When is it OK to kill someone?

excellent question!

Good survey, except for the abortion question. "Not yet born" covers a lot of ground, from zygote to just-about-to-pop-out. Adding an option for "in the first trimester" would have helped.

It is never 'ok'. However, it might be understandable.

I would also like to add...

[x] It is OK to kill someone who is brain-dead (...that's not a "someone" anymore).

Almost all. :)

Its NEVER "OK" to to kill someone. It might be necessary, but never OK

Thou shalt not commit MURDER.This is what the Bible says. It says MURDER not KILL. I do believe in killing a person in self defense. Also, I do believe a person who commits a horrible murder should be put to death according to the LAW. I do not believe in retaliation killings. That to me is very undisciplined. If the law on earth does not take care of the penalty, the good Lord will take care of the perpetrator and give his/her their just dues.

Jesus/Jeanne: Sorry, just a joke!!

You said you don't believe in killing a person in self defense! What if a maniac is holding a gun to you head and is telling you that once his mate has ransacked your house, he is going to kill you. You secretly have a gun in your pocket and can take it out and shoot him!

What do you do(only 2 options..if you shot him and wound him, he'll get up and kill you): shoot him or get shot?

You must be confused, Wicksy.

Wicksy.. read her comment again.

I got these 4:
It's OK to kill someone who wants to die and is suffering (euthanasia).
It's OK to kill someone who is not yet born (...that's not a "someone" yet).
It's OK for a soldier to kill an enemy soldier (war).
It's OK to kill someone who is trying to kill you (self-defense).

Jeanne: doesn't the bible also say: Thou shalt not kill? That's what always amazes me about the religious people: they live with the bible in their hand, but also are in favor of the death penalty. That's like being a vegetarian butcher!

Oooops I read it wrong. Sorry Jeanne

if someone is pursuing me with malicious intent, i think it's ok to kill them in self-defense (IMHO)

vos: Couldn't have said it better myself.

Brian, vos - As I understand it, the commandment is "thou shalt not murder". The versions that say "kill" were mistranslated.

Soliders: no. acting as unthinking extensions of abstract entities.
While I doubt I'll ever be in the situation, there are several above (the interpersonal) for which i can imagine a change of mindset allowing my to justify killing. But if you _really_ wanted to get revenge or such, seems torture or inflicting enduring suffering makes more sense than out and out 'simple' death of the perp.

I feel we should try to help someone who does not want to live, obviously there is a emotional/mental state and I think we should open up the state mental institutions again and give severe mental cases help. For those that are ill and in pain I think we should make them comfortable and out of pain. I do not believe in hurting these people or any people. On the subject of abortion, I have a lot of mixed emotions. I do not believe a female should have to carry a child that is conceived from rape or incest. She should not have to carry a bad seed. I think if there should ever be an abortion it should be in the first trimester. I do not believe in late abortions. I think it is a shame that some women use abortion for birth control. I don't like to see women use abortion because it is "inconvenient" or whatever the excuse might be. I would hope people would start using restraint, abstinence so as to prevent unwanted pregnancies. Children should be taught abstinence until marriage. I know it is difficult today since we are being bombarded by movies, television, music giving the message to us and our young people that everything is okay when it is not. I have a lot of compassion for the young people today.

It's NEVER o.k., but sometimes necessary, i.e, self-defense, enemy soldiers, hunting and killing animals for food and sustenance.

i think that it is acceptable to kill some one in self defense...and if they commit a horrible crime.
to the Jeanne and wicksy---stop having debates on the commentarty

Killing someone is a serious crime but if someone hurt or killed someone I loved I would do my damnest to see that they payed.

Jeanne--Of course abortion is birth control!!! What other purpose could it ever serve? If you mean women who use no other method BUT abortion, then I agree with you, especially if they have done this is not their first one.

There is no good reason to kill someone especially an unborn person. how cruel can we get to take away the opportunity of life from someone who has never even tasted it yet. Who knows because of abortion we may have Killed the person who would have found the cure for Aids or some other miraculous event. how can anyone justify death. Even to the person who has committed murder. This person can change as long as he is Alive there is a chance for him. If he is dead he cannot ask God for forgiveness. And since god is the ultimate judge lets let him do the judging. If it is Gods will f to punish someone with Death he can do it. he gave us life he can take our life away from us. there is no thing that we can do unless he allows us to do it.

Vos i have bible in hand and i do not agree with the death penalty.

Since Mariah brought it up. Yes Abortion is used for birth control and if a woman who is having sex does not want a child she should keep her panties on and not have sex.Sex is for making babies what ever you may think.

The man should keep his pants on, too. Let's not force all the responsibility onto the woman just because she's the one who becomes pregnant. Especially since men tend to be the pushy ones about sex.

