When, if ever, is taking a human life justified?

[testpattern]

Perhaps as blunt as one might expect from a Tarot de Marseille. The movement from XIII to III in the Batons to me suggests a winnowing of options from the fullness of possibility that one might read in the VIII to that fundamental motion represented by all IIIs: between the thesis of life and its antithesis, there is one possible synthesis that answers this question: death moves out from the Self to the Other. In other words, when you are forced to choose between killing and dying, only then is it permissible to take a life. The VIII of Coupes not only speaks of the perfect control of emotions that one must have in order for this to be a moral choice (see how each cup is carefully partitioned from the others?), but of the fullness of compassion, that force which stands between most of us and this terrible extreme.

[Joan Marie]

Somebody on your nerves?

[JudyK]

Somebody on your nerves?

[testpattern]

Somebody on your nerves?

No! It just stood out as an interesting question to ask the cards!

[TheLoracular]

2 of Air Equilibrium.png (236.87 KiB) Viewed 1540 times

Taking a stab at this question with the New Era Elements tarot and a single card.

Two of Air: Equilibirum

In the RWS decks, this card has a young woman blindfolded and holding crossed swords but I think in the NEE it has both unique imagery and I interpret it a little differently.

Justification can be a) the act of showing something to be right or reasonable to fellow humans or it can be d)declaring it as righteous and even demanded by holy writ and God.

I don't ascribe to any religion or faith that justifies murder (or even neglect) of fellow humans as an article of faith. Period.

But then that leaves proving taking human life as right or reasonable to fellow humans. That gets complicated. Equilibrium as a card speaks to me of the endless dance between Self and Society, between personal truth and socially constructed truth.

So I will say that whenever a society has established for itself laws which cover this topic? Then any taking of human life which can be viewed as lawful is can be justified accordingly and should be.

However, would I -personally- take a life under certain circumstances even if they were legal? (thinking of abortion or a doctor's dilemma of being able to save a mother or child but not both, of military service, of medically assisted suicide, self-defense and other hot topics)?

I know I would not be able to truthfully answer yes or no to anything I just offered as an example until the very instant I was there and the situation was on hand. If someone was pointing a gun at me? I wouldn't be able to act in my own defense. I'd freeze solid, helpless. And whatever anyone did to act on my behalf? I would justify the rest of my life.

[fire cat pickles]

You still mad?