For Catholics who support the death penalty

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Love_God_Too said:
By the way, I believe it’s disingenuous to suggest that politics does not serve a significant role in this debate. One needs only to scroll back and see the defense of the war, torture, death penalty, and disregard for the poor party, over and over again. It’s the forest and the trees thing. My opinion of course.
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I’ve read through the entire thread. The only people who mention anything like that do so only because you brought it into the thread. But, no, it has nothing to do with this topic. You like to create diversions because you don’t want to stick on topic because a simple posting of the Church’s stance on the death penalty shows that your views were wrong.

You could start another topic to see if people support all that other stuff if you truly want to. 😉
 
Tony2255 said:
CCC:

1933 This same duty extends to those who think or act differently from us. The teaching of Christ goes so far as to require the forgiveness of offenses. He extends the commandment of love, which is that of the New Law, to all enemies.39 Liberation in the spirit of the Gospel is incompatible with hatred of one’s enemy as a person, but not with hatred of the evil that he does as an enemy.

2302 By recalling the commandment, "You shall not kill,"94 our Lord asked for peace of heart and denounced murderous anger and hatred as immoral.

Anger is a desire for revenge. “To desire vengeance in order to do evil to someone who should be punished is illicit,” but it is praiseworthy to impose restitution "to correct vices and maintain justice."95 If anger reaches the point of a deliberate desire to kill or seriously wound a neighbor, it is gravely against charity; it is a mortal sin. The Lord says, "Everyone who is angry with his brother shall be liable to judgment."96

2303 Deliberate hatred is contrary to charity. Hatred of the neighbor is a sin when one deliberately wishes him evil. Hatred of the neighbor is a grave sin when one deliberately desires him grave harm. "But I say to you, Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, so that you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven."97

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Yes, we can all agree that the expression of hatred towards our fellow man is a bad thing, and contrary to Church teaching.

But are you trying to claim that when a judge sentences a man to death, that he is experience hatred?

That is a bit of a stretch, don’t you think?
 
I don’t really care what people think. I support the death penalty 100%.
I have compassion for the victims. However, this thread seems to suggest that we need
to be Most compassionate to the perpertrator.

I have experienced violence. The person who was violent to me did not care how he hurt me and my family.

I know what it is like to receive NO JUSTICE for a crime.

I will support the death penalty with absolutely no qualms. The catholic church has yet to teach otherwise. Recommendations and wishes and suggestions are NOT doctrine.

And one more thing, the bible is 100% PRO death penalty.
Thank God!
LEVITICUS 4:17
 
KateKimmer said:
I don’t really care what people think. I support the death penalty 100%.
I have compassion for the victims. However, this thread seems to suggest that we need
to be Most compassionate to the perpertrator.

I have experienced violence. The person who was violent to me did not care how he hurt me and my family.

I know what it is like to receive NO JUSTICE for a crime.

I will support the death penalty with absolutely no qualms. The catholic church has yet to teach otherwise. Recommendations and wishes and suggestions are NOT doctrine.

And one more thing, the bible is 100% PRO death penalty.
Thank God!
LEVITICUS 4:17
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I’m sorry you were the victim of such violence. I sensed this was personal. But sometimes when we hold an experience so close to us it can cloud our view. The pain is so bad that whatever punishment your perpetrator receives, it will never quench your thirst for justice.

Just something to ponder.

Romans 12:19-21
19 Beloved, never avenge yourselves, but leave it to the wrath of God; for it is written, “Vengeance is mine, I will repay, says the Lord.” 20 No, “if your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him drink; for by so doing you will heap burning coals upon his head.” 21 Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.

And No Brendan those quotes had nothing to do with a judges punishment being perceived as hatred towards the condemned. A judge is simply following laws and corresponding punishments decided upon by society. They were meant more as food for thought to whomever might find it helpful.
 