I'm not saying that women (and men) shouldn't be responsible for a baby they create. But if you look at the words BIRTH CONTROL, you can not deny that that is what abortion is regardless of the reason for getting one. Abortion is a way to CONTROL a BIRTH, to make it not happen. I was simply stating that abortion is birth control, unless you can give me another reason to get an abortion.

And it is completely unfair to say "If you don't want to get pregnant, don't have sex". It may the most foolproof method but it isn't very realistic. Sex is not JUST for making babies.

What does IMHO stand for?

anon: In My Humble Opinion

It's okay when the person is called MAGBAST.

It is never OK to kill someone, yourself or otherwise, but is also never OK to punish someone for harming themself in any way, regardless of the stupid laws in this country. I don't consider it OK for me to kill myself, but if I want to, I do not give anyone the right to stop me. I do not consider helping someone kill themself to be the act of killing them, and in the case of abortion, I consider it a terrible thing, but I do not claim the right to stop them from it, nor do I give any government the right to stop someone from killing in this way. Even in war it is not OK to kill someone. There are better and cleaner ways to win wars. Besides, we are involved with so many wars for simply political reasons, instead of defense only, which is the way our country was designed to work. Why don't we put any politicians who have any part in starting wars in jail? Oh, then we wouldn't have much of a government left. That would be good. Those politicians are murderers, yet are too afraid to fight themselves. I wish they would be put in prison.

dysko: I do not consider it OK for me to rob a bank, but if I want to, I do not give anyone the right to stop me.

Maiming is ok in self-defense or war, but otherwise, I don't think you should kill unless it is capital punishment.

On the third Tuesday of the six month of the even year after the election of the Pope, but not if the following year is a leap year in an even numbered century.

.....and your last name ends in Y....

To Jeanne and LuvMyGsu: Your comments are a refreshing change from the typical answers one sees at Survey Central. My opinion on this question does not mirror either of yours "exactly", but I admire your integrity.

god..it's official...your appearance is as nasty as your personality...i saw the picture (*snickers*)

It's always entertaining to hear the opinions of people who have no grasp on reality

Mariah - I agree. Sex is not just for making babies. But I would hope that a couple not prepared to have a child would use reliable birth control. My comment about men keeping their pants on was in response to LuvMyGsu saying that women should keep their panties on. I don't think it should be just up to the woman, whether we're talking about insisting on abstinence or birth control.

SueBee: I completely agree. At my high school last year, several girls got pregnant during the school year. People would always say, "I can't believe she got pregnant", as though she did it all by herself. I never heard one comment of "I can't believe he got her pregnant". Women are always expected to be in charge of the birth control. If they don't insist on it, then the blame is solely on them. This, IMHO, is part of what has been keeping women from the equallity they deserve.

Oh, and my response was to LuvMyGsu. I should have probably made that more clear, huh? Sorry to confuse :)

Mariah - I'm always confused...it's not you.

Mariah - I concur. They are discovering that the fathers in the case of high-school pregnancies are usually in their 20's. They should *definitely* know better.

I tend to be of the mindset that "Where there is life, there is hope," so the only truly moral killing in my mind is self-defense. Now I greatly distinguish between what is "morally good" and what the government should be allowed to prevent. I'm all for self-defense using whatever means are necessary. But, although I think suicide, abortion, and euthanasia are "bad things," I am dead-set against government getting it's greasy little fingers into the mess by prohibiting them.

Killing someone is as OK as it would be if someone
went to kill us. Defending one's life against
extermination by who disregards others' lives,
but tries to improve his own, eliminating theirs,
would be legitimate defence. Voluntarily protecting
one's own, and by such struggle downgrading (partially
or totally) a killer's life, would have to be accepted
as a lastimable contingency, by which a victimizer
ends up as his own victim.

I would not say "I will never kill anyone" and actually killing someone might be the decision I make in some unknown situation, but I do not think it is ever "right" to take a life.

I just can't judge this one. I abstain.

kill everyone APOCALYPSE

I think it is ok to kill anyone you want to. It is a lot of fun!

p.s. Jason Edwards is gay

O...K...

I think that you shouldnt kill someone except in rare cases. The choice obout killing someome who is not yet born is very wrong. Nomatter what anyone says, a baby is alive after 3 weeks in the mother's womb. It is innicent and should never be killed.

BKC: Actually, the baby, for the first three months is in a parsitic state, and can easily be removed. That's why I've always said if you're not going to do it in the first trimester, don't do it at all. If you don't want the baby that badly, put him/her up for adoption.

jen: I don't know about that. Seems wrong to me for some reason.

Oh, honey! We're going to have a parasite!

anonymous: That just wasn't funny.

Abortion is fine, but only if used correctly. No one should use it as a form of birth control. I think that it should be a learning experience for young girls. "You only get one sweetie. Get pregnant again, and your on your own." And late-term abortions should be banned. That's one of two things I agree with the Right Wing on (the other being castrating child molesters). It should be used in cases of incest and rape as well, and if there is a risk to both the child and the mother. And in no case should men get involved. It's our dicks that got them there in the first place. Let's not compound the problem. I'll say one more thing. The crime rate will drop greatly if the number of unwanted children drops first.

