questions about killing
Thou shalt not kill.
Q: Kill what?
A: Humans. Kill as many animals as you like, even if you have no nutritional need for them. They taste nice and, according the Bible, pleasure is to be indulged. [not sure about this, need to check source]
Q: What’s a human?
A: A human is an animal of the homo sapien species from the primate family; it’s also a special creature created by a special deity what wanted to create and hide from lots of beings that look like him. Don’t kill any homo sapiens.
Q: At what point does a human exist?
A: When two living organisms come together to form a complete genetic code.
Q: Is a clump of cells a human being?
A: No, it’s a living organism and a potential human being.
Q: Is human sperm or a human egg a living organism and a potential human being?
A: Yes. Menstruation and misuse of sperm are sinful too. [not sure about that, need to check source]
Q: Are there any cases where it’s okay to kill another human being?
A: Yes, soldiers directed to kill during politically motivated wars can kill human beings; it’s okay to kill in self-defense (like if someone is trying to rob you of material possessions); and it’s okay to kill bad people.
Q: Who makes these judgements?
A: We are not allowed to judge, because we are all sinful. God is the only true judge.
Q: So these exceptions are explicitly accounted for in your holy book?
A: No.
Q: What if someone is dying from an incurable disease and they are being kept alive and in pain by modern medical interventions?
A: Thou shalt not kill. It’s really rather clear.
Inspired by livelysceptic’s Zen Catechism. And the inability of some Christians to THINK CLEARLY about serious issues.
I’d like to see the Christian life hierarchy. Maybe as a graph. Based on resources devoted to each cause, I guess. I’m sure EMBRYO would be at the top.
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I expect so! Maybe that could be your next post? I’ve been chatting with our favourite couple about showing pictures of cute little babies when tackling the issue of rape.
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Too much research for me. You do it!! 🙂
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Come on, you could base it on a random sample of Quiner’s Diners posts. Their posts are a typical example of the true range of genuine Christian concerns. 🙂
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Very interesting post! You ask a lot of intriguing questions…
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Thank you for the thought-provoking inspiration!
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Is the Bible clear on whether we should consider this http://goo.gl/AlUr7 a misuse of sperm? Please check and get back to me. Thanks!
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Thank you for the link. Given that the Bible is happy for humans to kill and consume the flesh of other sentient beings for nutritional purposes, I’m quite sure that using excess bodily fluids to provide a refreshing snack for fellow human beings would be an appropriate use of sperm. As a living organism, it is acceptably used to sustain other living organisms. I would invite others to give their points of view, as it’s certainly an interesting angle.
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I get the impression you took me way too seriously. More often than not, I don’t deserve that.
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I think that just proves I’m better at sarcasm than you. 🙂
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That doesn’t come as a surprise to me. I keep saying that women are better equipped for life.
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Just out of curiosity, is there any religious sect that actually holds ALL these views?
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You tell me, you’re the expert! I’m reflecting the opinion of Christians I’ve ‘met’ in the world of blogging. If I were to define what a Christian is based on their Bible book, I would suggest that sects that promote pacifism are the only ones doing it correctly. Would you agree?
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I seriously doubt there’s any sect with all those teaching simultaneously.
Yes, I’d definitely agree that a straightforward, context-driven reading of the New Testament would support a degree of pacifism.
It seems there’s a degree of confusion regarding what views can be considered “Christian” in origin. Is any belief held by someone who self-identifies as Christian a “Christian” belief? What about any belief for which Biblical warrant is given?
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“Is any belief held by someone who self-identifies as Christian a “Christian” belief?”
That’s an interesting question, I think you should do a post on it to explore it further.
What about any belief for which Biblical warrant is given? Don’t understand the question.
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I have very definite views about what does and doesn’t constitute a Christian; I think you’d be more qualified. Though I can write a post asking the question.
If someone claims a particular belief is based on the Bible, does that make it a Christian belief?
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I think you should write a post about it, it might help others understand some of your stumbling blocks.
I think if someone claims a particular belief based on something in the New Testament then it makes it a Christian belief. If it only comes from the Old Testament then there are all the cultural arguments to use. What do you think?
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I think I will write a post about that. 🙂
As far as what makes a belief Christian, I’m not sure I agree. If someone says “I’m a Christian and I believe Jesus was an alien because the New Testament says he was taken into the heavens” does that make the Jesus-alien theory a “Christian” belief? I’ve heard people make pretty outlandish claims; do all of them qualify as “Christian” just because the person claims the New Testament somehow backs them up? What about Muslim beliefs? They claim to worship the same God, and they make arguments based on the New Testament. Does that make Muslim beliefs Christian?
