killed, it would have to be for a very good reason.

Given this (and I suspect most Christians would agree with what you say here), do you think that there's reason to believe Abraham may have been deceived by a demon, or that he was possibly mentally ill? What about other people in the Bible; because they often heard God's voice too? How do we determine whether someone is mentally ill or hearing from God?

No. Abraham knew God's voice. He had heard it before when God promised the birth of Isaac. And before that, he heard it when God announced the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah, which allowed him to go and save Lot.

The Bible also tells us that Abraham expected that God would raise his son from the dead, since Isaac was the son God had already promised He would make a great nation out of. He didn't think that God would have him slay his son, and that that would be the end of it.

A person who is mentally ill will have symptoms of their illness. Plus, we now have the technology where we can look at the brain and see if its physical structure resembles, say, schizophrenia.

If someone is hearing from God, then what they say will:

1. not contradict God's word, as it has already been given to us.

2. bring predictions that come true.

3. be consistent with the personality of God, as one who is loving of His people but hateful of sin.

 

[GrayAngel]

Tell you what. I'll humor your question.

If, on the off chance that God asks me to kill the President because he's secretly planning to launch a nuclear warhead on Israel, or something of that nature, then I would have to respectfully decline and request that He find somebody else to do the job. God knows I'm not a fighter, much less a killer.

 

[Ernst Junger]

Christians often say that there can be no morality without God, so I thought I'd ask this question. Yes, it's a hard one but I want people to be honest. Most Christians believe that God speaks today, so what would you do if God told you to kill someone? Would you do it?

Sure

 

[GrayAngel]

This really is a trap you're trying to set here. If we vote yes, then you'll think, "Wow! Christians really are immoral!" But if we vote no, then you'll say that we doubt God's right to define morality for us. No matter what we do, it's not going to change your mind about anything.

 

[Theofane]

Would you kill someone if God told you to?

If I thought God was telling me to kill someone, the first thing I'd do is visit my psychiatrist to have my meds adjusted. People with mental health issues experience religiously-themed delusions all the time, and sometimes commit murder because of them.

And then the Devil has a good laugh.

 

[Lukaris]

Well whatever you may infer about the OT, the fact is that "Thou shalt not kill" (Exodus 20:17, Deuteronomy 5:17) is the commandment.

In the NT, we are to go further against killing.

Matthew 22:32-40

King James Version (KJV)


32I am the God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob? God is not the God of the dead, but of the living.
33And when the multitude heard this, they were astonished at his doctrine.
34But when the Pharisees had heard that he had put the Sadducees to silence, they were gathered together.
35Then one of them, which was a lawyer, asked him a question, tempting him, and saying,
36Master, which is the great commandment in the law?
37Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind.
38This is the first and great commandment.
39And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. 40On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets.


Since we are to try to treat others as ourselves:

Matthew 7:12

King James Version (KJV)

12Therefore all things whatsoever ye would that men should do to you, do ye even so to them: for this is the law and the prophets.

Its a done deal, God will command us not to kill. Thank God for that. Self defense is not an issue here.

 

[Ernst Junger]

Matthew 7:12

King James Version (KJV)

12Therefore all things whatsoever ye would that men should do to you, do ye even so to them: for this is the law and the prophets.

If I become as a mad dog, may there be men of mettle to put me down. From my lips to God's ears.

 

[David Jerome]

Abraham did not kill his son. A curse does not kill either, but God causes it to happen. Moses and the prophets who ordered the deaths of others did so because of something those people did wrong, and because they were harmful for their society.

God killed a man for touching the Ark of the Covenant, when all the man was trying to do was keep it from falling and shattering. How was this man's actions harmful to society?

God sent a plague on David's men, killing 70,000 of them, just because he counted his army. How was David counting the men in his army harmful to society?

 

[razeontherock]

Christians often say that there can be no morality without God, so I thought I'd ask this question. Yes, it's a hard one but I want people to be honest. Most Christians believe that God speaks today, so what would you do if God told you to kill someone? Would you do it?

