I thought the Catholic Church was against the death penalty?

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Genesis315 said:
The state has the duty of maintaing peace and order and can resort to the death penalty to accomplish this end if necessary.

That being said, the position of most bishops and recent popes is that it is not necessary at this time.

I recently researched and wrote a cost-benefit analysis in a Law and Ecomonics seminar examining this issue (in the USA) from a purely utilitarian perspective–I went in with an open mind not really knowing what the answer would be. My conclusion was this: not only is the death penalty unnecessary given the current circumstances, but it actually has a negative impact (again, from a utilitarian perspective).

However, as has been pointed out, there can be valid disagreement as to whether the death penalty is or is not necessary at this time. The final authority to make this decision rests with the state, not the Church (although the Church can advise)–and of course the responsibility of using it also rests with the state and God will judge whether they abused their authority or not.

As an aside, the death penalty would actually be worthwhile (from a utilitarian perspective) if we had a system like the old west–a short trial and then straight to the gallows. Likewise, it would also be worthwhile if used for much lesser crimes than the current capital crimes. Of course, then there arise ethical and moral obstacles.
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yes, capital punishment is the only way to make sure a murderer never does it again…on the cross Jesus forgave the so called good thief…then did He yell down at the executioners…‘hey fellas,I forgave this chap…so let him go please…thanks a lot!" no He did not…he allowd the sentence to continue!!!I have made a study of the movies since the late 30s to the present day…time and time again the prisoner is superior to the warden and the prison guards…a philosopher at least…always a victim…"yeh, pick on the kid from the slums’ moaned John Garfield…a red from way back…hundreds of flicks brainwashed the american public into thinking its all societies fault…usually a mean father…who else…that caused the punk,Im sorry, the poor chap victim…to …well rob,steal, kill and rape…hey no ones perfect as Jack the Rippers mom used to say…and so we are reaping the whirlwind…border guards go to prison for doing their job but murderers like OJ etc…play golf…four!!! Nino
 
jesus was executed by a state for offending its rules. did he deserve to die?
 
The death penalty is just revenge at its worst. I don’t understand how anyone can justify killing. “Eye for an eye” is not acceptable in my book.
 
hamburglar said:
The death penalty is just revenge at its worst. I don’t understand how anyone can justify killing. “Eye for an eye” is not acceptable in my book.
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Many wrongly interpret eye for an eye. It was God’s decsion to make punishments more approrpaite to the crime, as opposed to the excessive punishments of the past. That was quite clear in the context.

Some death penalty opponents say that the death penalty has a foundation in hatred and revenge.*Such is a false claim.

A death sentence requires pre existing statutes, trial and appeals, considerations of guilt and due process, to name but a few. Revenge requires none of these and, in fact, does not even require guilt or a crime.

The criminal justice system goes out of its way to take hatred and revenge out of the process. That is why we have a system of pre existing laws and legal procedures that offer extreme protections to defendants and those convicted and which limit punishments and prosecutions to specific crimes.

It is also why those directly affected by the murder are not allowed to be fact finders in the case.

Calling executions a product of hatred and revenge is simply a way in which some death penalty opponents attempt to establish a sense of moral superiority. It can also be a transparent insult which results in additional hurt to those victim survivors who have already suffered so much and who believe that execution is the appropriate punishment for those who murdered their loved one(s).

Far from moral superiority, those who call capital punishment an expression of hatred and revenge are often exhibiting their contempt for those who believe differently than they do. The pro death penalty position is based upon those who find that punishment just and appropriate under specific circumstances.

Those opposed to execution cannot prove a foundation of hatred and revenge for the death penalty any more than they can for any other punishment sought within a system such as that observed within the US - unless such opponents find all punishments a product of hatred and revenge - an unreasonable, unfounded position.

If reality is our guide, the evidence is that murder victims are often disrespected by the criminal justice system. And that murderers, far from receiving the wrath of hatred and revenge, are most often served with a ‘mercy’ that is more indifference than compassion.

Far from hatred and revenge, the death penalty represents our greatest condemnation for a crime of unequaled horror and consequence. Lesser punishments may suffice under some circumstances. A death sentence for certain heinous crimes is given in those special circumstances when a jury finds such is more just than a lesser sentence.

Less justice is not what we need.

A thorough review of the criminal justice system will often beg this question: Why have we chosen to be so generous to murderers and so contemptuous of the human rights and suffering of the victims and future victims?

The punishment of death is, in no way, a balancing between harm and punishment, because the victim did not deserve or earn their punishment, whereas the murderer has earned their own, deserved punishment by the free will action of violating societies laws and an individuals life and, thereby, voluntarily subjecting themselves to that jurisdictions judgment.

And, the death penalty is not revenge.
 
hamburglar said:
The death penalty is just revenge at its worst. I don’t understand how anyone can justify killing. “Eye for an eye” is not acceptable in my book.
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Get a job as a Corrections Officer at a Super-Max prison, and come back in a couple of years and tell us about it.
 
dudleysharp said:
Many wrongly interpret eye for an eye. It was God’s decsion to make punishments more approrpaite to the crime, as opposed to the excessive punishments of the past. That was quite clear in the context.

Some death penalty opponents say that the death penalty has a foundation in hatr…
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Very well said. I believe that the death penalty is just in some cases. However, these cases are VERY rare in my mind.

The prosecutor’s almost always push for the death penalty in murder trials.

Death penalty is killing. Why should we kill?
 
The Church approves the Death Penalty when it is directed toward the common good, and it protects society against the aggressor. Certainly there are circumstances that meet this description.
 
As a young male teen, I lived about 8 blocks from a guy by the name of John Wayne Gacy… used to bike down Summerdale Ave. to get to a buddies house!

Death Penalty? Oh yeah!.. I could’ve been in his crawlspace.

Creeps like Gacy & Dahmer need to eliminated. There was NO question about these guys.
The residents of WI got a favor… 'lil Jeff was off’d by another inmate. The folks in IL had to pay $50+ a year for 20 years until they juiced Gacy.
 
hamburglar said:
The prosecutor’s almost always push for the death penalty in murder trials.

Death penalty is killing. Why should we kill?
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It is extremely rae to seek a death penalty for murder. First, capital murders, the only one’s eligible for the death penalty, may represent about 10% of all murders. Then, prosecutors are further limited by the most stringent statutes which apply to such cases.

We execute murderers for, at least two reasons.

One, because it is deemed that most appropriate punishment for the crime and two because many believe that it saves additional lives.
 
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