Is The Catholic Church against the death penalty?

[Reservoir_Dog]

…To see that this person is not a monster, …!

read the FBI’s report (linked above) on the continuing criminal activities of prison gangs including more assaults, more murders, more narcotics trafficking, more rapes and get back to me on this.

“Monster” must have some meaning to you. What on earth could it be?

 

[hxcCatholic413]

read the FBI’s report (linked above) on the continuing criminal activities of prison gangs including more assaults, more murders, more narcotics trafficking, more rapes and get back to me on this.

“Monster” must have some meaning to you. What on earth could it be?

It would be very charitable of you to not take a word out of context in its original format. Instead of reading the beauty of my post as it was intended to be you have decided to make a statement contradictory to Church teachings.

 

[hxcCatholic413]

It only takes one individual to show God’s love…these criminals are victims themselves in so many ways as well. As a Christian it is up to us to better the world as Jesus Christ taught us to do. It’s through him that others will be able to see the truth and realize the importance of their own lives as well as their fellow man.

 

[Shin]

It would be very charitable of you to not take a word out of context in its original format. Instead of reading the beauty of my post as it was intended to be you have decided to make a statement contradictory to Church teachings.

What happens in the death penalty? murder of a criminal.

The statement contrary to Church teachings is the one above.

The death penalty is established in Church teachings as a moral option of punishment. Therefore, it is not murder.

 

[hxcCatholic413]

The statement contrary to Church teachings is the one above.

The death penalty is established in Church teachings as a moral option of punishment. Therefore, it is not murder.

Wow! your really adimate on the “moral option” of killing a human being (criminal). It’s topics like these where people only look at the situation in a political perspective rather than on a more human level. It’s almost as if the word “love” has been completely removed from the vocabulary. May God Bless You

 

[Shin]

Wow! your really adimate on the “moral option” of killing a human being (criminal). It’s topics like these where people only look at the situation in a political perspective rather than on a more human level. It’s almost as if the word “love” has been completely removed from the vocabulary. May God Bless You

This has nothing to do with politics, this is simple Church teaching for millennia.

Love and justice are not contradictory, the more one loves God the more one loves justice and mercy together. You cannot have mercy without justice, or justice without mercy.

God Himself prescribed the death penalty throughout the Holy Scriptures, and enshrined it in the criminal law of His people. We must love the soul more greatly than the body.

On the practical level we can discuss when it is suitably applied or not. On the moral level, we cannot condemn it as intrinsically immoral as this goes against God Himself.

True love is to love God and His will above all else, and to love one’s neighbor for God’s sake.

 

[hxcCatholic413]

This has nothing to do with politics, this is simple Church teaching for millennia.

Love and justice are not contradictory, the more one loves God the more one loves justice and mercy together. You cannot have mercy without justice, or justice without mercy.

God Himself prescribed the death penalty throughout the Holy Scriptures, and enshrined it in the criminal law of His people. We must love the soul more greatly than the body.

On the practical level we can discuss when it is suitably applied or not. On the moral level, we cannot condemn it as intrinsically immoral as this goes against God Himself.

True love is to love God and His will above all else, and to love one’s neighbor for God’s sake.

Good response

 

[mick321]

This has nothing to do with politics, this is simple Church teaching for millennia.

Love and justice are not contradictory, the more one loves God the more one loves justice and mercy together. You cannot have mercy without justice, or justice without mercy.

God Himself prescribed the death penalty throughout the Holy Scriptures, and enshrined it in the criminal law of His people. We must love the soul more greatly than the body.

On the practical level we can discuss when it is suitably applied or not. On the moral level, we cannot condemn it as intrinsically immoral as this goes against God Himself.

True love is to love God and His will above all else, and to love one’s neighbor for God’s sake.

Good try.

In Genesis, God indeed instituted the death penalty. As a result of Adam’s disobedience, he and all his descendants were sentenced a limited lifespan. The first murder on record was that of Cain taking the life of Abel. As horrendous as his sin was, God did not strike Cain dead. God banished Cain from the soil, making his life infinitely less pleasant, but prohibited anyone from killing him for his crime.

It was Pontius Pilate who “enshrined” the death penalty by lacking the courage to oppose it.

