Why is infanticide a sin?

[KingMerv00]

According to popular Christianity:

1) Babies have souls and are subject to an eternal fate just like adults.

2) Babies are not accountable for what they do. They are incapable of commiting sin until the age of accountability (whenever that is).

3) Because of point #2 babies get to go to heaven when they die. Note: Baptism may be necessary.


So, if someone murders a helpless infant, they are sending that child to eternal bliss.

Why does the Pope/Jerry Falwell/ God think that is a bad thing?


Note: I am NOT endorsing murder. I do not believe in any of the points above or the Christian doctrine.

 

[geni]

According to popular Christianity:

1) Babies have souls and are subject to an eternal fate just like adults.

2) Babies are not accountable for what they do. They are incapable of commiting sin until the age of accountability (whenever that is).

3) Because of point #2 babies get to go to heaven when they die. Note: Baptism may be necessary.


So, if someone murders a helpless infant, they are sending that child to eternal bliss.

Why does the Pope/Jerry Falwell/ God think that is a bad thing?

Only god is alowed to have power over life and death. same deal with suicide.

 

[KingMerv00]

Re: Re: Why is infanticide a sin?

Only god is alowed to have power over life and death. same deal with suicide.

One soul in heaven for eternity is an infinite good.

As for control over life and death...is it sinful to take part in dangerous hobbies like sky diving, glass eating, or creationist baiting?

 

[Brahe]

Re: Re: Why is infanticide a sin?

Only god is alowed to have power over life and death. same deal with suicide.

Aside from KingMerv's objection, what about doctors? If they don't muck with life and death, I don't know who is.

Of course, a lot of Christians *do* oppose some medical research on just these grounds (accusing the researchers in question of playing God), but strangely have no objection to, say, the death penalty. And of course, if only God is supposed to have this power, how is it that humans can wield it at all? The only conclusion I have is that Christians who base morals off of "only God has the power over life and death" never really thought things through.

Of course, maybe the ones who thought things through decided against using medical technology and died?

 

[geni]

Re: Re: Re: Why is infanticide a sin?

One soul in heaven for eternity is an infinite good.

So?

As for control over life and death...is it sinful to take part in dangerous hobbies like sky diving, glass eating, or creationist baiting? [/B]

No because you are not aprtakeing in those activities with the specific intention of dying

 

[geni]

Re: Re: Re: Why is infanticide a sin?

Aside from KingMerv's objection, what about doctors? If they don't muck with life and death, I don't know who is.

Doctors who followed a strict caothlic doctrine wouldn't get involved in death (see a rather large news story in the Us lately).

 

[Palimpsest]

Re: Re: Why is infanticide a sin?

Only god is alowed to have power over life and death. same deal with suicide.

Is this the same god that condoned murder and genocide in the Old Testament?

The same Old Testament that was used to justify murder and Genocide in the New World, partly with the reasoning KingMerv laid out in the OP: that it was better to kill heathens to prevent future generations of heathens in hell, or kill baby heathens before they could be corrupted by their elders?

 

[Bikewer]

Along similar lines, I've been speculating about souls. Are they specially created for each fertilized egg, or do they pre-exist in a sort of "soul bank" for use as necessary?

Does the little nascent soul have an intellectual/emotional life of it's own, or does that come to maturity with the developing fetus?

When the pregnancy does not come to term, either through abortion, trauma, or natural processes, does the little soul waft back up into heaven? If it has no intellectual life of it's own, are they like little fireflies, flitting about for all eternity?

Does the Big Guy stick 'em back in the soul bank for another try?
According to most Christian traditions, "life"and thus ensoulment occurs at conception. Yet we are told that more pregnancies terminate naturally than by abortion. What happens to all those souls?
Almost make a Christian fella want to dig out Limbo again..

 

[Brahe]

Re: Re: Re: Re: Why is infanticide a sin?

Doctors who followed a strict caothlic doctrine wouldn't get involved in death (see a rather large news story in the Us lately).

But surely they'd attempt to prevent death through medication, surgery, and therapy? It doesn't matter if you're providing an extra 10 years of life or killing a man 10 years before he would have otherwise died--both are cases of you attempting to upstage God and alter His plan for your own ends.

 

[Palimpsest]

Along similar lines, I've been speculating about souls. Are they specially created for each fertilized egg, or do they pre-exist in a sort of "soul bank" for use as necessary?

Gets even more interesting when you consider the case of identical twins/triplets/etc... If the soul is created/infused at the moment of fertilization, then does that mean that (to pick an example totally at random) my twin brother and I share a soul? If not, then at what point did our souls split?

When our bodies (such as they were then) split, you say? Then what about conjoined twins, who never fully separated?

 

[Ryokan]

First tell me what 'sin' is.

