The End of a Road by John M Allegro

Author:John M Allegro
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: John Marco Allegro, entheogen, humanism, Christianity, ethics, applied ethics, the early Church, atheism
ISBN: 9780615792095
Publisher: Andrews UK Limited 2013
Published: 2013-05-08T00:00:00+00:00

8: Playing God

Perhaps the cruellest dilemmas which civilized man has to face concern the taking of human life. On the battlefield, fear and mass hysteria to a large degree relieve the individual of the necessity for making rational decisions about whether his opponent shall live or die; if it’s not the other chap, it’s me. Even the general, secure in his headquarters, can calmly and methodically plan the extermination of hundreds and thousands of the enemy. He is the servant of his political masters, and has assigned the responsibility for the destruction he contemplates to the ‘Government’. The politicians, even more secure in their Cabinet rooms, are but spokesmen and executors for the millions that put them in power. Responsibility for ending human life is thus distributed over the community, and guilt is a rare emotion in such circumstances.

Similarly, in those communities which still inflict the death sentence upon their criminals, responsibility for the judicial murder rests upon society as a whole and neither the judge nor the executioner need take the fearful act upon their consciences. Nevertheless, in war and in capital punishment society decrees that certain human beings should not live. A definite decision is made, jointly or individually, that in the interests of the community as a whole the lives of certain people should be forfeit. The Church has never found itself able to take an unequivocal line on either war or capital punishment. With such a bloody history behind it, it is difficult to see how the Church could do so. Does not the Master promise in the New Testament to ‘cast fire upon the earth’ (Luke 12:49), and urge his humble fishermen disciples in the story to equip themselves with swords (Luke 22:36)?

Some branches of Christianity, placing more emphasis upon those reputed sayings of Jesus which command his followers to love their enemies, have preached pacifism. The Quakers in particular have sent the flower of their youth upon the battle-field, resolutely refusing to carry arms but bearing stretchers under the protection of their country’s shells and mortars. Short of removing oneself entirely from civilization and living on some far desert island, it is difficult to see how a pacifist can entirely escape involvement in a war being waged on his behalf by his fellow-countrymen. In any case, ‘loving one’s enemies’ can be variously interpreted. No doubt the executioners of the Inquisition were sincere in their belief that in destroying the mortal flesh of the heretic, they were demonstrating their love for his soul. Better to roast in the market-place at the hands of the Church than in hell in the company of the devil.

As a general rule of conduct, the sixth commandment may seem admirable. As a specific guide to the morality of taking life in judicial executions, war and medical practice, it is virtually useless. Indeed it has perhaps done more to cloud the vital issues raised by problems of life and death than it was ever worth as a general precept. As with

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