The 6th commandment: Thou Shalt Not Kill vs. Thou Shalt Not Murder

Lifestyle Religion, Spiritualism & Philosophy
1

The Sixth Commandment: Textual Nuance

  • Original Hebrew: The word in Exodus 20:13 and Deuteronomy 5:17 is רָצַח (ratsach).
    • It refers specifically to murder—intentional, unjustified killing with malice.
    • It does not prohibit all killing (e.g., warfare, capital punishment, accidental manslaughter).
  • King James Version (1611): “Thou shalt not kill.”
    • This translation is overly broad and has led to confusion, suggesting all killing is forbidden.
  • Modern Translations (NIV, ESV, etc.): “You shall not murder.”
    • More accurate, aligning with the Hebrew nuance.
  • Biblical Context: Other passages (Genesis 9:6, Numbers 35) distinguish between murder, manslaughter, and justified killing.

Hiroshima, Nagasaki, and the Truman Doctrine

  • Atomic Bombings (Aug 1945): Truman authorized the use of atomic bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki to force Japan’s surrender.
    • These events demonstrated U.S. military dominance and the devastating potential of nuclear weapons.
  • Cold War Context: After WWII, the Soviet Union expanded influence in Eastern Europe.
    • The U.S. feared communist expansion into Greece and Turkey.
  • Truman Doctrine (1947):
    • Announced to Congress on March 12, 1947.
    • Pledged U.S. support for nations resisting Soviet-backed authoritarianism.
    • Marked the beginning of containment policy—a cornerstone of U.S. Cold War strategy.
  • Connection to Hiroshima/Nagasaki:
    • The bombings reinforced Truman’s belief in decisive action and demonstrated America’s willingness to use overwhelming force.
    • They set the stage for a foreign policy of deterrence and containment, where nuclear capability underpinned U.S. credibility.

^This is nonsense.

2

Framing the question

  • Two truths collide:
    Truth 1: Hiroshima and Nagasaki killed civilians on a massive scale—children, elders, people with no agency in the war.
    Truth 2: The bombings likely accelerated Japan’s surrender and helped inaugurate a nuclear deterrence regime that many argue has prevented great‑power war for nearly 80 years.

  • The moral hinge:
    Whether it was “worth it” depends on which principle you treat as non‑negotiable: the inviolability of innocent life, or the prevention of even greater future catastrophes through decisive, terrifying force.

Three lenses on “was it worth it?”

  • Theological ethics (absolutist):
    No. Murder of innocents is never justified. Ends do not sanctify means. Peace built on the deliberate killing of civilians is morally compromised, regardless of outcomes.

  • Just war theory (criteria‑based):
    Ambivalent. Ending the war meets just cause and right intention; proportionality is contested; discrimination fails. If you prioritize discrimination, you say no. If you prioritize proportionality (net lives saved), you might say tragic but justified.

  • Realpolitik (consequentialist):
    Yes, with grim clarity. The bombings ended the war quickly and helped deter great‑power conflict for decades. The peace is not moral innocence—it’s enforced by fear. But if preventing another world war is paramount, the tradeoff is accepted.

What the 80 years of “peace” really mean

  • Peace by deterrence:
    The absence of great‑power war has coexisted with proxy wars, coups, genocides, and nuclear brinkmanship. It’s not moral peace—it’s strategic stalemate. The ledger includes avoided catastrophes and tolerated injustices.

  • Counterfactual humility:
    We don’t know with certainty what an invasion of Japan would have cost, or whether a demonstration blast or altered surrender terms could have ended the war without city‑wide annihilation. Any verdict carries uncertainty.

TLDR

If your standard is the sanctity of innocent life, then no—deliberate civilian annihilation cannot be “worth it.”
If your standard is preventing greater total loss of life and deterring world war, then yes—grimly, the bombings may have been “worth it” in consequential terms.

@Billy_Graham What say you? Am I corrupting Christ’s message?

“The horse is made ready for the day of battle, but victory rests with the Lord.” - Proverbs 21:31