Randomex – What is the problem about ripping souls etc.? And I understand that it shows much more disrespect to life when one is killing simply for ones own purposes rather than because one wants the victim dead. But surely it is non proportionate – if a book full of Dark Magic (which horrifies Hermione!) can’t mention it, it has gotta be a whole load worse than simple murder (which is, as you said, evil, but is not a taboo subject at all!)?
And Dumbledore was upset with himself because he himself who had said “For the well organized mind, death is but the next great adventure”, fell through in the pursuit of immortality. I hear that.
I don’t like how you differentiate between Philosophers Stone and Horcruxes. If we grant that the problem with horcruxes is the “end”, not the “means”, ie denying death=defeating life etc, like you suggested, then the Philosophers Stone would be equally bad.
One could suggest, similar to what you are saying, that immortality is different to the Philosophers Stone, which was intended to extend life rather than prevent death.
But why would there be a problem of preventing life at all? (And I mean that 100% even from a Jewish perspective, although if you want to debate that we can do that on another thread.)