How do Christians define murder and kill and death?

[Artie]

The standard definition of "murder" is "the unlawful premeditated killing of one human being by another." The standard definition of "kill" is "cause the death of (a person, animal, or other living thing)." The standard definition of "death" is "the action or fact of dying or being killed; the end of the life of a person or organism."

Obviously to a Christian to kill somebody doesn't bring about "the end of the life of a person" so how exactly do Christians define the terms above? According to these definitions it is impossible to murder or kill a Christian.

[McCulloch]

[Replying to post 1 by Artie]

Christianity makes a distinction between life as the biologists define it and spiritual life which means something else entirely. Their definition of "kill" is "cause the biological death of (a person, animal, or other living thing)."

Do not fear those who kill the body but are unable to kill the soul; but rather fear Him who is able to destroy both soul and body in hell.

[Artie]

[Replying to post 1 by Artie]

Christianity makes a distinction between life as the biologists define it and spiritual life which means something else entirely. Their definition of "kill" is "cause the biological death of (a person, animal, or other living thing)."

But that definition doesn't make sense. Isn't the soul the person and the body just a container for the soul and not a person in itself?

[McCulloch]

But that definition doesn't make sense. Isn't the soul the person and the body just a container for the soul and not a person in itself?

I don't claim that the Christian position makes sense.

They do teach that to unlawfully end the biological life of another human is wrong. They also teach that humans have a spiritual component (terminology varies) that survives biological death.

[Talishi]

Isn't the soul the person and the body just a container for the soul and not a person in itself?

The Christian point of view is rather goth. A ghost animates a corpse. That's what they say we are.

[bluethread]

[Replying to post 1 by Artie]

Christianity makes a distinction between life as the biologists define it and spiritual life which means something else entirely. Their definition of "kill" is "cause the biological death of (a person, animal, or other living thing)."

But that definition doesn't make sense. Isn't the soul the person and the body just a container for the soul and not a person in itself?

Your error is in equating the commandments with eternal principles. One can derive eternal principles from them, but they are primarily regulations of terrestrial human life. This is the mistake that is often made by those who accuse a deity of murder. That is like accusing a bear or ape of murder. Murder is the unlawful cessation of the bodily functions of a human life form. It generally is not stated that way, because it is scientifically pedantic.

[JehovahsWitness]

[Replying to post 1 by Artie]

The Jehovah's Witness view is

- Murder is unlawful killing
- Killing is the taking of a life
- Death is the opposite of life

Jehovah's Witnesses don't believe in the immortality of the soul or an "afterlife" where life continues in another form after death. This make our religion almost unique, since nearly all forms of religion (so called "christian" or not) believe in some form of continued existence. As such no human in their view ceases to exist.

Only Jehovah's Witnesses as a religion (possibily SDA's and a few other smaller groups) believe non-existence is actually possible. All other major religions believe death is actually a transition to continued continued existence.




JW

[Talishi]

Only Jehovah's Witnesses as a religion (possibily SDA's and a few other smaller groups) believe non-existence is actually possible. All other major religions believe death is actually a transition to continued continued existence.

Seventh Day Adventists hold that the soul is dormant until the general resurrection, and after that those who are not written in the book of life are burned up and do not exist going forward. Naturally this contradicts the stuff in Revelation, where torment is described as never ending, with no rest for the wicked.

[JehovahsWitness]

[Replying to post 8 by Talishi]

Yes, I've found it very difficult to get a clear undertanding with the SDAs... I don't think they believe in an invisible soul inside a person's physical body, but then is "sleeping" a metaphor for non-existence?

I know traditionally they were very close, if not identical to the Jehovah's Witness position that a person ceases to exist at death.... but anything I've read recently seems ambigous to me.

[Talishi]

I know traditionally they were very close, if not identical to the Jehovah's Witness position that a person ceases to exist at death.... but anything I've read recently seems ambigous to me.

While sharing annihilationism with JWs, the SDA teach that the wicked are indeed raised up for a short time to see the results of that "great controversy" between Satan and Yahweh (or Jehovah if you like), that we spoke of in another place.