On a practical level, in spite of its mealy-mouthed post-V2 wording, CCC 2267 - on its face - prohibits the death penalty’s use against any person in custody. The act of marching a condemned person into a room and securing him to a table, is evidence - undeniable proof - that state has the “non-lethal means sufficient to defend and protect people’s safety from the aggressor”. To then, with malice aforethought, forcibly extract the life from a person - so neutralized - makes the state the aggressor, and the act morally indefensible.

Be it through gross recklessness or depraved indifference, the state is 100% culpable for any and every crime committed within the walls of its prison system.

 

[Matthew_Holford]

Sorry. No.

The death penalty should be abolished without exception. All those waiting execution should have their sentences commuted to life imprisonment without the possibility of parole.

A convicted murderer in secure state custody is not a danger to any other person. Arguments that execution is required to protect the public, deter future murders, conserve public resources, are without merit.

The induced-death-for-profit industry is alive and well in the USA. The Catholic Church has a duty to consistently oppose it on every level, whatever form it takes. Capital punishment, abortion on demand, euthanasia and the armed invasion of other nations are vile and unjust practices on their face. The Church has no authority - moral or otherwise - to “allow” Catholic participation any of them.

The premeditated killing of any human being - particularly one already in custody - is an affront to human dignity and to civilization itself.

Amen! Alleluia!

 

[Matthew_Holford]

pro-life and pro-capital punishment is a contradiction. What happens in an abortion? murder of an innocent child What happens in the death penalty? murder of a criminal. In great times of distress and anger we fail to see the goodness of the human person. At first glance when we hear that a heinous crime has occurred we might instinctively think that the responsible party should be put to death; HOWEVER as Catholics the ability to love unconditionally needs to be realized within this situation. To see that this person is not a monster, but a child of God is key just like those who say a baby is no more than a collection of cells, rather than a beautiful child of God. Only God can end a person’s life, a man should NEVER end another man’s life. It’s as simple as that, a basic teaching of the Church. May the Holy Spirit grant the gifts of wisdom, understanding, counsel, fortitude and knowledge to each and ever one of us. God Bless!

Abortion is murder. Fact! Those who take up the death penalty cause should think about rounding up all those health care professionals who procure abortions and execute them, they’re murderers. We should execute the executioners too, they’re murders as well. One human being killing another is murder, whether the state sanctions it or not and no Christian should ever support this.

 

[Matthew_Holford]

Prison gangs – like the Mexican Mafia – operate from inside prison and control racketeering, extortion, murder, rape, drug trafficking inside and outside. Just because gang leaders are sentenced to life without parole doesn’t prevent them from communicating with allies in prison or on the outside and they can and do order murders carried out by others. Its a dangerous fantasy to think that any prison is secure enough to make the public safe from these people.

Then the state should do something about it.

 

[Matthew_Holford]

The death penalty is established in Church teachings as a moral option of punishment. Therefore, it is not murder.

The Church’s teaching is actually somewhat contradictory. First, it says that in some circumstances capital punishment may be the best or most appropriate solution. It then goes on to say that because there are so many possible alternatives to capital punishment there is probably no need for it.

 

[Matthew_Holford]

This has nothing to do with politics, this is simple Church teaching for millennia.

So was torturing and burning alive heretics but it doesn’t make it right.

Love and justice are not contradictory, the more one loves God the more one loves justice and mercy together. You cannot have mercy without justice, or justice without mercy.

True but justice does not have to equate to capital punishment.

God Himself prescribed the death penalty throughout the Holy Scriptures, and enshrined it in the criminal law of His people. We must love the soul more greatly than the body.

A biblical quote or two would not go amiss here - to support your point. Isn’t that the old law? Where are we taught in the New Testament that capital punishment is right (I don’t say it may not be there but proof that it is would be useful)?

On the practical level we can discuss when it is suitably applied or not. On the moral level, we cannot condemn it as intrinsically immoral as this goes against God Himself.

True love is to love God and His will above all else, and to love one’s neighbor for God’s sake.

How does the rejection of any act that results in another’s death, state sanctioned or otherwise, go against God Himself. A God of infinite mercy who forgives all and everything. Don’t say your wrong but please show me where this is laid down.

 

[Reservoir_Dog]

It would be very charitable of you to not take a word out of context in its original format. Instead of reading the beauty of my post as it was intended to be you have decided to make a statement contradictory to Church teachings.

I didn’t take anything out of context. I’m describing prison conditions and prison gangs that flourish and contrasting reality to some strange assumptions you have about who some of these people are.

