A passage in Romans states "It is good to fear the sword of the state, for it has its purpose."
I had always cited this in defense of the death penalty, but I now see other considerations.
1 - The Pope is dealing with the rest of the world, who's law don't provide the protections afforded in the U.S.
2 - I've seen way too many examples of prosecutors aggressively pursuing high conviction rates, simply to further their political careers. Too many have been released from death row, in recent years, based upon DNA evidence.
3 - Just because we can cite cases where it is perfectly justified, doesn't mean we can insure against abuse in other cases.
God required Israel kill many criminals. But why listen to God?
I'm conflicted on this. There are cases where the perpetrators of horrific crimes deserve only one thing, a speedy trip to *ell. But, as you cite, there are mistakes. DNA has established that. There are some cases (such as the Oklahoma City bombing) where civilization might best be served if the maniacs were around for scientific research into the demented mind and perhaps for future information about any associates they might have had. Then there's the drawn out procedure of trial, retrial, pardons, actually taking away from closure for those affected. Better that those who commit these horrific acts be locked up for good in an underground cell without what they did getting any more sensationalist publicity.
Then there's the commitment to life. It's a crazy world. Those who support the slaughter of the preborn don't think a serial killer should be put to death. Huh? An innocent pre-separation infant has no right to life, but those who've slaughtered people do? Then there's my commitment to life. I support strongly the right of the preborn to their lives. Only God should take a life. So shouldn't it be left to God when those who would otherwise get the death penalty should die?
It's complicated, in my mind. ,
I happen to be in favor of the death penalty, but I swear that is not why I am upset by this. I am deeply disturbed because there is no justification for the way Pope Francis has gone about making this change, and his having done so in this way undermines his authority, as well as the Papacy itself.
Catholics, pray for our Church.
Arguing that the death penalty is misused and should be avoided in typical circumstances is entirely different from arguing that it is inherently immoral.
Doesn’t your post run contrary to your tag line?
If we could have appropriate, genuine life sentences with no possibility of parole, I’d be against capital punishment, too. We don’t, and won’t.
As long as there are DemocRat governors who can empty out a prison with the stroke of a pen, if you are against the death penalty, you favor having murderers living next door. Sorry if that sounds harsh.
1. The Bible is is dealing with the whole of the world, who's law don't provide all the protections or the penalties of the Bible, and is telling them how they should. Which means that capital punishment is sanctioned, if carried out according to the Biblical criteria and means.
And which requires 2 or 3 eye witnesses, and perjurers receiving the penalty their false testimonies incurred, and with the execution being by communal stoning, thus all having a hand in it, versus uninvolved, antiseptic execution by the state. See TheDeathPenalty
2 - I've seen way too many examples of prosecutors aggressively pursuing high conviction rates, simply to further their political careers. Too many have been released from death row, in recent years, based upon DNA evidence.
A minority, and such should face the Biblical penalty for false testimony. However, corruption simply does not necessarily translate into abrogation of laws.
3 Just because we can cite cases where it is perfectly justified, doesn't mean we can insure against abuse in other cases.
Just because we can cite cases where there was abuse, it doesn't mean we can insure against cases being perfectly justified.