Closure?

[NCSue]

There’s some interesting discussion going on at acts17verse28.blogspot.com/2009/09/question-of-closure.html. It deals with capital punishment, but the discussion isn’t supposed to focus on the morality of the death penalty per se. Rather, it’s to pose a question about “closure”.

Do you think that witnessing the death of a convicted murderer brings any sort of healing or "closure’ to the family of the victim? Is forgiveness the key, and if so, is it possible to forgive?

What do you think?

 

[Baloo]

It’s not really closure, the death penalty is more like a form of revenge. And as God said, “Vengeance is Mine and Mine alone”.

When someone kills someone, can there truly be any closure aside from forgiveness? The person can’t come back, so that’s out of the question. And isn’t killing the murderer in return murder in itself? If you really want some closure for someone killing someone, the best thing we must all do is forgive and forget, as Jesus does with all of us.

 

[Lost_Wanderer]

It’s not really closure, the death penalty is more like a form of revenge. And as God said, “Vengeance is Mine and Mine alone”.

Be careful now. What you call vengeance might actually be justice. The problem with forgiving a criminal is that the criminal also has a part to play. The part is that of repentance. They must make amends for the evil they have done and swear to never commit it again. Should a criminal neglect that duty (or worse, spit on it as some really vile individuals might do) what good is forgiveness? It’s like turning the other cheek only for the person to continue slapping you with sickeningly malicious glee. Frankly, I feel sorry for that type of person and might even get in the way of the abuser and give him a beating. Discipline and the dealing of a proper consequence is not “vengeance” in your sense. Sure I’d probably leave out killing but I certainly would not allow you to let a con off easily. Let the punishment fit the crime.

When someone kills someone, can there truly be any closure aside from forgiveness? The person can’t come back, so that’s out of the question.

Now that’s a good question. However, I certainly would sympathize with the family of a serial killer victim should they want to witness the death of someone who doesn’t even beg for their mercy and does not regret his atrocities. Take H. H. Holmes for example.

And isn’t killing the murderer in return murder in itself? If you really want some closure for someone killing someone, the best thing we must all do is forgive and forget, as Jesus does with all of us.

Tell that to a rape victim.