Hypothetical Dilemma: 7 Billion People will die if you don't shoot the baby in the head and eat its Bodily-Remains

[John21652]

The aliens gave up and left.

 

[Robertanthony]

This is the most extreme hypothetical scenario to legitimize moral relativism. Even if you poll the entire humankind and it turns out only 10% think transubtantiation is real, the opinion of the remaining 90% is worthless. I hate when philosophy is used to waste time and words on absurdity.

No I won’t shoot the baby but will pray for my enemies, namely I will ask God to kindly strike them down and make them history.

 

[nkbeth]

Cardinal Newman wrote:

The Church holds it better for sun and moon to drop from Heaven, for the earth to fail, and for all the many millions on it to die of starvation in the most extreme agony… than that one soul… should commit one single venial sin, should tell one willful untruth or should steal one poor farthing…

 

[SaintPatrick333]

At one point do these aliens make contact? Surely they must communicate in some way we can understand for your hypothetical situation to have solid ground? If they did, I imagine they would speak through Keanu Reeves. If that were the case I’d happily sacrifice all of humanity (myself included) to save that child, without a second thought (sorry folks). I’d trust God to sort it out.

 

[Serious]

Cardinal Newman wrote:

The Church holds it better for sun and moon to drop from Heaven, for the earth to fail, and for all the many millions on it to die of starvation in the most extreme agony… than that one soul… should commit one single venial sin, should tell one willful untruth or should steal one poor farthing…

Is that right? Is this the actual, official teaching of the Church? Or simply a personal opinion? Please tell me that it is just the delusion of one individual.

 

[lauraabarlow]

Actually, here’s what you do:

Baptize the child and explain that in Baptism, the child dies with Christ.
[BIBLEDRB]Romans 6:4[/BIBLEDRB]

Give the child first Communion (hopefully, this is in an Eastern Rite where it is licit) and explain that by swallowing the Body and Blood of Christ, Christ consumes the child.
[BIBLEDRB]John 6:57[/BIBLEDRB]

I like that! My vote: not harm the child-the aliens are out to destroy us, and let them do as they may-we must never give in by doing evil-this life is nothing but a short journey-we must do our best to live a holy life, no matter what the circumstances. By giving in to the alien’s demands, there is no guarantee that they wouldn’t still destroy us-this is starting to remind me a little of the '80s series, V or visitors-and I don’t like aliens either

 

[AnglicanForMary]

At one point do these aliens make contact? Surely they must communicate in some way we can understand for your hypothetical situation to have solid ground? If they did, I imagine they would speak through Keanu Reeves. If that were the case I’d happily sacrifice all of humanity (myself included) to save that child, without a second thought (sorry folks). I’d trust God to sort it out.

I’m not sure it matters to the OP’s question to ask at what point in humanity’s history that the aliens make contact: the point is they have arrived, but he did indicate that contact was made in 2015.

Now, I’m going to go out on a limb here and make a few notes:

The OP’s scenario includes the following information;

It is evident that these beings transcend our meagre technological advancements, and that it would be certain the human race would be wiped out within a mere second if war was to ensue.

A child is born.

The aliens leaders demand that we shoot the child in the head and eat its bodily-remains, otherwise they will wipe out the 7 billion inhabitants of the planet earth,

The OP never specifies that it is a *human *child that born, just that it is a child. It could be an alien child, perhaps a non-sentient ‘child’ that is bred for foodstock and from the point of view of the alien race, refusing to shoot and eat this ‘child’ could be a refusal of their hospitality, Alternately, it could also be construed as a refusal to accept what passes for ‘religion’ among this alien race, the demand could result from a really messy misunderstanding of how human religious systems work. And nothing was mentioned about what sort of dialogue had been arranged.

Of course another question is, how likely is it that humanity will reach any sort of consensus about the fate of the child vs the fate of the earth, that we will achieve unity in face of our potential genocide, and how likely is it that rogue nations or individuals will take it upon themselves to either kill, or to save the child, resulting in a vast global war? And what response might the aliens take to this attempt to either kill or save the child?

Interestingly, it is not revealed how the aliens will “wipe out the 7 billion inhabitants of the earth”, the self-induced immolation of ourselves into global civil war thus keeping us planet-bound could be their entire plan.

 

[Sacred_Heart_1]

It is better to accept extinction than to commit an act of murder and cannibalism. I’m not afraid of death. People who are afraid of death are those who refuse eternal life.

