Support the Death Penalty?

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Did you read the same article? He referenced the Council of Trent, Pius V, Aquinas and Augustine. Read the documents concerning capital punishment from the Council of Trent and then try to defend your argument. You can’t.

The article argues that modern teaching of capital punishment is not theologically based nor is it scripturally based. It, rather, is based upon social science. After reading just a bit of the numerous historical documents on this issue, one could never walk away with the conclusion that capital punishment is not justifed, or aligned with moral law for that matter.

Your opinion about the death penalty is your opinion. Pope John Paul’s opinion was also his personal opinion, not excathera.
And if you try to tell me that I must believe this personal opinion, then I will tell you that I cannot, unless I discount the teachings of Pius V and the Council of Trent. Since the church doesn’t change it’s teaching, that would be impossible.
Nice try, the catechism is not my personal opinion, nor JPII’s. The Church has never taught a complete opposition to the death penalty that includes today and during the Council of Trent. Did you read the USCCB cite posted eariler by Ender? I would recommend it.
 
Your post 413 was your response to a challenge to explain or retract a personal attack you made against Ender, to which I agree with RPP’s description of being both factually incorrect and a serious distortion.
I appreciate the comments from both you and RPP but I’m afraid this horse is not merely deceased but beaten flat. I’m moving on to more useful discussions and more interesting aspects of this topic.

Ender
 
Nice try, the catechism is not my personal opinion, nor JPII’s. The Church has never taught a complete opposition to the death penalty that includes today and during the Council of Trent. Did you read the USCCB cite posted eariler by Ender? I would recommend it.
I was refering to the opinion of JPII that the only valid reason for capital punishment is if no other means of punishment could still provide safety for society at large from said murderer. That is very different from what the Counsil of Trent said on the matter.
 
the citations are from the catechism
Yes, but, to use the last citation you provided as an example, it did not actually address the part of your claim you were asked to substantiate. Your later attempt to explain its relevance required circular reasoning in assuming the validity of the conclusion you were being asked to substantiate.
Actually no one has shown any part of the catechism to be “prudential” No Church document has yet been listed claiming any section of the catechism is “prudential” or which section should be considered as such again the scripture and catechism are official teaching,
This is as factually untrue as the allegation you made about the citations Ender provided.
again the scripture and catechism are official teaching, A look at the definition of catechism may help
Over and over and over again the defintions of catechism stress that a catechism covers “basics” or “fundamentals”, and is “elementary” - not meant to be analyzed critically. Looking at the introduction to the CCC itself, there is no basis for a presumption that catechism in particular will contain all the nuances of official teaching on a subject, and there is certainly not a guarantee that its contents can be interpreted in a vacuum where existing Church teaching should be ignored when interpreting its statements.
was a review of the subject matter of the cited document
As I said, what stood out to me of your post 413 was that your allegation that ’ anyone who didn’t accept your cascade of unsupported conclusions was “ignorant”, and that the only alternatives to your conclusion were “ugly” ’ That is what stood out to me, if you had more important things to say they were lost in your reliance on yet more personal attacks and emotional language in attempting to close your defense of resorting to emotional attacks in the first place.
Is that 25 personal pronouns?
Probably, takes a special type to count. Their use is acceptable when dissecting statements to detail who said what in a series of events, articulating what constitutes circular reasoning, pointing out evasion of requests for documentation, and identifying instances of ad hominem attacks. Part of the reason I backed off responding to you for a while was to see if it was possibly just me that was triggering your use of emotional language and ad hominem attacks, but you just kept “spreading the love around” anyway.
in place of references to show a prudential catechism? a rejection of Church teaching on the death penalty by Ratzinger or the USCCB? These items if listed would be “a legitimate way to advance a position”.
This is another place where you have your logical requirements confused, as your opponenets are not obliged to provide citations to prove straw-man version of their arguments or defend themselves against fanciful allegations they’ve said things you’ve simply made up about them to try to distract from challenges to parts of your argument that also seem to have simply been made up.

No one has claimed the CCC is prudential as a whole, thus, there is no one on this entire thread that is obliged to prove that beyond the citations that have already been brought forth clarifying that the paraphrase of JP II in the capital punishment section was prudential by nature.

Likewise, no one has claimed Ratzinger or the rejects the actual teaching of the Church on the death penalty. We just disagree with what you claim is Church teaching, and have actually been using Ratzinger’s position in support of the disputes raised against with your claim.
 
I appreciate the comments from both you and RPP but I’m afraid this horse is not merely deceased but beaten flat. I’m moving on to more useful discussions and more interesting aspects of this topic.
It is unfortunate that this thread so thoroughly derailed in the way it was.
 
