When a police officer takes a life in the line of duty, there will almost always be a period of emotional upheaval and for some, mental anguish will follow. It is as if one has pushed a large boulder off a cliff in the dark and heard a human groan coming from below. You are not sure exactly what the results of your actions have been, nor their long-term consequences, but something has just hit you hard in the gut.
I have for some time wanted to delve into this subject in order to help. I believe that I am qualified to do so, as I have a foundational understanding of human ethics and morality that I believe is anything but subjective. I have come to understand in the last few decades that there is a definable moral code that has been the civil, moral and religious underpinning of the human race for five thousand years: the Judaeo-Christian Ethic. I understand its history, its character, its laws, its symmetry, its application, and the consequences of deviating from its principles.
Our civilization has at its core the principle of human rights. These are sacrosanct in Western culture. Not so in God’s eyes. In His eyes, individual rights, even the right to life, do not rise to the level of the rights of the group. When God’s law had its inception, the nation of Israel was in the wilderness wanderings. In that harsh environment, to be exiled from the camp often meant certain death. Nevertheless, communicable disease was of great concern then, and so when someone in the camp developed symptoms of communicable disease, they were exiled from the camp. Was this fair to them? Had they done anything wrong? Were they guilty of any crime? No, no, and no. The operating principle that governed the situation was nevertheless a simple one: three million lives are worth more than one. The moral high ground was clearly defined: it didn’t matter if this was some mother’s son or some child’s daddy: the protection of that society was the paramount concern that governed action and judgment.
That same moral principle operates today. When a police officer or soldier takes a life in the line of duty under circumstances whereby the perpetrator presents an untenable risk to the innocent, the moral high ground demands that the safety of the group be prioritized. It is that simple. There is no moral need born of conscience that ever warrants questioning in such proper actions.
When undertaken under the codified policies and protocols of law enforcement, the use of deadly force is as high an expression of moral principle as is to be found. It is only the moral confusion within a personal conscience that brings the officer or soldier to a place of inner conflict. This is unnecessary. If you took a life under typical law enforcement guidelines defining the appropriate venues and circumstances concerning the use of deadly force, I am here to tell you that you deserve a clear conscience. There is no question that the foundational document of the Judaeo-Christian ethic, the Bible, agrees with and illustrates this principle over and over and over again throughout its sixty six books, 1,189 chapters, 31,103 verses, and 783,137 words.
The Bible gives man three circumstances where the taking of a human life is justifiable:
1. Killing in warfare: God makes it abundantly clear that protecting innocent lives by the killing of enemy aggressors bent on their destruction is appropriate and permissible— even an act of courage commanded from on High. We see men like Moses, Joshua and David respond heroically and decisively to God’s command to kill enemy aggressors. God told them clearly, “I will be with you.”
2. Self-defense: This is the same national principle described above on an individual level. When the police officer pulls the trigger, he or she is the legitimate and duly appointed representative of government. He or she must rely on his or her training to make a split-second decision. The training is all about making that decision purely second nature. Many criminals use indecision on the part of armed civilians to their benefit. This is moral confusion and cannot be a part of a professional response to life threatening situations by law enforcement. After the fact, moral clarity is vital for the proper psychological response. Moral confusion breeds unnecessary guilt in many police officers. They deserve a clear conscience, and then some.
3. Capital punishment: Genesis 9:5-6 says, “And for your lifeblood I will surely demand an accounting. I will demand an accounting from every animal. And from each man, too, I will demand an accounting for the life of his fellow man.” This passage tells us that God commands that murderers should be executed. This moral command rests on the very principle most often expressed by its opponents: the sanctity of life. What was the life taken by the criminal worth? Opponents of capital punishment fall seriously short in this area. (In fact, it is curious to me that these people have at times defined life as, “an unviable tissue mass,” as well as “an accidental, purposeless series of random, genetic mutations.”)
So when a police officer takes a life in the line of duty under the proper circumstances, while we do not want to see the expression of callousness, neither do we want to see noble and dedicated officers torment themselves by failing to understand that it was the very One with authority to end that life, the God who created it, who authorized, approved, and gave the order to take it in the interest of protecting other lives. This is the moral high ground. It is the path of nobility, virtue, courage and sacred honor. It is what should raise every soldier and policeman to the highest levels of respect in our nation. These are men and women who have stepped forward and said, “I will put my life on the line for principle.” There is nothing in this world worthy of more respect. This is not a personal opinion. This is what was clearly articulated by Jesus Christ Himself:
“Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.” John 15:13
There is no less nobility or courage in the expressed willingness to do this than in the act itself. There are many heroes all around us who have never had the opportunity to demonstrate their heroism.
So when a police officer, corrections officer, or soldier sets foot on that path, and their bullets end the life of a perpetrator, the path to defining what is moral should be clear, simple, and unobstructed by emotion and the confused application of incorrect and subjective moral principles. The highest of moral principles found in the Bible will be “a lamp unto your feet, and a light unto your path” if you let them. It is in that clarity that you will find the peace you so greatly deserve.
I join millions of Americans in thanking you from the bottom of my heart for your service and dedication to these highest of principles.
Jerry D. Kaifetz, Ph.D.
