Posted on 06/03/2009 11:13:53 AM PDT by lewisglad
In a commentary today, Creighton theologian R.R. Reno parses the justifications for killing an abortion doctor like George Tiller, and finds that alleged murderer Scott Roeder came up short–though barely. Reno says that “The blanket condemnation [by Catholics bishops] of ‘violence’ seems unhelpfully expansive” and so he wants to explain that the reasons Tiller’s killer was wrong “are not as simple as they seem.”
Reno says that under Christian thinking, such an action would have to satisfy three conditions: It would target the guilty, not the innocent; it would have to be necessary (principally to protect others); and it would have to be an act of self-defense that does not “violate the principle of legitimate authority” by being premeditated and calculated violence, as Tiller’s killing was. Reno says the suspect got two out of three:
The emphasis on “unlawful use of violence,” the evocation of “vigilantism,” and the description of Tiller’s killer as a “vigilante killer” are all exactly right. We are all sinners, but it is painfully obvious that Dr. George Tiller acted in wanton disregard for the sanctity of life. Killing him did not violate the principle of innocence. Moreover, he gave no evidence of stopping. As a result, perhaps something like the principle of necessity can be satisfied. But it is certainly obvious that his killer was acting as the law unto himself. He arrogated to himself the roles of jury, judge, and executioner. He violated the principle of legitimate authority.
That strikes me as far too close to justification, as others would argue that unjust laws shouldn’t stop us. With their redesigned site, the First Things blog now allows comments, and the first commenter on Reno’s thread pressed him to go further, asking how Reno’s argument would apply to Bonhoeffer or the Nazi resistance. Good question.
(Excerpt) Read more at commonwealmagazine.org ...
xzins and P-M, are you guys Catholic now.
I thought P-Marlowe was a lawyer? They are even worse than Catholics!
LMAO!
Does this mean we are going to have a Methocathecharigelical Caucus?
Aw, I hate those threads where you have to agree or shut up.
What's the dang point of that???
so, humblekins, how do you feel about Catholic lawyers..... : ) ?
Frightened.
good answer!
Have you explored the use of your shift key? ;-)
Wow I can't believe these are still on the internet:
The Hugo Grotius® label Arminian Asbestos Undergarments are made from the finest northern European asbestos and are intended to protect the wearer from the torches of their Calvinistic antagonists and to provide maximum comfort when escaping persecution by the Calvinst swarms while locked inside old book boxes.
If only Mr. Servetus had worn them, the Arminians would have lost one of their most potent weapons of mass argumentation.
LOL!
That was a long time ago, wasn’t it?
Now that was a flame war. There hasn’t been anything to compare before or since.
Except maybe Calvinist swarms. They are dangerous.
I miss those days. Heck, lately I've been finding myself being pinged on the same list as the swarm. :-0
Of course I shall remain listless, but the truce has lasted so long I don't remember if I was an Arminian or a Calvinist in those debates.
Weird....but I’m almost over on the other side. (It’d make ‘em nuts how I’m there, but I’m there... :>)
I've been accused of being a Calvinist. I think wagglebee may have accused me of that on one or two occasions.
Would you care to see a whole swarm of them descend upon this thread? I haven't witnessed a swarm of Calvinists in a long time. But I think it could be arranged. :-)
If only I knew someone who had a list.
You won't officially be there until they blindfold you, tie you up, shave your head, put a robe on you and then PUT YOU ON THEIR LIST!
gamey has a list; so does DrE.
I don’t think I’ve made the list.
Have you?
I know we don’t keep lists of ourselves but did anybody keep a body count of all the fallen (banned) in the great flame war?
Maybe one of our Neener Fridays should be a memorial service for those who gave their virtual lives in defense of the defenseless. We could go back in our archives and dig up some of the “golden oldies” posts and maybe petition once again the powers that be to reinstate some of the fallen or permit them to return for a day. Kind like resurrecting the dead like Samuel. We would need a conjurer; has to be a lady; know any one?
I am and always shall be the Lord Protector of the listless.
Neener Neener Neener.
They can ping me, but they can't list me.
{!}
LOL! You Rock! You’re a smart cookie, and witty, too.
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