How/Why does a person carry out capital punishment (even in the name of religion)?
I have experienced hate toward others to the point of wanting them to suffer, but would never carry out such violence. I have felt the desire to kill in the name of my family and loved ones, but never would. I don't agree with the death penalty, never have, and I don't understand how men can drag a woman in the street and stone her to death? What must they be thinking? Many of these people are not even directly affected by the acts they so vehemently disagree with (like murder and adultery)...
I'm not asking why they disagree with the acts themselves, but how they justify that death is the solution, and how they can bring themselves to murder.
2010-09-07T08:49:00Z
I apologize if this question seemed to address only Muslims, because I am also referring to individuals, in the U.S. for example, who volunteer to carry out the death penalty. Thanks for the answers.
2010-09-07T08:53:00Z
Although I appreciate the info about the death penalty, I am specifically interested in the psychology (as related to the culture) of the individual that carries out the act.
Victoria2010-09-07T07:56:17Z
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They're thinking (I assume you're talking about muslims) that they are following their holy doctrines and sharia law, that's why they justify and carry out these barbaric torture deaths. Doesn't matter to them that the crimes haven't directly affected the ones who sentence and carry out punishments.
In the USA, it has nothing to do with religion, it's simply "an eye for an eye" and justice for the person murdered.
I think most people would murder to protect their family or loved one, that's not so odd. It is strange that so many religious folks for thousands of years have thought they have the right to kill in the name of god. I don't know why they think that but they are sorely wrong.
If you don't agree with death penalty, UK would be a good place for you.
i am a Baptist and i believe in capital punishment however this is a very touchy subject for me. in the old testament people were executed by stoning. i believe in capital punishment if the person did something really horrible like killing repeatedly or killing a child or something like that. i don't believe in it if the person were justified as in protecting themselves or family in danger. however i believe there are a lot of people on death row that really are innocent. it is my belief that they should only get death row if there is absolutely no doubt at all that they did it and nobody else could have. obviously there are problems in our system or there wouldn't be any innocent people on death row but i also believe that with technology improving the way it is that someday those problems will be resolved.
For the worst crimes, life without parole is better, for many reasons.
I’m against the death penalty but not because of sympathy for criminals. It doesn’t prevent or reduce crime, costs a whole lot more than life in prison, and, worst of all, risks executions of innocent people.
The worst thing about it. Errors: The system can make tragic mistakes. In 2004, Cameron Todd Willingham was executed in Texas for starting the fire that killed his children. The Texas Forensic Science Commission has determined that the arson testimony that led to his conviction was based on flawed science. As of today, 138 wrongly convicted people who were sentenced to death have been exonerated. DNA is rarely available in homicides, often irrelevant (as in the Willingham case) and can’t guarantee we won’t execute innocent people. Capital juries are dominated by people who favor the death penalty and are more likely to vote to convict.
Keeping killers off the streets for good: Life without parole, on the books in 49 states (all except Alaska), also prevents reoffending. It means what it says, and spending the rest of your life locked up, knowing you’ll never be free, is no picnic. Two big advantages: -an innocent person serving life can be released from prison -life without parole costs less than the death penalty
Costs, a surprise to many people: Study after study has found that the death penalty is much more expensive than life in prison. The high costs of the death penalty are for the complicated legal process, with the largest costs at the pre-trial and trial stages. The point is to avoid executing innocent people. There are tremendous expenses in a death penalty case whether or not the defendant is convicted, let alone sentenced to death.
Crime reduction (deterrence): The death penalty doesn't keep us safer. Homicide rates for states that use the death penalty are consistently higher than for those that don’t. The most recent FBI data confirms this. For people who lack a conscience, fear of being caught is the best deterrent.
Who gets it: Contrary to popular belief, the death penalty isn't reserved for the worst crimes, but for defendants with the worst lawyers. It doesn't apply to people with money. Practically everyone sentenced to death had to rely on an overworked public defender. How many people with money have been executed??
