For EVERYONE ! When is harming others JUSTIFIED.?

Question

This is to piggy back the question asked ONLY of atheists on the DEFINITION of harm.
http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index;_ylt=AlC7f85ozUXNDIgRSO7cMHvsy6IX?qid=20070728093057AAGXB2f&show=7#profile-info-9IcpKxgiaa

I think most reasonable people agree on the definition of harm, but where we differ is when is it JUSTIFIED to harm others.

The asker of the question, then added additional details with a catologue of harms done by "atheists".

Do you think theists are justified in harming non-theists but not vice versa ?

Or do you think non-theists are justified in harming theists but not vice-versa ?

Or do you think neither group has the right to harm each other simply on the basis of their thoughts ? (this is what I think)

Edited to add: Other than self defense or the defense of others, when do you believe harming someone is ever justified.

I have noticed that we are almost ALL in agreement that basically self defense or defense of others is the only justification for harm. I will assume that there is a mixture of theist & non-theists in the group. So since most of us seem to agree that it is WRONG to harm someone just because they have different religious opinions, can we just STOP all the crappy questions that are ONLY asked to imply that people in the OTHER camp have NO MORALS whatsoever, and the people in YOUR camp have a monopoly on morals Does it really matter if they get their morals from a book, common sense, a sense of humanity, or a mixture of all, or something else ? Really, if someone is a good citizen, why nit-pick on the source of their virtues ?

Answer 1

I don't think harming other people is EVER justified. If you have to hurt someone else in order to defend yourself, that's only because someone ELSE decided it would be good to try and hurt YOU.

Answer 2

Aside from self defense or defense of others, I would think that for me, the only time I would willfully harm someone else is when there isn't another option. And I need to take responsibility for those actions and the harm that they cause.

One of the aphorisms of doctors, for example, is "First, do no harm." But a surgeon harms healthy tissue in order to remove unhealthy tissue.

Answer 3

That is a good question, but, you phrased it as theists vs non-theists or a-theists (which means non-theists).

In my opinion people are born knowing that good and evil exist, but, not what is good and what is evil.

During their lives they learn what is good and what is evil. Depending on their society/culture/upbringing they can learn different things.

If God chooses to reveal what God believes is good and evil to a person they will also learn regardless of their society/culture/upbringing.

In my opinion this is why we have so many arguments about what is good and what is evil, not that they exist.

Even the famous saying "nothing is good or evil, except, thinking makes it so" implies that there is good and evil but that we determine which is which with our thoughts and not some universal moral code.

I believe that when we focus on the One True God and the Holy Ghost leads us we adopt God's moral code and we know what is good and what is evil. God's thoughts made it so.

If we do not focus on the One True God then we tend to adopt the definitions of good and evil as dictated by our society/culture/upbringing.

Often people invent a "moral code" and claim it came from God to control people. Christ warned us about this saying that many will come in his name.

A good example is people who claim scripture does not address abortion and that abortion is murder.

Exodus 21:22
If men strive, and hurt a woman with child, so that her fruit depart from her, and yet no mischief follow: he shall be surely punished, according as the woman's husband will lay upon him; and he shall pay as the judges determine.

Obviously the punishment as dictated by God is different for abortion than it is for murder, indicating a difference in the two sins. If "mischief" follows...the word indicates harm, in context-my understanding is harm of a sexual nature, then the punishment becomes more severe, an eye for an eye, etc.

I believe this is actually the "punishment" system we have in the United States today for abortion. Judges have determined that the punishment for abortion is nothing unless some medical malpractice occurs and then they fit the punishment to the crime in civil court.

Yet people will argue this point and claim abortion is murder.

I point out abortion because some believe it is harm to a person and some believe it is not, so it moves the discussion more into the idea of how we determine good vs evil and when it is ok to harm someone.

In my opinion only God knows and we should depend on guidance from the Holy Ghost in this area.

Answer 4

There is no "other than" - self defense and the defense of others are the only justifications. Religion (or lack thereof) is not a good justification. Politics are not a good justification. Sexual orientation is not a good justification.

There's an old saying, "Your right to swing your fist ends at the tip of my nose." If we spent less time swinging our fists and more time trying to find reasonable accommodations with people who aren't just like us, the world would be a better place.

Answer 5

ONLY in self-defense... Never at any other time. Theists have no right to harm someone because they are atheists.

ONLY if you are trying to save a life.

Answer 6

Harming others is never justified. The only reason I would ever harm anyone would be to defend my family.

Answer 7

I don't think anyone has a right to harm anyone based on differences of thinking. I do believe in harming someone in self defense, however.

Answer 8

Harm is justified by the court systems when a life is in danger.....

I was watching TV and the football coach who attacked a referee was attacked by the opposite coach and other parents....it was a 6yr old football game.....lol...

Anyways, the court saw the aggressor as that first coach, and sentenced him, nothing about the other coach who tried to subdue him, nor the parents that tried intervening..

As for God's court, there is no pleading cases, or wondering if you are wrong......btw, what wrong has any atheist done except disacknolwedge God's existence, yes?


Not true, they blaspheme, swear, attack us believers and cause such a ruckus that no one is able to hear things rightly...

Atheists know what they have in store for them, but my personal feeling is don't let them get to you, you know right and wrong, as far as God sees it, yes?

Answer 9

The only time when you can harm people is for self-defense

Answer 10

when it absolutely cannot be helped or a small harm will prevent a much greater harm, as in tough love--if pushing somebody out of the way of a speeding bus causes them some scrapes and bruises, go for it!

Answer 11

Other then the reasons you stated in your edit there is no justifiable reason to harm others