Would you kill someone if you believed it was a sacred act?

[ygolo]

There are examples in various religions of this.

If you believed it was a sacred act, would you kill someone?

 

[Philosorapteuse]

I think I have too much difficulty in imagining myself considering anything a "sacred act" to answer. :\

 

[Tyrinth]

I think I have too much difficulty in imagining myself considering anything a "sacred act" to answer. :\

Pretty much this... I can't think of anything that would be worth taking the consequences of murder for, at least not now, I suppose my perspective could change. Now, if there were no consequences for the act...

 

[Philosorapteuse]

Pretty much this... I can't think of anything that would be worth taking the consequences of murder for, at least not now, I suppose my perspective could change. Now, if there were no consequences for the act...

I can think of things I'd commit murder for, or circumstances in which I would do so. It's the "sacred act" bit I can't imagine.

 

[jcloudz]

hmmm if i was brain washed to believe taking a life was a sacred thing, maybe. i probably would not be myself.

 

[KDude]

Only if it really looked like a sacred act. Thunderbolts, fire raining from the sky, plague of locusts.. It'd be lame if I used a pipebomb or something.

 

[Nicodemus]

If you believed it was a sacred act, would you kill someone?

I imagine you do not want us to reinterpret the question so as to make it lose almost all of its usual semantic content, therefore my answer is 'no'.

In return I would like to ask you how this rather strange question/thread came about.

 

[Within]

hmmm if i was brain washed to believe taking a life was a sacred thing, maybe. i probably would not be myself.

This.

 

[ygolo]

I imagine you do not want us to reinterpret the question so as to make it lose almost all of its usual semantic content, therefore my answer is 'no'.

In return I would like to ask you how this rather strange question/thread came about.

Well, I generally leave interpretation up to the interpreter. This part gives me insight as well.

I am asking because I know that people have consciences and they also have social programming. I am trying to see if social programming can override conscience.

 

[garbage]

I would probably do it.

I'd hope that I'd be able to perform some sort of rudimentary cost/benefit analysis and to step out of the trap rationalizing a choice that I've already made, but who knows whether that's possible.

Then again, one of my primary fields is decision analysis

I am asking because I know that people have consciences and they also have social programming. I am trying to see if social programming can override conscience.

Only in hypotheticals. Place us in real-life situations, and, bam; who knows how we'll act!

 

[Anew Leaf]

I am more likely to kill someone for wanting to hug me unexpectedly or cutting me off in traffic.

Is nothing sacred anymore?! I ask you!

 

[prplchknz]

probably, but i would fight really hard not to, if that counts for anything

 

[prplchknz]

I am more likely to kill someone for wanting to hug me unexpectedly or cutting me off in traffic.

Is nothing sacred anymore?! I ask you!

my toes are sacred. Kiss them!

 

[sprinkles]

I'd prefer to not call it 'killing'.

It's 'expedited soul relocation'.

 

[ZPowers]

I'm assuming this is meant to be sort of an Abraham/Isaac situation.

The question pre-supposes I believe this thing is sacred. I don't believe in God, but if I fully, completely believed in it and that it had given me this mission for some kind of greater good or to be part of its plan, I guess I would. Over-religious people kill people all the time and I have little doubt they truly believe they are doing the right thing. If my mind were as messed up as their's, I don't see any reason to assume I'd be any different.

 

[Lady_X]

I would never believe murder was a sacred act. I don't understand how one is supposed to suspend that truth to answer.

 

[Amargith]

Yes I would. If it alligned with my beliefs and values, I would. Id have a really hard time doing it though.

 

[Lark]

There are examples in various religions of this.

If you believed it was a sacred act, would you kill someone?

I'd have to have more information to answer this.

I think that life IS sacred.

 

[Poindexter Arachnid]

I'd kill for money. Or for fun. As Scarface would say.
As for ritualistic killings: Just ain't my thing.

 

[Randomnity]

There are examples in various religions of this.

If you believed it was a sacred act, would you kill someone?

This is impossible to answer because "sacred act" implies that you believe it is the most moral thing to do (more moral than the immorality of killing). If we're going to assume I'm religious enough to believe such a thing, then my personality would be completely altered and it's impossible to predict how I would be thinking, considering I wouldn't be deciding anything based on logic.

If you are really just asking "would you be able to kill if you were completely convinced it was the moral thing to do", removing religion from the equation, then my answer is that it's hard to say without being in that situation. My guess is that I wouldn't be able to unless it was very directly self-defense (or possibly defense of loved ones), and even it would probably only be possible if I didn't think about it very much beforehand.