Some of the Ten Commandments were difficult for me to understand when I first learned them as a child. Adultery, false witness, and coveting made no sense to me then. But I always understood the commandment I was taught as the Fifth. Don't kill.
It sounds simple enough. I never had murderous intentions toward anyone. Killing is bad, awful, terrible, and just plain wrong. What's to understand?
The problem is in the nuances. Does this commandment refer to abortion or capital punishment? What about war--or can war be justified with the right type of propaganda? How does this apply to mercy killings? Wouldn't it be better to put a sick person out of his misery?
The commandment doesn't deal with these shades of right and wrong. The meaning is clear. Do not kill. Simple enough.
Children have clear vision of such matters, and they can understand. What has happened to the adults?
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