Trolley Dilemmas

In the book of Numbers, Moses and the Isrealites travel through the desert. Recently following their escape from Egypt. They find themselves faced with sin and temptation in the form of the Midianite people. “Now therefore, kill every male among the little ones, and kill every woman who has known man intimately. But all the girls who have not known man intimately, spare for yourselves”. Numbers 31:17-18

Historical Background Numbers was written by Moses sometime between 1200 and 100 bce. It records the time the Isrealites spent in the wilderness following Exodus. The striking command to kill the young men and women who have had intercourse happens in the last section of the book, In the Plains of Moab, occurs just before the Isrealites enter

An interesting concept to look at in comparison is the “Trolley Dilemma” which prompts whether the sacrifice of one life is worth it to save the many. The concept starts with a trolley on a track that splits into two different paths. Standing on the path to the right are 5 people who will be killed if the Trolley stays on its original path. To the left is a person standing alone. The driver of the Trolley must decide to either stay on the same path or alter course and decide whether to kill the five people or just one. The “deontological” argument states that both choices are wrong and would prefer that the individual lives. On the other hand the “utilitarianism” argument of the dilemma states that sacrificing one life to save five is the moral choice. However, the driver of the trolley would have to actively change course knowing that the one person would die. Most obviously prevalent in the Bible with the death of Jesus for the forgiveness of all humanity. This path most similarly aligns with Moses following God’s command to kill the Midian women. Making sacrifices to solidify the arrival of the Isrealites in

The quote made me angry to read. I took it as targeting women who are not virgins. I think that the passage more so points towards humanity’s lack of perspective in comparison to God. Even though the Isrealites were very much a lost people in the wilderness, they still kept their trust in God to lead them to the promised land. As He has infinite knowledge and ultimately knows what is going to push people towards heaven. There is a difference between understanding something and actually believing it. While I already believed in God before this paper, I feel as though I have a deeper understanding of Him because of what I have learned through His first