3 ms·
Well, it's a bit like this: 1. Is it justifiable to walk into a shop? 2. John Does walked into a shop and murdered all present. Was he justified in walking in
by tspiteri 16y ago
Well, it's a bit like this:
1. Is it justifiable to walk into a shop?
2. John Does walked into a shop and murdered all present. Was he justified in walking into the shop?
Answering yes to 1 and no to 2 is a contradiction in the same way. But, is it really valid to separate the action of walking into the shop with the murder of those present? Is it really valid to separate Sutcliffe's belief from his actions?
- cwp 16y agoTo answer your questions, yes and yes. It's clearly possible to walk into a shop without killing anyone, and the analogy to Sutcliffe holds: it's possible to believe that God wants you to rape and murder prostitutes, without actually doing it. Condoning rape and murder only comes into play if you also answer that God is the source of all morality. In that case, doing God's will is by definition moral, and if he wants you to rape and murder, well, you bite the bullet.
- waqf 16y agoThat question often bothers me in the following form: 1. Is it justifiable to speak freely? 2. John Doe announced that a crowded theatre was afire, and people died in a resulting stampede. Was he justified in speaking? Nobody ever addresses the separability issue you describe.