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columbus

yawn <ignore> yawn
There are indeed verses that are vague, but there are other verses that are so clear that a monkey cannot get it wrong, yet there is always someone who twist verses to say what they demand that it says.
What verses would those be?
What I find is that the clearer the verse, the more likely you are to find a contradictory verse, also clear as a bell.

The conversation I was having at the time referring to abortion. I pointed out that the Bible authors probably wouldn't see it as a moral issue. They certainly did not mention it. The conservative Christian seemed to take offense at that.
Tom
 

QuestioningMind

Well-Known Member
An unfortunate part of organized society is that a few of its members will have their lives ended unnaturally by others. Not every killing is the same as another, and secular society provides for circumstances where it is more acceptable to kill another, or at least, won't punish as severely. Those might include war, to defend oneself from an attacker or to avenge an injustice. As there are several thousand killings occurring each day, it is entirely possible, even likely that many of the people perpetrating them maintain a personal belief in God. They may even be devout members of an established religion, which may or may not provide internal guidance on how to treat someone who takes a life.

How one conducts himself/herself in life would therefore follow some kind of path to salvation, whether it be an Abrahamic God, Hindu pantheon, Buddhist spirit, etc. It would follow for those believers who are not living gods, that the rules were designed by others and we can not rewrite them to suit our own subject experience of judgment of ourselves. Being peaceful and kind and never taking a life, as we are told the god(s) of our faith want can and will clash against what many consider to be being a good acolyte. While we hope and expect we have kind and merciless deities to at least partially absolve us when mental derangement is a mitigating factor, what is the effect upon our immortal souls and/or spiritual afterlife when we consciously or recklessly kill?

09B8549300000514-2864078-image-a-27_1417941205334.jpg

Maybe it's debatable if David Haines "had it coming", but how about Jihadi John?

Please know that what one religion may consider foul and sin-worthy can be quite different than what another may consider tolerable. I am not looking for any rants explaining why one religion's worldview is superior to all others, or how defensible you consider it to kill someone, based on the killed's thoughts, actions or relative worthiness. It's always complicated. Myself, I believe this is a question left up to God to judge who shall be rewarded with bliss and who is damned. To pass judgment on others for what happens in the afterlife, is to speak for God, and is a sin. But we can of course keep asking questions and try to live well, free from chaos.

Is it a sin to kill another in all situations, and rob another's family of that person's life, when it involves descending into the role of a killer? And to what extent are the machinations of demons (if you believe in their influence) to be blamed or mitigated against?

Since there's absolutely no evidence to support the notion that hell exists, it would be silly to suggest that anyone goes there.
 

Milton Platt

Well-Known Member
An unfortunate part of organized society is that a few of its members will have their lives ended unnaturally by others. Not every killing is the same as another, and secular society provides for circumstances where it is more acceptable to kill another, or at least, won't punish as severely. Those might include war, to defend oneself from an attacker or to avenge an injustice. As there are several thousand killings occurring each day, it is entirely possible, even likely that many of the people perpetrating them maintain a personal belief in God. They may even be devout members of an established religion, which may or may not provide internal guidance on how to treat someone who takes a life.

How one conducts himself/herself in life would therefore follow some kind of path to salvation, whether it be an Abrahamic God, Hindu pantheon, Buddhist spirit, etc. It would follow for those believers who are not living gods, that the rules were designed by others and we can not rewrite them to suit our own subject experience of judgment of ourselves. Being peaceful and kind and never taking a life, as we are told the god(s) of our faith want can and will clash against what many consider to be being a good acolyte. While we hope and expect we have kind and merciless deities to at least partially absolve us when mental derangement is a mitigating factor, what is the effect upon our immortal souls and/or spiritual afterlife when we consciously or recklessly kill?

09B8549300000514-2864078-image-a-27_1417941205334.jpg

Maybe it's debatable if David Haines "had it coming", but how about Jihadi John?

