Why is it given as a commandment in the bible? " Thou shalt not kill"
When you tell someone as an order not to do something in a sense you keep reminding him of that. Like if you tell a kid not to look over his shoulder while you are away he will do it.
Does it not make more sense to tell the person that killing destroys something in you aswell, makes you a violent and angry person and is against your own self preservation like in hinduism.
2006-10-03 16:15:51 · 13 answers · asked by suresh t 1 in Society & Culture ➔ Religion & Spirituality
You may be on to something. It is a well-known personnel management fact that orders phrased in a positive way are more effective than negative orders. Something in me is sure that God would have given the commandments in the most effective way, so someone must have copied wrong. Thanks for pointing this out.
2006-10-03 16:55:06 · answer #1 · answered by anyone 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I know exactly what you mean. God could have been a bit more explanatory. However, keep in mind what they were. They were commandments, not suggestions, or guidelines, or good ideas. They were orders from the One God (at a time when there were many gods) and they were LAWS set aside for the nation of Israel.
You see, God had a plan. He intended to build the nation of Israel up as a special people. The Jews would have a special relationship with God, and would provide an example for the ages. It was necessary to set them apart from the other nations on earth and so he gave them special laws. There were actually a few hundred commandments for the Jews as set forth in the book of Leviticus (thou shalt not eat shellfish, thou shalt stone adulturers, etc.) Some of them were common sense, and some of them were rather brutal and harsh. But build a nation he did.
Why a nation? To bring about a devoted people who would glorify God's name, and to prepare the world for the coming messiah.
When the messiah showed up, he fulfilled every one of the old testament prophecies about him. His name was Yeshua, which today we pronounce "Jesus".
Jesus changed the old covenant with God. The Jewish nation had fulfilled their function. Jesus brought about an end to the old laws, which included the Ten Commandments (surprise!). If you study Christianity carefully, though, you'll see that although Jesus narrowed things down to only two commandments, the other eight are still Christian ways to live.
The Golden Rule encompasses most of the ten commandments, and the Rule to "Love God with all your heart and all your soul" takes care of the rest.
I hope this helps. Keep asking tough questions! God loves people who are "discerning".
2006-10-03 23:27:42 · answer #2 · answered by roberticvs 4 · 0⤊ 1⤋
Hi Suresh,
[ I am an Indian. I know Hinduism, Buddhism. My forefathers were Hindus. ]
Q: Why is it given as a commandment in the bible? " Thou shalt not kill"
A: Because To Kill is to take another Life. It is harm.
Btw, Ten Commandments are given to Jews.
The Only Law for a Christian is: LOVE
Lord Jesus Christ said:
Love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind, and with all your strength.
You shall love your neighbor as yourself.
2006-10-04 05:27:59 · answer #3 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
You have to understand the circumstances in which these 10 commandments were given.
God had chosen the Israelites for his own people. When they lived in Egypt, they lived under the rule of the Egyptians. The Egypts treated the Israelites the way they wanted. Egypt was notorious for murders and sacrifices to their Gods. But God through Moses - gave the commandments to his people whom he brought out of slavery into a free land. In this free land he wanted them to understand that with freedom also came responsibility that when you live in a community these were the things you were not supposed to do. He did not want them to live by the same culture in which they were used to. Like killing people over fights - offering sacrifices of their children etc. At that time this commandment was to guide them.
Today the Church recognises that this commandment extends beyond physical killing. It also involves disgrace, insult - public humiliation etc. Thereby you kill the person emotionally - which may eventually lead him to attempt suicide. So what God wants his children to understand today is that if you hurt someone emotionally you may damage someones character and will commit the crime of murder either emotionally or physically.
It is like your Indian Penal Code, you know that under a particular section you will be liable to punishment, yet people knowing that the law exists still commit a crime.
2006-10-04 02:55:03 · answer #4 · answered by indiangal 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
If we keep on analysing each and every point in the scriptures, we won't reach anywhere. What we need is bold minds which can disassociate religions & their Law Books from God. Manyl say that all religions are from the same God, then why Koran, Bible and Gita? The Bible which is believed to have been written in the first century says Jesus was crucified where as Islam, which came six centuries later belives He escaped from the captures and ran away to Kashmir!
2006-10-04 00:26:51 · answer #5 · answered by Yinglen J 1 · 0⤊ 0⤋
First of all the commandment was thou shall not murder. Which means a premeditated act of killing.
Anyway here is a verse that might help you.
Galatians 3:24 Therefore the Law has become our tutor to lead us to Christ so that we may be justified by faith.
2006-10-03 23:31:29 · answer #6 · answered by redeemed 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
In order for Moses to be able to carry the two stone tablets on which the Ten Commandments weer inscribed, God had to keep them brief.
Moses later wrote the rest of the law, in extreme detail, based on those ten original Commandments.
You can find those writings in the old testament.
2006-10-04 04:46:56 · answer #7 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
because life is precious and not for us to take it away from anyone. most people think the commandments were given at Mt. Sanai, but Gods Holy Moral Laws have been in existance since our beginning. otherwise it would have been ok for cain to kill able
2006-10-03 23:29:36 · answer #8 · answered by norm s 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
So . . . You have a problem with "Thou shalt not kill"? Like it makes you want to kill someone? You need some serious couch time.
2006-10-03 23:20:44 · answer #9 · answered by Mr Answer 5 · 1⤊ 1⤋
God makes this law to us to make us use our conscience, and it will be guilty against us if we kill. it is hurting something in us, but not that we can physically tell. God, as with how he punishes everyone, will not punish us until all of our sins have been counted and restated. its sad, but true.
2006-10-03 23:18:59 · answer #10 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