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NekoNecro
Guest
Hey
Right, well…I know this title might be a little inflammatory, but I really wasn’t sure how to name it. I’m looking more to gage reactions to the statement if anything to what (to me) was a very interesting, if macabre jump in logic given from a child in a non-Catholic bibleclass I was observing (for research purposes). I’d be very grateful to hear the Catholic response.
The topic begins on the premise of why in the Old Testament God appears to be so bloodthirsty, with demands ranging from human sacrifice (Judges 11:29-40) to the large number of orders for the slaying of men women and children (Exodus 11:5). It was an interesting question to watch them try to respond to, one they admittedly struggled with.
The best conclusion they reached, eventually having to be led to it by the tutor was that anything God does (including killing) is good, but the key reason for why it was good was that by killing them before they were capable of consciously sinning, they would be basically “fast tracked” to Heaven.
Then comes the problem. One girl then prompted the question “If that’s the case, isn’t the guy who kills babies is doing the kindest and most merciful thing a human can do? He’ll go to hell but he could send thousands of people to heaven, especially if he baptizes then kills them straight away”.
…Yeah, I know I certainly raised a brow hearing this from a 14 year old girl and the teacher didn’t really have any response. I decided then to step in and provide a rather more ambiguous “Ends never justify the means” response that seemed to placate her but…I have been mulling over the question myself, looking at a few different denominations perspectives.
If the goal of Catholics (or all Christians) is to not sin, isn’t letting children into the world to inevitably sin a terrible crime? However bizarre and twisted it seems, that would seem to be a reasonable conclusion within the framework of the nature of original sin.
Right, well…I know this title might be a little inflammatory, but I really wasn’t sure how to name it. I’m looking more to gage reactions to the statement if anything to what (to me) was a very interesting, if macabre jump in logic given from a child in a non-Catholic bibleclass I was observing (for research purposes). I’d be very grateful to hear the Catholic response.
The topic begins on the premise of why in the Old Testament God appears to be so bloodthirsty, with demands ranging from human sacrifice (Judges 11:29-40) to the large number of orders for the slaying of men women and children (Exodus 11:5). It was an interesting question to watch them try to respond to, one they admittedly struggled with.
The best conclusion they reached, eventually having to be led to it by the tutor was that anything God does (including killing) is good, but the key reason for why it was good was that by killing them before they were capable of consciously sinning, they would be basically “fast tracked” to Heaven.
Then comes the problem. One girl then prompted the question “If that’s the case, isn’t the guy who kills babies is doing the kindest and most merciful thing a human can do? He’ll go to hell but he could send thousands of people to heaven, especially if he baptizes then kills them straight away”.
…Yeah, I know I certainly raised a brow hearing this from a 14 year old girl and the teacher didn’t really have any response. I decided then to step in and provide a rather more ambiguous “Ends never justify the means” response that seemed to placate her but…I have been mulling over the question myself, looking at a few different denominations perspectives.
If the goal of Catholics (or all Christians) is to not sin, isn’t letting children into the world to inevitably sin a terrible crime? However bizarre and twisted it seems, that would seem to be a reasonable conclusion within the framework of the nature of original sin.