Some denied the murders of Jews by the Nazis but the October 7th attacks by Hamas is proven. We have ‘eyes’ on the world with camera/cell products in most hands and the internet, waiting to publish anything. To attempt justification on lives stolen is a sin on top of the atrocities. But, I don’t want to write about that because Dietrich has written plenty on ethics but that is the subject.
Ethics is understood to be moral principles that govern a person’s behavior. Person is singular because we are each responsible for the decisions we make. No blame game unless you are a five-year-old. We know that crowds of people with just one persuasive voice can make terrible corporate decisions. How could so many Germans believe Hitler? Every James Bond movie has an influential ‘bad’ guy with loyal minions who risk death to follow orders. The enemy can’t play by the rules and will hurt and manipulate. Misguided for certain and none of this makes sense when we know WE are the ones responsible for our own actions.
In the Will Smith/Bill Pullman film, Independence Day, the President only decides to use nuclear force when the alien reveals that they want humanity gone/dead. The last resort is to risk a few to save the most. Hamas launched a surprise and coordinated attack on Israel on October 7, 2023, involving rocket attacks, infiltration into Israeli territory, and the taking of hostages. This attack resulted in the deaths of nearly 1,200 people in Israel, with approximately 250 Israelis taken as hostages to the Gaza Strip. These details are familiar because most of us know it was cruel. Much has happened in the region since this surprise attack. Anger begets anger but not Jesus. If you hate a people group enough to wish them dead and act on those wishes, what moral principle is that? What kind of a person are you?
Many have died in war. The Old Testament records many of these wars. I understand irritation but I cannot understand murder. We love and protect people from harm. I don’t hate Hamas but there must be a way to deport them from Palestine. Today the tension rises between Israel and Iran. Today’s map reveals that the Israeli targets are weapons and war structures. Iran is targeting residential areas, schools, and hospitals. Are we people or are we animals? Where/how does this end? Many jokes are made about the beauty contestants who, when asked what their platform would be if they win is World Peace. Maybe they are smarter than they look.
Ethics allows us to order our thinking about God and life. Hamas chose hate but we choose the Jesus way.
