How can a Christian support the death penalty?

[Zack]

Exactly.

 

[kosiosko 1]

Please realize that there is a significant difference in the meaning of 'murder' and 'to kill' in the hebrew language. They are simply not the same thing, and a death penalty per Hebrew law wouldnt be considered murder in any case.

the version i was reading used Murder , not kill as so many translations do
and JC answered just as i answer so many post

they said BUT I TELL YOU.......
he did this with murder, adultery, several others, In the 12 or so passages following your recomended quote, which is why i didn't feel convinced enough to exactly change my view

the book

21"You have heard that it was said to the people long ago, 'Do not murder,[a] and anyone who murders will be subject to judgment.' 22But I tell you that anyone who is angry with his brotherwill be subject to judgment. Again, anyone who says to his brother, 'Raca,[c]' is answerable to the Sanhedrin. But anyone who says, 'You fool!' will be in danger of the fire of hell.
23"Therefore, if you are offering your gift at the altar and there remember that your brother has something against you, 24leave your gift there in front of the altar. First go and be reconciled to your brother; then come and offer your gift.

JC uses alot of but i tell yous in reference to the 10 commandments

not exactly glowing support for taking someone and calculatively killing them
not very neighbourly

 

[Bestbank Tiger]

Are you a Christian though?

And he didn't nullify the other 10, just said the other two were more important. I think the fourth was the only one that was nullified.

I never took it as saying anything was nullified, just that if you follow those two commandments the Decalogue would take care of itself.

 

[Del Pino]

To be honest, I don't see the contradiction. I'm Catholic and if a loved one of mine was murdered, I would probably come to terms with the loss and eventually forgive the murderer on a personal level, but I would still want the criminal be punished by the secular judicial system as they see fit.

 

[Eran of Arcadia]

But in this case the law is being used by the lynch mob. The state becomes the tool for revenge

In which case?

 

[kosiosko 1]

In which case?

in the 139 cases of overturning of death penalties. by DNA and retrials they are the lucky ones, or frank lee smith dying of cancer begging for his case to be re examined while spending 14 years on death row, oops they got that one wrong too, pity it came too late for frank.

 

[civver_764]

What is it exactly that you think forgiveness means? Not just letting it go, and not hating them, but also trying to shield the guilty party from any sort of consequence of their actions?

I really really really really really really hate this argument. Just because you aren't putting someone to death doesn't mean you're letting them free.

And yeah, I don't care about that silly Jesus bible passage, just the whole idea of forgiveness in general. If you kill someone you don't forgive them, I thought that was pretty obvious.

 

[GamezRule]

According to Christians, when people die, God will send them to Heaven or Hell anyway. So it can't be wrong to kill murderers because the worst that can happen if they are good people is that they get sent to Heaven earlier than they expected - a kind of bonus award for them. So it can't be wrong to kill them as they are only being sent to face the same destiny they were going to face anyway. And God wouldn't let us kill them if He didn't want us to kill them - which means that it can't be wrong.

Thou Shalt not Kill.

 

[Eran of Arcadia]

in the 139 cases of overturning of death penalties. by DNA and retrials they are the lucky ones, or frank lee smith dying of cancer begging for his case to be re examined while spending 14 years on death row, oops they got that one wrong too, pity it came too late for frank.

Given that the verdict and the sentence are separate things, if I were wrongfully convicted of a capital crime I didn't commit, I would rather be sentenced to death (and a decade of appeal chances) than life in prison. The people who had their death sentences overturned aren't an argument against capital punishment, they are an argument against convicting those specific people.

Besides, even wrongful convictions (whether they result in overturned death sentences or simply years in prison before being released) still aren't the same as a lynch mob.

 

[PeteAtoms]

Thou Shalt not Kill.

*Terms and conditions subject to change, exceptions apply. See Bible for details. All opinions expressed within are those of the authors, but are ultimately attributed as the word of God. Refunds not available. Any and all contradictions are the result of man's fallibility and should not reflect the mysterious ways of God. Not following these laws may be hazardous to your health, symptoms include eternal pain and suffering. God sez so.

 

[kosiosko 1]

Given that the verdict and the sentence are separate things, if I were wrongfully convicted of a capital crime I didn't commit, I would rather be sentenced to death (and a decade of appeal chances) than life in prison. The people who had their death sentences overturned aren't an argument against capital punishment, they are an argument against convicting those specific people.