Please know that what one religion may consider foul and sin-worthy can be quite different than what another may consider tolerable. I am not looking for any rants explaining why one religion's worldview is superior to all others, or how defensible you consider it to kill someone, based on the killed's thoughts, actions or relative worthiness. It's always complicated. Myself, I believe this is a question left up to God to judge who shall be rewarded with bliss and who is damned. To pass judgment on others for what happens in the afterlife, is to speak for God, and is a sin. But we can of course keep asking questions and try to live well, free from chaos.

Is it a sin to kill another in all situations, and rob another's family of that person's life, when it involves descending into the role of a killer? And to what extent are the machinations of demons (if you believe in their influence) to be blamed or mitigated against?

The circumstances dictate the morality or immorality of the action. I have no evidence of any gods existing, therefor the subject of sin is irrelevant to me, only morality.
however, if you are referencing the Christian god, then that god is in my view a very poor example of morality, as I do not view rape, incest, genocide, or slavery as moral under any conditions.
 

Daisies4me

Active Member
An unfortunate part of organized society is that a few of its members will have their lives ended unnaturally by others. Not every killing is the same as another, and secular society provides for circumstances where it is more acceptable to kill another, or at least, won't punish as severely. Those might include war, to defend oneself from an attacker or to avenge an injustice. As there are several thousand killings occurring each day, it is entirely possible, even likely that many of the people perpetrating them maintain a personal belief in God. They may even be devout members of an established religion, which may or may not provide internal guidance on how to treat someone who takes a life.

How one conducts himself/herself in life would therefore follow some kind of path to salvation, whether it be an Abrahamic God, Hindu pantheon, Buddhist spirit, etc. It would follow for those believers who are not living gods, that the rules were designed by others and we can not rewrite them to suit our own subject experience of judgment of ourselves. Being peaceful and kind and never taking a life, as we are told the god(s) of our faith want can and will clash against what many consider to be being a good acolyte. While we hope and expect we have kind and merciless deities to at least partially absolve us when mental derangement is a mitigating factor, what is the effect upon our immortal souls and/or spiritual afterlife when we consciously or recklessly kill?

09B8549300000514-2864078-image-a-27_1417941205334.jpg

Maybe it's debatable if David Haines "had it coming", but how about Jihadi John?

Please know that what one religion may consider foul and sin-worthy can be quite different than what another may consider tolerable. I am not looking for any rants explaining why one religion's worldview is superior to all others, or how defensible you consider it to kill someone, based on the killed's thoughts, actions or relative worthiness. It's always complicated. Myself, I believe this is a question left up to God to judge who shall be rewarded with bliss and who is damned. To pass judgment on others for what happens in the afterlife, is to speak for God, and is a sin. But we can of course keep asking questions and try to live well, free from chaos.

Is it a sin to kill another in all situations, and rob another's family of that person's life, when it involves descending into the role of a killer? And to what extent are the machinations of demons (if you believe in their influence) to be blamed or mitigated against?

(quote)

Yes. All killers and other who die are all going to 'hell', sheol, hades, the grave.

If Jesus 'went to hell', why would you think any other human would escape the common grave of all of mankind when they are no longer alive?

Ezekiel 18:4. Psalms 146:3-4. Acts 2:31

It is shown in the Bible as a symbolic place of condition wherein all activity and consciencousness cease. Eccl. 9:10.
 

Corvus

Feathered eyeball connoisseur
Is killing someone wrong when God is the one who tells you to do it?

No because you would be considered legally insane and incapable of being convicted of murder on grounds of diminished responsibility. If you tell a court God literally told you to kill someone.
 

Milton Platt

Well-Known Member
(quote)

Yes. All killers and other who die are all going to 'hell', sheol, hades, the grave.

If Jesus 'went to hell', why would you think any other human would escape the common grave of all of mankind when they are no longer alive?

Ezekiel 18:4. Psalms 146:3-4. Acts 2:31

It is shown in the Bible as a symbolic place of condition wherein all activity and consciencousness cease. Eccl. 9:10.

Would you be coming from the Christadelphian perspective?
 

