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Sincere Question to Christians -- I Need Your Help & Insight (see below)?

I'm taking a screenwriting class at my local college, and I have to write a script for a short film as a class project. I've decided the story is going to be about a sort of robot janitor/caretaker who works at a small church sometime in the near future. He's got it into his head that, while he's programmed to avoid harming humans, the risk to their immortal souls is infinitely greater than anything they could suffer here on Earth; he concludes that he can best "save" people by killing them while they're still members of the church in good standing, before they have a chance to sin or renounce God. In the story, the robot will have kidnapped the church's organ player and is planning to kill her; the second act will mostly revolve around her attempts to persuade the robot to spare her.

So my question to you: if you were in such a position, with the robot offering to "save" you from the temptations of sin, and possibly someday rejecting your salvation, by sending you straight to Heaven, what arguments would you use to persuade him to let you keep on living?

I know I may be a bit of a smart aleck and an iconoclast here online, but this really is a project I'm working on and I sincerely would appreciate your feedback. I look forward to hearing your responses...

7 Answers

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  • 7 years ago

    The premise of your story sounds a bit like "Minority Report" :)

    I would suggest the Organist point out to the robot it is God's perogotive to give or take life:

    1 Samuel 2:6

    "The Lord brings death and makes alive; he brings down to the grave and raises up."

    The robot is not God, therefore he has no right to take her life.

    If the robot insists he is somehow doing "God's bidding", then she might try to convince the robot killing her prematurely would take away from the opportunity to do good works by which each Christian will be judged by:

    "For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that each one may be recompensed for his deeds in the body, according to what he has done, whether good or bad." (NASB) 2 Cor. 5:10

    If the robot persists in it's false notion of doing "God's will", she could point out that God's will is for people to get saved:

    1 Timothy 2:1-4

    "I urge, then, first of all, that petitions, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made for all people— for kings and all those in authority, that we may live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness. This is good, and pleases God our Savior, who wants all people to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth."

    She could present the robot with a logical conundrum, if it kills her, she wouldn't be around to help lead others to salvation, this would go against God's "prime directive". If it continues on it's "cleansing spree" there would soon be no more Christians on earth to spread the Gospel and thus the robot would not be doing God's work at all.

    As a last resort, we could find out that this organist was once a companion of Doctor Who, pulls out a sonic screwdriver and deactivates the robot ;-)

  • Pheby
    Lv 7
    7 years ago

    This a very intellegent question. Robot means science as well as logic thus I will ask the robot with who's instruction that it wants me to be killed. Then I shall intruct it to kill the first person who instructed of this killing duty because this is the simple logic. I will tell the robot if it will not kill the one who instructed it then it will certainly face the same fate with all human.

  • Anonymous
    7 years ago

    I would remind the robot that killing off the members of the church was self-defeating and would result only in the robot puting himself (herself/itself) out of a job.

    Also, the robot wouldn't get a good reference so future job prospects would be nil.

    Another tack would be to remind the robot it is breaking the rules set by its creator and so reprogramming would be necessary.

    If logic and self-preservation failed, I'd probably then resort to removing the batteries or switching the stupid thing off.

    Edit: Okay, how to present an argument to disuade a robot from killing people for their own good so they can be fast-tracked to heaven. Well, just because a person goes to church is no guarantee they're going to heaven. Only God knows who belong to Him. Since the robot (or anybody else, for that matter) isn't God then taking the life of a person does not necessarily fast-track them to their heavenly rewards. The assumption that church-goers are destined to heaven is a false assumption.

    The organ player could then demonstrate that the world would be a lesser place without her by launching into one of those magnificent organ solos that raise the roof. How would the congregation cope without her and the organ when they sang to God? Hey, this could be really good.......

    Whatever the outcome, incorporate Widor's 5th Symphony in F - Movement V - Toccata, in the closing scene. If nothing else, it will uplift the audience, even if it has no effect on the robot.

  • this is a legal issue for your script.

    murdering the individual will require the robot to have capital punishment and would require all other robots of similar model to be taken off line and destroyed.

    Thou shalt not commit murder.

    Additionally, we are to spread the good news about Jesus Christ. Murder by the "robot" will prevent others from knowing what Jesus has done for us. Alternately, murdering the Christian will make the news and bring the gospel of Jesus Christ to others as well. Regardless, whether she is let go by the robot or she is murdered... God's plan will be accomplished.

    As far as your comments go to "Rick B" Jesus said many will come before Him (thinking they are going to heaven) but Jesus will tell them, "I never knew you"

    For example: It has been reported by people that come out of Freemasonry, that Freemasons worship 3 gods. Many of these freemasons are active in churches around the world. Maybe it isn't clear to those first joining, but they do worship something other then YHWH of the Bible. God said thou shalt have no other god's before me. Just saying you're a Christian, being in the church and or being a pastor of a church or board member doesn't mean they "know" Him and Jesus "knows" them.

    In other words, once someone is actually saved, they are known to Jesus... they can't lose their salvation. The fact of the matter is, many don't do that. It's a legal process, a pardon must be accepted to be valid and God can't do anything more for you if you don't choose to take it.

    Others have estimated that 50% or less of those attending churches are actually saved.

    Romans 10:9-13 explains how to be saved.

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  • Anonymous
    7 years ago

    I am working on a book now. It is based on revelatory historical fact but it has fictitious characters and a plot of personal invention. When I am done perhaps you will be interested.

  • Great story line. I want to buy one of those bots to give to the Jehos who knock on my door Sunday mornings.

  • Rick B
    Lv 7
    7 years ago

    I would point out that you can't lose your salvation. If she is saved now, she will be saved years from now.

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