Opinion on the death penalty?

  • Thread starter Thread starter Thom18
  • Start date Start date
Status
Not open for further replies.
T

Thom18

Guest
What are the strongest arguments for or against that you can think of? When (if ever) should it be applied, and how? Only if there’s a chance the criminal could escape, or as retribution?
 
My only issue is I don’t trust the government to get it right 100% of the time and the risk of killing someone innocent is too high.

Instead of being beyond a reasonable doubt, it should be beyond any doubt of guilt for a death sentence to be handed down.

As far as morality, the pope had his own executioner for years. So I think that settles the matter.
 
The strongest argument against (as another stated) might be the possibility of making a mistake and executing the wrong person.

The strongest argument for might be the possibility that the person could be set free to kill again (e.g., the possibility of a prison riot, or some administrative person at the prison might let the person out by mistake)…
 
Does that mean you believe that no one has the right to self-defense?
 
The death penalty is a form of societal self-defense. It’s a permanent solution to a threat against members of society.
 
Those work until some bleeding heart petitions for their release and it’s granted.
 
Does anyone believe that the death penalty as a form of retribution is acceptable, if guilt is absolutely certain?
 
The Innocence Project alone has saved 20 innocent prisoners from death row. Odds are very high that there are more innocent prisoners on death row. I’m not willing to take the chance of kiling them.
 
Thou Shalt Not Kill.
I find this statement absolute. There are no qualifiers to it.
 
I am not pro death-penalty, but I have a difficult time understanding this argument. How can it be against the first commandment when God Himself commands the death penalty for murder? See Genesis 9:6: “Whoever sheds the blood of man, by man shall his blood be shed; for God made man in his own image.” If you argue that the death penalty goes against the first commandment or that it is intrinsically evil, aren’t you saying that God contradicts Himself or that he commanded something evil?

I think it actually greatly weakens the anti-death penalty position to say that the death penalty is intrinsically evil. It is a much stronger argument to oppose the death penalty on more practical grounds, the main one being that it is far too easy to execute the wrong person.
 
Last edited:
Depends Thom18, on do you want to strictly follow biblical / theological teachings, then you have to research the actual original wording and definition on " thou shall not kill " .

Once you understand and properly defined that meaning then the question begs does one accept that teaching or not.

The death penalty is right up there with abortion, you have that fine of line of special circumstances and a choice between bad and worse or worse and worse.

The what if scenerios aren’t really fair because you can give a what if to any situation. There are though lines in the sand, the secular law / can and does declare what is punishable, and why and sets the terms of said punishment for acts against society and the law. That doesnt mean that those in any religion have to like the penalty or approve of it. Here is a what if… What if a Catholic person is in a field of work, in the judicial system to either decide upon issuing the death penalty upon someone, or is the medical person who actually injects the condemned with the poisons, or is the corrections personel or warden who flips the switch on the electric chair.

I think Catholic who put themselves in that line of work that are directly responsible for someones life, has a big burden on their hands and needs to seek a lot of guideance.

More over, what if people in the judicial system all across America actually refused to enforce a death penalty ? What then ? Does the government resort to the military to enforce the execution ? Federal agents ? and what if they refuse too ? Does the law then get changed to abolish the death penalty ? Or does the government impose a threat of imprisonment for not following a lawful order in the job they chose to serve. ?
 
I agree with most of what you say above. But the First Commandment was in place at the same time as the Old Testament laws you reference. Could it be that “Thou shalt not kill” is better translated, “Thou shalt not murder”? Because, for example, we don’t consider it a violation of the First Commandment to kill someone in self-defense or defense of others (assuming that one had every reason to believe the aggressor intended murder or serious bodily harm toward his potential victim), or for a soldier to shoot the enemy in a war if necessary.

Also, I think the very fact that official Church teaching allows the death penalty as a last resort (i.e., if society has no reliable prisons or other way to restrain a murderer who will murder again if free), indicates that the death penalty is not intrinsically evil. If it were, the Church would have a flat prohibition against it and would not allow it at all.
 
Last edited:
It’s a poor translation. A more accurate one is thou shall not murder.

Scripture also tells that he that sheds mans blood, by man shall his blood be shed.
 
The New Testament definitely does NOT endorse “an eye for an eye” but Jesus says, rather, to turn the other cheek.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Back
Top