Biblical Justifications for Killing
In the Bible killing is seen as an absolute moral wrong. However the Bible abounds with "good guys" who kill.
As far as I can tell human beings are given 3 biblical justifications for killing:
1) Obedience
The halted murder of Isaac, the murder Jephthah's daughter
2) Purity/Safety/Welfare of God's People
This justifies much of the killing that occurs in the Old Testament to destroy
godless foreign influences and enemies. This applies to "war" but also to killing
outside of declared war between Israel and her enemies.
3) Justice
God gives the law to Moses. This law proscribes death as the punishment for
many offenses.These justifications are often ambiguous. Often God will tell a biblical figure to kill a sinful foreign enemy. This meets all 3 justifications for killing.
No new justifications for killing were introduced in the New Testament. So for Christians who seek to justify the use of deadly force it is essential to determine which (if any) of these Old Testament justifications are still valid.
1) Obedience
I'm not sure whether this justification is still valid. Even if it's valid this isn't a practical method to justify killing especially in regards to the death penalty, maintaining order, or prosecuting war. Waiting for God to explicitly tell you to kill simply wouldn't work in modern society as regards government sanctioned killing.
2) Purity/Safety/Welfare of God's People
This is highly problematic. Jesus specifically tells his disciples not to defend themselves
(Matthew 5:39 Matthew 10:23). So self-defense is ruled out as justification for killing.
3) Justice
This is highly problematic. Jesus prevents a death sentence from being carried out. Also in traditional Christian understanding Christ's commands supersede the Mosiac legal system. By what standard are we to judge when killing is justified by God's Law?
I'm not inclined to be pacifist but the whole "just war" doctrine doesn't seem to be biblically based. Am I missing other biblical justifications for killing which may still be operative?
5 comments:
Do you seriously think Jephthah should have kept his sinful vow? If I vow to rape someone, should I keep it simply because it's generally right to keep vows?
I'd have to disagree with your claim that killing is an absolute prohibition. It simply isn't. Murder is. But the fact that so many instances of killing are not just allowed but even commanded shows that the Torah does not have an absolute prohibition on killing.
The main type of killing in war is not actually self-defense but the conquering of the land.
The just war theory is biblically based. It's grounded in Romans 13, where the sword is given to the state to carry out justice. You do have lots of statements in the prophets about how God uses nations to punish other nations. It's not always for the right motives (on the part of the nations, anyway), but God is behind it. I think this is easily included in Romans 13. Evildoers can be nations and not just individuals, and justice can require one nation putting a hold on the evil of another (e.g. WWII).
Correct me if I'm wrong but in your perspective the justification for killing is still justice.
How from this perspective is justice determined?
By Old Testament law or by another means?
If justice is determined by fallible human means than how assured is the justification for the killing that is done?
I'm not sure I see what the problem is supposed to be. The metaphysical ground of justice is God's nature. God has revealed that infallibly in the scripture (as a whole), which manifests itself in different parts of scripture in different ways. Our interpretation of that will always be fallible. Some of that involved particular instances when God commanded an action to particular people, and sometimes it involve more general principles.
God has also revealed it in creating us with the ability to understand moral truths and to live in communities where we'll be forced to abide by moral principles if we are to survive and thrive, and thus governments form naturally. Part of God's revelation includes the very clear teaching that even thoroughly corrupt and imperfect governments are still agents of justice and ought to seek justice, whether they do or do not.
Now you seem to be worried that people might not do this perfectly. Scripture makes it clear that people will not do this perfectly. It even insists that they will not and then commands Christians to submit to such corrupt authorities anyway. But that doesn't minimize the obligation of the government to be righteous in seeking order, protecting the helpless, and punishing the evildoer.
So if justice is carried out imperfectly then it's imperfect justice. But God regularly speaks of justice in this world as imperfect. That's why there's a need for a final vindication of the righteous and punishment of the unrighteous. People don't always do justice, and when they do it's not always perfect. Sometimes they think they're doing justice when they're not. But I can't figure out why you think that's an objection to saying that people have the obligation to do what justice requires. It seems instead to support the obligation to be just and to promote justice.
Perhaps I suffer from a false dichotomy. In my mind there isn't imperfect justice. You either have justice or injustice. I don't see the bible providing a gray area in Mosaic law or in the New Testament.
God's justice is enforced by his guidance of the nations and by his ultimate act of judgment.
If people can't autonomously determine what is just than any act of killing could very well be murder.
The conditions that exist for "just war" are determined by human reason and not by direct revelation. The just war concept isn't infallible.
I'm looking for an infallible guide for Christians to determine when war or killing is justified. Outside of the Mosaic law I haven't found an explicit answer.
First off, you need to check your biblical translations. I would use the New American Standard Bible, because it was developed after years of painstaking efforts to get the most accurate translation possible. The correct interpretation of the commandment is "thou shalt not MURDER" not "thou shalt not kill".
Deuteronomy 19:4-13
Numbers: 35:12-35
Joshua 20:1-6
Romans Chapter 13:1-7
Ecclesiastes 3:1-3
War & Revenge: Esther 8:11-12
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