That's the one thing I always ask door-knocking missionaries, and they're never able to answer. Exactly what is sin? What is and what isn't a sin? The bible doesn't go into details about it, so how am I to know? There's the laws of Moses, of course, but they don't apply anymore, do they?

The most common answer I get from the missionaries are 'sin is what's not pleasing to God'. But then the question is, what is not pleasing to God? Details, please, I need to know what it is before I can stop doing it.

 

[KingMerv00]

Re: Re: Re: Re: Why is infanticide a sin?

So?

Well God wants us to do good right?

No because you are not aprtakeing in those activities with the specific intention of dying

Well, a smart Christian would hasten death to minimize the amount of time they are tempted by sin.

Even if you don't intend to die, your odds of death certainly go up, therefore you steal some of God's power.

 

[Jyera]

Have Pope/Jerry Falwell/God been quoted to say that "babies do not have sins when they are born"?

While KingMerv00's OP did not say it, his post implied that babies do not have sins when they are born.

I don't agree.

According to my version of "popular christainity",
I recalled numerous Christians telling me that "Everyone is born a sinner." (which irked every potential converts)

Which also means babies are sinners too.

 

[Beerina]

Gets even more interesting when you consider the case of identical twins/triplets/etc... If the soul is created/infused at the moment of fertilization, then does that mean that (to pick an example totally at random) my twin brother and I share a soul? If not, then at what point did our souls split?

When our bodies (such as they were then) split, you say? Then what about conjoined twins, who never fully separated?

What about people, especially children, who are given a hemispherectomy, removing one lobe of the brain? The brain is really two brains working in tandem with the illusion of "one-ness".

What if the other lobe were transplanted into an acephalous baby? Beyond our capacity currently, but that's an engineering issue, not a physical one. Has the soul split? Has the mind? Which half would "you" go with?

 

[Beerina]

The point of "everyone is born a sinner" is the theological notion that even a theoretically sinless person (say, Jesus) is still guilty of the Original Sin. No, it makes no sense, and it is definitely immoral to assign guilt to someone for someone else's acts, but I'm not infinitely smart and infinitely good, so what do I know?

I also presume that if, say, a really advanced Lex Luthor or Dr. Doom were to create a machine that wiped away my original sin, whether God allowed it or not, I would suddenly be able to live forever, since it is this Original Sin that makes me death-bound after a long life (in the best case.)

 

[Jyera]

What about people, especially children, who are given a hemispherectomy, removing one lobe of the brain? The brain is really two brains working in tandem with the illusion of "one-ness".

What if the other lobe were transplanted into an acephalous baby? Beyond our capacity currently, but that's an engineering issue, not a physical one. Has the soul split? Has the mind? Which half would "you" go with?

Very interesting scenario indeed. I think it deserves a to be started as a new thread.

 

[geni]

Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Why is infanticide a sin?

Well God wants us to do good right?
[/b]

God wants you to do what he defines as good. Not what you define as good

Well, a smart Christian would hasten death to minimize the amount of time they are tempted by sin.

And rmeove that persons chance to do good?

Even if you don't intend to die, your odds of death certainly go up, therefore you steal some of God's power.

Not really you are not makeing a choice to die.

 

[Camillus]

Re: Re: Why is infanticide a sin?

Only god is alowed to have power over life and death. same deal with suicide.

Surely this is irrelevant. While the person doing the killing is exercising the power, and thus may be punished by God for being so presumptious, the victim is powerless in deciding if they live or die.

A murder victim cannot be held accountable for the actions of their killer and cannot be accused of attempting to exercise power of life and death.

God therefore has to let all dead babies* into Heaven or He has to make a distinction based on natural causes versus murder. If He does not allow the souls of murdered babies into Heaven because the murderer exercised a power God keeps for himself does that mean that anyone who dies of non-natural causes is excluded from Heaven? Might be a problem for all those Christian martyrs.

*Or at least those cleaned of Original Sin by baptism.

 

[Antiquehunter]

First tell me what 'sin' is.

The most common answer I get from the missionaries are 'sin is what's not pleasing to God'. But then the question is, what is not pleasing to God? Details, please, I need to know what it is before I can stop doing it.

Having been raised a charismatic anglican (don't ask) I'd say that sin is often what is pleasing to the person performing the sin. So generally, god is displeased when you are pleased. Talk about a killjoy.

Usually an indicator, anyways. If it feels good, its probably bad.

Gonna have a (sinful) beer now, and watch some (very sinful) South Park.

-Oke

 

[geni]

Re: Re: Re: Why is infanticide a sin?

Surely this is irrelevant. While the person doing the killing is exercising the power, and thus may be punished by God for being so presumptious, the victim is powerless in deciding if they live or die.

So? I fail to see why this is suposed to make the persons action acterble under christianty. What you have writen has nothing to do with the opening question.