(September 14, 2015 at 2:22 pm)Losty Wrote:(September 14, 2015 at 2:11 pm)Catholic_Lady Wrote: (JFTR, the reason I don't think it's justified in that case is because the fetus is not an instigator, but rather, he/she is another innocent bi standard.)
Yes, I believe you can be justified in taking someone's life in certain circumstances, but not because their life is worth less than yours. Since it isn't. So yes, killing can be justifiable, but not for the reason that one life is worth more than the other. But rather, because you have the right to defend your own life (or someone else's) against an instigator. Because you have the right to life, if someone else is deliberately trying to take that away, you have the right to do whatever is necessary (but only what is necessary) to stop them.
Perhaps it is your belief that the reason it's justified to kill someone who is trying to kill you, is because their life is worth less. But that is not my reason.
That's not the reason, I get that. I just can't wrap my mind around you saying that you can justify killing someone but their life is still just as valuable as yours. That makes no sense. I also don't understand how you can say that it's okay because you have the right to life, but then turn around and say you only have a right to live if your killer is intentionally trying to kill you. My brain is spinning with how complicated you will make things just so you can justify the things you would do while still being able to condemn the things you wouldn't do.
It reminds me of a philosopher I learned about in highschool who said that people base their morals off of their actions and not the other way around. I'm going to have to try and figure out who that guy was.
Losty, going back to the scenario I gave you about 2 soldiers being captured by terrorists, and one of them being told he can live so long as he kills his partner. Don't you think killing his partner in this scenario is different from killing his partner if his partner was trying to kill him?
In one scenario, his partner is a completely innocent bi standard. In the second, he is the instigator. His life is worth the same in both scenarios, of course, but in the second scenario you are defending yourself from the person who is trying to kill you. In the first, you are killing a completely innocent person, just so you can have your own life.
"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
