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This button here - it could be worth it in a sense to risk one life (my life in this case) for the lives of 100. However, if I don't know to what degree - it may not be worth it because if it's to whiten 100 people's teeth - what good will that do? Does it truly matter what people's teeth look like? Sometimes people can have completely healthy teeth that aren't pure white. If this type of thing gave 100 people $1,000,000 dollars then that might not be great either, especially if there are some in that group of 100 that will love money over God - even if they need that money. I don't think I would push the button unless it was God's plan, or that it could lead some of those people towards God.
Also, would this button make 100 people's lives better in one way or all in different ways? Would it be for God's glory?
The question also is, "Is the many holding a gun to my head a good guy or a bad guy? Is he trying to stop me from pushing the button because things may seem better, but may actually get worse because of that short while things will be "better"? Or, is he a person that doesn't want to help humanity in any way?" Chances would be, this man knows something about that button - I would probably ask about the button to be sure of what it does and why he doesn't want it pressed. If the button does need to be pressed, he makes the death threat, but a person can talk another person out of something if they are skilled enough so it'd be worth a try. A person saying they are going to kill someone is a threat, but that doesn't mean they are going to do it.
Instead of pushing a button to change 100 lives, why not go out and make the difference of 100 peoples lives or more? Little things can make a huge difference.
Also, another question is, "Does pressing this button play against God? If we could press a button and make things better - would this truly be God's doing?"
After clicking the "spoiler", you say "what right do we have to place our own lives or well being over that of others?" That statement alone would be that we need to think of others, be kind to others, and not think of others as less because we are all equal. In this instance, since I don't know what this button officially does - it may not be worth the risk. Not sure if this was the best example because it has plenty of questionable scenarios behind it that arise. Also, if the button was created by man - some people replace good for evil and evil for good so it might not be a trustworthy button.
You say in the spoiler, "To that very distant possibility that you would have to choose between your life and someone else's." implying a life for a life, not a life for lives so it doesn't exactly match the button scenario. If I was a person dying for another - there may be better chances of knowing why I would be laying down my life for another person. If someone shot a gun and I shielded another person from taking that hit. Or, donating an organ to a future child that would be mine because they needed it. There could be a chance where God puts his hand to intervene and I die for someone else without realizing it. For example, let's say someone dies in a car crash and other people in the car survive and go to the hospital and one of them finds out that they have a terminal illness that has been causing no symptoms and they are able to be treated for that illness before it gets worse. Or, if a had passed out and bystanders were standing around and some were trying to revive the unconscious person until an ambulance arrived and they had died on the way to the hospital and if some of those people weren't there in that crowd watching or trying to help, they might have died while doing what they would've been doing if they weren't in that crowd.
So I can't give a definitive "yes" or "no" on whether I would push this "button". I lean more towards "no" than "yes".
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