Murder is Forbidden!

by David Rushworth-Smith

     In every country, and in every community, it is common knowledge that murdering other people is forbidden.  We do not need parents, or law-makers to instruct us about this.  We have known it in our consciences from birth. However, just in case this information had not effectively dawned upon us, school teachers, lecturers, police, and magistrates, as well as our parents, will make sure that we understand that we must not murder others.  

     The reason why this information is written in all of our consciences is because the most powerful authority in the universe has stated specifically that 'we must not murder other people'. Years ago, the prophet Moses received this authoritative information, and then made sure that all of us became aware of it.  No-one has any excuse, because all of our consciences have been informed, and murderers cannot claim that they were ignorant of this basic in-born law. 

     Even if Moses had not communicated universal rules to us all, in the way that he did, something had happened many years previously which told us the same thing. Years ago, there was a family which rescued most of animal life from extinction, during a spectacular flood. The story is found in many ancient records.  Following that flood, a promise was given that such an exceptional international experience would never happen again.  When this promise was given, some conditions were stated.  These included the clear instruction that human beings must not murder other human beings.  They were told that ‘Human lives will be held to account’, if human blood is shed.

     Now, it is clear that this ancient instruction was not directed at judges, juries, or magistrates, who sometimes need to pass sentences upon wicked criminals ‘by the way of justice’.  Civilised communities require both lawful behaviour, and balanced punishment.  Also, the edict ‘You must not murder others’, was not directed towards the proper activity of genuine soldiers and policemen, doing lawful work, in defence of their own country.  And, the ancient edict was not aimed at those who, in self-defence of their families, accidentally kill someone who is seeking to harm one of them. 

     No, the ancient instruction ‘You must not commit murder’ is specifically directed at those who consider deliberately permanently injuring the life, health, and comfort, of others. Ever since that Flood, and especially since the ministry of Moses, all of us have been aware that we must not destroy lives, through hatred, malice, envy, anger, lust, persecution, passion, or revenge. As soon as we begin to despise someone so much that we hate them, we are on the road which can lead to murder. 

     It is not for nothing that the ancient scriptures speak so well about the ministry of Moses the prophet.  He was specially called to remind everyone about the eternal laws which all of us must acknowledge and follow.  It is also not for nothing that one ancient script states that whoever kills a believer wilfully, can expect to spend the whole of eternity in Gehenna.  Now, we know that a ‘believer’ is someone who not only ‘believes’ in the existence of God, but also believes in God’s Word, and works righteousness.  And, we cannot ignore the fact that this particular teaching includes Jews, Christians, and Muslims.  So, the murder of ‘believers’ is especially forbidden.

     However, the original command ‘Do not commit murder’ was directed at the whole human family, including agnostics and atheists.  The illegal killing of another human being is murder, regardless of the way in which we may seek to explain it, dilute its meaning, or delete it from our minds and memories. Murder is forbidden. 

     ‘But surely’, someone might say, ‘there must be other exceptions to this ancient commandment, as well as the ones already mentioned’. Really?  What are these other ‘genuine exceptions’. 

     In 1839, when the Chief of the Ashanti tribe was told that human sacrifices and the slaughter of slaves, was ‘murder’, he tried to suggest that the practices of his particular tribe were a special exception to the general rule, because this was a part of their tribal rituals.  It took weeks for him to be persuaded otherwise.  Those today, in Africa, who copy those old Ashanti practices are just as guilty of murder, as the Ashanti people were then. 

     A modern suicide bomber may say: ‘Surely Samson was an exception’.  Now, it is true that Samson did cause the death of others at the time of his own spectacular suicide.  His story is well-known, worldwide, as a result of Hollywood films.  However, there is a big difference between Samson and a modern suicide-bomber.  Samson was not an extremist who was seeking a political advantage for his movement, by a spectacular suicide.  Samson was a national leader who had been taken captive by his nation’s enemies.  

     So, despite the fact that Samson’s death caused the death of many other people, it cannot be compared to that of a modern suicide-bomber. 

     But, even if the death of Samson can be considered to have been ‘honourable’, may we copy him today, in the hope of also dying  ‘honourably’? Certainly not!  Samson knew that murder is forbidden, and he will be judged by that law, just as we all will.  So, strapping a bomb to your body, and exploding it inside a bus full of children, can never be an ‘honourable death’.  It does not matter to which ethnic group the children may belong, or how angry the suicide-bomber may be at the time.  Such a ‘suicide’ includes deliberate murder, and we all know that murder is forbidden.  Unless there is immediate repentance by the suicide-bomber, such a deliberate action promises an appalling lost eternity. 

     I am often asked if it is ever possible for a soldier to ‘commit murder’, when he is in the uniform of his country, and on active duty?  One would not think so, and yet I know that murders have been committed in such circumstances.  Tired, disturbed, frightened, and trigger-happy, soldiers can behave badly.  If such a murder, by a uniformed soldier, takes place in a lonely situation, the victim is fully aware of what has happened, and the soldier will never be allowed to forget. Herod’s soldiers could never forget what they did in Bethlehem, two thousand years ago. 

     It is dangerous to copy those who are known to have committed a murder, and yet have never been either discovered or punished for the crime. We know that some people do seem to break laws with impunity, and yet appear to prosper.  But, just because a few may have avoided the consequences of their actions, this does not mean that anyone can break the law, and hope to avoid discovery.  Universal justice catches up with all of us.

     Each human being has a purpose and a destiny.  We are all on this earth for a reason, however unclear that may be to others.  To disturb someone’s destiny, and to forcibly terminate a life - a life which might have been very important to a much larger important plan, is more than criminal. 

     If (as suggested) it is true that there are those who are permitted to legally terminate the lives of others, on the authority of a role which they have been given in a community, these people certainly do not include rapists, gang-leaders, suicide-bombers, members of extremist groups, angry lovers, drug barons, jealous husbands, religious fanatics, or those who are mentally unstable.  

     And, the aggressive extremist movements, which are not engaged in genuine civil wars, but which try to convince us that they are allowed to behave on the world-stage as if they are ‘legally-constituted’ countries, end up committing murder. These extremist groups train their followers to behave like soldiers, and assert that they are allowed to be ‘at war’. Movements cannot declare war on countries, and have no right to ‘take up arms’. The original ancient laws condemn such actions, and so each of their killings is ‘murder’.

Let us make sure that we fully understand these specific words:    Murder is forbidden!

© David Rushworth-Smith

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