Besides, even wrongful convictions (whether they result in overturned death sentences or simply years in prison before being released) still aren't the same as a lynch mob.

lynch mob is a broad term... but your points taken, I would imagine most Christians would choose to spend the life in contemplation in a small cell all alone, its often seen as the height of devotion .... the monks i know swear by it ,.... tho nowadays they get about more often

come on you slipped in the old chestnut ....( and a decade of appeal chances) oh isn't the way we kill people so humane and are not the people we kill so lucky

to the people that survived , the process , the system,.... prosecutors withholding information, police stopping investigations when they get their FIRST SUSPECT , political careers beginning with strong conviction rates and death penalties, the mob waiting with baited breath while future presidents show they have balls on the eve of presidential elections (Clinton/Bush) by letting some one be killed by the state ..... it still would feel that the system is run by the lynch mob .... i should imagine

edit
their cases are exactly 'a' point for arguing against the death penalty, not my primary point but a point nether the less
edit

 

[The Imp]

What with the emphasis on forgiveness and all that? Boggles my mind.

... by ignoring Jesus and his message?

 

[Bill3000]

To be honest, I don't see the contradiction. I'm Catholic and if a loved one of mine was murdered, I would probably come to terms with the loss and eventually forgive the murderer on a personal level, but I would still want the criminal be punished by the secular judicial system as they see fit.

Er, the Catholic Church has pretty much condemned the death penalty as a fallible human institution in which it ought to be used only in cases of absolute necessity; and that such cases are very rare, if not practically non-existent in the model world.

http://www.vatican.va/edocs/ENG0141/__PP.HTM

 

[Lone Wolf]

Given that the verdict and the sentence are separate things, if I were wrongfully convicted of a capital crime I didn't commit, I would rather be sentenced to death (and a decade of appeal chances) than life in prison.

The appeal chances are the key here. Death penalty with a decade of appeal chances isn't that different from a lifetime imprisonment.

And if course, that;s your personal option. People should be given a choice. If someone wants to have his lifetime imprisonment replaced with death oenalty, it's fine with me.

 

[MobBoss]

Er, the Catholic Church has pretty much condemned the death penalty as a fallible human institution in which it ought to be used only in cases of absolute necessity; and that such cases are very rare, if not practically non-existent in the model world.

http://www.vatican.va/edocs/ENG0141/__PP.HTM

I like how you use 'pretty much' in this context. Either they have or have not. 'Pretty much' in this context means about as much as 'just a little bit pregnant'.

By your context, it would seem the CC approves of its use, albeit in very rare circumstances.

 

[Bill3000]

I like how you use 'pretty much' in this context. Either they have or have not. 'Pretty much' in this context means about as much as 'just a little bit pregnant'.

By your context, it would seem the CC approves of its use, albeit in very rare circumstances.

Not exactly.

It is clear that, for these purposes to be achieved, the nature and extent of the punishment must be carefully evaluated and decided upon, and ought not go to the extreme of executing the offender except in cases of absolute necessity: in other words, when it would not be possible otherwise to defend society. Today however, as a result of steady improvements in the organization of the penal system, such cases are very rare, if not practically non-existent.

In any event, the principle set forth in the new Catechism of the Catholic Church remains valid: "If bloodless means are sufficient to defend human lives against an aggressor and to protect public order and the safety of persons, public authority must limit itself to such means, because they better correspond to the concrete conditions of the common good and are more in conformity to the dignity of the human person".

What cases can you think of in which it is absolutely necessary to execute a criminal, in which it would not be possible otherwise to defend society? When on earth would life imprisonment not be sufficient?

 

[civ_king]

I like how you use 'pretty much' in this context. Either they have or have not. 'Pretty much' in this context means about as much as 'just a little bit pregnant'.

By your context, it would seem the CC approves of its use, albeit in very rare circumstances.

The intentional killing of a human being is fundamentally wrong as human life is sacred and inviolable.

The death penalty is not all or nothing. Death Penalty for all breaking of the law even jaywalking is very different than treason only

 

[[to_xp]Gekko]

you can't beat xians at doublethinking. don't even try.

 

[ParkCungHee]

Yes. It is futile to oppose the X-ians.

 

[Del Pino]

Er, the Catholic Church has pretty much condemned the death penalty as a fallible human institution in which it ought to be used only in cases of absolute necessity; and that such cases are very rare, if not practically non-existent in the model world.

http://www.vatican.va/edocs/ENG0141/__PP.HTM

Er, just because I am Catholic does that mean I must agree with every single stance the Catholic Church takes on social issues?