A Rationale to Murder. Can there be one?

[rigney]

A good acquaintence and I were golf partners at Ford for a few years. He was from India, also Sikh and a gentleman. He didn't drink, smoke or swear, I swear! A good honest hard working electrician who came to the job each day with a turbin wound around his head and his beard in a hair net. I partnered with him for about 4 years and never once was expected to do more than my share. I even went with him to his Temple once, explaining that I wanted to compare the difference between his religion and western theology. Oh yes! I've been in several churches of different denominations on occasion for the same reason. My question is, how can one person hate another person without knowing them, unless they are perhaps brainwashed or nuts to begin with?

http://www.foxnews.com/

Edited August 6, 2012 by rigney

[Greg H.]

In regards to the title of the thread, that depends entirely on your definition of the word murder.

 

Also, regarding your link - not sure what you aiming for there?

[Iota]

Did you leave the Fox News homepage there as an example of brain washing?

[John Cuthber]

Did you leave the Fox News homepage there as an example of brain washing?

That might be a reasonable enough comment, but I think he was probably referring to the story which is there.

"Photo of Wade Michael Page, 40, a former Army specialist-turned-racist-rock musician believed to be the gunman in Sunday's massacre at a Sikh temple in Wisconsin that left 7 dead, including Page."

[rigney]

In regards to the title of the thread, that depends entirely on your definition of the word murder.

 

Also, regarding your link - not sure what you aiming for there?

I asked the question of why a person would kill another maliciously and without provocation. Murder in itself should be alien to normal civilized reasoning yet it happens. Below are some examples, but why?

 

http://rawjustice.com/2011/01/07/15-strange-reasons-for-ending-someones-life/

 

Did you leave the Fox News homepage there as an example of brain washing?

There was no intent to make this a political issue or one of bias, only the question, how can such carnage is done to a group that you don't even know? Edited August 6, 2012 by rigney

[Greg H.]

I asked the question of why a person would kill another maliciously and without provocation. Murder in itself should be alien to normal civilized reasoning yet it happens. Below are some examples, but why?

 

http://rawjustice.co...-someones-life/

 

There was no intent to make this a political issue or one of bias, only the question, how can such carnage is done to a group that you don't even know?

 

Again, it depends on how you define the word murder. Some people seem to think it's equivalent to the word kill. According to the Cornell University Legal Information Institute

Murder occurs when one human being unlawfully kills another human being.

Under that definition, then no, there is no rationale to commit murder. However, prejudices are not rational.

[rigney]

In regards to the title of the thread, that depends entirely on your definition of the word murder.

 

Also, regarding your link - not sure what you aiming for there?

This from Merriman Webster.

1mur·der

noun \ˈmər-dər\

 

Definition of MURDER1

The crime of unlawfully killing a person especially with malice aforethought

[Iota]

There was no intent to make this a political issue or one of bias, only the question, how can such carnage is done to a group that you don't even know?

 

The rationale behind the murder depends on whose perspective we're reviewing. The racist murderer's rationale was his own, and he took it upon himself to murder these people, with his own 'reasons' that he saw as being valid. If, however, you ask someone who isn't a racist, the rationale won't fit. They will argue that the rationale for the murder was unfair, prejudice, cold-blooded, didn't serve a lawful purpose etc. etc.

 

I agree with Greg H. As long as we're talking specifically about 'murder', any rationale given will be invalid- at least in terms of the law- because the law has been broken.

 

Killing can have rationale, on the other hand- in the eyes of the law.

 

My short answer:

There will never be a universally accepted rationale for killing.

Edited August 6, 2012 by Iota

[Phi for All]

In regards to the title of the thread, that depends entirely on your definition of the word murder.

Actually, I think it depends on your definition of "rationale".

 

There are some cases I can think of where murder can be the most logical recourse. Suppose someone told you privately that they were going to kill someone you love and make it look like an accident. No one believes you because this person is considered a normal, respectable person. Only you know he's a psychopath bent on destroying your loved one. Circumstances prevent you from providing round the clock protection, your loved one is trying to avoid you the more you insist he/she is in danger and you know this psycho will eventually find an opportunity to carry out his threat. If you felt that murdering him before he could murder your loved one was the only logical choice, that would be a rationale many would accept if the truth ever came out (in which case it wouldn't be murder, more like justifiable homicide). If it didn't come out, many people would still choose to murder and face the consequences rather than let the loved one die.

 

There can be reasons for murder, but no excuses for it.

[Moontanman]

A good acquaintence and I were golf partners at Ford for a few years. He was from India, also Sikh and a gentleman. He didn't drink, smoke or swear, I swear! A good honest hard working electrician who came to the job each day with a turbin wound around his head and his beard in a hair net. I partnered with him for about 4 years and never once was expected to do more than my share. I even went with him to his Temple once, explaining that I wanted to compare the difference between his religion and western theology. Oh yes! I've been in several churches of different denominations on occasion for the same reason. My question is, how can one person hate another person without knowing them, unless they are perhaps brainwashed or nuts to begin with?

http://www.foxnews.com/

 

 

I think some people are simply born different, either from the very beginning or they are more vulnerable to influences that push them in the direction of lacking any empathy and this can lead to being influenced into acts of depravity.

 

IMHO these people are not different in some profound way but the difference is there and while it might be subtle they can be influenced in the direction of anti social behavior.

 

A very few humans are actually born violently insane and seem to be set off by almost anything. I'm not sure i understand this mind set...