You didn’t read the FBI’s report on exactly what prison gangs like the Mexican Mafia are, and how their leaders order murders, rapes, traffic in narcotics, commit extortions, assaults, etc., even though they are behind bars. You understand that men serving life sentences can and do continue to commit capital offenses, right? Cuz I’m not seeing anything to refute this.

 

[Spirithound]

On a practical level, in spite of its mealy-mouthed post-V2 wording, CCC 2267 - on its face - prohibits the death penalty’s use against any person in custody. The act of marching a condemned person into a room and securing him to a table, is evidence - undeniable proof - that state has the “non-lethal means sufficient to defend and protect people’s safety from the aggressor”. To then, with malice aforethought, forcibly extract the life from a person - so neutralized - makes the state the aggressor, and the act morally indefensible.

Be it through gross recklessness or depraved indifference, the state is 100% culpable for any and every crime committed within the walls of its prison system.

How is that proof (undeniable or otherwise)? It takes 2 to 6 guards (depending on which movie you’re watching) to march a condemned criminal into the death chamber. The American prison system is already either the biggest or second biggest system in the world. Do you really think it is feasible to double the guard presence in the prisons?

 

[Warrenton]

Then the state should do something about it.

The state is doing something about it - it’s encouraging it.

The problem with your approach is that you credit the state with too much power, and with a unity of interest within the state that does not exist.

The state is going different ways at the same time. Some within it are encouraging crime in various ways, others within it are tasked with stopping it. The death penalty is simply a method to ensure the safety of a greater number of people.

Under your analysis, war would be impermissible, since it is also a kind of legalized homicide. People everywhere, however, see the difference between a malicious homicide and a legal one.

That is why is it more fruitful to focus on ensuring proper legal protections when legal homicides occur.

 

[Warrenton]

A biblical quote or two would not go amiss here - to support your point. Isn’t that the old law? Where are we taught in the New Testament that capital punishment is right (I don’t say it may not be there but proof that it is would be useful)?

How does the rejection of any act that results in another’s death, state sanctioned or otherwise, go against God Himself. A God of infinite mercy who forgives all and everything. Don’t say your wrong but please show me where this is laid down.

Hello Matt: Take a read of Acts 5:1 through about 11. It relates the story of St. Peter and a husband and wife who lie to the Church about a gift and are struck dead as a result.

It seems that your approach over emphasizes the mercy aspect of justice at the expense of retribution. We cannot reconcile perfect justice with mercy on earth. But you go too far when you state that God forgives everything - He forgives what is asked, and then if the request is sincere.

In capital cases, there are instances when the condemned has neither sought forgiveness nor feels guilt. Sometimes, the mental state of the condemned is such that he would kill again. In such cases, it is beside the point to base a call for universal clemency on divine precedent.

 

[GEddie]

In capital cases, there are instances when the condemned has neither sought forgiveness nor feels guilt.

And they could easily fake both if they thought it would keep them breathing, or shorten their stay in confinement. So what’s the issue?

The state’s job is not to inspire anybody to religious repentance, but to maintain an acceptable level of public security. It can do that without ending anybody’s being.

Sometimes, the mental state of the condemned is such that he would kill again.

Instances of psychological compulsion to kill are bought up again and again to defend the death penalty. But most killings aren’t caused by someone like that. The story is often much more sordid, about money, or drugs, or relationships gone wrong.

Often when a murderous compulsion exists, the culprit is spared execution, because the court is convinced that they are “sick persons.”

Such is no justification for ending people’s being as a routine part of jurisprudence.

God bless and ICXC NIKA.

 

[Friar_David_O.Carm]

Abortion is murder. Fact! Those who take up the death penalty cause should think about rounding up all those health care professionals who procure abortions and execute them, they’re murderers. We should execute the executioners too, they’re murders as well. One human being killing another is murder, whether the state sanctions it or not and no Christian should ever support this.

Then you must be for charging someone who defends their own life by killing the person who was trying to kill them. After all you believe that a human being killing another is murder.

This is not what the Catholic Church Teaches though.

 

[Shin]

Hello Matt: Take a read of Acts 5:1 through about 11. It relates the story of St. Peter and a husband and wife who lie to the Church about a gift and are struck dead as a result.

I always think of the reason why God chose the first priests, for the Levitical priesthood.