Would saving a stranger's life at the expense of your own be virtuous?

[Luke_K]

Let’s say you are walking down the street in the bad part of downtown and see what looks like a drug deal going bad. Person 1 pulls out a gun, and you manage to run in front of person 2 before the gunshot, absorbing the bullet and saving his life at the expense of your own. Should this be considered a heroic act? After all, your life is worth just as much as the person you saved. One person was going to die either way, and why not the person who was less innocent (person 2 who was involved in the drug deal)?

I only present this question as an ethical dilemma in its own right. I don’t intend any relation with Jesus’ sacrifice.

 

[wjp984]

In the situation you describe, the guy has intended to kill person 2 and will still do so even after you take the bullet. So all you will be doing is sacrificing your life for a useless cause.

Although the intent may be noble, I do not think it is a good idea in the situation you decribe.

 

[jpjd]

Anytime and everytime someone gives their life for the life of another, it is a heroic act!!!

It happens more often than one would think, that someone saves a stranger’s life at the expense of their own. On top of that, consider that cops and fire fighters and the people in our military are prepared to do that as their *job. *The fact that the person they save may be “less innocent” is not part of the equation.

The Church teaches that ALL life is sacred. That is why we don’t believe in the death penalty, euthanasia, abortion, etc. People who try to save someone’s life do so because a person’s life is of utmost value. If they lose their own life in the process, that is heroic, a true hero’s act.

If you yourself are not prepared to give your life for another, I don’t begrudge you that, because most people probably are not. And that’s all the more reason why we should recognize the ultimate sacrifice for what it is, a hero’s act, when someone does give their life for another, ESPECIALLY when that other person is “less innocent”.

Jesus set the bar on that.

 

[valentino]

lukek:You knew the person was going to be shot.You jumped in front knowing you would be shot.Makes no sense.Were you trying to be a marytr?If you are to be a martyr let God decide how He accomplishes it.Yes your life is just as presious(maybe more so)to God than His.Martyrs dont go out of their way to do God’s will.If say Fr.Damien knew he would get leprosy I dont think he would have went.On the other hand he knew there was a possibility(maybe a good possibility)that he would contract leprosy.He went because he saw the great need and chose to let God decide if he should contract leprosy.He never cut his thumb and then touch the open wound o f a leper.

 

[Luke_K]

The Church teaches that ALL life is sacred. That is why we don’t believe in the death penalty, euthanasia, abortion, etc. People who try to save someone’s life do so because a person’s life is of utmost value.

Right, your own life is sacred too, which is what I am getting at. If a person’s life is going to be lost either way, it doesn’t seem like a better choice to sacrifice your own rather than just letting the other person die.

 

[Edward_H]

Jesus gave us the perfect example of every human virtue.

He could have saved his life, but he died for you and for me.

 

[John21652]

Anytime and everytime someone gives their life for the life of another, it is a heroic act!!!

No it isn’t. Giving your life may be reckless, irresponsible and tantamount to suicide.

It happens more often than one would think, that someone saves a stranger’s life at the expense of their own. On top of that, consider that cops and fire fighters and the people in our military are prepared to do that as their *job. *The fact that the person they save may be “less innocent” is not part of the equation.

These classes of people are trained in what they do. That training lessens the risk.

The Church teaches that ALL life is sacred. That is why we don’t believe in the death penalty, euthanasia, abortion, etc. People who try to save someone’s life do so because a person’s life is of utmost value. If they lose their own life in the process, that is heroic, a true hero’s act.

The Church does not teach that all life is sacred all the time. If that were the case, self defence would be a sin. If someone tries to save the life of qnother it is indeed heroic, but if they neddlessly and recklessly give their own life, it may be irresponsible.

If you yourself are not prepared to give your life for another, I don’t begrudge you that, because most people probably are not. And that’s all the more reason why we should recognize the ultimate sacrifice for what it is, a hero’s act, when someone does give their life for another, ESPECIALLY when that other person is “less innocent”.

I would suggest that most people would attempt to save another.Even if that attempt extends no further than calling for help. If someone accidentally dies attempting to save another it is indeed tragic and they may well be heroic, but not if they recklessly squandered their own life.

The reason I say this is because the Christian Ethic recognises that we have responsibilities to others. Those ‘others’ should not be put at risk needlessly and recklessly.

