Is it simply a human convention?

It is wrong to want to end LIFE! It is right to want to protect it!

It is as you stated, human nature. Taking someone else's life away is wrong.:mad:

Startover22,

Why should the life of a person be considered more valuable than the life of an ape?

rankrank55,

You still need to explain why it is wrong to take life. The fact that most people believe it is wrong does not mean it must be wrong. The majority are not always right!

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Originally Posted by tonyrey

Startover22,

Why should the life of a person be considered more valuable than the life of an ape?

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:p

No one is better than the other. Killing except in selfdefense is morally wrong. You can't take someone's life simply for the killing. Because life is precious and no has the right to decide when someone has to die just because they want them too.

I don't think it is more valuable, a moswuito maybe. I guess it is all opinion and I would have to say my opinion has to do with rules of the heart. There is something inside us that tells us it is wrong. What is your opions I am wondering why this is even a question that you would ask?? I can't seem to answer this how you want me to. I really think it is inside us to know it is wrong!

startover22

I agree with you. Of course, but to base our conscience on feeling without bringing in reason seems unsatisfactory. The crunch comes when we have to decide, for example, if an unborn child has the same right to life as an adult.

Oh jeeze, I guess I should just get off this post ASAP cause I don't think I can get into a debate about babies (if they are or aren't) Being that I have no REASON to base my feeling on, you are right it is a crunch, I don't like it! It makes me feel uneasy. There I go feeling again. Sheesh!

Tony,
We can expand that to legalized death sentences, assassinations, dropping bombs on civilians, etc..

In the Bible it states "Thou shall not kill" . I honestly think that one that kills will go to hell eventually.

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Originally Posted by tonyrey

Is it simply a human convention?

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1. human rights... If that person doesn't want to be killed... by showing it in actions or words then it is wrong... if the one that is going to be killed say it is OK to kill them then I guess the one doing the killing has done nothing wrong... 2. " is it simply human convention" I don't understand this question. However I find this to be a rather strange question

I have to agree with the question. Not saying that I think killing people is right but realistically, what gives us that feeling in our hearts to think it is wrong.

Imagine, if you would, a world where killing someone was considered a way of worshiping your god. I know that is hard for many to imagine.. but say in another dimension a so-called Bible taught that the act of taking life was a good thing and was to be done on a semi-regular basis.

Those who protest this now would likely be the ones that advocate it there.

It is a very interesting way to consider right vs wrong. We all feel we know but that is only because we have been taught, or bred rather, to believe what is right or wrong. Those "feelings" in your heart are really only there because they have been ingrained in all of us.

This is so crazy to even think about. I am going to slow down and really put this into my own perspective. Like Karma said what about death sentences? Do these people really deserve to die? I have to say that in the past I though some of them did, I just don't know now? Or maybe they do but do we have the right to kill them? As for war and suicide bombers, I don't know, I just don't...

Species of animals kill each other all the time in nature and we see it as a perfectly normal instinctual thing. Look at what they will kill over...

A mate: This is how the dominant male prevails in many animal societies and is simply a way of life. In our world when a man kills for a woman, that man is jailed or even sentenced to death.

Territory: This is a normal way for animals to control what land is their land or to take over another packs land for their own gain. We do this as well but most of us will protest these wars.

If it was really such a sin, would the sinless creatures of the wild be created to act this way on a daily basis?

No, I don't see animals the same as I do with civilization. I mean we can make our rules known and they can't really make rules, you know what I mean? If they could then I am not sure it would be the same for them anymore, they would make rules on finding their own mate without killing (like we do)
The other side to it is we kill for land as well. It has always been.
We also used to carry guns and use them at will way back when. What about that? (maybe a cowboy movie takes it too far, but that is what popped into my head)

I had a teacher once who brought this subject up but with an even stranger twist on it. It goes hand in hand with some of the other posts above stating what makes us think we are the higher life. In the wild, animals kill each other to survive. They also kill other species to survive, we call it the food chain. So what if we didn't evolve and learn how to "hunt" so to speak in a more human manner. We have canned foods, chicken, beef, pork etc is all packaged for us and even killed as humanely as possible before it gets to the grocery store. What if we had to fend for ourselves and hunt food like our ancestors did or like some of the indian tribes still do. Then would we even be talking about whether taking another life is right or wrong? It would be a matter of surviving. Makes me feel like we take so much for granted.

Yes, and I would grow a huge a-- garden!

I don't necessarily think it is wrong to kill a person. Of course murder is wrong, taking someone's life like that, but I definitely think the killing of another is defendable sometimes. I don't think assisted suicide is wrong, if someone is in so much pain and are going to die sooner rather than later anyway, why should they be forced to live against their wishes? I am all for the death sentence in the right circumstances. If someone takes away someone else's human rights in that way, they deserve to lose their own. I have no sympathy for most cold blooded murderers. Same goes for child rapists and paedophiles in general. But that's just my opinion!