Murder/Assassination, and Other Considerations

 

You shall not murder. (Ex.20:13; Deut. 5:17) That was pretty clear, but perhaps in the mind of the first murderer, he had not yet been so instructed by God … Now Cain said to his brother Abel, “Let’s go out to the field”. While they were in the field, Cain attacked his brother Abel and killed him. (Genesis 4:8). (See image of 17^th Century masterpiece artwork Cain slaying Abel, by Peter Paul Rubens.) This episode just illustrates that sinners – even ones guilty of murder, which is one of, if not the most, grievous crimes in most civilized states, worthy of capital punishment – do not appreciate the gravity of their crimes until God confronts them with the penalty. See how Cain responded in the aftermath? Embrace ignorance, divert attention from oneself, try to get others to empathize with your way of thinking; or, muddy the issue – that’s how people, including 21^st Century inhabitants, approach their sin in this area. Not much has changed since Genesis, though in the last 50 years in America, the issue has become particularly charged. Abortion is a hot potato in American politics, with some believing it is murder, while others see it as women’s health care. Are there other considerations with regard to the Sixth Commandment?

 

To be blunt, abortion is intentionally terminating a pregnancy with premeditation – therefore murder, if the fetus is in fact alive. Rubel Shelly in his book Written in Stone: Ethics for the Heart, cites a statistic (p. 130) that according to Planned Parenthood, not more than 7 % of abortions are ‘hard cases’ – in which the mother’s life or health is at risk, the baby’s health is at risk, or a rape caused the pregnancy. Abortion statistics in the United States - Wikipedia (This link indicates something like 600K-900K abortions in 2019 in the U.S.) The question for God-believers, however, is how best to dissuade pregnant women from making the choice for abortion. Consider this: How many lives can one save by merely filling in an oval on a ballot? Is it certain what will happen in the political windstorms? The author of the U.S. Supreme Court decision in Roe v. Wade in 1973 was Harry Blackmun (Harry Blackmun), a Richard Nixon (Republican) appointee, who was expected to be a conservative adherent. So, surprises can happen. Why not choose a more certain path? CareNet, one faith-based counselling center, offers an alternative/additional way for voters to address moral outrage against abortion, and it estimates that over one million unborn babies have been saved since 2008…Care Net - A Pro-Abundant Life Ministry (care-net.org)).

 

So much more could be written on this subject – whole books, in fact – but consider another facet of the issue – another ‘A’-tion’ word. Adoption. Adoption statistics in the U.S. indicate that all of the number of aborted babies annually in U.S. could satisfy (many times over…3-4 times more) the demand among parents/families for adoptions (150K adoptions annually)…and that ‘The number of adults who would like to adopt a healthy infant or toddler significantly exceeds the number of infants available for adoption.’(footnote 10 of Wikipedia article, Adoption in the United States - Wikipedia)  Also, many thousands of adoptions in the U.S. annually are from international sources (which are also more expensive, reportedly), indicating the U.S. could easily supply and replace these international adoptions each year if women chose to give up babies for adoption vs. practicing abortion. And, what about China’s recent move to prohibit adoptions of Chinese babies to other nations? (see article here re: this --Hundreds of families in limbo after China ends overseas adoptions : NPR) This makes the adoption vs. abortion choice still more relevant in America. The choice for women to go the adoption route still would not be as easy as substituting ‘dop’ for ‘bor’ in the operative word…see some discussion here -- Comments renew debate over adoption as abortion alternative | PBS News.

 

In conclusion, two other things surrounding the 6^th Commandment, particularly in our political world, should be raised, spawning several questions. First, do Jesus’ words in the Sermon on the Mount (Matt. 5:21-26) matter, or is the murder issue confined to an Old Testament-Mosaic Law interpretation? Jesus’ words broaden the interpretation of murder, so that a person is prohibited from verbally condemning another person because of anger, rage, or malice. (Shelly, p. 122). How many candidates running for office are guilty of this when they falsely – and this is key, the information is false, meaning slanderous -- characterize an opponent in order to instill fear/revulsion of said person among voters, thus trying to assassinate a person’s character? Secondly, should anyone be immune from justice, just because of one’s position? Should a candidate who brags that he/she is immune from prosecution for physical murder, because of presidential immunity, be upheld in this view? (See link to discussion of  this claim here: Trump and Immunity Claim). If a person were found to be complicit in a murderous act, what would be the public reaction to a legal system that meted out unequal justice? How credible would that system be? Compare how King David responded to and was judged by God in aftermath of the Bathsheba-Murdering Uriah episode (2 Sam. 12:9-14)….or how about the episode with Nabol, when David was dissuaded from taking vengeance on this surly man by Abigail (1 Sam. 25:25-33), because Abigail was concerned for the king’s well-being and reputation?

 

So here’s the bottom line: listen to what God says in scripture, both Old and New Testament. Seek alternatives to doing what he forbids; in fact, one alternative –adoption -- might actually be a blessing to some others who are desperate. And, don’t consider yourself above others, and speak the truth about each other. We are all human, and therefore must be subject to the same civil and legal standards in a judicial system that is based on fairness and equal justice for all. Any deviation from that axiom would breed distrust and a breakdown in a rule-of-law society. There are nations on planet Earth where that is true, and despotism is the norm. Do citizens, including Christians, want to live in such a place?    

 

Image of Cain murdering Abel information: File:Peter Paul Rubens - Cain slaying Abel (Courtauld Institute).jpg - Wikimedia Commons…This work is in the public domain in its country of origin and other countries and areas where the copyright term is the author's life plus 100 years or fewer. {{PD-1996}} – public domain in its source country on January 1, 1996 and in the United States. (Rubens was a Flemish painter…the painting is among the collection of the Courtauld Institute of Art at the University of London.)