Grumpuss

Active Member
No because you would be considered legally insane and incapable of being convicted of murder on grounds of diminished responsibility. If you tell a court God literally told you to kill someone.
"If one person hears voices, he's schizophrenic. But when a group of people hear voices they call it religion."

Dial up some Armenian genocide?
 

sun rise

The world is on fire
Premium Member
"If one person hears voices, he's schizophrenic. But when a group of people hear voices they call it religion."

Dial up some Armenian genocide?
I don't understand the non-sequitur. Genocide is a heinous crime against humanity and the evil committed by the murderers will have utterly serious consequences after death. The disease of schizophrenia has nothing to do with mass murder.
 

Aupmanyav

Be your own guru
Plenty of religions will say that both are examples of sin, worthy of Hell (without repentance). I'm wondering what the people committing the murders are telling themselves at the time, if they also consider themselves good Jews, Christians, Muslims, Hindus, etc.
Murder for a selfish motive - certainly sin, even harming a single strand of hair of another person is that. However, killing or dying in one's line of duty (dharma, for example, in attempt to to save someone) is clearly a merit in Hinduism. However, the killing should be without hate or anger (very necessary) and just a matter of duty (you fought because it was your duty at that time and not to satisfy any of your emotions, that will taint your action and make it a sin). BhagawadGita is very clear about this.

"Yoga-sthaḥ kuru karmāṇi, sańgaḿ tyaktvā Dhanañjaya;
siddhy-asiddhyoḥ samo bhūtvā, samatvaḿ yoga ucyate.
" BhagawadGita 2.48

Perform your duty equipoised, O Arjuna, abandoning all attachment. Whether you win or loose, consider it as immaterial, such equanimity is called yoga.
 
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Deidre

Well-Known Member
If the killer doesn't believe in hell, I doubt it will matter to him/her. If we care if a killer goes to hell or not, what does that say about the concept to begin with? Because we think we are better than the killer...so if the killer doesn't go to hell, does this mean we shouldn't, because we aren't as bad as killers? This is why I disbelieve in hell, and believe it to be a man made idea. Even when I was a strong Christian, I still had big doubts about the existence of hell. The whole idea of punishment and reward largely comes from how humans deal with one another, through societal rules, etc. It's not ironic that we take the same rules that are good enough for us, and apply them to an almighty deity.
 

jonathan180iq

Well-Known Member
Exactly. If a voice in your head says something along the lines of , "See that person that believes differently than you, Kill him." Pretty good indication its not God. Word for that voice is insanity.
That's a pretty thin line though, isn't it?

If there's a voice in someone's head that tells them to do something that we might consider to be "good", is that equally as insane? Does the level of insanity vary depending on what the voice suggests?
 

A Vestigial Mote

Well-Known Member
Please help me out here. How are these two sentiments in your OP considered compatible?

I am not looking for [...] how defensible you consider it to kill someone, based on the killed's thoughts, actions or relative worthiness. It's always complicated. Myself, I believe this is a question left up to God to judge who shall be rewarded with bliss and who is damned. To pass judgment on others for what happens in the afterlife, is to speak for God, and is a sin.

Is it a sin to kill another in all situations, and rob another's family of that person's life, when it involves descending into the role of a killer?

In asking the question in the second quote, aren't you asking people to "pass judgment" after a fashion? In asking that question, aren't you looking for exactly what you say you are not looking for in the first statement? That is "how defensible you consider it to kill someone based on the killed's thoughts, actions or relative worthiness?" That's exactly what you're asking people to weigh in on by asking that question in the second quote I included above!

In other words, by asking that last question and wanting people's opinions/judgment on the various matters surrounding different types of killing, aren't you explicitly asking them to sin by your own statement of belief (see 2nd bolded,underlined,italicized sentence above)? In fact... by your estimation, even answering the question posed in the thread title IS SINNING according to you! I mean come on... at least TRY for consistency.
 
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Stevicus

Veteran Member
Staff member
Premium Member
Is it a sin to kill another in all situations, and rob another's family of that person's life, when it involves descending into the role of a killer? And to what extent are the machinations of demons (if you believe in their influence) to be blamed or mitigated against?