 

[vera_dicere]

So… is that baby part of the 7 billion?

Regardless of what you do, seems the baby is going to die. So either be a baby killer, or be the killer of 7 billion + baby.

You know what I’d do? I’d ask for the gun, and then kill those mo’fo aliens! VIVA LA RESITIANCE!!!

 

[AnglicanForMary]

I have seen many hypothetical questions. Some are possible, some are probable, and some are impossible. This one is impossible and it only serves to create misconceptions about life and religions issues. It is like asking how many angels can
stand on the point of a pin. To me it is energy that could be directed to address more productive issues.

Just a thought.

But…but that’s a sensible question, isn’t it, for its asking something about the nature of Angels, for which I think there are properly two and only two answers. Either a) all of them, or b) none of them, since Angels are spiritual -not physical- beings they don’t take up space, therefore they could all be the head of the pin; since, however, they are not physical and don’t (normally) engage in physical activities, then they wouldn’t be dancing on the head on the pin…they’ll be dancing in the Holy of Holies.

 

[hazmat]

It is better to accept extinction than to commit an act of murder and cannibalism. I’m not afraid of death. People who are afraid of death are those who refuse eternal life.

if you work for eternal life (i.e., avoid death), how is that being unafraid of death?

 

[domandcarols]

I’m really disturbed that there are 5 people who voted kill the baby.

 

[Lochias]

if you work for eternal life (i.e., avoid death), how is that being unafraid of death?

Working for eternal life is not avoiding physical death. Why do you think it’s so?

 

[hazmat]

eternal life is never dying. im talking death in general. if you work toward never dying, its hard to claim you dont fear death. if anything, youre more afraid of death than someone who isnt trying to live forever.

 

[SweetVerda]

What if, instead of holding the gun in your hands, the aliens held the gun, and said that they would kill the child if you said “Rumpelstiltskin,” but if you said anything else or nothing at all they’d kill the child and everyone on Earth?

The child is going to die no matter what, and that is the aliens decision. The only thing you can decide is if you will let the rest of humanity die.

It isn’t an easy decision, and I don’t think that God would fault anyone for choosing either way.

This is like the railway problem, where you are at a junction and you see a group of five people standing in the middle of the train tracks without realizing that there is a train coming. You can pull a lever that will direct the train to another track, but there is one person standing on the tracks. (I don’t know why everyone felt like standing on train tracks today, maybe they are all staring at the UFO in the sky.) Do you pull the lever and kill a person, or wash your hands of the affair and condemn five people to death?

I think questions like this are futile because no one knows how they will react when a particular situation presents itself. Also, in real life there is imperfect knowledge, and it is most likely that the person will see the five people on the track and pull the lever before realizing that there is someone on the other track, or, with my luck, pull the lever without realizing that there are 20 school children lined up doing pushups on the other track (presumably training to fight the alien invaders.)

It is sufficient to say that the ends do not justify the means, and that everyone must strive to do good. Everything else is impractical, and will just serve to tear people apart.

 

[Art321]

You know what I’d do? I’d ask for the gun, and then kill those mo’fo aliens! VIVA LA RESITIANCE!!!

Oh yeah!

 

[nuntym]

[edited]

goodbye

And yes, I have voted: the baby must not be killed. Seriously, why should anyone even consider anything other than that?!

 

[Charlemagne_II]

**The aliens leaders demand that we shoot the child in the head and eat its bodily-remains, otherwise they will wipe out the 7 billion inhabitants of the planet earth, putting an end to our miserable race. **

This scenario is simply impossible, and therefore there is no need to address it.

I will address it anyway.

Any aliens who could reach this planet would not be insane. The proposition you make them offer is an insane proposition. If they really had the capacity and the will to destroy our planet, they would do so without placing such a bizarre choice before every member of the human race.

On the other hand, if they are not insane and the proposition is really fake, and they are testing our character, we should rise to the test by refusing to shoot the baby, as someone argued on the first page.

In which case they would be comfortable enough to settle among us and share with us everything they have learned … including their religion, which doubtless is Catholic!

 

[Ben_Quincy]

Post charitably to each other or infractions will be forthcoming.

Thank you.

 

[Charlemagne_II]

Ben

**Post charitably or infractions will be forthcoming. **

We have to be charitable to hypothetical non-existent aliens?