A FORK IN THE ROAD BY ROBERTO RAMIREZ
A few months back, I was on a road trip with my best friend to Chicago. When talking about everything (as you do on road trips) somehow the topic of self-sacrifice came up. He said to me, “I wouldn’t die for anyone, including you, I just feel like I'm not done here.” that hurt, coming from my best friend of 10 years. It stuck with me. I feel as if I would step in front of a bus for anyone. We are complete opposites and that was a fact we would have to deal with it.
It brings up and interesting philosophical question for me though, should you sacrifice yourself for everyone and anyone. Say you are brought into a white room with just you and a random person that is identical to you in age and health. You are unable to talk with this person on anything other than the choice at hand. That choice is witch of you will die, there must be a death for the other to leave the room and go back to normal life. What is the correct choice: to fight for life of sacrifice for one's fellow man?
If you asked me morally what the right choice was, I should give my life. But what if this person would go on to kill millions. Then would I have been responsible for that happening? I can say with confidence that I would never have the ability to kill millions, so should I instead fight to save myself.
Many philosophers have spoken on self-sacrifice, but one who has spokes on the harshest terms is Jesus. Now I grew up going to Sunday school and obviously I heard a lot about the crucifixion. the story did not sit with me too much until i heard about Jesus's stance on humans. Human's are inherently evil, (12) “They have all turned aside; They have together become unprofitable; There is none who does good, no, not one." -Romans 3:12
This is incredible that a being that knows us all as evil would then give himself so that we all might live.
On the other hand let us say that this other person in the room. They are good, they will go on to cure every illness at an affordable rate. Now that is a good person. But you might say to yourself why does he have any right to life over me? I would suggest checking out this video from Jordan Peterson.
Now I still thing that id sacrifice myself but I had to think twice about it. I suggest doing some research on your own.
D.Q.s
- What makes someone worthy of self-sacrifice?
- What would make someone unworthy of the same thing?
- Why would you pick to fight or give up life for someone knowing nothing about them?Sources:
Comments on:
"This is incredible that a being that knows us all as evil would then give himself so that we all might live." What many find more incredible is the notion that any individual's self-sacrifice "for our sins" could somehow translate into extended (let alone "eternal") life for others.
ReplyDeleteThe issue should not be one of sacrifice, but of service. What are we prepared to do for humanity, and for other humans?
(Had to downsize your thumbs-up Jesus, he was spilling all over the page.)