In the scenario given by the OP, our ‘hero’ should have attempted to deflect the gun, rather than take the bullet. More sensible and less reckless. We should place a very high value on our own lives out of respect for the responsibilities we have to others. To do otherwise is Utilitarian.

Jesus set the bar on that.

Well, He was the Saviour of mankind.
We aren’t.

 

[Lost_Sheep]

Suppose you sacrificed your own life in the hope that it would give Person #2 an extra second or two to try and get away?

 

[jpjd]

Just a couple of points I want to make here.

Point 1:
There is a crucial difference between the OP’s scenario and typical rescue situations. To simply jump in front of a bullet just exchanges one life for another. The point of a rescue is to save the endangered life while keeping the rescuer alive. The only situation I can think of where a person would be willing to exchange their life for another’s would be if the rescuer values the endangered person’s life more than their own, as in the case of a mother saving her child. That is truly heroic and who are we to devalue such a selfless act.

Point 2:

The Church does not teach that all life is sacred all the time. If that were the case, self defence would be a sin.

Not true. Life is ALWAYS sacred, however, there are certain circumstances in which our culpability in committing a sin is lessened, such as in killing in self-defense.

Point 3:

Well, He was the Saviour of mankind.
We aren’t.

We can certainly try to live up to His selfless example. St. Maximillian Kolbe did just that in exchanging his life for someone he didn’t even know.

 

[Joel_PF]

Yes, it would be virtuous. Provided it was done from a virtuous motive, that is, love for the other human being.

By charity we are led to love all humans, even strangers (even enemies), as we see in them the image of God. In a way, we are friends of all men.

However, there are a lot of considerations which may detract from the nobility of such an act. Will jumping in front of the shooter probably save the life of the intended victim, or will it just delay the event by some seconds, adding a second unnecessary death?

Is there good you can do in the world and which you will be prevented from doing? For instance, if you have a family, it is not a good idea to give up your life so easily, as they depend on you, and your bond with them is much stronger than with the stranger. If you have a noble calling, are working on an important project, the same applies.

I understand risking one’s life out of the blue to save someone else; but giving it for certain should require much more thought and consideration.

In the end, as with most exchanges of important values, there is a trade-off about which only the agent can decide and evaluate; sometimes giving one’s life would be rash; other times, not giving it would be cowardly. There is an element of undecidability that can only be settled by one’s prudence actually concerned with the action.

 

[BBgun45]

Last summer God placed me in such a position.

I woke to the sound of gunshots on the street infront of my apartment building. I called 911 and reported it and then proceeded to go down to the building entrance to talk with them after the patrol cars pulled up.

While waiting for them to come to the door a young man living in a basement level apartment asked me what was happening. I told him about the gunshots and he said to me with a smile on his face “yeah, that was me!” He then asked me if I wanted to see the gun. My head said no, but my mouth said yes. If I could secure the gun we could save some lives police and others. At this point everything I did came because of my trust in God.

I went down to the apartment and there the gun lay on the sofa. I asked him to stay away from it and he did after he showed that it was unloaded. That demonstration had me wondering if i was going to live right there. For 15 minutes we talked about giving himself up. I prayed for him and told him about the prison ministry I worked with and I would not abandon him.

I thought I had him convinced and then he said he wanted to call his girlfriend and mother and tell them he was going to be heading to the jail. I was stupid enough to say go ahead. Both told him to run. He explained that there was this guy in his apartment (me) who knew it was him and that he better give himself up.

Then he got a strange look on his face and he handed the phone to me saying his mother wanted to talk to me. He went to the door, locked it and picked up a baseball bat. I asked him what he was doing and he replied “if I kill you know one will know i shot the house”. I kept on talking and silent praying; Lord this is beyond me but i am at your service and will accept what you will have happen to me.

I opened myself to him, arms out to my sides and said “Go ahead and kill me, I know where i am going. To Heaven and I am looking forward to it. Tonight or next week, doesn’t matter to me.” His face changed back, he put the bat on the floor and kicked it away and opened the door. “Get out!”

Was he serious about killing me? He was so twitchy he must have been high on meth. Not a good thing for the decision making process. Later he started shooting at police officers. I think I looked my killer in the eyes until he lost the demon in him when i invoked the Lord.

Is this placing my life in the way to save others? Yes I do believe it does. Will I do it again? Yes definitely. I fear pain, but no longer death and if in dying i save others all is good.

 

[PLeeD]

John 15:13 - No one has greater love than this, that someone would lay down his life for his friends.