I was refering to the opinion of JPII that the only valid reason for capital punishment is if no other means of punishment could still provide safety for society at large from said murderer. That is very different from what the Counsil of Trent said on the matter.
JPII, the counsel of Trent, and the Catholic Church all agree on the teaching. It is the author who differs.
 
You forgot the citations again. May be it is not accidental you cann’t find a Church teaching to back your claims?
Tell you what TR, you find a site that discusses styles of debate that says a group is obliged to provide proofs for versions of arguments only one person is claiming they said, even after they’ve pointed out they’ve never made those particular claims, and I’ll see what I can do for you…
 
To Ender:

You might be moving on to a more interesting subject but I still say the following in response to our last exchange:

"Today, 12:35 pm
Ender
Senior Member Join Date: July 26, 2004
Posts: 436

Re: Support the Death Penalty?

Quote:
Originally Posted by catharina
In all things, God the Almighty, Creator and Author of Life, is the one most offended by sin. In no way do I choose to ponder if the vengeance of God is an “evil” nor should anyone consider such a thing or suggest it to others.

Ender:

I asked that question to make a point: I think modern society has lost the proper understanding of vengeance. We think of it as a failure to follow Christ’s command to return good for evil since vengeance is returning evil for evil, but this fails to account for the necessity of rendering punishment for evil.

Webster defines avenge as: “to exact satisfaction for (a wrong) by punishing the wrongdoer.” Surely no one can argue that one who commits a crime should not be punished but if you accept that crime deserves punishment then you must also accept that crimes must be avenged.

Here are Aquinas’s thoughts on vengeance (don’t overlook the part where he describes vengeance as a virtue):

“Vengeance consists in the infliction of a penal evil on one who has sinned.”

“Two vices are opposed to vengeance: one by way of excess, namely, the sin of cruelty or brutality, which exceeds the measure in punishing: while the other is a vice by way of deficiency and consists in being remiss in punishing,… But the virtue of vengeance consists in observing the due measure of vengeance with regard to all the circumstances.”

“The good bear with the wicked by enduring patiently, and in due manner, the wrongs they themselves receive from them: but they do not bear with them as to endure the wrongs they inflict on God and their neighbor.”

Regarding the last point above, we tend to lump the two wrongs together (wrongs against ourselves and wrongs against others) and feel that we have an obligation to behave the same way in both instances but that is not correct. Thus it is quite reasonable for a father to forgive the man who has murdered his son (for the injury to the father) and at the same time support the man’s execution (for his injury to the son).

Ender"

Asking me if I would impute evil to God goes far beyond general (or specific) “discussion” in a forum. Your question carried a point of enormous disrespect toward God. I reject that action.
 
If you read the article in it’s entirety, you would know that this statement is not true.
Actually the statement is true. The article contains 2 opinions which disagree, yet the article cites practically no church documents certainly none to support the statements made. That is why it is a poorly written document. Simply separate the opinions and review the supported fact base, you’ll see there is practically nothing but opinion in the article.

Look at this statement from this source” NOTE: although Dulles makes palpable errors of fact and logic within the sectionshomicidesurvivors.com/2006/03/25/pope-john-paul-ii-a-prodeath-penalty-essay.aspx What error? What logic? What fact? This statement is opinion. If the author had taken the time to clearly compare the statement to the actual written words, the opinion may be shown to be more than an opinion. However if the author does this research he may find the opinion is not supported by facts!!! As is the case in several of his opinions.
 

This claim of yours is clearly and intentionally false. …
Tell you what TR, you find a site that discusses styles of debate that says a group is obliged to provide proofs for versions of arguments only one person is claiming they said, even after they’ve pointed out they’ve never made those particular claims, and I’ll see what I can do for you…
Actually you will do no such. Please note I am waiting for you to prove the above claim to be “false” and “intentionally”. Ender has to date posted no Church writtings to support several critical accusations concerning church teachings. If you wish to really support Ender you could simply post the documents yourself
 
I am lost. And this is a big thread. Ray and TR, please describe or quote the posts you are arguing about. You two keep going back and forth claiming “but you said it.” Only I think everyone has for gotten what “it” is. Please remind us.

As for Ender, I think he left the conversation.
 
I am lost. And this is a big thread. Ray and TR, please describe or quote the posts you are arguing about. You two keep going back and forth claiming “but you said it.” Only I think everyone has for gotten what “it” is. Please remind us.

As for Ender, I think he left the conversation.
At several points, most recently in post post 448, TR claims I need to be providing “references to show a prudential catechism? a rejection of Church teaching on the death penalty by Ratzinger or the USCCB?”