I suppose it would be up to God (if there really is such a thing) to decide whether it's a sin and whether someone should go to Hell for killing someone. I might also wonder if God would give someone a lighter punishment if it's second degree murder or manslaughter. And what about attempted murder? I suppose if God was hung up on technicalities, then even those who have passing thoughts of wanting someone dead could lead them to a fiery afterlife.

If God has a "divine plan" for us all, then it has to be assumed that He set everything up this way on purpose. We're also told that if we believe in God and live a good life, death is not an end, but a beginning of an idyllic eternity in Heaven. If this is really true, one might well wonder why killing people is even considered wrong from a religious point of view. Because, according to the religion, nobody actually "dies" - they're just going to the afterlife that God has ordained for them.
 

Grumpuss

Active Member
Please help me out here. How are these two sentiments in your OP considered compatible?





In asking the question in the second quote, aren't you asking people to "pass judgment" after a fashion? In asking that question, aren't you looking for exactly what you say you are not looking for in the first statement? That is "how defensible you consider it to kill someone based on the killed's thoughts, actions or relative worthiness?" That's exactly what you're asking people to weigh in on by asking that question in the second quote I included above!

In other words, by asking that last question and wanting people's opinions/judgment on the various matters surrounding different types of killing, aren't you explicitly asking them to sin by your own statement of belief (see 2nd bolded,underlined,italicized sentence above)? In fact... answering the question posed in the thread title IS SINNING - according to you! I mean come on... at least TRY for consistency.
Sorry- are you actually claiming that to kill is not a sin? Religious folk aren't perfect, but at least they are willing to admit that it's poor conduct.

And indeed, I am looking for people's opinion on self-judgment of others who are both devout believers in a higher being, and rationalize killing. Specifically, when is it "good" to kill, even if religion labels it sin, bad, wrong, irredeemable, etc.?

I suppose it would be up to God (if there really is such a thing) to decide whether it's a sin and whether someone should go to Hell for killing someone. I might also wonder if God would give someone a lighter punishment if it's second degree murder or manslaughter. And what about attempted murder? I suppose if God was hung up on technicalities, then even those who have passing thoughts of wanting someone dead could lead them to a fiery afterlife.

If God has a "divine plan" for us all, then it has to be assumed that He set everything up this way on purpose. We're also told that if we believe in God and live a good life, death is not an end, but a beginning of an idyllic eternity in Heaven. If this is really true, one might well wonder why killing people is even considered wrong from a religious point of view. Because, according to the religion, nobody actually "dies" - they're just going to the afterlife that God has ordained for them.
True... except the people who believe in such things have been told that killing is a sin. Whether it's something that is endangering salvation is the more unclear question.

One of the biggest problems atheists and those of lapsed faith have with religion is not understanding what God's plan for us is. It's a fair point- how do you know how straight a path you must walk, if no one explains to you how not to stray and what the goal is?
 

A Vestigial Mote

Well-Known Member
Sorry- are you actually claiming that to kill is not a sin? Religious folk aren't perfect, but at least they are willing to admit that it's poor conduct.

And indeed, I am looking for people's opinion on self-judgment of others who are both devout believers in a higher being, and rationalize killing. Specifically, when is it "good" to kill, even if religion labels it sin, bad, wrong, irredeemable, etc.?

Wow. I am at somewhat of a loss here. To have been misunderstood so completely. Did you even read what I wrote at all? Let's try a brief, direct statement/accusation and see how your mind deals with it:

BY YOUR OWN WORDS, YOU, @Grumpuss ARE ASKING PEOPLE TO "SIN" BY ASKING THEM TO ANSWER THE QUESTION YOU POSED IN THE THREAD TITLE: "ARE KILLERS GOING TO HELL?"

And here are your words:

To pass judgment on others for what happens in the afterlife, is to speak for God, and is a sin.

When you ask the question "Are killers going to hell?" The only two answers are "Yes" and "No". Answering with either of those is "[passing] judgment on others for what happens in the afterlife". Can you tell me how it isn't? 'Cause if it is, you have stated that this is tantamount to "[speaking] for God" and that this "is a sin".

