Murder and the Bible, Part 2, One-tenth of the Ten Commandments Addresses Murder.
upcoming: Part 3, The Grievous Biblical Error of Making Murderers Heroes
The Commandment Prohibiting Murder
Those in the United States most concerned with posting copies of the Ten Commandments in courtrooms and classrooms have no intention of keeping the commandments, but they think others should. MAGAts, particularly MAGAt leadership, break one or more of these on the regular, with impunity. They especially enjoy theft, murder, and adultery. This is not just hypocritical; it is grotesque.
They claim to believe the Bible; they don’t. They claim to live by the standards set forth in Hebrew and Christian scripture while they don’t. Yet, they self-appoint to positions of morality commentators and often participate in proselytic efforts to press all citizens to adhere to MAGAt faux standards and methods of scriptural interpretation.
Those who establish laws in modern societies should consult the most reliable sources about morality and effective laws wherever they may be found in the ancient world as well as in the modern world. A democracy should not have its laws determined by any iron clad attachment to holy writ from any religion. The Ten Commandments come up in a discussion of laws only because MAGAts claim to embrace fully the would-be rules they tout but tromp on.
The sixth commandment in the collection of ten, as recorded in Hebrew scripture’s book of Exodus, chapter 20, verse 13: “You will not murder.” Using the word “kill” here is a poor choice for English translators since killing in self-defense was not prohibited. What is forbidden here is the premeditated snuffing out of a human life.
Involuntary Person-slaughter
Hebrew scripture goes to great lengths to deal with the accidental taking of someone’s life. Clearly, a Hebrew who accidentally killed a fellow Hebrew or an immigrant living among them could never be free of an identity as “accidental killer,” and for the sake of safety had to live—possibly for life, depending on when the High Priest in the Jerusalem Temple died—in a refuge city. Safe within the confines of the refuge city, setting one foot outside those borders meant she or he was not protected from attacks by those who had loved the person killed, albeit accidentally.
Murder MAGAt Style
From their very own espoused inviolable scriptural tenets, the book of Numbers in Hebrew scripture, chapter 35, verses 16-18:
…anyone who strikes another with an iron object, and death ensues, is a murderer; the murderer shall be put to death. Or anyone who strikes another with a stone in hand that could cause death, and death ensues, is a murderer; the murderer shall be put to death. Or anyone who strikes another with a weapon of wood in hand that could cause death, and death ensues, is a murderer; the murderer shall be put to death.
Feel free to replace references to ancient weapons with modern ones, like this:
…anyone who bombs Venezuelans in a boat, and death ensues, is a murderer; the murderer shall be put to death. Or anyone who shoots or orders someone else to shoot a child or an adult civilian or a military professional, and death ensues, is a murderer; the murderer shall be put to death. Or anyone who obstructs someone’s breathing [strangulation being the most heinous deed imaginable and thus reserved for the vilest of criminals as a means of carrying out a death penalty], and death ensues, is a murderer; the murderer shall be put to death.
Trump, Hegseth, ICE, Netanyahu, Noem, Patel, Putin, and those who follow their godless orders: “Thou shalt not murder” (Exodus 20:13). YOUR Bible says, “Or else.” Just because the Supreme Court and money grubbing, insincere politicians sitting on both sides of the aisle and crouching under tables are keeping you off the hook at the moment doesn't mean you will never be held accountable. You will be. Can we agree to be biblical about your punishment?