Victims: People assume that families of murder victims want the death penalty imposed. It just isn't so. Some are against it on moral grounds. But even families who have supported the death penalty in principle have testified to the damage that the death penalty process does to families like theirs and that life without parole is an appropriate alternative.
It comes down to whether we should keep a system for the sake of retribution or revenge even though it isn’t effective in reducing violent crime, costs much more than alternatives and, worst of all, can lead to the nightmare of executing someone for a crime he didn’t commit.
Edit: The psychological effects on executioners can be severe. Take a look at "The Last Face You'll Ever See" by Solatoroff. It is about 2 American executioners- one who quit this work and now speaks out against the death penalty and another who seems like a basket case. The last executioner in New Jersey and in New York committed suicide.
The death penalty is a just and appropriate sanction and it saves additional innocent lives.
"Killing equals Killing: The Amoral Confusion of Death Penalty Opponents" http://homicidesurvivors.com/2009/02/01/murder-and-execution--very-distinct-moral-differences--new-mexico.aspx
ETHICAL/RELIGIOUS SUPPORT FOR THE DEATH PENALTY
"Death Penalty Support: Religious and Secular Scholars" http://prodpinnc.blogspot.com/2009/07/death-penalty-support-modern-catholic.html
"The Death Penalty: More Protection for Innocents" http://homicidesurvivors.com/2009/07/05/the-death-penalty-more-protection-for-innocents.aspx
DETERRENCE
All prospects of a negative outcome deter some. It is a truism. The death penalty, the most severe of criminal sanctions, is the least likely of all criminal sanctions to violate that truism.
"Deterrence and the Death Penalty: A Reply to Radelet and Lacock" http://homicidesurvivors.com/2009/07/02/deterrence-and-the-death-penalty-a-reply-to-radelet-and-lacock.aspx
"Death Penalty, Deterrence & Murder Rates: Let's be clear" http://prodpinnc.blogspot.com/2009/03/death-penalty-deterrence-murder-rates.html
INNOCENCE
"The Innocent Executed: Deception & Death Penalty Opponents" http://homicidesurvivors.com/2009/10/08/the-innocent-executed-deception--death-penalty-opponents--draft.aspx
"Cameron Todd Willingham: Another Media Meltdown", A Collection of Articles http://homicidesurvivors.com/categories/Cameron%20Todd%20Willingham.aspx
The 130 (now 139) death row "innocents" scam http://homicidesurvivors.com/2009/03/04/fact-checking-issues-on-innocence-and-the-death-penalty.aspx
COST
"Death Penalty Cost Studies: Saving Costs over LWOP" http://homicidesurvivors.com/2010/03/21/death-penalty-cost-studies-saving-costs-over-lwop.aspx
BIAS
"Death Penalty Sentencing: No Systemic Bias" http://prodpinnc.blogspot.com/2009/07/death-penalty-sentencing-no-systemic.html
Other Issues
"Death Penalty Polls: Support Remains Very High - 80%" http://prodpinnc.blogspot.com/2009/07/death-penalty-polls-support-remains.html
A Death Penalty Red Herring: The Inanity and Hypocrisy of Perfection, Lester Jackson Ph.D., http://www.tcsdaily.com/article.aspx?id=102909A
"The Death Penalty: Neither Hatred nor Revenge" http://homicidesurvivors.com/2009/07/20/the-death-penalty-neither-hatred-nor-revenge.aspx
"The Death Penalty: Not a Human Rights Violation" http://homicidesurvivors.com/2006/03/20/the-death-penalty-not-a-human-rights-violation.aspx
"Sister Helen Prejean & the death penalty: A Critical Review" http://homicidesurvivors.com/2009/05/04/sister-helen-prejean--the-death-penalty-a-critical-review.aspx
More essays supporting the death penalty and refuting the anti death penalty claims
look at the people your talking about......millions of them actually believe if they strap on a bomb and kill women and kids that they are doing it for allah and they will be rewarded in the after life...