Is It Okay to Kill?

     In this world today there are many people being killed by another person or persons, and that brings up the question of, “Is it right to kill another human being?” Only in certain circumstances is a human being allowed to take the life of another and it is considered justified, and that is under the law. In the first verse of Romans 13 everyone is called to submit to the governing authorities which means everyone is supposed to abide by the law set down by the government.

            The law “Do not murder,” found in Exodus 10:13, has been established for centuries. The passage Numbers 35:16-21 states that a murderer is a person who kills another one intentionally with malice afterthought or out of hostility, and that they should be put to death. As it states in verse twenty-nine, this was their law back then. So, according to the law it is right to end the murderer’s life, but this is also under a certain circumstance. In verse thirty of Numbers, the Bible says that a murderer can only be put to death if more than one witness can testify to the murder. Our law also states that if a person is convicted of a murder they are eligible for the death sentence

            Another incident in which it is right to kill another human being is in self-defense. Exodus 22:2-3 clearly states that if a thief enters into one’s house a night and is killed it is not considered murder, and this is only so because the owner of the house is entitled to protect his family and anyone inside his house. 1 Timothy 5:8 says that a man should provide for his own, especially his household, but if he does not then he is considered worse than a heathen. Exodus also states that if it is day time and the thief is killed then it is considered murder. The reason is that during the day time it is easier to tell if the intruder is a thief or a murderer and it is easier to defend oneself as well as avoid killing the other person. If one is killed during the day then there must be evidence that it was self-defense, or else it would be considered vengeance (Flatt, William). It is wrong to kill out of retaliation, or vengeance, as it says in Romans 12:19 we should leave room for God’s wrath because revenge belongs to the Lord, not us.