Should There Be Mercy For the Murderous?

The Christian Diarist ^ | November 26, 2012 | JP

[CHRISTIAN DIARIST]

I continue to believe there are some recalcitrant criminals, who shake their fists at God, who deserve the ultimate punishment.

But I now believe there are some convicted offenders who are truly repentant; who deserve forgiveness and mercy notwithstanding their crimes.

[stuartcr]

I leave it up to God. I don’t think what I believe really matters to anyone other than God and myself.

[jessduntno]

I always thought those poor Menendez boys should have been treated with leniency. After all, they were orphans.

[I want the USA back]

All that mercy crap is just the liberals’ way of saying that no one is responsible for anything - there is no free will.

In the liberal mind, the only ones who deserve punishment are people who say un-PC things.

[GeronL]

You can forgive them all you want.

Society should not. Let them do their time first.

[rockrr]

What you said.

[Berlin_Freeper]

I now believe there is no one beyond God’s redemption.

Execution won't interfere with that one way or the other.

[svcw]

Of course there should be mercy, that in no way removes the personal responsibility and punishment for the crimes.

[DJlaysitup]

I watched a show the other night...a sports documentary about two young men who combined to kill a great basketball player in Detroit for nothing other than a shove.

They made a point that while one of the two spent 20+ years incarcerated and then continued to be a career criminal - the other one came out a new man and is now giving lectures in Detroit about how to not “go down the wrong road”. They bragged about the 50% recidivism as if it were a coup.

I suppose I’m getting a tad mean in my old age (or coming closer to my grandfather’s philosphy)..but I know how to keep recidivism at 0% for all murderers.

If you ned somebody to give lectures in schools how about letting the guy who has worked every day for UPS - spent 10 years as a box kicker - then got promoted to night shift manager.

[KrisKrinkle]

“Murderous” by what standard? There’s the legal standard and the moral standard.

Also, if a parent walks in on someone molesting their child, chases that fleeing someone down and kills them in hot blood, that may be murder but mercy might be in order.

On the other hand, if someone kills another in cold blood to eliminate them as a witness to something or the other, mercy probably is not in order.

[SoldierDad]

There is nothing that I know of that would remove the possibility of redemption in God’s eyes of any individual where their criminal sentence is still carried out to the full extent of the laws of man.

[SkyDancer]

I’m for the victim of the crime pardoning their killer. When they do, sounds fair to me.

[DJlaysitup]

I watched a show the other night...a sports documentary about two young men who combined to kill a great basketball player in Detroit for nothing other than a shove.

They made a point that while one of the two spent 20+ years incarcerated and then continued to be a career criminal - the other one came out a new man and is now giving lectures in Detroit about how to not “go down the wrong road”. They bragged about the 50% recidivism as if it were a coup.

I suppose I’m getting a tad mean in my old age (or coming closer to my grandfather’s philosphy)..but I know how to keep recidivism at 0% for all murderers.

If you need somebody to give lectures in schools how about letting the guy who has worked every day for UPS - spent 10 years as a box kicker - then got promoted to night shift manager - then made day foreman - and now has a nice house and is putting his kids through college.

[stuartcr]

Just goes to show how even the taking of a life is relative, but for some reason, people don’t like to hear about relativism.

[stuartcr]

Actions have consequences.

[jmacusa]

Nothing emboldens sin more than mercy.

[rigelkentaurus]

if one commits a crime, the price must be paid. Period.

If that criminal is trulrepentantnt, then he/she is right with G_d and whejudgmentnt comes, they have nothing to fear. Before that day, they have to be punished for what they did. If it is death. So be it.

[Venturer]

Being merciful would be to execute them within 6 months of the convictiuon.

More merciful to the killer not to be living in prison and more merciful to the victims relatives.

Over 600 killers on death row in California and 99% will die from old age.

[Vigilanteman]

Mercy should consist of a dignified public hanging, a nice hood over the head to prevent ropeburn to the neck and hide the face of the perp from the sadistic and, most of all, some hearty hymn singing to comfort the perp and prepare him to meet his maker before the trap door is sprung.

[Vigilanteman]

Mercy should consist of a dignified public hanging, a nice hood over the head to prevent ropeburn to the neck and hide the face of the perp from the sadistic and, most of all, some hearty hymn singing to comfort the perp and prepare him to meet his maker before the trap door is sprung.