Before anyone says that God wouldn't ask this of someone in this day and age, I would stipulate that it's a hypothetical question. Also, remember there is a precedent for this in that God asked Abraham to kill Isaac.

If a thought crossed my mind to kill someone, G-d would be right there telling me not to. Go ahead, ask me how i know

 

[razeontherock]

God killed a man for touching the Ark of the Covenant, when all the man was trying to do was keep it from falling and shattering. How was this man's actions harmful to society?

God sent a plague on David's men, killing 70,000 of them, just because he counted his army. How was David counting the men in his army harmful to society?

"Harmful to society," is not the operative phrase here. Try "against God," as in sin. In a Theocracy, which is ultimately what you're talking about, that would have ... *repercussions.*

And yes, that really is the point of those 2 stories.

 

[David Jerome]

"Harmful to society," is not the operative phrase here. Try "against God," as in sin. In a Theocracy, which is ultimately what you're talking about, that would have ... *repercussions.*

And yes, that really is the point of those 2 stories.

Conversely, some of the things done in the name of this theocracy have been harmful to society...like stoning women for not being virgins when they marry, while having no penalty for men who do the same. Or stoning women who don't bleed when they consumate a marriage, it's a physical fact that not all women bleed on their first time. Or ordering that a man who gathered logs on the Sabbath be killed.

To summarize: Contrary to what the OP believes, in the Bible, God has indeed killed for acts that didn't harm society in any way, while creating laws that are harmful to society, which often end in death for petty reasons.

 

[razeontherock]

To summarize: Contrary to what the OP believes

You thoroughly skew what the OP believes. (And this really isn't the sub-forum for that sort of thing)

God has indeed killed for acts that didn't harm society in any way, while creating laws that are harmful to society, which often end in death for petty reasons.

Your judgments are not declared to be righteous and true, by Holy Angels. God's are. So your opinion here needs to be weighted accordingly. Your concept of what "harms society," really has no bearing on the society you're referencing. Likewise, your determination of what is "petty," is, ironically, unfounded.

 

[eachallberg]

Christians often say that there can be no morality without God, so I thought I'd ask this question. Yes, it's a hard one but I want people to be honest. Most Christians believe that God speaks today, so what would you do if God told you to kill someone? Would you do it?

1 John teaches us to test spirits to see if they're of God. Murder is not of God.
No, I would not kill.

Before anyone says that God wouldn't ask this of someone in this day and age, I would stipulate that it's a hypothetical question. Also, remember there is a precedent for this in that God asked Abraham to kill Isaac.

Wrong, Yahweh asked Abraham to kill Isaac. Im sorry your confused by Jewish and Christian scripture in the same book, i'm with you on that.

Peace.

 

[jpcedotal]

This type of question always reminds me of the movie Dead Zone.

 

[David Jerome]

You thoroughly skew what the OP believes. (And this really isn't the sub-forum for that sort of thing)

No; I'm correcting the OP on what he believes is true.

Your judgments are not declared to be righteous and true, by Holy Angels. God's are. So your opinion here needs to be weighted accordingly. Your concept of what "harms society," really has no bearing on the society you're referencing. Likewise, your determination of what is "petty," is, ironically, unfounded.

I'm not offering my "opinion". What I'm stating is fact. The OP said that God never killed, unless the actions of those he killed harmed society; that's incorrect, and I merely showed why. "Petty" is something that's my opinion; but the fact that God has killed people for acts that didn't harm society, is not.

 

[eachallberg]

To ask such a hypothetical question is silly, considering it would go against God's nature. It would be like asking what we'd do if gravity suddenly turned upside down...

...If God did order someone to be killed, it would have to be for a very good reason.

Peace,
do you see this error?

 

[eachallberg]

Most Christians believe that God speaks today, so what would you do if God told you to kill someone? Would you do it?

Sure