Path: utzoo!utgpu!jarvis.csri.toronto.edu!cs.utexas.edu!uwm.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: 4 Mar 90 01:31:47 GMT Sender: hedrick@athos.rutgers.edu Organization: Jet Propelled Lab - Pasadena CA Lines: 59 Approved: christian@aramis.rutgers.edu In article gross@dg-rtp.dg.com (Gene Gross) writes: >Joe, question for you. Was it right and proper to execute the Nazis at >the end of WWII? What about Eichmann (sp?)? Or what about the fellow >they've just sentenced to death for crimes committed at Triblinka as >Ivan the Terrible? If it had been me, I would have spared ( the Nazi's ) their lives. And thats coming from me, a Jew! ... I would spared Ceasecu's ( sp? ) life as well. I was sickened by the photos on the cover of Time and Newsweek. As much as I realize some of these people got what was coming to them, my concern is that people rise above the immediate need for revenge and find room for compassion and mercy for even the unrepentant and proud ( as must have been the case with Ceasescu ). My concern is that people become like you, Gene, who, can't help but love, and who would not care to be the judge, jury much less the executioner. My problem is that I see too many people eager to play executioner. >The passage in Romans isn't an excuse for any government to abuse its >citizens. And I think that some of my more fundamentalist friends >could build a case capital punishment. Personally, I am not sure that I >care to be the judge or jury, much less the executioner. Agreed. I admit my Nazi example is a bit flimsy. I suppose I wanted to point the possible abuse of this understanding of the passage in Romans. Yes, you can build a case for capital punishment in the Bible, in a legal, cold, and logical kind of a way. My pt. is that it is contrast to the Spirit of mercy, love and compassion that Jesus exemplified. If one is to truely imitate Christ, can one imagine Jesus pulling the switch on a condemned man. The same Christ who was nailed to the cross while saying "Father, forgive them for they don't know what they do." Would this man support capital punishment? >I'm willing to show compassion and mercy to anyone and everyone. After >all, it has been shown to me when I deserved it least of all. If God >can do that for me, I can't see how I can do any less. I may not agree >with my more fundamentalist brethren on the question of capital >punishment, and some crimes that I read about or hear about on TV, cause >me pause to consider my position, but the simple fact is that I cannot >do otherwise than what I do. I must love even my enemies and those that >despitefully use me. Thank you, Gene...for me its the lack of this kind of attitude in those who are for capital punishment that bothers me. And I think you have clearly illustrated what I think I've been trying to say. In our response to God's overwhelming love and Grace, there shouldn't be any room for any other kinds of feelings esp. those that would lead to capital punishment. We are willing to show compassion and mercy to anyone and everyone, including those who hate us. Thanks again. -- -jrossi@jato.jpl.nasa.gov "Its cool when we end it, its cool -ames!elroy!jato!jrossi when we end it..." **********************STANDARD DISCLAIMER******************************