A Scriptural Death Penalty Case

[o_mlly]

The test of the intelligibility of any statement that overwhelms us with its air of profundity is its translatability into language that lacks the elevation and verve of the original statement but can pass muster as a simple and clear statement in ordinary, everyday speech (Mortimer Adler, Six Great Ideas).

Merry Christmas!

P.S. A competent equine vet does not need to consult an encyclopedia to diagnose a “dead” horse from a “live” horse and ceases to beat the former.

 

[adamhovey1988]

I support the abolition of the death penalty, BUT,
BUT,
I do not think that capital punishment is inherently wrong.
Nor do I think you could make an argument from The Bible that it is.

 

[SanctusPeccator]

The test of the intelligibility of any statement that overwhelms us with its air of profundity is its translatability into language that lacks the elevation and verve of the original statement but can pass muster as a simple and clear statement in ordinary, everyday speech (Mortimer Adler, Six Great Ideas).

Egad . . . Say It Isn’t So!

Delightfully, there is no cause for consternation when an existing linguistic template [courtesy of Post #306] provides the correct context for optimal understanding:

Alternative (A.) “Within the Catholic tradition, punishment has several purposes: (1) redressing the disorder caused by the offense, i.e., just retribution ; (2) defending public order; (3) deterring future wrongdoing; and (4) promoting reform, repentance, and conversion of those who commit evil acts.”

Thus:

Highly untenable assertion given only Alternative (A.) has been properly demonstrated - aside from the aforecited supplementary sources - (1) via lexical categories, i. e., grammatical formatives; (2) distinctive features; (3) morphological composition; and (4) concomitant syntactic construction, punctuation units, and conceptual meaning of the pertinent text . . .

Not at all unintelligible now, eh? :grinning_face_with_smiling_eyes:

Merry Christmas!

“Et erit gaudium tibi et exsultatio, et multi in nativitate eius gaudebunt . . .” (Lucam 2:14). Or, for the musically inclined . . .

P.S. A competent equine vet does not need to consult an encyclopedia to diagnose a “dead” horse from a “live” horse and ceases to beat the former.

Especially if one mistakenly believes another has invalidly deduced nonexistent unicorns from actual horses first?

“The more that you read,
The more things you will know.
The more that you learn,
The more places you’ll go.” —Dr. Seuss’ I Can Read with My Eyes Shut! (New York: Beginner Books, 1978), p. 27.

 

[o_mlly]

I support the abolition of the death penalty, BUT,
BUT,
I do not think that capital punishment is inherently wrong.
Nor do I think you could make an argument from The Bible that it is.

If, as the church has taught and still teaches, capital punishment is not intrinsically evil then Sacred Tradition, Sacred Scripture and the constant teaching of the Magisterium cannot stand in opposition.

However, as the church has also always taught, the state’s right to execute the proven criminal is conditional. This thread reviews the classical conditions and discusses the newest condition, i.e., if bloodless means are not available.

Another condition, although not explicit in the teaching, will possibly be invoked in the future as the trend toward abolition continues. All punishments employed ought be normal and customary; not cruel and unusual. Capital punishment may soon be classified in the latter and be judged immoral de facto rather than de jure.

 

[Lunam_Meam]

It it the next chapter that speaks about the public authority: he is the servant of God to execute his wrath on the wrongdoer. (13:4)

In that same chapter, we read to love one’s neighbor is the fulfilling of the Law (13:10), and to love is God’s second greatest commandment (Mat. 22:39), which applies to authorities as well. Mercy is an act of love.

“Thus saith the Lord of hosts, saying: Judge ye true judgment, and shew ye mercy and compassion every man to his brother.” (Zech. 7:9)

“For judgment without mercy to him that hath not done mercy. And mercy exalteth itself above judgment.” (Jas. 2:13