Brian - I have to take you to task on a few points. First, abortion, though there are cases when I wouldn't deny a woman the right to have one, is never fine. It's truly awful no matter the circumstances. I don't know where you're going with the "you only get one" thing so I'll leave that alone but I do agree with you about late-terms. However, concerning the castration of child molesters: it just doesn't work. You don't need a working penis, or in fact a penis at all, to molest a child. The VAST majority of molesters who have been chemically castrated and eventually re-admitted into society molested again. The only thing to do is prevent them from ever coming into contact with a child again; it's the only way.

ILJ: The "fine" was bad wording on my part. I apologize. I meant only one for YOUNG girls. Fact is, anyone who gets more than one, with few exceptions (multiple incest, etc.), probably needs help in learning how to keep their legs shut. I mean you'd think they'd figure it out! Good point about molesters. Perhaps a mandatory life sentence?

I think BKC needs to be deprogrammed.

In cases of the death penalty.

If a person is already brain dead, unplugging the machines is not really killing them. It is letting go of their body.

The death penalty doesn't work. Estimates say that 25% of people who have been executed had evidence to their innocence either found too late, or buried in the prosecutor's desk! Besides, look at all these people who want to get on death row! It is state sanctioned suicide, and suicide is illegal (in the U.S. anyway)! There are at least 75 people on death row right now who are innocent of the crime for which they were convicted. The death penalty flat doesn't work.

There is no fool proof way of taking care of criminals...Prison doesn't really work either. When released most would rather be back in prison, so they commit another crime to get them back in.

It is ok to kill someone in your dreams.

As a serious lover of true crime novels I feel entitled to answer this.............I dont not feel it is okay to just go out and kill a stranger such as many mass and serial killers do. I do not feel it is right to knock off a family member if you feel like it no matter what they have done or if they have a large life insurance policy, etc. I myself would never commit the act of murder unless for the following reasons. I do have compassion for such killers as Betty Broderick whose life was made hell and family was torn apart because of some little slut who was hitting on her hubby. She should definately be pardoned. If you want to read her story (there are 3 books in print) read the one written by Bella Stumbo titled "Til the Twelfth of Never" - excellent reading material! If somebody intentionally murdered my family members for any reason what-so-ever I definately believe in "eye for an eye". Also I would kill anyone who messed with any of my children; sexually or physical abusively. I also believe you should get the guts to kill somebody if they raped your mother or sister or wife or any other female that is blood or marriage related. If somebody was robbing me I would totally defend myself if I could and kill them anyway possible. These are only my opinions!!!!!! Also: I feel abortion is murder and if any of you are considering it contact me at my e-mail. A life is a life no matter if they are "only tissue" which is what so many people who are for abortion say. That "tissue" is a future human who should be allowed to be loved and held, and date and meet people and get a job and an education and be able to listen to music and read books and grow old to see their own happiness such as family, friends, children and grand-children. The only way those "tissues" should die is by a natural death after they have had a chance to live.

what if they raped your father or brother or husband?

by women?...oh, the stuff dreams are made of...

Obviously by that persons comments they would feel the same way about a father, brother or husband. It would certainly not take a genius to figure that out.

MsVent: Amen!

Sinatra: You seem really familiar... that's all I'm saying.

they: You're so right! After reading some of Sinatra's remarks I suddenly had a deja-vu: Miss 7 points from genius!!

It is okay to kill someone if they hire me as their lawyer - heehee!

When they piss me off.

Itīs okay to kill christians!

MsVent: How do you feel about this?

huh?

See!! MsVent and Sinatra are the same. I knew it.

huh? I was commenting on the last comment from they not phi.......I am for sure not a Ms. nor would I have it as a screen name because I am "macho man"......are you saying we have the same way of thinking? Not...she seems somewhat radical to me and she seems like she want to stir up crap.

I have almost no doubt that Sinatra and Ms. Vent are two different people. Compare the content of their respective comments. Very different, at least in my opinion.

Sinatra: Iīm sorry and I apologize for my hasty conclusions. Iīve noticed your comments are different from MsVentīs.

vos: no problem, i forgive you : -)

So I wonīt find a horses head in my bed tonight?!

maybe not a horses head but maybe some vermin/ rodent heads.....lol

I say we just shoot the living crap out of every fudging thing there is on earth. and fudge all the sissy comments all of you make.

An unborn baby is life. A girl may say, "It's MY body," but let's face it, who's the one getting killed? An unwanted baby should serve as a lesson for that girl, because of her carelessness, she now has a baby.

This is just like Death Note. KIRA is killing, but he's killing criminals, and so throughout the series, we have an internal conflict with ourselves because we do not know if he is right or wrong. And it's just as Near said, "You are just a murderer."