Morality question -- open to all opinions........................?

Question

If a madman takes a woman hostage and uses her as a human sheild while he fires a semiautomatic into a crowd of people, would it be wrong to shoot at the person (assuming that is the only option), even if it means the woman has a good chance of being shot?













If you think its not justified, then are you saying that you think its better that the madman should continue shooting people?
And if you think that it is justified, how do you feel about what Israel is doing? Because that's exactly how they see the situation: Hizbullah are madmen using the lebanese civilians as human sheilds.



Please, only answer the qustion, do not post other (irrelevant) information.
and please keep answers short (~40 lines).
thanks and cheerio

Answer 1

I believe it would be a sane decision to try taking out the madman.

Answer 2

No question about it, the madman must be taken out. The madman can be taken out, without the woman being in any danger of being shot by the sniper, charged with shooting the madman.

The conflict between Israel and Hezbollah can not be compared to a madman taking a single woman hostage. You are attempting to make a comparison between a situation that is simple and one that is complex.

Israel's actions are justified, just as ours have also been justified.
At no time, should a small group of people be allowed to control a nation, or the world, by using the aggressive use of force to conform us all to another way of living or thinking.

I see and hear a lot of criticism aimed at Israel for the actions she has taken, and virtually none at all aimed at Hezbollah(I remind you Hezbollah is the aggressor in this conflict). I find this fact amazing, especially when one stops to consider how many terrorists attacks Israel is forced to endure, which include the killing of many innocent people shopping at malls, attending schools, or just simply traveling home; daily at the hands of Hezbollah's members.

Answer 3

This sounds like a good argument, but unfortunately it may be a false choice. (A) There are 360 degrees around the mad man (so assumedly he could be shot from behind, reducing risk to the woman). (B) Your metaphor assumes a much more simplistic situation than the situation in Lebanon. (C) The responsibility for making the decision to shoot one person falls on an individual and must be made in a matter of seconds. The current conflict has been decided by a committee that has had weeks to consider alternative forms of action.

For decades, It has been Israel's consistent practice (and apparent foreign policy) that if they are attacked, they will hit back with force several times greater than the force that hit them. Hence, they captured and still control the West Bank and Golan Heights. The current US Government has seemingly adopted the same stance, and both countries show a level of arrogance that no longer fits in this world. Neither the US nor Israel can prosper in a world of with ever-increasing enemies, and even in an economy with a falling Gross National Product, Israel and the US still seem to be able to manufacturer enemies in the millions.

Answer 4

Let us hope this never comes up!
It does have to be a case by case bases.

Is passable to get behind to shoot?
Is there a sniper qualified person that can shot?
Where are the police?
Is there any alternative (a McGeiver in the crowed?)
is there a good shot that can hit a small target?

One of the best answers I've seen is to remove the hostage, IE shoot the hostage in the legs, hostage becomes dead weight that the shooter can not control leaving a larger target.

Answer 5

Please, only answer the qustion, do not post other (irrelevant) information.
Bad comparision.
Why put the man in a position to take a hostage in the first place
Oh yeah! Zionist are evil!Same as the Klan, Same as the terrorist(King David Hotel) and any other "mypeople" over your people group.
Come out of the box...There's a whole world out here Alice!

Throw a rock at a tank get a rocket sent into your house right?
Logic.....it rocks don't it!

Answer 6

Wars are insanities created by insane people. Wars are considered the only way to protect ones people. If all hatred would instantly stop and love would replace this racist, hatred, how many wars would there be? Who would be willing to kill someone they loved and cared for?The uncaring resentfulness of mankind is what is using
the woman as the human shield. So with the insanities of war you shoot whatever and if it hits the woman and kills the man you continue with the insanity. Otherwise the insanity of the other side would obliterate you.

Answer 7

I think it's justified to take the shot. We're talking about the loss of 1 innocent life vs. the loss of many innocent lives. At some point you have to weigh the cost and go with what could save the most lives in the long run.

Answer 8

One needs to think this. The Islamic terrorists always kill deliberately to get the innocent according to the Western media. Israel kills the civilians only accidentally every time.

Yet how come so many of the Arab civilians have died in all conflicts and so few Israeli civilians died, even when they were deliberately targetted, and Israel only targetted "accidentally" and their collateral damage itself far exceeds the deliberate killings.

If somone takes your family prisoner and keeps them without charging them from across Mexico, what would the US citizens do in that situation? Would you just rub your hands and say, Darn those Mexicans, I wish they would one of these days file a case against our citizens and give them fair sentences? Indeed the Mexican soldiers are protecting the action of their own government in all this.

BE HONEST to yourself!!

Answer 9

no. it wouldn't be right. true Christians must not defend themselves no matter what, they should be peaceable and loving like Jesus, even if it means they will die themselves, true Christians would never harm another human being, no matter what the stakes. its wrong to kill, and Christ's true followers should be 'no part f the world'. combining those the answer is simple. true Christians should take the bullet and enjoy the fact the next time the awaken, it'll be on a paradise earth.

Answer 10

yes, except the Lebanese should really shoot any Hezboolite in the head the minute they start setting up the rocket launchers. The fact that they don't is proof they might be partly culpable.