The way we discern things in a Catholic view is through an interior calling (conscience) but also it needs external validation. We have to seek and take seriously the counsels of the Church of her teachers (priests) and other informed Catholics. If after all of that, we believed God wanted us to kill someone, then yes. This goes beyond justified homicide in cases of defense or putting down aggressive violence towards others.
One of the interpretations of the Abraham scenario, according to Jewish thinking, is that Abraham did not argue enough with G-d against killing his son. His faithful obedience to G-d may have been admirable, but his willingness to do something which his conscience told him was very wrong was not so admirable. G-d may have been testing him in this way, as well as teaching him the danger involved in blind obedience without reason. It is also important that Abraham’s wife, Sarah, had no say regarding the killing of her son and was not even informed by her husband. This too was not admirable on Abraham’s part. In short, if G-d put Abraham to the test, Abraham did not pass.
Murderers find it easy to kill.
Reading the Old Testament story, I see no displeasure from God that Abraham was willing to obey Him. I see where God blesses Abraham specifically because he was willing to sacrifice Issac. For this interpretation you gave, do you get it from somewhere else in the Bible, or is it from some other source?
Thank you for this information from the Jewish perspective. I always appreciate when I learn about our fore bearers point of view.
James gives the common Christian belief on it. In chapter 2: 18 But someone may well say, “You have faith and I have works; show me your faith without the works, and I will show you my faith by my works.” 19 You believe that God is one. You do well; the demons also believe, and shudder. 20 But are you willing to recognize, you foolish fellow, that faith without works is useless? 21 **Was not Abraham our father justified by works when he offered up Isaac his son on the altar? 22 You see that faith was working with his works, and as a result of the works, faith was perfected; **23 and the Scripture was fulfilled which says, “And Abraham believed God, and it was reckoned to him as righteousness,” and he was called the friend of God. 24 You see that a man is justified by works and not by faith alone. (BTW for all our Sola Fide friends. This is the only place the Bible puts the words “faith” and “alone” next to each other. In case you were wondering).
To assume that an omniscient being would need to resort to “testing” is ridiculous.
Please don’t put words into his mouth. God doesn’t need to test anyone. However, for reasons that are best known to Him, He did it.
Thanks, I was actually wondering where the belief that God was not pleased that Abraham was willing to sacrifice Isaac comes from; the idea that Abraham actually failed the test God put to him.
Hardly.
God would not contradict Himself by giving us the commandment “Though shalt not kill” and then tell Abraham to kill his son. I see no reason that God would not “test” Abraham if it were meant for him to open his eyes in some manner. Peace.
