Is it acceptable to kill somebody over their religious beliefs ?

Question

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20071203/ap_on_go_ot/nation_in_debt

Please note the thumbs up and the reactions to the question (it did get the best answer). I would prefer straight answers. Ad hominem attacks on me for asking the question won't work, since I do not care. I thought murder because of somebody's religious beliefs (no matter who perpetrates that act) was strictly the province of religious fanatics (as we have witnessed so many times before). You learn something new every day.

An agnostic

Ms Lizzybits, I do not inted to take this question away. It is indeed a very simple question. I was dismayed at the round of hurrahs from atheists I saw while the same people would ridicule believers for murdering people in the name of god... I guess if you murder in the name of NO god it makes it acceptable.

CHANGE "It would be acceptable to me if god "called home" every last one of them"
who is the every last one of them ? I am confused...

EDIT, EDIT, EDIT,

Mea maxima cilpa, here is the right link:

http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index;_ylt=AkmZoLvuGFtoTjuE8ycJjHDsy6IX;_ylv=3?qid=20071203024107AAiAdut&show=7#profile-info-Q8coTUJfaa

Can we start over ?

EDIT: CHANGE, do C R U S A D E S mean anything to you, no conversion at the point of the sword there, no ?

Answer 1

You know it's not ok. Even as a small child (before I ever knew anything about anything) I knew this kind of thing was wrong. One of the things that confuses me most about other people is how anyone could think killing or hurting someone solely on account of religious reasons is ok, no matter what religion or culture they come from - I cannot be the only one with that gut feeling inside, that voice, that tells me different..

Anyhow, you make a good point.

However, I read the post.and I think what the answerer's grandfather did was wrong and dangerous, but it looks to me as if you have made an assumption that the vicar was killed without trying to ascertain the facts (unless I missed something?) - I have fallen down stairs myself with nothing worse than bruises and loss of breath, and surely the answerer would have mentioned it if the vicar died as that is not exactly a small thing? - heck, he even described gutters, so why leave that out?. Also sounds more like this happened not because of religious differences per se but because the vicar said something unbelievably cruel at the worst possible time and made some very nasty (and very unchristian! especially for a vicar!!) judgments and assumptions. I must admit that when reading the post I was seized with an almost uncontrollable urge to slap this vicar up side the head (and possibly knock some sense in). Not that I would do that.

Oh, and thanks for the link about the national debt - I am so depressed now. Also, it is now clear to me why you are called Death From Above. How about posting something with cute, fluffy kittens being made much of next time? (and NOT eaten or anything).

Balloon buster, I would help fight the thugee cult if they were killing people - but not because they were worshipping Kali, but because they were killing people - i.e., for reasons beyond religious differences. In fact this goes back to DFA's point, because it would be the thugee's killing people solely for religious reasons (and other evil reasons) - which is wrong.

Answer 2

It's usually the killer's Religious beliefs, not the victim's that cause the killing. It used to be the province of Religious Fanatics and paranoid schizophrenics.

But, it's worked it's way into the mainstream of the 3 book religions. "Morality" has usually been little more than a set of excuses to do people bad. And now, thanks to TV preachers of all Religions around the world, it's the fastest growing justification for murder.

When beliefs become so extreme that they can be supported neither by Faith or Reason, violence becomes the Defense. But, for an increasing number of folks, violence has become an end in itself and the ascendancy of their Religion an end that only exists to justify the means they love so much.

But, to answer your question, no. It's not something I find acceptable. I just wish more Americans felt the same way.

Answer 3

It is never acceptable to kill. Period. Even worse, to kill in God's name. To overcome this belief in the Commandment, "Thou shall not kill", the Kings developed a clever tactic to change the people's belief system by instituting "The Divine Right of Kings" dogma in which people were made to believe that God speaks through the king, hence the king is able to overrule the commandment and set himself up as a demi god so that the people wouldn't feel guilty about slaughtering 35,000 people along with their livestock, too.

Answer 4

My dear friend the answer to that question scares me.
That is all I can say right now. I have no words for hatred.

EDIT: I am adding a quotation from the philosopher Emmanuel Levinas, just for you:
"The approach to the face is the most basic mode of responsibility. As such, the face of the other is verticality and uprightness; it spells a relation of rectitude. The face is not in front of me (en face de moi) but above me; it is the other before death, looking through and exposing death. Secondly, the face is the other who asks me not to let him die alone, as if to do so were to become an accomplice in his death. Thus the face says to me: you shall not kill."

Answer 5

Hi DFA You know I went to the link so don't you dare take this question away.

I was following the elections in 1992. I am not American as you know, but I had just finished a book about Ross Perot.
I was hoping he would get elected.
I was really really hoping.
Now what did you want to say in your question?

Mea maxima cilpa is right
Can you hear me now?

Answer 6

No it is not acceptable at all. No one has the right to do something like that. It surely won't be in the name of the all mighty. How ridiculous, I mean who ever does this is totally crazy...

Answer 7

If a Kali or Thug cult were operating in our neighborhood would you stop to argue over whether we were killing them for their religious beliefs or because of their actions? You would help me shut them down wouldn't you?
Its late and that's as far as my brain will work tonight. I'll consider this more in the morning.
edit: Thanks and a tip of the Hat to: Copper Cat; you said what I was trying to think of last night.

Answer 8

Every religion has it's psycopaths who bastardize the message of peace into something ugly and violent... Why people judge all by examples of a handfull of fanatics really escapes me...

Answer 9

Agnostic? A fecking fence sitter that can't even look superstition in the eye without blinking? You wuss! It would be acceptable to me if god "called home" every last one of them*, immediately.


*Wall-eyed religious fanatics bent on converting the world, at swordpoint, to their blinkered view of existence.

Answer 10

It is not acceptable to kill anyone, except The Graham