[Granny-like_the_apple]

Originally Posted by Asurai

Correct, although I have a slight quibble with the word 'unlawfully' in that definition. It would imply that (to use the same example that I'm fond of) Germans' killing Jews wasn't murder, since it was legal in Germany at the time.

Unless it violated international laws, it wasn't murder, unless you want to redefine the word. I looked up the definition of murder in lots of different things, and everything included the word "unlawfully," and that's what I was pointing out. Murder is dependant on laws, and laws are mutable, while you believe morality is not. If you want to proffer a definition of murder that better fits with your belief in morals, be my guest.

Again, I point out that in Nazi Germany it was legal to kill Jews, but I think that everyone here would still call the act itself 'murder.'

In feudal Japan, a samurai had the authority to kill any peasant at any time for any reason, without fear of consequences -- but if a samurai went and decapitated a farmer for not bowing low enough, I'm sure that we would all consider that murder, even though it was legally allowed.

Or, to use a more PC example, most of the early American colonists saw nothing wrong with attacking Indians, and it was mostly legal, but I'm sure that we would, despite the legality, call it 'murder' if a group of settlers crept into a village, slaughtered a few children, and snuck away.

In Saddam's Iraq, it was perfectly "legal" (not that there was really such a thing as law there) for Saddam and his sons to crash a wedding, kill the groom, and **** the bride.

My point is, that if the government tomorrow said that I could go out and torture/kill any Muslims without fear of consequences, I would still be evil for torturing and a murderer for killing.

Evil, fine, murderer, no. Technically. Which was my whole point.


I just watched an episode of South Park where Kyle's cousin visits. Awesome. "In this class, we need concentration. You need to concentrate and pay attention." "Maybe we should send him to concentration camp."

How I've missed this show.

And that's my way of saying that you don't need to worry about using PC examples with me.