I met a person who said “I have the greatest respect for those who would die for their beliefs as opposed to kill for them.”
I’ve come to agree with that viewpoint myself.
Does anyone else agree with it, disagree?
Well…mostly. There are a few things worth killing for. World War Two pretty much had to happen. And even if it had been avoidable, once it started, killing was pretty much the only way to finish it.
Yes, by and large, toleration is superior to aggression.
But every now and then…
(Have I Godwinized the thread? Sorry!)
The belief in question is at least as important; someone who dies is in the name of a stupid or evil belief isn’t worthy of respect. “Don’t kill people” is the proper default state of human affairs, not something that automatically deserves admiration; and dying for an unworthy cause is at best stupid. I’d hardly admire someone who set themselves on fire to protest the end of segregation for example; and someone who refuses lifesaving medical care because they think God doesn’t like transfusions or whatever is an idiot.
Killing for and dying for your beliefs are rarely the only two options. I have the greatest respect for those who manage to do neither, I think.
Such decisions are too dependent on context for a broad rule of die for beliefs > kill for beliefs to apply. There are circumstances in which killing for a belief would be better than dying for one.
No, I agree completely.
The operative guideline is: as peaceably as possible, as forcibly as necessary. I prefer to go through my life being nice to others and hoping they will be nice to me. I believe that is the way to live.
However, if some bozo attacks me, I am most assuredly not willing to die for that belief. I am perfectly willing to respond to him with whatever level of force is indicated, including deadly force, in order to to be able to live for my belief.
Of the two choices I would tend to have greater respect for those would die for their beliefs because it is reasonable that one’s beliefs are sincere if one is willing to die for them. It takes no great sincerity of belief to kill another, or if there is, it is a very selfish belief. However, this is rarely an issue. There are far more distinguishing characteristics of those I respect than that.
I will add that the person in I am referring to believes in the existence of God. His view is that God is the only entity that should use capitol punishment. We as humans are relegated to all other means of defusing and or halting a situation. He did mention to me that if someone where to attack him or another in his presence he would attempt to stop the attack and that in the attempt if the attacker where to die he would not feel guilty. He would not feel guilty because he did not deliberately set out to kill the attacker it simply happened in the course of events.