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How does the church solve this problem?

sodr2sodr2
edited December 1969 in Faith Issues
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trolley_problem

Simply,
A trolley is running out of control down a track. In its path are 5 people who have been tied to the track by the mad philosopher. Fortunately, you can flip a switch, which will lead the trolley down a different track to safety. Unfortunately, there is a single person tied to that track. Should you flip the switch?
My guess is no, since everything is God's will, so you shouldn't interfere. Then again, you could ask everyone who's repentant and who's not and kill the one(s) that are repentant  ;D There are many other problems such as this...

Comments

  • peterfarringtonpeterfarrington
    You should leap in the way of the trolley and stop it by allowing it to run over you and save all the people.

    Father Peter
  • mabsootamabsoota
    sound!  :)
  • sodr2sodr2
    [quote author=peterfarrington link=topic=8578.msg108367#msg108367 date=1260725684]
    You should leap in the way of the trolley and stop it by allowing it to run over you and save all the people.

    Father Peter



    I would do that... but, what if I don't *feel* prepared to die but worried about things like not confessing recently, or committed a sin recently or anything that bothers me about dying unprepared? If I sacrifice my life to save them with God in mind, is that... favorable in God's eyes?

    I guess it's good how the Bible says to always be prepared :)
  • peterfarringtonpeterfarrington
    Well the problem is used in class to make you/us think.

    So, as you say, let us be prepared for death. Not in a negative sense, but in a positive sense. It is not necessary for us to have confessed our sins to our FOC to be in a repentant state, so we should not think 'I can only give my life for another in the few seconds after receiving absolution or holy communion'. But you are right, we should give thought to being always prepared.

    The aim of the Christian life is to acquire the Holy Spirit. If we do everything that is demanded by this aim then we will be ready to stand before God. If we are not ready then let us repent so that we are ready.

    In the next few minutes any of us could die, we should always be prepared - like the Boy Scouts. This does not require us to be miserable, but to be joyfully attentive to our lives at all times. We should be careful what we look at, careful what we hear, careful what we say, careful how and what we eat so that the Holy Spirit remains with us and in us and rests upon us.

    Father Peter
  • sodr2sodr2
    Sounds good to me. How wonderful would it be to sacrifice your life for others.
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