I’ve never claimed that the CCC is prudential as a whole. In response to TR snide remark that I needed to look up the definition of “catechism” (also his post 448) I posted links to several definitions and pointed out the general rule that catechisms are not mean to be used for critical interpretation or as continuing all the nuances of church teaching, but were meant to be a basic / fundamental overview on the subject. That a catechism may contain prudential statements outside of the scope of faith and morals neither limits the position of the Church to that prudential opinion not suffices to “prove” that statement must be within the scope of faith and morals simply because it was in the CCC.

Nor have I claimed that Ratzinger or the USCCB reject actual church teaching on the death penalty. I have actually referenced statements by both supporting the position I’ve been endorsing. The closest I’ve come would be that Ratzinger and the USCCB would be rejecting the authority of the State under natural law if they had said the statement by JP II paraphrased in the CCC was not prudential in nature.

Now, though TR and I disagree about what actually constitutes Church teaching, pointing out where Ratzinger (writing in the capacity of his previous Curia post) disagreed with an application of an interpretation of the text of the CCC does not translate logically into an allegation that I claimed Ratzinger rejected Church teaching.

It seems it does not matter how, or how frequently, I point out those were not my claims, as TR simply keeps insisting I need to provide citations for them as if those were my position
 
I am lost. And this is a big thread. Ray and TR, please describe or quote the posts you are arguing about. You two keep going back and forth claiming “but you said it.” Only I think everyone has for gotten what “it” is. Please remind us.

As for Ender, I think he left the conversation.
You have not missed anything, it is the claim the USCCB and Ratzinger disagree with the Roman Catholic Church read top half of Post #298 (pg 20) it is as good a reference as any
… The closest I’ve come would be that Ratzinger and the USCCB would be rejecting the authority of the State under natural law **if they had said the statement by JP II paraphrased in the CCC was not prudential in nature. **
Again Ratzinger has not been shown to say the CCC is “prudential” and Natural Moral Law is in the CCC as written in the hearts of men, not States. States are to only have laws which align with Natural Moral Law. There is not direct grant to states from Natural Moral Law. The conduit is men and Church has clearly maintained the Church is the authentic interpreter of Moral Natural Law, not men, not states
Now, though TR and I disagree about what actually constitutes Church teaching, pointing out where Ratzinger (writing in the capacity of his previous Curia post) **disagreed **with an application of an interpretation of the text of the CCC does not translate logically into an allegation that I claimed Ratzinger rejected Church teaching.
Ratzinger is not shown to have “disagreed” that is one of citations you cannot obtain.
 
You have not missed anything, it is the claim the USCCB and Ratzinger disagree with the Roman Catholic Church read top half of Post #298 (pg 20) it is as good a reference as any
To whit:
In response to this in post 283, where VpT was clearly treating the CCC as an exhaustive source rather than an introductory / overview document (and it should be noted “got it” later that things didn’t have to be in the CCC to be part of the body of teaching when making a critical analysis of a fine point):
As a heretic, looking in, I understand that in order to dissolve my heresy, I have to accept the rules, and the rules are laid out in the catechism. I may find some points difficult, and may question them. I may choose to disobey them, but I may not teach contrary to them, That is heresy.
Yes the article shows both sides of the argument.
But the bottom line is that the relevant section is in the catechism, and that is the end of the story.
Take it: or leave it.
Catholicism is obedience. You may question, you might disobey, but you must not teach contrarywise: that is heresy.
At least, that is my understanding.
Ender said this in post 298:
The man who is now pope disagrees, the USCCB disagrees, Cardinal Dulles disagrees, and the article you cited disagrees. Doesn’t that suggest even the possibility that your understanding might be flawed?
Ender was disagreeing with VpT’s analysis of the weight of that particular section of the catechism. He never said they disagreed with the “Roman Catholic Church” - that is an expansion of scope that exists only in TR’s mind

Again Ratzinger has not been shown to say the CCC is “prudential”
Here again, TR seems to not be able to restrain himself from implying the scope of the opposing claim in much much larger than it is. He has yet to point out where anyone has claimed the CCC is prudential as a work, yet he keeps dropping the implication thats been said as a whole.

Then again, despite his snide remark that I needed to look up the definition of “catechism”, it seem that he are working on the presumption that inclusion of illustrative and similar non-authoritative statements are a contradiction to a type of document that is by definition a basic, fundamental, introductory oververview.

However, since this appears to be an effort in hair-splitting to avoid the clear meaning, I’ll modify my claim to circumvent the objection that appears to be based on nothing aside from the lack of a certain term rather: By the definition of prudential, the often cited statement by Ratzinger contradicts any claim that the particular quotation in the CCC lifted from EV is not prudential.
and Natural Moral Law is in the CCC as written in the hearts of men, not States. States are to only have laws which align with Natural Moral Law. There is not direct grant to states from Natural Moral Law. The conduit is men and Church has clearly maintained the Church is the authentic interpreter of Moral Natural Law, not men, not states
Unless TR has something in particular he’s going to address on what has already been stated on the Church’s interpretation of Natural Law placing temporal authority, including the authority to exact capital punishment) irrevocably in the hands of the States, I’m not even sure what his point of disagreement is on this.
 
