L
LucyEm
Guest
Right back in Post #3 the real (underlying?) focus of the OP’s question was identified by 1ke when she referenced an axiom of Catholic Moral Theology stated by 1ke as “one may not do evil In the pursuit of good”, which was then challenged by BH, who proposed in the following terms that self defence can well involve doing evil (thus believing self-defence and the commandment are logically at odds):Anyway, backing away from these personal feuds and returning to the OP’s question…
BH:Killing the intruder in my house who wields a knife to my wife is evil if one believes “Thou shall not kill” refers to this grave matter.
Yet in self defence it may be done if circumstances demand it.
Of course, the difference is that murdering the baby is an evil (“evil” means moral evil unless qualified otherwise) which may not be done, whereas BH does no evil in defending his wife with the level of force needed, right up to (knowingly) using lethal force. But evil can/does arise if/when he chooses to go that step further than required, when the act is no longer one of defence. At that point, he may be guilty of contravening the 5th, but not before.
The thing the 5th forbids may not ever be done.