(September 14, 2015 at 12:35 pm)Losty Wrote: I disagree that we should strive to value all life as equal. Why do you value those you love over those you hate? Why do you value those you know over strangers? I think it's natural instinct. What drives you to protect your children from strangers? What drives you to defend your community against criminals? What about killing in self defense? What about defending your nation against an invading army? What about the police in a shoot out with a criminal who's trying to kill an innocent bystander? Do we want them to value both lives equally? If so, they'd likely not intervene because they won't shoot a criminal to save his/her victim. We should value some lives over others. It doesn't mean my life is worth more than someone else's, but it does mean that I value my life a little bit more. I'm not going to turn the other cheek and let someone kill me or a person I care about, I don't consider that to be some kind of admirable quality that I should strive for.
When an instigator is attacking you (or someone else), you have the right to exert as much force as is necessary to stop them. If that amount of force results in their death, it's still tragic because it's still the loss of a life. But it's not immoral because it's self defense. This does not mean all human life isn't equal.
"Of course, everyone will claim they respect someone who tries to speak the truth, but in reality, this is a rare quality. Most respect those who speak truths they agree with, and their respect for the speaking only extends as far as their realm of personal agreement. It is less common, almost to the point of becoming a saintly virtue, that someone truly respects and loves the truth seeker, even when their conclusions differ wildly."
-walsh
-walsh
