Ten Commandments - You Shall Not Murder - Essay Example

The Ten Commandments: You shall not kill/murder Undeniably, the more an individual devotes oneself in knowing what Goddemands of him or her through His word manages to find the long desperately and currently sought focus in life by many people. I am a witness of this based on my experience through studying and trying to live as per what The God’s commandments dictate, hence significantly impacting my life. There earlier, before carefully studying what exactly these commandments meant including their varied perspectives I held onto their literal meanings. For instance, “You shall Not Kill” where I deemed it plainly meant physically terminating one’s existence with the aid of a gadget or any other human part like a hand. However, it includes even pulling down an individual’s reputation or dignity with the use of words, which we ought to avoid. To date, I have learnt much in regards to what God demands through these commandments, which in comparison with other creeds like Hindu or Islam seem to imply a similar connotation though with varying implications. Since almost each in its application as well as observance by different creeds’ adherents normally intend to ensure harmony among humans as vehemently necessitated by God. In addition, through the Ten Commandments have also come to know how to live harmoniously with each individual I encounter irrespective of his or her creed’s convictions. Since, I am capable of treating them as necessitated without seeming to lower their dignity or hurting their inner persons with words, which the Fifth commandment forbids. In my quest to gather adequate and tangible information in regards to this commandment, I sought its deep perspectives from three interviewees one being a Catholic priest. The other two included a friend and a person who during his teen was convicted of exterminating a relative but the court acquitted him on the grounds there was inadequate convincing evidence. To conduct the first interview, I headed to Wellington in order to meet a Marist priest from Society Of Mary. Besides these congregants living in the person of Jesus’ mother, their core role encompasses extending their mission to educating the youths who in turn will embrace the same despite being lay people. Though I was not lucky to meet their leader, I managed to interview one of the congregation’s senior cleric in charge of catechism. According to Fr. John, killing besides encompassing physical extermination of one’s life, it is also constitutes using words to hurt one’s reputation. Mainly, this is malicious slander with the intention of tarnishing one’s reputation, which according to Catholic catechism one ought to be extremely careful. In regards to treating the other person as necessitated, the priest whom I named call Fr. John (due to confidentiality) based his argument on Apostle Paul’s plea in Phil 4:8. Paul in this verse pleads with Christians to lift up their thoughts to higher calling by thinking whatever is praiseworthy and will not do any harm to the Body of Christ, which is the church. Therefore, people besides avoiding any bodily harm that will result to loss of a life, they ought to be careful in whatever comes from their mouths. This especially through gossiping, rumors and bad publicity, which each person ought not to involve oneself if he or she intends to ensure a health relationship with other people. I also inquired from my friend who is a lady (whom I will give the name Olivia) concerning this commandment. Contrary to the priest who contended slandering, gossiping and bad publicity together with physical extermination of one’s life constitute killing, she strongly claims the latter. In arguing that killing encompasses solely physical killing, Olivia refers to the first assassination in the Bible executed by Cain. Though not a strong Christian but she normally goes to church occasionally contends killing has no other variations or perspectives. Therefore, gossiping or slandering are just mere actions of life whose penalties cannot be equated to those of physically killing an individual. Olivia revealed to me that for long up to date normally goes on with gossiping, slandering and bad publicity especially when wronged by one of her friends to avenge herself. In addition, these perspectives cited by Catholic Church as being equal to killing constitute women’s habits which are inherent in them and cannot desist from doing them. Since, they were created with them and by contending they are the same as killing each person including me I should be in jail if not hanged for the same. However, Olivia tries her best but in vain to stop gossiping, slandering as well as bad publicity because she uses them as tools to avenge herself for whatever friends mistakenly or intentionally do to her. The third person whom I interviewed confessed to me that even to date he stills struggles with the guilt of having killed a relative. This is despite the court having acquitted him and his family members forgave because he did it when he was a child and naïve in terms of handling a gun. According to him, the incident ensued while playing with gun, which he took misplaced by his father and naively shot own cousin as they imitated what they used to see in movies. According to Dylan (not his real name), his conviction in regards to this commandment encompasses physically killing another individual. Since, he contends has never heard somebody even in the bible ever exterminated another person through words. He also refers to conventional stand by numerous global constitutions whereby the variants claimed by people like Fr. John only fall under tarnishing one’s reputation. Consequently, he terms those other variants constitute Fanatism currently characterizing numerous Christian churches due to over spiritualization of just mere factors that do not entail that heightened status. Studies so far conducted contend how the act of exterminating one’s life eventually ends up adversely affecting the executioner. This is quite evident with soldiers who despite allowed to kill in their quest to eliminate “An enemy” after their respective missions majority suffer from PSTD (Brangham). Killing whether to punish or eliminate a misfit in the society usually violates the fifth statute whereby whose consequences are severe. These including affecting one emotionally especially soldiers besides one feeling guilty because of what he or she exterminated is not merely an animal but a fellow human (Brangham). Other consequences that face executioners include incarceration of the accused, which is a common penalty instituted by numerous global constitutions. Imprisonment in this case normally varies with the weight of the acts whereby some culprits usually under the same extermination, which they subjected their victims. Contrary to what fifth commandment forbid, some people more so soldiers and their tutors contend executing those deserving to die is not a wrongdoing (“BBC News”). Since, based on their conducts confirm they deserve to die for they are social misfits. Social misfits in this case refer to those who continuously subject innocent citizens to inhuman sufferings while in their quest to wield power. This is quite evident especially in the Middle East where US deployed their soldiers and deem their war is just for there are no other alternatives meant to resolve the then prevailing war. According to numerous arguments especially by militants, their role is to exterminate any person who has defied complying with the already set authorities meant to ensure order in their respective blocs. Another argument in regard to the violating the fifth statute encompasses ascertaining whether abortion is wrong whereby to date numerous people have taken sides in defending their conviction (Brettsalkeld). Those supporting it contend is a right, which is contrary to Catholic that assert is a sin whereby the discretion of one’s survival ought to belong to God and not a medical expert or a parent(s). Work Cited “The images used to teach soldiers to kill.” BBC News. 2nd January 2015. Web. 2nd June 2015. Brangham, William. Study suggests soldiers’ guilt is large driver of PTSD cases. The Daily Need. 1st December 2011. Web. 2nd June 2015. Brettsalkeld. Is Abortion a Violation of the 5th or the 6th Commandment? Vox Nova. 10Th February 2011. Web. 2nd June 2015. Read More