Is Killing Ever Right?
The question often arises about whether or not killing is ever justified, and supported in the Bible.
A typical example is when soldiers on the battlefield are called upon to kill their enemies.
People often ask how this can be right if one of the Ten Commandments bible says, "Thou shalt not kill.
" Wouldn't this imply that soldiers are sinning when they kill the enemy? What about those situations where police officers use deadly force.
Actually the Bible does condemn killing in certain circumstances, while also justifying killing under other conditions.
Let's look at those situations and see why the sixth commandment doesn't condemn killing in particular situations.
There is often misunderstanding about the sixth commandment, primarily due to an error in the way it was translated in the old King James version.
Exodus 20:13 doesn't actually say, "Thou shalt not kill," as many people have been taught.
Many of the newer Bible versions have corrected this error, such as the New International Version, which translates it as, "You shall not murder.
" It's very important to recognize this difference.
The Bible always condemns murder, but it doesn't always condemn killing.
Murder is considered to be the unjustified taking of a person's life, but the Bible does indicate that there is some killing that is not forbidden.
In fact, killing under certain circumstances is the right thing to do, when it is justified in God's eyes.
1) Killing in Warfare The Old Testament includes many examples where God commands leaders such as Moses and Joshua to kill their enemy aggressors in times of warfare.
Sometimes He even tells them to completely annihilate evil nations without mercy.
For example, 1 Samuel 15:3 says, "Now go, attack the Amalekites and totally destroy everything that belongs to them.
Do not spare them; put to death men and women, children and infants, cattle and sheep, camels and donkeys.
" The reasoning for this was to leave nobody that could keep even the memory of these evil nations alive.
2) Self-Defense These principles can be applied to individuals as well as nations.
God wants us to be able to defend ourselves.
In the face of an aggressor who is attempting to use deadly force, the killing of that aggressor is justified.
If a criminal is attempting to murder someone, the victim is justified in killing that criminal on the basis of self-defense, and the courts do respect this principle.
Likewise, police officers sometimes have to choose to kill a criminal in order to protect their own lives, or the lives of innocent citizens.
if the criminal refuses to submit to arrest.
3) Capital Punishment The Bible allows for execution of anyone who commits murder.
Genesis 9:5-6 indicates that God demands an accounting for the life of our fellow man.
We are told that any man who sheds the blood of another man should then have his own blood shed by other men.
This imperative is also applicable to the circumstances of warfare and self-defense above.
Just as in those situations, killing in this case is not only justified, but commanded by God.
The Bible indeed allows for killing in a few specific situations.
Killing is justified and right in the cases of warfare, self-defense, and capital punishment.
Some might object to this on the basis that Christ told us to love our neighbors.
However, we must understand that love means doing what's best for others.
It's obvious that there are situations where our neighbors are sometimes threatened and attacked by dishonorable people.
A typical example is when soldiers on the battlefield are called upon to kill their enemies.
People often ask how this can be right if one of the Ten Commandments bible says, "Thou shalt not kill.
" Wouldn't this imply that soldiers are sinning when they kill the enemy? What about those situations where police officers use deadly force.
Actually the Bible does condemn killing in certain circumstances, while also justifying killing under other conditions.
Let's look at those situations and see why the sixth commandment doesn't condemn killing in particular situations.
There is often misunderstanding about the sixth commandment, primarily due to an error in the way it was translated in the old King James version.
Exodus 20:13 doesn't actually say, "Thou shalt not kill," as many people have been taught.
Many of the newer Bible versions have corrected this error, such as the New International Version, which translates it as, "You shall not murder.
" It's very important to recognize this difference.
The Bible always condemns murder, but it doesn't always condemn killing.
Murder is considered to be the unjustified taking of a person's life, but the Bible does indicate that there is some killing that is not forbidden.
In fact, killing under certain circumstances is the right thing to do, when it is justified in God's eyes.
1) Killing in Warfare The Old Testament includes many examples where God commands leaders such as Moses and Joshua to kill their enemy aggressors in times of warfare.
Sometimes He even tells them to completely annihilate evil nations without mercy.
For example, 1 Samuel 15:3 says, "Now go, attack the Amalekites and totally destroy everything that belongs to them.
Do not spare them; put to death men and women, children and infants, cattle and sheep, camels and donkeys.
" The reasoning for this was to leave nobody that could keep even the memory of these evil nations alive.
2) Self-Defense These principles can be applied to individuals as well as nations.
God wants us to be able to defend ourselves.
In the face of an aggressor who is attempting to use deadly force, the killing of that aggressor is justified.
If a criminal is attempting to murder someone, the victim is justified in killing that criminal on the basis of self-defense, and the courts do respect this principle.
Likewise, police officers sometimes have to choose to kill a criminal in order to protect their own lives, or the lives of innocent citizens.
if the criminal refuses to submit to arrest.
3) Capital Punishment The Bible allows for execution of anyone who commits murder.
Genesis 9:5-6 indicates that God demands an accounting for the life of our fellow man.
We are told that any man who sheds the blood of another man should then have his own blood shed by other men.
This imperative is also applicable to the circumstances of warfare and self-defense above.
Just as in those situations, killing in this case is not only justified, but commanded by God.
The Bible indeed allows for killing in a few specific situations.
Killing is justified and right in the cases of warfare, self-defense, and capital punishment.
Some might object to this on the basis that Christ told us to love our neighbors.
However, we must understand that love means doing what's best for others.
It's obvious that there are situations where our neighbors are sometimes threatened and attacked by dishonorable people.
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