From Ray’s post above
Originally Posted by Ender
The man who is now pope disagrees, the USCCB disagrees, Cardinal Dulles disagrees, and the article you cited disagrees. Doesn’t that suggest even the possibility that your understanding might be flawed?
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ray:
Ender was disagreeing with VpT’s analysis of the weight of that particular section of the catechism. He never said they disagreed with the “Roman Catholic Church” - that is an expansion of scope that exists only in TR’s mind
The USCCB nor the Ratzinger have been shown to disagree.
 
You have not missed anything, it is the claim the USCCB and Ratzinger disagree with the Roman Catholic Church read top half of Post #298 (pg 20) it is as good a reference as any
As the author of post 298 let me explain that I never meant to imply that either the USCCB nor Ratzinger (nor Dulles for that matter) disagreed with the teaching on the death penalty. Dulles and the USCCB clearly agree with it; I have read nothing one way or the other about Ratzinger/BXVI’s personal opinion. I disagree with 2267 - as far as I can tell everyone I have referenced appears to agree with it.
Again Ratzinger has not been shown to say the CCC is “prudential”
The point I have been trying to make is not that the catechism is prudential but only that the section on the death penalty is. I have not argued that Ratzinger (or the USCCB) ever used the word prudential. Rather I have claimed that 2267 is prudential whether or not that particular word is used because that seems to be the only rational interpretation of the comments they made about it. When they state or intimate that a Catholic in good standing may disagree with a particular teaching then it can only be because the teaching is not binding and is therefore prudential.

At this point I’m not that interested in continuing to debate this issue when there are so many other aspects of the death penalty to be discussed and this topic seems to have blocked us from getting to them.

Ender
 
My opposition to the Death Penalty in the US is that it favors those with money, but in and of itself the death penalty is NOT evil.
No one disputes that wealthier defendants can hire better lawyers and, therefore, should have a legal advantage over their poorer counterparts.* The US has executed about 0.15% of all murderers since new death penalty statutes were enacted in 1973.* Is there evidence that wealthier capital murderers are less likely to be executed than their poorer ilk, based upon the proportion of capital murders committed by different those different economic groups? Not that I know of.
 
But when I first read Pope John Paul II’s EVANGALIUM VITAE back in the early 90s, I was truly moved. Jesus did not instruct us to do what is easy, but what is right.

there seemed no choice but to agree with Pope John Paul’s reasoning that our application of the death penalty does not reach the standard of self defense. So, I felt compelled to obey and reject it. Over time, my heart has caught up
Reconsider.

There is no doubt that PJPII position on the death penalty qualifies as a prudential judgement. However, it was also unreasoned and was improperly used to affect the Catechism.

PJPII argued that the death penalty was not needed for a defense of society. However, he never looked at the risk to innocents without the death penalty. Innocents are more at risk when we allow murderers to live. Therefore, the defense of society should call for more executions.

PJPII’s position spares guilty murderers at the cost of sacrificing more innocents, a position totally at odds with fundamental Catholic principles.

NOTE: Because innocents are at risk of executions, some wrongly presume that innocents are better protected implementing a life without parole sentence, instead.

What many forget to do is weigh the risk to innocents within a life sentence. When doing that, we find that innocents are more at risk with a life sentence.

First, we all know that living murderers, in prison, after escape or after our failures to incarcerate them, are much more likely to harm and murder, again, than are executed murderers.

Secondly, no knowledgeable party questions that the death penalty has the most extensive due process protections in US criminal law.

Therefore, it is logically conclusive, that actual innocents are more likely to be sentenced to life imprisonment and more likely to die in prison serving under that sentence, that it is that an actual innocent will be executed.

Thirdly, 15 recent studies, inclusive of their defenses, find for death penalty deterrence. Some believe that all studies with contrary findings negate those 10 studies. They don’t. Studies which don’t find for deterrence don’t say no one is deterred, but that they cannot measure those deterred, if they are.

Ask yourself: “What prospect of a negative outcome doesn’t deter some?” There isn’t one, although committed anti death penalty folk may say the death penalty is the only one. However, the premier anti death penalty scholar accepts it as a given that the death penalty is a deterrent, but does not believe it to be a greater deterrent than a life sentence. I find the evidence compelling that death is feared more than life - even in prison.

In choosing to end the death penalty, or in choosing not implement it, some have chosen to put more innocents at risk.
 
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