Ethics question: Kill or be killed?

This sounds familiar. I think every ethics professor uses this example.

I wonder if Romans 3:8 would fit here somewhat. Maybe a bit of a prooftext? "And why not j do evil that good may come?—as some people slanderously charge us with saying. Their condemnation is just."

Just thinking...

Mark,

There is a complicating factor built into the question that I think has been overlooked: our responsibility toward the other members in the group. None of us would want to kill an innocent person for own sake, but what about our duty of neighbor love to the many? This could of course be a version of the greater good argument which is not really an option for the Christian, but in a particular circumstance there could be a deontolofical component (e.g. having absolute certainty that all would go free if you did kill and a similar certainty that all would killed if you did not). Such a situation is almost inconceivable though, as ruthless people rarely act in good faith. The problem in the question is that the outcome for each option can only be assumed. The best option is not to kill. Given the uncertain outcome, there is no reasonable expectation of duty to defend the other folks. The only absolute we can honor with certainty is the absolute not to kill. I believe that is what God would require of us, but it is not so clear on first glance.

Michael,

I'm not sure our responsibility to the rest of the group is being overlooked. Maybe, like me, others have considered it and still choose death. Considering the lives of others in this situation does seem to be a form of the greater good position.

It seems that the duty to our neighbor can cut both ways either to our own group or to the innocent captive. The deontological ethic would then call upon us to not kill the captive since murder by God's standard is wrong. We would not get to judge either way, but to lay down our life by not murdering. We would just trust God in the whole situation.

There are a lot of unanswered/unknown assumptions which is what makes it so interesting. :)

This is in the context of the original scenario.

The original scenario has me as an outsider to the country's civil war. Adding your situation then would erase the imminent threat of bodily harm to myself and our group. So, all things being equal, I do not find any justification in killing this person. Now this could change depending on a number of factors (e.g. reason for the civil war, conditions of our being captees, etc.).

Several have objected to my observation that none are innocent, so let me ask this question:

Would you, personally, kill someone who was guilty of being a member of the opposing forces so that you and your group could go free?

Me neither.

Jerry,

Could you elaborate more? Is this in the context of war? Are our lives in imminent danger?

Thanks for the responses everyone. So far I'm with you all in that I would die rather than kill someone else. I would not participate in killing therefore making myself culpable for murder.

I also agree with Daniel that from our perspective there are innocent people. Especially, in this situation.

We must abandon biblical principles for the sake of situational ethics. God has control over life and death, not me. I cannot kill anyone, thus I guess I die. And that's okay.

Umm. Kaboom. Kthxbye.

I'm dead.

Mark.

Jesus was faced with this dilemma, and he chose death on the cross. Yet he died for the guilty, not the innocent. I say we live like Jesus and prove we are on his side.

I was interested in the title of your post because I used it in my post tidY on loving our enemies. Anyways...hope you're well.

Seth

Seth, that is very interesting about the title of your post. I need to check it out.

There are no innocent, neither in my group nor the other prisoner. All of us deserve death and hell. The captors don't hold the power of life and death, that is reserved to God alone.

I would hope that I would trust in God's Providence and face this situation with the courage of my convictions. "Though He slay me yet will I trust in Him."

Jerry,

There are innocent people from man's perspective. If we were to apply the "none innocent" approach to real life, we could not justly condemn murder because all of us "deserve death."

Bottom line: taking another's life without just cause is a prima facie moral evil.

We cannot kill someone who is innocent, so if captured, we'd have to decline. Thankfully, I'm not in that actual situation, so I can just discuss this without thinking about my actual decision-making in the hostile situation. We just can't trade an innocent life for our freedom. For Christ, it was the other way around.