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Journal pezstar's Journal: Capital Punishment 13

Journal by pezstar
I'll just say up front that I am avidly anti-death penalty. I find the practice barbaric, expensive, unnecessary and hypocritical. It disgusts me to hear "christian conservatives" talk about how important the death penalty is in deterring crime and in the next sentence discuss the sanctity of life. If you are going to use biblical ideology as the basis of an argument, please don't twist it. Thou shalt not kill doesn't have a disclaimer at the end saying "Thou shalt not kill unless thou are a government agency."

There. That said, take a look at this:

Particularly, this quote: "At no point are we not going to value the sanctity of life," said prison spokesman Vernell Crittendon. "We would resuscitate him," then execute him.

This is in reference to Mr. Allen requesting to not be resuscitated were he to have another heart attack.

I see that the "then execute him" is not in quotes and was likely added by CNN for effect, however it's the same thing. They "value the sanctity of life" enough to resuscitate a dying man, rather than let him die of natural causes. They "value the sanctity of life" enough to kill him by their own hands.

I sometimes find myself asking where God is, and why He doesn't show himself in more obvious ways to the sick, sad lost people here.
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Capital Punishment More

Capital Punishment

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  • I feel the same way with the other extreme. How absurd is it to see a group protest the death penalty, and then the next minute fight to protect the legal right to kill unborn babies.

    But neither side will change. The right to life side will continue to fight to protect innocent unborn babies and fight for the death penalty for those who have brutally taken the life of innocent victims. The other side will continue to fight to stop the death penalty and fight to protect the right to kill innocent unborn b
    • That's a true and good point. I can't see how the govt. can sanction court appointed murder, but I view it as Murder. You may not.

      I am a rabid pro-choice advocate. I don't view it as murder, however you may. I didn't think about perspective and relativity. To one person, it's murder, to another, it's punishment. Thank you for sharing your perspective.
      • Yeah, now you understand the dilemma your original JE broached. It's all a matter of perspective. Your position is no less disgusting to "christian conservatives" as thiers is to you. The irony is that both of you are repulsed by exactly the same reason! That's why I am so amused by your JE.

        Brent

  • "Thou shalt not kill," is actually more commonly translated as, "You shall not commit murder," these days. The original Hebrew (which I do not speak, but which I've read translations of) uses a word meaning to kill without cause. Punishing a convict is not without cause.

    Note... I am neither supporting Bible-thumpers, nor the death penalty. Just mentioning that the conflict is not as clear cut as you assume. I personally believe that the Bible has enough self-contradictions to invalidate it as a source

    • "Thou shalt not kill," is actually more commonly translated as, "You shall not commit murder," these days. The original Hebrew (which I do not speak, but which I've read translations of) uses a word meaning to kill without cause. Punishing a convict is not without cause.

      Correct.

      Also, there's this: (Emphasis mine)

      Genesis 9:5-6:

      5 For your own lifeblood, too, I will demand an accounting: from every animal I will demand it, and from man in regard to his fellow man I will demand an accounting for human

      • I think I'm being misinterpreted here. I don't use the bible as a point as to why capital punishment should be abolished. I'm using it as a point as to the hypocrisy of the vocal christian conservatives who choose to use religion in politics. I'm anti-death penalty because I think it's barbaric. No other industrialized country has the death penalty to my knowledge. It's ridiculous and expensive, not to mention terribly invasive when you consider that our government has big issues with doctor assisted suici
        • I didn't misinterpret you, though I might not have communicated my point as effectively as I could have.

          I'm using it as a point as to the hypocrisy of the vocal christian conservatives who choose to use religion in politics.

          Except that I don't see the hypocrisy, since in Genesis 9 in black and white on the page it discusses the death penalty.

          As far as religion in politics, that's OK. Most Christians, when asked about their faith, will tell you that it helps define who they are as a person. I would cer

          • The Old Testament laws (not necessarily the beliefs) are moot as far as using them as an argument... When Jesus came, His law took effect, and superceded the laws from the Old Testament. The beliefs and many of the values remained the same, but such things as "do unto others" were completely reversed.

            I am a Christian, by the way. Not in the way many are, as I put little stock in the Bible, but I wholeheartedly believe in the important aspects of the Christian Faith.

            I have volunteered for the opposite
            • The Old Testament laws (not necessarily the beliefs) are moot as far as using them as an argument... When Jesus came, His law took effect, and superceded the laws from the Old Testament. The beliefs and many of the values remained the same, but such things as "do unto others" were completely reversed.

              Not necessarily. Jesus said nothing about the death sentence, and did not speak out about government (much). Jesus was, however, talking about personal actions and personal behavior, how you, and I, should co

    • FYI, the ESV (an "essentially literal", or more or less word-for word translation) has it as "You shall not murder", with a footnote: "The Hebrew word also covers causing human death through carelessness or negligence."
      • Carelessness or negligence still fall in the realm of homicide.

        If I fire a gun into the air, and the bullet kills someone, I would be guilty of a negligent homicide, and would be looking at what, 20 years in prison here in Texas?

        However, if someone breaks in to my house and poses a threat to myself or my family, and I use deadly force, I have not committed a homicide.

        • That is the ONLY situation in which I condone taking someone's life. If someone is a direct threat to yourself or the people you love, and are literally going to hurt you if you don't hurt him first... by all means. Do what you have to. Survival of the fittest in that case.
  • I am pro-death, pro-abortion (up until the age of 16 or so; the 51st trimester) and just about anything else that thins the herd. I'm very anti-safty laws, and helmet/seatbelt/airbag laws are the dumbest things on earth. IMHO, 90% of the country's problem is that we've stopped letting the weak cull themselves and have turned into a bunch of raging pussies that have to try and make everyone great instead of letting the great flourish and the weak flounder and die off.

    MOHO (My other humble opinion) is that

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