Killing One To Save Another

[lucky4075]

Ive read over this thread and I myself have a few comments since I am a lifeguard. One of the most important things they teach you is to ‘not create 2 victims’ by going after somebody. While working we are obligated to try and save people in need of help, but we aren’t required to do anything that puts our own lives in too much danger.

For example, if someone is drowning and I swim out to them Im going to yell at them to relax and grab my float, Im here to help them. If they grab on around my neck and force me down, I’ll do my best to escape ( yes were trained in how to do that). Ill keep trying to clm them down and grab the float but if they dont, yeah I’d probably just deck 'em and hopefully knock them out and drag them in. If that didn’t work (I hope i never had to do this), I would probably wait until they were just too tired from struggling and about to drown then grab them and drag them in. Its better to bring them back and maybe need to do cpr then to go fishing for a body later on. npatrol:

Everyone’s gift of life is from God, including yours. Im not really afraid to die, but I have a responsibility to cherish and live out the life God gave me. “You save the ones you can, and pray for the rest.”

 

[Debora123]

Let’s say that there was a situation where if one were to be killed or let die then another person would live. If not, then both would die. Would it still be considered a sin?
I saw a movie where two men were almost going to fall in an elevator shaft and the top man had to kick the bottom man off of him so they would not both be killed by the elevator.

Thank you

There are pregnancy situations that are like this - either both baby and mother die, or baby must be aborted for mom to live.

The church says that even in this case, abortion would be wrong - so there’s your answer.

 

[dailey]

On the flip side, it is a sin as well to purposely put yourself in a situation where you know the outcome is going to be death. We have reponsibilities to our families as well. If you jump in a lake to save someone if you know that you cannot swim, what good will it do you, the drowning person or your family?

I remember discussing this in the catholic school I attended…

 

[RedDuke50]

Thank you for the answers. So, it would be a sin to let the other die to save yourself, correct?

 

[Whitacre_Girl]

Thank you for the answers. So, it would be a sin to let the other die to save yourself, correct?

Not really. It’s only a sin to purposefully kill someone to save your own life. This is, of course, a broad answer since every individual situation is different. You have to do everything you reasonably can to save another - but if there is no chance of saving them and a chance to save yourself it’s better to do that. Your life is still human life that you need to protect.

To take it to a pregnancy as another posters has done - there is nothing sinful about removing a child from the mother to try to save the mother. I posted another thread on this issue. You cannot deliberately kill the child by an abortion. You can - however - remove the child from the mother and hope and do all you can to preserve its life in order to save the mother’s life.

It honestly all comes down to intent. You need to do all you possibly can to save both lives, and if you can’t, you need to save at least one rather than let both die. You can’t intentionally kill one person to save another. Meet these requirements and I don’t think God can fault you. However, you also have to choose something you can live with. You ultimately have to live with your own personal conviction and consequences of your action.

 

[fred_conty]

Let’s say that there was a situation where if one were to be killed or let die then another person would live. If not, then both would die. Would it still be considered a sin?
I saw a movie where two men were almost going to fall in an elevator shaft and the top man had to kick the bottom man off of him so they would not both be killed by the elevator.

Thank you

No. He had no intention of killing but only to save a life.

 

[sw85]

Let’s say that there was a situation where if one were to be killed or let die then another person would live. If not, then both would die. Would it still be considered a sin?
I saw a movie where two men were almost going to fall in an elevator shaft and the top man had to kick the bottom man off of him so they would not both be killed by the elevator.

Thank you

If that person is acting in a way that, by will or negligence, is going to kill you, then yes, I think you have the right to act in self-defense.

If you’re talking about pushing a fat man in front of a car so that the car won’t hit a bunch of kids a little further down the street, then no, that’s a sin.