Hypothetically, could you kill an innocent to save a loved one?

[PleasantAsAHeadcrab]

/Maybe./ Though I imagine I'd end up in a Mental Hospital shortly afterwards from being mentally and emotionally destroyed by the crushing guilt of having killed someone, or shooting myself in the head for the exact same reason.

ON THE OTHER HAND. Like I've said before, if anyone ever, ever, ever threatens/tries to hurt/jokes about hurting my three year old niece, I won't have a chance to think twice about splattering them on the walls, and they won't have a chance to beg for forgiveness.

I'M CREEPY. =D

 

[PoliceBox63]

I think I would but I would never let anyone know and I'd suffer alone the rest of my life with the guilt. If anyone could find out then I would never do it; If my friend killed someone to save my life I would feel so bad.

 

[PleasantAsAHeadcrab]

Yes, I could. I don't understand why someone would not.

Because it means you have to kill someone >_>
What if it's a 5 year old kid?

Another thing I don't understand is why it matters if it's a kid. If I can save an important person by killing this kiddo, I don't see the problem. Either the kiddo is the threat, or he just came to the wrong place at the wrong time.

Because it's a /kid./ They've barely had a chance to live and I doubt they'd have the experience to understand why someone is hurting them for seemingly no reason.

 

[Lineoutt]

Just wondering

Spoiler

was it Fable 3?

Nope. It was:

Spoiler

Heavy Rain. Although the guy was probably less than innocent. But I didn't know that when the game first directed you to kill him.

wait which part?

Spoiler

the trials of the dad? I loved that game, but I kinda forget a lot. No wait I remember now, did you end up shooting the guy?

 

[LiudvikasT]

In any case somebody dies, might as well be someone I don't care about.

 

[mrscott137]

It would depend on how important my 'loved one' was compared to the person, for example if my mum worked in a council and the person worked as a fusion power researcher who also had a family then no I would not kill said person. I believe in a greater good, and this makes me look so cold, believe me when I say I'm not, I just do what is right.

 

[DarthFennec]

Hm ... I don't really know. I'm trying to imagine some possible circumstance where this would actually be necessary, and I'm pretty much failing at it ...

If you don't mind spoilers for

Spoiler

Heavy Rain

I could describe the situation in the game to you.

Ah. Well in that case, I'd probably try to fake the murder. There's always another way.

 

[Jim-a-Lim]

No I couldn't, though the temptation would be mind numbling painful. I just don't think I actually could.

 

[emeraldrafael]

An innocent person? Hm... probably not.

 

[spiffleh]

Just wondering

Spoiler

was it Fable 3?

Nope. It was:

Spoiler

Heavy Rain. Although the guy was probably less than innocent. But I didn't know that when the game first directed you to kill him.

wait which part?

Spoiler

the trials of the dad? I loved that game, but I kinda forget a lot. No wait I remember now, did you end up shooting the guy?

No I didn't. Still managed to do alright though.

 

[rokkolpo]

Yes, I could. I don't understand why someone would not.

Because it means you have to kill someone >_>
What if it's a 5 year old kid?

Another thing I don't understand is why it matters if it's a kid. If I can save an important person by killing this kiddo, I don't see the problem. Either the kiddo is the threat, or he just came to the wrong place at the wrong time.

So you would without another thought snap an innocent child's neck to save someone else?

 

[TonyVonTonyus]

Kill the innocent. Either way someone's gonna die and it might as well not be the person that I'm close to.

 

[Callate]

If a non-innocent person was the source of this choice, I think I might be willing to sacrifice myself, my loved one, and the innocent to make sure the malefactor was never able to force someone into that choice again.

But just kill an innocent to save a loved one? Hard to say. Probably not. But in the emotional stress of the moment, it would be a lot harder to make that decision.

 

[Cheery Lunatic]

http://t0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcROFQwgEx-11c5i_9oPtQkfBeyBvVVs870xao2tt-1QG3FfRxTM&t=1

As I've said thirty times before - I wouldn't know until I'm in the situation.

This to a T.

And I know what game you're talking about OP, and I chickened out and didn't do it.

 

[michiehoward]

As to avoid answering this topic directly I would like to say for future reference if any of you had to off me to save your child I would tell you to go ahead.

And as someone said above that they would not know what to do until they were in said situation that would basically be true for all of us, as instinct would drive this horrible choice forward. imo

 

[similar.squirrel]

Yes. It's called kin selection, and it's completely natural.

 

[Verlander]

yes

You're gonna get probationed, they don't like low content posts here

OT: No, I could not. I can't imagine any of my loved ones would appreciate me doing so either

 

[Wereduck]

Morality, jail, regrets & relationship consequences are all irrelevant. It boils down to this:

If I choose the life of a stranger over someone I love then my love isn't worth much. The only reason to let my loved one die is to prove what a moral person I am and my loved ones' lives are worth a damn sight more to than moral bragging-rights.

Slow, painful death and having to look my victim in the eyes would change the equation but all other factors being equal, the innocent people who I don't love can suck it.

 

[Wereduck]

anc[is]Perhaps if I had some magical contract or a 100% guarantee that it would work out like that. But the only real life situation I can think of is a cliche evil villain giving me this choice, and I wouldn't trust him, he's the flippin villain

Excellent point; I guess there are potentially two reasons not to save your loved one.

 

[OniaPL]

Yes, I could. I don't understand why someone would not.

Because it means you have to kill someone >_>
What if it's a 5 year old kid?

Another thing I don't understand is why it matters if it's a kid. If I can save an important person by killing this kiddo, I don't see the problem. Either the kiddo is the threat, or he just came to the wrong place at the wrong time.

Because it's a /kid./ They've barely had a chance to live and I doubt they'd have the experience to understand why someone is hurting them for seemingly no reason.

But I am saving a person that is important to me. This kid is less important than him/her, and thus the logical choice is to waste the kid.