If killing was the criteria for sin, we'd all be liable every time we stepped on an ant, ate a carrot, or accidentally killed a fly from poison monoxide coming from the fire we started to keep warm.
Would an ancient Israelite consider it wrong to kill an ant or a fly? I don't think they were given the breathe of life from God, so I am not sure if they would enter into the thoughts of the person(s) who wrote the commandments.
Also, I think it is safe to assume that the ancient Israelites didn't know that plants were alive or we would have had a mention of this in the Noah myths.
I think it's pretty safe that the commandment is about murdering another human, a being alive by the breath of God.
If you are sleeping soundly in your home and are awakened by a masked man who kicked down the door, you have the right to defend your life, home, and property.
But if you kill the intruder you will go to jail, you do not have a free hand to beat him to death or shoot him.
are the people held accountable?
It's a fair bet that you would go to jail in the UK if you used excessive force on an intruder.
Should they be?
No. But we are a PC crazy country now where the only people discriminated against are white, employed, drug-free, non-alcoholic, married, law-abiding citizens.
There are just and unjust killings.
And God slaughtering the innocent Egyptian children was just or unjust?
"The teachers of the law and the Pharisees brought in a woman caught in adultery. They made her stand before the group and said to Jesus, "Teacher, this woman was caught in the act of adultery. In the Law Moses commanded us to stone such women. Now what do you say?" They were using this question as a trap, in order to have a basis for accusing him.
But Jesus bent down and started to write on the ground with his finger. When they kept on questioning him, he straightened up and said to them, "If any one of you is without sin, let him be the first to throw a stone at her." Again he stooped down and wrote on the ground.
At this, those who heard began to go away one at a time, the older ones first, until only Jesus was left, with the woman still standing there. Jesus straightened up and asked her, "Woman, where are they? Has no one condemned you?"
"No one, sir," she said. "Then neither do I condemn you," Jesus declared. "Go now and leave your life of sin." -John 8:3-11
You don't really take that story seriously though do you?
Brian.
™ Version 4.2
