If someone kidnapped your child

[Poseidon]

I hate to be all lateral-thinkery, but if someone is evil enough to kidnap your child and force you to take some diabolical pill, why would you trust them enough to believe they will release your child after you take the pill?

As a rule of thumb, if a bad person tells you to do one thing, it is only because it will help them achieve their aims. Do the opposite instead. Although it might put your child at risk, they will still have a better chance of survival if you contact the authorities than relying solely on the tender mercies of a kidnapper.

If a rapist grabs you from behind and tells you not to scream, it is because he knows that you screaming is the worst thing that could happen to foil his plans. Scream as loud and as long as you can. Hit and grab and crush anything you can reach, then run.

If he shoots you, you still are better off relying on the skills of the ER doctors than you are hoping the bad guy will take pity on you and not kill you after he rapes you. It is better to resist early rather than later.

In this scenario, I would contact the FBI. Better to put one’s faith in the good guys doing what they do best than trust the bad guys to do what they say they will do.

Alright, legitimate points, but that’s not the purpose of this scenario. The scenario is basically asking whether you value your faith or your hypothetical child more.

 

[someperson555]

that depends on a couple of factors.

1. is my child a catholic?
2. if i would take the pill would i still have all my moral principles and convictions?

because if its yes to number one and no to number two, i wouldnt take the pill.
but if its yes to number two then i would take the pill.

 

[Newbie2]

Can I vote to go all “Liam Neeson” on them?

“I don’t know who you are. I don’t know what you want… If you let my (child) go now, that’ll be the end of it…But if you don’t, I will look for you, I will find you, and I will kill you.”

Well, if you’re at Liam Neeson’s level of BA-ery then you certainly can . Could you teach me some of your skills by any chance?

How about a more realistic scenario: Bad guy has you and your kid. (Assume he is a trustworthy bad guy) He says he is going to kill you no matter what, but he will let your kid go if you renounce your Christian faith.

Would you do it?

 

[Marc_Anthony]

Sacrificing ones faith to save a child flies in the face of everything that Jesus taught. Arizona Mike had a point - by taking the pill, you’d be putting more faith in the hands of a terrorist than in our Lord.

Right, I agree. What I’m saying is that in all honesty I don’t think I’d be able to bear letting my child die.

SHOULD I take the pill? No.

WOULD I take the pill? Probably.

I have to be honest with myself.

 

[runningdude]

Right, I agree. What I’m saying is that in all honesty I don’t think I’d be able to bear letting my child die.

SHOULD I take the pill? No.

WOULD I take the pill? Probably.

I have to be honest with myself.

The only logical purpose for such an otherwise silly thought experiment would be to realize that in such a horrible, lose-lose situation, that you would have to put your faith before your child. Resolve now what you’d do in an impossible situation.

This does not mean loving your children less, but loving your God more.

 

[Marc_Anthony]

The only logical purpose for such an otherwise silly thought experiment would be to realize that in such a horrible, lose-lose situation, that you would have to put your faith before your child. Resolve now what you’d do in an impossible situation.

This does not mean loving your children less, but loving your God more.

Of course. I know that. I’m not sure if I could actually do it if it came down to this hypothetical.