By William Archon
Those in the military and law enforcement kill every day. Perhaps you think that in some situations, such killing is necessary. But why do we allow such situations to happen? I find that mythology can be used to put ethical ideas in perspective.
Image a supreme arbiter wrote on a stone tablet, “Thou shall not kill another person.” Under this line, the arbiter wrote, “No exceptions.” The arbiter then wrote, “It is the responsibility of each of us to find a path in life that avoids Killing.”
A soldier who kills in war or a police officer who kills while enforcing a law is violating the rule of the arbiter. Remember, the arbiter said, “No exceptions.” These people have failed to find an alternative path when they put themselves in a position where they kill another person.
Let us suppose the arbiter adds more rules and writes, “Anyone who is a member of an organization that kills another person is also guilty of the murder. These organizations include nations and religions.” This rule makes it our duty not to belong to any groups who kills people. The arbiter then wrote, “You must help these organizations stop killing.”
You might not have the courage or strength to obey the arbiter. Therefore, you might prefer weaker ethical doctrines such as the Christian Bible, the Muslim Koran, and the Hindu Gita, which are all full of loopholes that permit killing.
The arbiter set no punishment for breaking these rules. You are free to follow or not follow these rules. You could lie and pretend you follow the rules, but you can’t honestly say you followed these rules if you do not.
Some of you might say my arbiter myth is unrealistic. You might say situations will come up where we are unable to follow the rules of the arbiter. The arbiter then wrote one final line on the tablet, “I check with the goddess of fortune, who told me that we should never think that we must kill. There is always an alternative path. Look, and you will find the right path.”