Dying to save another

[RandomAlias]

Then I would probably hope that whoever was incharge would gather up even more fighter planes to go in for round 2 but not ending your own life

You are changing the scenario to allow some wiggle room. Let’s change it back: The bomber is 2 minutes from New York City and the fighter pilot knows that no other defense is possible.

And think about the principle of double effect.

Double effect is where you intend to accomplish one effect which is tied to another effect which you do not intend but rather accept.

 

[ModernCatholic]

In that case I’m not sure if I agree 100%. I mean that’s literally what St. Maximilian Kolbe did–and I am sure he isn’t in mortal sin.

 

[MonteRCMS]

Saw this applied on 9/11/2001.

Many people … at the WTC and on Flight 93 … gave up their lives to save others.

 

[MonteRCMS]

You are changing the scenario to allow some wiggle room. Let’s change it back: The bomber is 2 minutes from New York City and the fighter pilot knows that no other defense is possible.

On 9/11/2001, some fighters flew intercept missions with unloaded guns … ramming would have been their only outcome.

Kamikaze: F-16 pilots planned to ram Flight 93

When the pilots of the D.C. Air National Guard got the order to intercept Flight 93, the hijacked jet that was speeding toward the nation's capital, they figured there was a decent chance they would not come back alive.

www.nbcnews.com

 

[joseie]

Wrong.
Do you mean that if those people had somehow survived,the others would have lost life?

 

[RandomAlias]

Do you mean that if those people had somehow survived,the others would have lost life?

Firefighters in the towers lost their lives as they saved the lives of others. The firefighters could have stayed on the street below and lived.

In the case of the Flight 93 passengers, the life and death issues are/were not as easy to weigh. By fighting the hijackers, the passengers shortened their lifespan, but only by minutes. Did they think that outcome was likely, or did they expect to take control and land the aircraft? If the passengers had done nothing, would those F-16 pilots have brought the plane down? Had the flight reached Washington D.C., the death toll would probably have been higher.

 

[joseie]

The hypothetical question was about a situation where you willingly offer to die.So your condition (death was not intended etc) is irrelevant.

 

[MonteRCMS]

Wrong.

Do you mean that if those people had somehow survived,the others would have lost life?

In some cases, if they had gone home instead of going back into the building to try to help, then others would have died. Instead they took a major risk and some of those helping died. In some cases, people were saved.

Flight 93 was hijacked and was headed for Washington DC to crash into a major building such as the Capitol Building. The passengers on Flight 93 knew something incredibly bad was going to happen and took action to try to avert the total disaster; if they were optimally successful in overpowering the hijackers , maybe they would land safely at an airport someplace else. But nobody knew what might happen.

 

[April29]

I think the best way to get a good answer is to start a thread about this. I think this your messages will get more attention. Also, I can’t give you advice here because I have the same problem. The other day there was this bug that my sister-in-law told me was poisonous on our deck. It wouldn’t die with the stuff she sprayed on it and asked me to hand her something to kill it with. I grabbed the first thing I could grab which was a pair of scissors. I feel horrible because the thing died stabbed to death. Why didn’t I just grab a shoe?

 

[tweedlealice]

Sweetheart
I didn’t need a thread. I had that thread up. I was stressed and the thread had death in it, I was grossed out. I have trouble typing the word R-t…
It’s OK. Thanks for sharing. I got brave enough to take dead critter out of filter. SIGH
IN Christ’s love
Tweedlealice

 

[MonteRCMS]

Worth keeping the thread open.

 

[mythbuster1]

Traditionally, the distinction between heroism and suicide has been the invisibility test: If you were miraculously made invincible, would your purpose be thwarted? If so, it is suicide, but if not, it is an act of heroism.

 

[mythbuster1]

Add another layer to this: if you flee, you will be shot for desertion in the face of the enemy. At the very least, you have to bluff that you have weapons to engage with, and thereby try to make the bomber take defensive action instead of proceeding directly to the target.