Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!rutgers!aramis.rutgers.edu!athos.rutgers.edu!christian From: jrossi@jato.jpl.nasa.gov (Joe Rossi) Newsgroups: soc.religion.christian Subject: Re: Is There Biblical Justification For Capital Punishment? Message-ID: Date: 16 Mar 90 10:27:19 GMT Sender: hedrick@athos.rutgers.edu Organization: Jet Propelled Lab - Pasadena CA Lines: 58 Approved: christian@aramis.rutgers.edu In article @sun.acs.udel.edu:correll@sun.acs.udel.edu (correll) writes: >One of the problems with people's arguments about capital punishment is >that everyone seems to be assuming that the motivation is personal >vengence. I would agree that vengence is not the proper motivation for >a Christian, but I think there are other motivations that are backed by >Scripture and appropriate: justice, protection of society, deterrent to >other criminals and would-be-criminals, etc. Whenever people arguing for captial punishment talk about compassion for the families of the victims, I conclude they mean we should respect their desire to see the murderer executed, at this can only mean sating their need for vengeance. I may be wrong but to me vengeance implies justice i.e. killer x killed my family, therefore to make things even I want him to die, because its fair. Aren't fairness and justice similar. Or on a more mundane level: you hurt me, therefore I hurt you back to make things even. I think the moderator has a point when he says we can too easily appeal to other rationalizations, when in truth, our real desire is purely vengeance. And why do we seek justice: because we were made in God's Image. God is a God of justice, true, and seeks to make things fair, but since we are fallen, we can no longer judge fairly. Rather the example we have from Jesus, is to be compassionate, as he was with the adultress. Protection of society can easily be accomplished with life long confinement. Given the unpredictablity of human emotions, I encourage life sentences without the possibilty of parole for capital offenders, for their own sake as well as the sake of society. We still should seek to heal, love, guide, counsel, and rehabiliate these people, and make them understand that because of the violent nature of their crime they have forfeited their right to live freely in the world. At the same time we can guide them to the inner love and peace of God. Deterrence is the weakest argument since it has been demonstrated that captial punishment does not deter the capital offender. IMHO, he that takes a life, has no regard for his own life, and most people kill out of misdirected suicidal feelings. Its called self-hatred. What are we supposed to do? Act as accomplices to this suicide. Help somebody kill themself since they displayed the ultimate symptom of self-hatred. No, we know what we are supposed to do. IMHO, its a very serious sin to take somebody's life when one has a choice. I have demonstrated very clearly how we should treat capital offenders. We all have free will. If one chooses to be unrepentant, that is one's choice, however in all fairness, I fear the same fate for those that support capital punishment, that many fear for me. God bless Joe -- -jrossi@jato.jpl.nasa.gov "Now see all these people in front are -ames!elroy!jato!jrossi getting horribly smashed here." **********************STANDARD DISCLAIMER******************************