Christians! : What would you do if....

[VermilionUK]

Hypothetically speaking, and assuming God exists:
If you were demanded- by God - to kill an innocent child, would you do it?

[VermilionUK]

The child would be history if a true creator of the universe demanded his death, however his death would simply be another level of existence. I would kill myself if somehow I knew it was God asking me to do it, why not?

P4JC

Why not? Because your life is infinately valuable. In killing yourself, you would be throwing away your physical life, with the assumption of an instant heavely reward.

What if God didn't suggest that he would give you a reward/or the child a reward? Would you still do it? The criteria in the OP suggests nothing of a heavenly reward.

No you said it was God the creator of the universe that asked me to whack the kid. The everlasting life isn't a reward, its the order of things. If God said the child was going to go to a kind of hell and he wanted to kill the child for say the pleasure of killing I would have to decline because it would not be the God that I worship.

P4JC

The everlasting life isn't a reward, its the order of things

So you would be killing the child with the expectation of a heavenly afterlife, because "its the order of things"? Would you not say such a mind-set was perhaps selfish? If not, why not?

If the afterlife in heaven is not a "reward", why else would you kill the child, if not to improve your chances of entry to heaven?

If God said the child was going to go to a kind of hell and he wanted to kill the child for say the pleasure of killing I would have to decline because it would not be the God that I worship.

How do you know the character of the God you worship? From the fact that God permits people to die from natural diseases (which, considering God made everything in the natural world - would be his creation), one could conclude that God does enjoy death.

All my OP stated was "Hypothetically speaking, and assuming God exists:
If you were demanded- by God - to kill an innocent child, would you do it?".

God states nothing, all he/He demands is the death of the child - no reason, explanation or consequence for your actions is given.

[Pastor4Jesus]

Worship or not, any god that asks me to kill a child will meet my wrath.

What a comical visualization that statement provoked! I am sure God is shaking in his cosmic Nikes.

~Anyway~

Many children met their death in war when they were attempting to kill other soldiers. So there are times that I would kill a child even without God telling me to, say if he has a AK 47 in his little hands blasting away at me....sad and regrettable, but true.

Additionally abortion supporters help kill millions of would be infants, to me that is even more appalling than above (killing in self defense).

P4JC

[VermilionUK]

Many children met their death in war when they were attempting to kill other soldiers. So there are times that I would kill a child even without God telling me to, say if he has a AK 47 in his little hands blasting away at me....sad and regrettable, but true.

What does that have to do with the question?

Additionally abortion supporters help kill millions of would be infants, to me that is even more appalling than above (killing in self defense).

P4JC

I'll have to disagree there. In many cases, it's a case of the parents choosing an abortion due to them not being fit for parenthood.
"Then why did they have sex?" I hear you ask. Human nature and desire is the answer.

Other cases range from the would-be child having a painful life/poor quality of life due to disability or disease which would strongly prevent the child living a happy life - In those cases, I'd say it shows mercy, as it spares the would-be child a life of pain.

And then there's the rape victims, under-age mothers etc etc.

If we didn't have abortion, then there'd be a lot of young children with an incredibly poor quality of life.


Anyway, that's getting off topic.

[Pastor4Jesus]

What does it have to do with this question? >>> "Worship or not, any god that asks me to kill a child will meet my wrath." I was opining that killing a child is excusable if he is trying to kill you.

If we didn't have abortion, then there'd be a lot of young children with an incredibly poor quality of life.

Well it could be worse. They could of been aborted. Or ask them with the disabilities etc, how many of them want to die now? It would be more humane and ethical, because at least death would be their decision.

P4JC

[JoeyKnothead]

From Post 31:

Worship or not, any god that asks me to kill a child will meet my wrath.

What a comical visualization that statement provoked! I am sure God is shaking in his cosmic Nikes.

Point being I'd rather fight an infinitely powerful entity I couldn't possibly defeat than to harm an innocent child. I do note that I didn't specifically mention the innocent part in the original.

I try not to add any more conditions than the OP applies, as I see such to be a bit of a dodge or even strawman.

[Pastor4Jesus]

From Post 31:

Worship or not, any god that asks me to kill a child will meet my wrath.

What a comical visualization that statement provoked! I am sure God is shaking in his cosmic Nikes.

Point being I'd rather fight an infinitely powerful entity I couldn't possibly defeat than to harm an innocent child. I do note that I didn't specifically mention the innocent part in the original.

I try not to add any more conditions than the OP applies, as I see such to be a bit of a dodge or even strawman.

Well on a purely theoretical thing yes most of us would defend a child. Of course if God was evil I would be worshiping the other guy.

P4JC

[McCulloch]

Of course if God was evil I would be worshiping the other guy.

How could you tell the difference?

[Pastor4Jesus]

Of course if God was evil I would be worshiping the other guy.

How could you tell the difference?

Being a theoretical question if the child was innocent and that entails all the nuances of innocence that are theoretically possible, God would be evil to harm it according to the common definition of good and evil and God.

P4JC

[VermilionUK]

Of course if God was evil I would be worshiping the other guy.

How could you tell the difference?

Being a theoretical question if the child was innocent and that entails all the nuances of innocence that are theoretically possible, God would be evil to harm it according to the common definition of good and evil and God.

P4JC

What about Abraham and Isaac? Sure, God didn't have the child killed, but I'd say it's pretty evil to allow a father to prepare to sacrifice his son, only to be stopped at the last minute. Or is that the action of a loving God?

It's not too far off the scenario in the OP

[Pastor4Jesus]

Of course if God was evil I would be worshiping the other guy.

How could you tell the difference?

Being a theoretical question if the child was innocent and that entails all the nuances of innocence that are theoretically possible, God would be evil to harm it according to the common definition of good and evil and God.

P4JC

What about Abraham and Isaac? Sure, God didn't have the child killed, but I'd say it's pretty evil to allow a father to prepare to sacrifice his son, only to be stopped at the last minute. Or is that the action of a loving God?

It's not too far off the scenario in the OP

Well personally I think its a huge difference. God wanted Abraham to prove his faith. He did and the rest is history. I agree its a horrific situation and one that fairly terrified me as a child. There are many stories and verses of scripture that I question as being parable or truth or maybe has a translational error, and its why I switched to theology in school. I was fascinated with religion. However I wish now that I had simply switched to archeology and geology. Seminary was too structured etc.

P4JC