I want to be clear, I AM DISCUSSING YOUR WORDS, not mine. I didn't say a single thing about my position on killing being a "sin". Not one single thing. Go ahead and re-read my original post if you like. You won't find anything in support of your reply above. You either didn't read, or couldn't comprehend, or didn't want to bother comprehending. In any of those cases... your misunderstanding isn't my fault.
 
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Grumpuss

Active Member
Wow. I am at somewhat of a loss here. To have been misunderstood so completely. Did you even read what I wrote at all? Let's try a brief, direct statement/accusation and see how your mind deals with it:

BY YOUR OWN WORDS, YOU ARE ASKING PEOPLE TO "SIN" BY ASKING THEM TO ANSWER THE QUESTION YOU POSED IN THE THREAD TITLE: "ARE KILLERS GOING TO HELL?"

And here are your words:



When you ask the question "Are killers going to hell?" The only two answers are "Yes" and "No". Answering with either of those is "[passing] judgment on others for what happens in the afterlife". Can you tell me how it isn't? 'Cause if it is, you have stated that this is tantamount to "[speaking] for God" and that this "is a sin".

I want to be clear, I AM DISCUSSING YOUR WORDS, not mine. I didn't say a single thing about my position on killing being a "sin". Not one single thing. Go ahead and re-read my original post if you like. You won't find anything in support of your reply above. You either didn't read, or couldn't comprehend, or didn't want to bother comprehending. In any of those cases... your misunderstanding isn't my fault.
Incorrect. I stated what my philosophy is. I believe that only God can judge our deeds and thoughts while committing them. To presume otherwise, for me, is to insist on knowing God's will. For others, maybe they are more comfortable with it.

You attempts to try to lock me in some kind of logical fallacy are pathetic. Please take it to some other thread, or maybe some racist thread on Reddit.
 

A Vestigial Mote

Well-Known Member
Incorrect. I stated what my philosophy is. I believe that only God can judge our deeds and thoughts while committing them. To presume otherwise, for me, is to insist on knowing God's will. For others, maybe they are more comfortable with it.

You attempts to try to lock me in some kind of logical fallacy are pathetic. Please take it to some other thread, or maybe some racist thread on Reddit.

Hahaha... "RACIST?" Are you being serious? What in the world? What "race" are you? Do I even care? Let's try this again...

REGARDLESS OTHERS' PERSONAL PHILOSOPHIES, BY ASKING PEOPLE TO MAKE JUDGMENT ABOUT WHAT MAY OR MAY NOT HAPPEN TO ANYONE IN THE AFTERLIFE, YOU ARE ASKING PEOPLE TO "SIN" ACCORDING TO STATEMENTS YOU HAVE MADE FROM YOUR PERSONAL PHILOSOPHY.

Does your philosophy include spreading "sin" throughout the people of the world by asking questions that put them in the position to "sin"? Regardless what their philosophies are, or how much "more comfortable" you feel they might be in discussing the fate of killers in the afterlife - YOU ARE ASKING THEM TO "SIN" ACCORDING TO YOUR OWN BELIEFS AND ARE THEREFORE ASKING FOR MORE "SIN" TO BE PRESENT IN THE WORLD.

It really is as simple as this. I don't need to "lock" you into anything. You did so yourself quite handily.
 

Muffled

Jesus in me
You can commit any sin and still go to heaven as long as you ask god for forgiveness and push your religious down other people's throat in a smarmy and self-righteous manner.

Somehow I feel you may be snickering through your sneering.

According to Wikipedia a Kill is a woodland. So your name probably means the woodland of Gore and not that you are a gory killer.
 

Kilgore Trout

Misanthropic Humanist
Somehow I feel you may be snickering through your sneering.

According to Wikipedia a Kill is a woodland. So your name probably means the woodland of Gore and not that you are a gory killer.

Actually, my name is a Kurt Vonnegut reference.

He was a writer.
 
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