God Ordered Woman to Sacrifice Children - What's Not to Believe?
[Defense attorney Teresa] Caffese read from a letter she said Harris wrote from jail that was addressed to God.
"I did what you told me and now I am in lockup," Harris wrote. "Kiss my boys for me."
Source: CBS News
The prosecution argues that Harris knew she had to kill the children in order for them to go to heaven and, therefore, she should be found guilty of murder. This ignores the entire theological question of how to deal with a person who sincerely believes that they have received instructions from God. Should those instructions be followed or not?
Prosecutors imply that such instructions should not be followed if they contradict society's laws, but how many religious believers would really accept this principle? Harris obeyed what she thought were God's orders. There's no more reason to think that she was insane than most people who think that God communicates with them — either directly through voices, indirectly though signs, or very indirectly through scripture. Admitting that, however, would make most popular forms of religious theism in America more difficult to justify and defend.
Comments
God told her to do something. God is then telling the judge that the judge must also prosecute the woman.
According to the Bible, God told Abraham to kill Isaac. Perhaps the angel just didn’t come to stop this woman. Such a loving god he is, isn’t he?
the question is: are regular believers in god just as delusional as a woman who kills her children because she thinks god is ordering her to do it?
to me, it’s easier to see everything in percentages. in terms of mental health, a person that is experiencing a profound hallucination or delusion is much more sick (delusional) than a person who adopts a common and socially acceptable theory. religion, like everything else, has a reason for being. the universe is unfathomable. we are scheduled to die. we experience all nature of sorrows and suffering. it’s not surprising that an escape is so widely sought after.
i have characterized believing in a deity delusional but i think it’s more indoctrination and fear.
i have actually known several women who have killed loved ones in the manner described. once they are stablized on medication and their psychosis controlled, they are as normal and, usually, as charming as anyone.
That God, he’s one twisted s.o.b. First he tells Ms Harris to throw her kids off a bridge, then he sits back while she gets prosecuted. Shouldn’t God be prosecuted as a co-conspirator?
Didn’t Pat Robertson JUST say without irony or shame that god was speaking to him and told him that there will be a horrible terrorist act in 2007? What can possibly be the difference??? someone PLEASE explain the difference.
What #3 said. I knew a fellow who talked to space aliens…constantly. One of their names was god.
At the same time, surely this person is as sane as the aforementioned P.Robertson, and G.W. Bush among others who cite the same authority.
they were saying that people can enjoy and adhere to their religion so long as they uphold the laws society has set for them…what ever happened to god’s law being before any and all others??
Re comment #3: What exactly constitutes a “common and socially acceptable theory”? One that 75% of the population agrees with? What if just 51% of the population agrees, is it still socially acceptable? And if that theory contains such elements as “non-believers must be killed,” how is that acceptable?
weemaryanne,
Injustice in not “socially acceptable.” In Afghanistan, most people agree that apostacy should be punishable by death and they find their law calling for the death penalty to be just. In the United States, we appreciate the benefits of a diversity of religious views and don’t have the death penalty for “non-believers.” On the ohter hand, a majority in any state can approve the use of the death penalty, but only as just punishment for the most heinous crimes. Neither of these death penalty laws would exist if they were not seen as just by their local society.
The way I see it is…Lets turn the tables and put this woman as a woman who practiced witchcraft as a religion. Lets say that instead of sacrificing her children to ‘God’ she sacrificed them to another god or goddess because she claims thats what he or she told her to do. Would society not then put a bad name on all Pagans because one was delusional. Society would have no problem prosecuting a witch for doing the same thing this woman did and yet there is so much controversy about this woman being prosecuted. I say she deserves worse than the death penalty.