Does beheading hold some sort of religious significance? Or is it strictly a terror tactic? Read on.?

Question

I asked this once before, and was told that beheading was a "quick, nearly painless death." I have to disagree. I watched the Nick Berg beheading video today, and those were not screams of pleasure.

So I ask...Is beheading strictly a terror tactic, or does it hold religious significance?

Straight answers this time please.

Santa Parrot..."just a terror tactic" is pretty much what I thought. But it was a Muslim who told me that beheading was a swift, painless death. Bull.

Answer 1

the best i can tell you is to visit this page, and draw your own conclusions. looks like there are lots of biblically referenced beheadings there.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Beheading#Biblical

oops. should have added this, too.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Beheading#Decapitation_throughout_history

Answer 2

I think it is simply a terror tactic. From imagination only, any person can realize that beheading is a horrible, painful death. First, one has to saw through (because they use a serrated knife; it's not a clean, swift cut) the thyroid gland, which shields the larynx and the pharynx. One of those is the path through which you breathe. Then, after that, they have to cut through the back of your neck to finally be able to get the head off. It's frightening thinking of being beheaded, and I think the terrorists know that.
I, too, saw that beheading, along with three or four others. The yells and the screams as one of the terrorists used a serrated knife to saw off his head. At the end, they propped the head up against his tied hands. Perhaps there is religious significance in beheadings. A passage from the Quran says: (Qur’an 8:12) “Your Lord inspired the angels with the message: ‘I will terrorize the unbelievers. Therefore smite them on their necks and every joint and incapacitate them. Strike off their heads and cut off each of their fingers and toes.” But I honestly think they do it for the fear it instills more than for the religion.

Answer 3

Well as far as the quick and painless thought... that would depend on the TYPE of beheading...

The guillotine would be one form of painless instant death assuming that the blade went straight down and completly through on the first drop (it didn't always)

The second would be a samurai sword (assuming it was sharp)

An axe.. like in medieval times.. again.. sharp and relativly heavy.....

In the civil war... a cannon ball to the head was instant....

Now can we say any of these are without the concious knowledge that it hurt before they died? I think it is a pretty safe assumtion... if the beheading is instant and complete.. there would be no way for the nerve impulse at the site of the wound to travel to the area of the brain which registers thought... or pain becuse there no longer is that connection to the body.. But I don't know for sure...

Never happened to me :) Hopefully it never will

I think the Nick Berg incident was an atrocity and was a complete terror tactic and a torture tactic.. the terrrists gain their power from intimidation and fear.. .and that is what they did.. I have seen the video you are talking about and I am horrified at the thought of what Nick Berg suffered and possibly (likely) felt through his brief, horrifying murder.

Answer 4

Taking life of another human being that God granted is in no sense Islamic. In fact, these suicide bombings and the virgins in heaven do not make any sense whatsoever since God disowns anyone who commits suicide. So I think these radicals ought to do some reading again.

Therefore, I think it is strictly a scare tactic. There is no religious significance because you cannot take someone's life away that God granted and he will take back when he wills it. Taking someones life is like saying that you are considering yourself to be almighty. Which Islam definitely does not teach.

Now, if you are talking about killing animals, then they have to be killed in a certian way. But they aren't beheaded. The jugular vein in cut, which cuts the supply of blood to the brain and the animal becomes unconscious and dies a quick painless death. As well as all the blood is lost, so it is easier to clean the animal.

Answer 5

It is written... And I saw thrones, and they sat upon them, and judgment was given to them. And I saw the souls of those who had been beheaded because of the testimony of Jesus and because of the Word of God, and those who had not worshiped the beast or his image, and had not received the mark upon their forehead and upon their hand; and they came to life and reigned with Christ for a thousand years.

So, it does have religious significance. And is a tactic of terror & intimidation to get others to deny Jesus, or to bow to the beast or take the mark, etc...

As far as Nick Berg goes, it is put on the internet to terrorize or intimidate others to conform to the terrorists demands.

They are terrorists. I am sure Nick Berg is in heaven with the Lord. As for the beheaders, their end is hell / terror unless they repent to the Lord God & receive atonement for their sins. Their actions are very demonic. But Jesus can deliver the demonic person (even a murderer) from the demons.


Koran 8:12 tells you to smite above the neck, so that would be anyone who doesn't believe in the Allah of Islam, of Muhammed, or of the Koran. Also Islam is an antichrist religion. So, I guess there is evidence to argue in this verse that Islam is a religion who beheads people for not bowing down to their way.

Answer 6

Recall the Guillotine of the French Revolution. Because it almost never failed to decapitate its victim in one simple strike, it was, at the time, seen as an improvement over the axeman and a giant leap forward in humane execution. (I consider that an oxymoron, but I'm living in 21st century New England.)

Execution is not easy. There is hanging, which takes quite a skill to accomplish; usually the unskilled hangman leaves a writhing victim dangling for up to 1/2 hour while he slowly suffocates to death. The electric chair was seen as more humane, but in truth it cooks its victims alive. Lethal injection should be more humane, but they have prescribed such lame drugs that there is strong belief that the victim is awake and terrified but simply unable to move their muscles. Firing squad could be human, except it as often as not simply wounds the victims, who must then be shot again at close range in the head. Indeed, any form of gun-related execution may require multiple shots to complete the task.

In short, there are no non-terrorizing methods of execution. Beheading seems barbaric, particularly when done in public, but it is no more so than any of the sanctioned methods governments employ worldwide. I suggest that we simply do away with capital punishment altogether. That would be the biggest slap against terrorism.

Answer 7

To be honest that nick berg video and other beheading videos are jsut pure disgusting, the terrorist cut the guys head off like bread slowly slowly slowly slicing it off with a pocket knife or a swiss army knife, you are meant to use a big axe or a very sharp sword which only needs 1 stroke which is painful but for a few seconds unlike the footage shown on nick berg and other iraqi foreign hostages where he is slowly decapitated to increase pain.

Its a religious since im sure the quran mentions it. Its still done as a execution in countries like Iran and Saudia Arabia over small things like if your gay or you commit adultery you'll be beheaded.

Answer 8

I think it has been more common in Arab countries. Beheading and religion only mixed when some groups believed you could come back from the dead, beheading amongst methods like taking apart the skeleton and crossing their bones were common say 1700s and earlier.

Answer 9

It has spiritual significance.

John the Baptist was beheaded for the sake of the gospel of Jesus Christ Matthew 14:10

James was also beheaded

John the Revelator in Revelations 20: 4 says this: And I saw thrones, and they sat upon them, and judgement was given unto them: and I saw the souls of them that were beheaded for the witness of Jesus, and for the word of God, and which had not worshipped the beast, neither his image, neither had received his mark upon their foreheads, or in their hands; and they lived and reigned with Christ a thousand years.

Answer 10

Strictly a terror tactic.

Answer 11

Please do not compare terrorists/extremists with true Muslims.

The beheading of Nick Berg was a terror tactic, plain and simple.

Those terrorists have distorted Islam and, because of that incident, have made people hate us.

No matter how many times we defend ourselves from this false accusation, it's very clear that some people have already made up their minds.

Sad but definitely true.