Ethics Question

[Justified]

I'm reading an excerpt from The Crito by Plato, and I have an ethics question. From a Christian perspective, was Socrates right for staying in the city, waiting his [unjust?] demise? My question is really, if I was convicted wrongly, would it be wrong to attempt an escape? Or would that be preserving your life, as we are commanded in the sixth commandment?

 

[Claudiu]

The demise of Socrates may be taken as unjust from a Christian perspective in that one of the charges against him was that of impiety ("not believing in the gods of the state"). Here one could argue that Socrates was neglecting man's law in order to fulfill a "higher law." However, the issue then becomes if he was even pious in the correct form, maybe believing in the true God? That is, neglecting man's law in order to abide by God's law. I do not think this was the case with Socrates.

From the view of the Athenians, Socrates was justly punished. He was corrupting the youth of Athens and impious. If it truly was an unjust charge, trial, and punishment against him, in my opinion it would not be wrong to attempt an escape. One could argue the preservation of life or the "unjust law is no law at all" for justification.

What do you think?

 

[VictorBravo]

Providentially, I was studying this passage this evening:

Heb 11:23 By faith Moses, when he was born, was hid three months of his parents, because they saw he was a proper child; and they were not afraid of the king's commandment.

The Pharaoh's law was indeed unjust. Moses' parents are commended for their actions.

 

[SeanPatrickCornell]

Jesus was innocent of all charges, and HE didn't try to save His own life, and in fact prevented His disciples from saving Him.

And as we know, Jesus did not sin.

Hopefully I am not missing the point here.

 

[Justified]

Yeah, I'm just curious. The six commandment does require us to preserve our life, although Socrates, in some sense, was trying to obey the authorities over him. I'm not saying that it is never right to escape or to "rebel" in some way; I'm just trying to put myself in his situation, but as a Christian.

 

[Peairtach]

I think it depends on the circumstances. If you're at the stage where you are being taken to the scaffold it would look like cowardice if you struggled to get free. Better to glorify God by "dying well".

There are a number of cases in Scripture in which God's people flee for their lives. E.g. Elijah hid from Jezebel and Ahab. If we're threatened by evil rulers and we're "innocent" targets of their wicked machinations we're under no obligation to "hang around" and take it.

Our Lord of course was a different case as He deliberately went to Jerusalem in order to lay down His life as He had received that command from His Father.

Sent from my HTC Wildfire using Tapatalk 2