I have mixed feelings on capital punishment. Though generally (and I know I differ from a lot of Orthodox Christians on it), I’m favourable, though only as part of a major overhaul of the entire justice/penal system.
On one hand, certain crimes deserve death. However, a society informed by Christian charity, doesn’t always deal with people according to the exactitude of what they deserve. So I can understand the hesitancy of those Christians who do not support the death penalty. Also it cannot be said nowdays, unlike times past, that there is no apparatus for dealing with dangerous criminals other than to execute them.
On the other hand, I can’t say I’m a big fan of the modern penal system (in all of the western countries I’m familiar with) - I don’t believe they do much to rehabilitate people, and if anything do quite a bit to brutalize prisoners and make them worse than when they entered. In fact I’m almost tempted to say there is more of a chance of a murderer “finding God” and feeling deeply sorrow over his wicked life, when he knows he’s about to be executed in one week, than he would being locked up for life with society’s other rejects. In such a setting, he is likely to find himself in a situation where he either becomes even more vicious, or will find himself preyed upon by other inmates. I don’t see anything sanctifying or redeeming about subjecting someone to the possibility of being repeatedly raped by social degenerates, because he was not willing to “join a gang” or become a predator himself.
Also, at least here in Canada, we are having a big problem with an increasing lack of respect for authority amongst the young, a disrespect which in large part is due to the fact they perceive no meaningful consequences for committing crimes (even violent ones) against their neighbours, and their neighbours’ property. While I don’t think bringing back hanging (which was the form of capital punishment practiced here, as in the U.K., up until the 1960s) would in itself solve this problem, some kind of major overhaul of the justice system (perhaps including the bringing back of capital punishment) would.
With all of this in mind (certainly given my type of perspective), I don’t think having a system where capital punishment comes into play would necessarily involve all of us having bloodthirsty feelings (and let’s face it - families who are vicitimized by violent crimes will have these understandable feelings, whether you hang the criminal involved or not.)
In summary, for practical reasons I’m in favour of a system (on it’s corrections system side) which would involve fines, corporal (lashings?), and capital forms of punishment. I’m only in favour of jails as holding areas for trial, not as an indefinate punishment in itself.
These people are monsters. I have only seen one that I have any respect for … he was on Oprah … he willingly had himself castrated, at his own request.
