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How can people claim to respect the sanctity of life and then support the death penalty?
I'm a religious conservative. How can the Republicans ever think they represent me if they believe in the death penalty? They always say things like "we respect the sanctity of human life" when talking about abortion, then turn around and rally behind executing some helpless prisoner.
I am deeply opposed to needless, brutal executions. War is different - I will make that distinction right now. But executing a helpless prisoner, while viscerally satisfying, doesn't actually accomplish anything. I've read literally hundreds of articles, publications, and studies on the subject and the justifications just don't hold up to scrutiny.
The need for one person to have revenge on another cannot be justification in this matter. If it was, then we are teaching that vengeance is the proper response to being wronged. Which doesn't seem like a lesson I want to teach my children. For that matter, isn't that mentality of cyclical vengeance exactly what is causing problems in Lebanon?
-- Andy and Nimbleminx, the prisoner is helpless to commit further acts against society. That's what I mean by 'helpless'. As such, punishing them further is akin to winning a war, then slaughtering the populace. You've already gotten the criminal off the streets and safely away from civilized society. Further, a lot of these people are mentally unbalanced, or knew very violent lives. Still others were likely innocent (at least a few of the executed turned out to be innocent beyond contention after the fact). Yes, there are some real monsters out there, but what good does it serve to kill them? The death penalty has been proven -conclusively- to have no deterrent effect on crime. If it did, I might agree with you. But it does not. So being opposed to crime (which I am) has nothing to do with supporting the death penalty (which I don't).
7 Answers
- David SLv 41 decade agoFavorite Answer
They consider the convicted felon,guilty or not, to be unworthy of life.To be exterminated as the Nazis considered the Jews in WW2.It's a question I've pondered long and hard.It's revenge but also blood lust I feel that causes some people to cheer when they see the condemned die.No other Western Democracy uses capital punishment.
Hardly a deterent more like a "fix" we in the "civilized" US use to get our vicarious thrill of murdering someone ourselves.
I always speak out against capital punishment.Glad someone feels the way I do.
- andyLv 71 decade ago
First off, the prisoner is not helpless. If he is on death row, than he has be found guilty of committing some type of heinous crime. Even the Bible gives the Government the right to protect it's people. I know that Jesus said to love one another and taught peace. To have peace, that means that the Government needs to protect it's people. Executing a prisoner that has been found a danger to society is allowable by law. You have to remember that the prisoner is not a helpless victim like it seems you are trying to state. This is also different than the terrorist way of thinking. You are mixing the right of the individual and the right of Government together. The reason that abortion is wrong is because you are killing an innocent person. Even God has giving Government the ability to protect the innocent.
- Richard BLv 41 decade ago
The death penalty is just punishment for violating a moral law that has existed for thousands of years. It is man's judgment against those who commit a heinous crime. God's judgment comes later. The Roman Catholic church allows for the death penalty in its Catholicisms. It may not be favored, but its allowed. Abortion is killing a innocent person for no crime other than being created. No rights, no trial, no due process, no moral judgment; just brutal death.
- nimbleminxLv 51 decade ago
I am deeply opposed to needless, brutal crimes! If more of them got the needle or the chair we might see a reduction in crime and it would certainly be preferable to having tax dollars feed, cloth and house them.
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- 1 decade ago
Good question. I also wonder how so many that oppose the death penalty support abortion.
- ?Lv 61 decade ago
Read Genesis 9:6 for your answer...it's because human life is valuable that your life is forfeit if you murder someone.
So basically, the death penalty reinforces the notion that human life is sacred...so no contradiction there.
