When does killing an animal constitute murder?

I think you asked a very pertinent question. My rates are very reasonable.......Generally I just don't believe the stance taken by jar and Ringo in this thread. I think they have talked themselves into a debate position that just doesn't bear any relation to their actual practical view of personal morality. If it did they would be psychopaths. And I don't think either of them are psychopaths.The idea that each moral decision is taken on the basis of it's absolute individual merits rather than general principles is ridiclous. Without moral principles on what basis are individual situations morally judged?How many bacteria do I kill every time I brush my teeth? Yet I wouldn't kill a person for giving me bad breath. If a mosquito buzzing around keeps me awake at night I will swat it into oblivion if necessary. But slapping to death a person who keeps me awake is morally reprehensible and utterly unjustified.For Ringo and jar to suggest that these moral stances are not shared by them just seems like an untruthful debate position.

Why not answer the moral dilemma as posed?PS - He tells you that failure to choose will result in the death of the human.Edited by Straggler, : No reason given.

I think the dilemma implies that this option is unavailable.-Meldinoor

I do not accept that as fact.

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Anyone so limited that they can only spell a word one way is severely handicapped!

For the same reason that I find almost all the moral dilemmas so silly, they limit the options. But fortunately I am a human and so am not so limited.Regardless, I still offered several other choices which answer the question.

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Anyone so limited that they can only spell a word one way is severely handicapped!

Why would you even risk the life of the human in order to question that fact?

I suppose if the dilemma were slightly different you would still try to pick the more non-committal choice. Suppose it was a gunman holding a gun to your wife and asking for $100. Your money or your wife? Would you still rather try to stop the gunman than to actually go along with one of the choices offered?Respectfully,-MeldinoorEdited by Meldinoor, : No reason given.

I offered several choices, maybe you did not notice.I am not questioning any fact, I am telling you that as a human, I do not have to accept the dilemma.

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Anyone so limited that they can only spell a word one way is severely handicapped!

Which wife?

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Anyone so limited that they can only spell a word one way is severely handicapped!

The point of a moral dilemma is not to reflect reality but to ascertain one's moral outlook.I am asking you if you in general consider the life of a human to be worthy of more moral consideration than that of a bug and you are evading the question with pedantic nonsense.Why can you not just give your personal moral stance on this issue?For the record - I would squash the bug myself if it saved the human life. Without a second thought. Consider that the next time you step on an ant.

You are just being evasive for the purposes of debate. That's sad.See Message 85

What about a situation that didn't involve a human life? Suppose instead that you were choosing between, say, a rat, and a fly?-Meldinoor

And I have replied that it depends on the circumstances. The bit with a bug vs a human is just too silly.Now I will try to give you some insight as to my moral stance, for what it is worth.If a psychopath was threatening to kill a human, I would try to stop the psychopath.If a burglar was threatening to kill my wife, I would try to stop the burglar.No negotiating.No bargaining.No choices.Just stop the psychopath or burglar.If that results in the psychopath or burglar dying, I will be sorry. But they will stop.

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Anyone so limited that they can only spell a word one way is severely handicapped!

I readily admit that my own moral stance is both human-centric and not entirely rational.I would kill a fly before a rat. As much for ease of doing and absence of mess as any moral consideration.

And if they were trying to kill a dog?