Tony2255 said:
Romans 12:19-21
19 Beloved, never avenge yourselves, but leave it to the wrath of God; for it is written, “Vengeance is mine, I will repay, says the Lord.” 20 No, “if your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him drink; for by so doing you will heap burning coals upon his head.” 21 Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.
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Since you bring St. Paul, here is what he has to say a short while later in regard, not of our personal actions, but on how the civil authorities should act.
Consequently, whoever rebels against the authority is rebelling against what God has instituted, and those who do so will bring judgment on themselves. For rulers hold no terror for those who do right, but for those who do wrong. Do you want to be free from fear of the one in authority? Then do what is right and you will be commended. For the one in authority is God’s servant for your good. But if you do wrong, be afraid, for rulers do not bear the sword for no reason. They are God’s servants, agents of wrath to bring punishment on the wrongdoer.
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Romans 13:2-4

What authority to you see St. Paul recognizing is present in the civil authorities, and on who’s behalf to he see the civil authorities acting when they “bear the sword” against wrong doers?
And No Brendan those quotes had nothing to do with a judges punishment being perceived as hatred towards the condemned. A judge is simply following laws and corresponding punishments decided upon by society. They were meant more as food for thought to whomever might find it helpful.
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Thanks for the clarification 👍
 
People on this thread are forgetting that a Catholic can be in good standing with the church
and still SUPPORT the death penalty!!!

We are not REQUIRED to be opposed to it.

I support the death penalty. I know many people who do.

We are not out of line with the church teachings.

Deal with it.
 
Which civil authorities?

Alaska (1957)
Hawaii (1957)
Illinois (2011)
Iowa (1965)
Maine (1887)
Massachusetts (1984)
Michigan (1846)
Minnesota (1911)
New Jersey (2007)
New Mexico* (2009)
New York (2007)#
North Dakota (1973)
Rhode Island (1984)**
Vermont (1964)
West Virginia (1965)
Wisconsin (1853)
Dist. of Columbia (1981)

All of these civil authorities do not support the death penalty. Interesting Nations capital doesn’t have the death penalty.
 
hmmm I notice that no one came out and regretted Ted Bundy’s execution.
 
KateKimmer said:
We are not out of line with the church teachings.

Deal with it.
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Absolutely right you are not out of line with the Church teachings.

I thank you for that wonderfully compassionate and thoughtful response. I’ll will certainly try and “deal with it.”
 
I always ask people who are against the death penalty whether they acknowledge that the Church does teach the death penalty is a just punishment for murder. That point is not up for consideration. Its not vengeance to want someone to receive a just penalty for their crime. You can forgive someone and still wish their crime to be punished justly. Wanting someone to receive the death penalty for committing a crime does not mean you want them to go to hell. You can try and argue that the death penalty is not necessary in some cases, but you can never argue it would be an unjust punishment for a 1st degree murder. In terms of time to repent, in the U.S death row inmates are getting 13 years on average to repent of their crimes.
 
Nate13 said:
I always ask people who are against the death penalty whether they acknowledge that the Church does teach the death penalty is a just punishment for murder. That point is not up for consideration. Its not vengeance to want someone to receive a just penalty for their crime. You can forgive someone and still wish their crime to be punished justly. Wanting someone to receive the death penalty for committing a crime does not mean you want them to go to hell. You can try and argue that the death penalty is not necessary in some cases, but you can never argue it would be an unjust punishment for a 1st degree murder. In terms of time to repent, in the U.S death row inmates are getting 13 years on average to repent of their crimes.
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👍
 
hosemonkey said:
I agree! There are some people, who by virtue of their crimes, have forfieted their right to be called human.
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No, Pope Pius XII noted that those guilty of capital crimes, by their own actions, forfeit their right to life. But that is distinct from saying they are no longer humans. God made them human, they are the among those who possess a Thomistic rational soul, and to state otherwise is a denial of Church teaching.
 
Brendan to which authorities are you referring? “Let every person be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God and those that exist have been instituted from God.”

Germany 1933-1945 Governing Authority, Nazi Party.

That authority?
 
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