I don’t think it’s accurate to say something is a “Christian” belief unless at least SOME significant Christian organization or sect regularly preaches it. And I don’t think it’s accurate to compare “Christian beliefs” across multiple sects unless those sects are part of the same overall tradition of orthodoxy.
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I think as long as they believe that Jesus is a god or the most important divine messenger of the god God, then any interpretation is valid. Think of all the interesting ‘heresies’ in the Middle Ages, they were still Christians. Mormons are the biggest insanity of all, they have a huge following and they’re Christians. You have to accept that anything goes, and not just base it on popularity. That would be ridiculous. By the way, Ark has directed a tirade at you further down the page in the ‘lure of the forbidden’ post. I don’t want you miss out. 🙂
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Islam views Jesus as the greatest of the prophets-to-the-Jews and the prophet most in touch with God. Does that make Muslims Christians?
Thomas Jefferson stated that he was a Christian in that he claimed to follow the teachings of Jesus of Nazareth, who he did not believe was divine or a messenger of anyone divine. Was he, then, a Christian?
My point is that no “neat little box” is necessarily any better than any other one.
Thanks for the heads up about Ark! 🙂
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I’m so glad we aren’t stuck, unable to edit or change any bible, writing or credo we wish. Thanks for the thought-provoking post. I like your pretty pictures, too.
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Thanks for reading and enjoying my pretty pictures! People often forget to mention the pretty pictures so it’s much appreciated. 🙂
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Timothy: Drink no longer water, but use a little wine, for your stomach’s sake
Eccelesiastes: If two lie together they are warm, but how can one be warm alone?
Two verses immediately spring to mind in “pleasure is to be indulged” but they are specific. I am not sure of general verses.
What is a Christian? What is a Christian belief? I think the answer depends on why you ask the question. Different people would have different answers to what is a good Christian/belief, whether from inside or outside from some exterior moral standard. There is a pro-choice Christian belief and argument.
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I just think it’s really important for everyone to question their beliefs. What does this mean and why do I believe it? It’s easy to say “thou shalt not kill” is a great commandment and without it atheists would be murdering everyone (??) but it’s an obvious statement that clouds a lot of serious issues. There are so many American Christians who carry guns, are willing to use them if someone tries to steal from them, are happy for their kids to the join the army and kill foreigners, and support the death penalty … while shouting about abortion without understanding any of the biology, claiming euthanasia is the work of the Devil, and waving their Bibles quoting ‘Thou shalt not kill!’. It’s annoying. 🙂
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I was aware that wasting sperm was a sin according to the Bible, but menstruation. I would love to see the quote…
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Oh, yes David! Menstration is a sin! Here are the verses:
19 ‘If a woman has a discharge, and the discharge from her body is blood, she shall be set apart seven days; and whoever touches her shall be unclean until evening. 20 Everything that she lies on during her impurity shall be unclean; also everything that she sits on shall be unclean. 21 Whoever touches her bed shall wash his clothes and bathe in water, and be unclean until evening. 22 And whoever touches anything that she sat on shall wash his clothes and bathe in water, and be unclean until evening. 23 If anything is on her bed or on anything on which she sits, when he touches it, he shall be unclean until evening. 24 And if any man lies with her at all, so that her impurity is on him, he shall be unclean seven days; and every bed on which he lies shall be unclean.
25 ‘If a woman has a discharge of blood for many days, other than at the time of her customary impurity, or if it runs beyond her usual time of impurity, all the days of her unclean discharge shall be as the days of her customary impurity. She shall be unclean. 26 Every bed on which she lies all the days of her discharge shall be to her as the bed of her impurity; and whatever she sits on shall be unclean, as the uncleanness of her impurity. 27 Whoever touches those things shall be unclean; he shall wash his clothes and bathe in water, and be unclean until evening.
28 ‘But if she is cleansed of her discharge, then she shall count for herself seven days, and after that she shall be clean. 29 And on the eighth day she shall take for herself two turtledoves or two young pigeons, and bring them to the priest, to the door of the tabernacle of meeting. 30 Then the priest shall offer the one as a sin offering and the other as a burnt offering, and the priest shall make atonement for her before the Lord for the discharge of her uncleanness.
Leviticus 15:19-27
Funny you mentioned this today, I am actually writing a post about this very thing, right now!
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Sorry, that should be Leviticus 15: 19-30.
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Wow! I think that just proves that the Bible will back up any crazy notion you’d care to dream up. I had no idea (although I suspected there would be some cult that would believe something along those lines). Off to read your post …
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Amazing. I am so telling this to my female Christian friends!
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Very interesting set of questions
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