Sanctity of life?

If you are for the death penalty then you are for murder.

I believe that people look at the death penalty in an incorrect way, including people that are both for and against.

Yes indeed, I believe in the sanctity of life but I also believe in the death penalty but not as you might think.

Killing is killing, if it is war or through the mandate of a judge. However; if you have a cancer that, if left untreated, will kill the host, you must remove it. It is the same with people. If you have a person or a group of people that, if left untreated, will kill society and in doing so, kill the people in that society, you must remove them. Often the only way to ensure that they are removed is to kill them. By the way, murder is a legal term, not a philosophical one. Pacifists are always for sparing someones life but they usually do not stop to think of the consequences. They believe that the person doing the sentencing or the executioner or the soldier loves his/her job. Little do they realize that these people are taking on this most grave responsibility through very little choice of their own.

So, is the death penalty OK for murders? No but it is sometimes necessary to save the patient.

And it is "Thou shalt not MURDER" not "Thou shalt not KILL". Please get your quotes correct. Thanks

I'd like to contribute and answer this very good question from a Buddhist perspective if I may.

The 5 Precepts of the Buddhist Dharma preclude Killing of any sentient Being. The wording of the Dharma is actually 'Refrain from' .......

In my mind there are always alternatives to be considered...

Christians I believe have differing views determined by the wording of their Decalogue (spelling correct?) otherwise known as The 10 Commandments....

The King James Bible for example and the Roman Catholic Faith use the words 'Thou shall not Kill' whereas more recent sects of Christians use the term 'murder ' instead of kill as this is the direct quote from the Book of Exodus 20:3-17. There are many versions of the Bible with different words in the same Book and chapter reference....

The proper use of terms is so very important to dispel misconception and confusion. I hope that each of the different Christian denominations exhibit tolerance and understanding of their differences because of the use of words. Dogmatic differences due to the connotations of the wording can be so divisive. These words convey different meanings and can have far reaching implications for How they are read and interpreted.

Peace friends especially in this season of joy and Celebration.

From a Buddhist.....

We must remember that nothing in this life is absolute except the truth of God's Word.

Everything else, including justice, has some limits.

In this case, my religion teaches that the death penalty should be given only as a last resort, and for only the most heinous or numerous crimes (best current example - Saddam Hussein).

The sanctity of life only extends as far as the individual is willing to respect the lives of others.

Yes, I do believe in the death penalty. It is better that a man die, than to be allowed to kill, torture, molest, and maim, again and again and again.

For me it's sanctity of life for ALL sentient beings, and no, the death penalty is not okay for anyone really... it makes 0 sense and does nothing to deter crime.

All human life is sacred. Some have lost the ability to recognize their own divinity by subduing their conscience to death. That does not mean that their lives should be taken. It may be better for them to be locked away for the remainder of their lives to contemplate the consequences of their choices. Their existence is so limited mentally, emotionally and spiritually that the physical confinement would be fitting.

Death penalty is never okay.

If you believe that killing is wrong, why would you kill someone else, just because they did it first?

It just seems like it goes too far for me. Punish them. Life in prison, isolation. Seems to be punishment enough.

If you kill them, they cease to exist, and that isn't punishment at all when you lead such a miserable life in the first place.

I always found it terribly ironic that so many people that are anti-abortion (I refuse to say pro-life) are pro-death penalty. They see a ball of cells as a human, but a human being that has done wrong, *that* is less than human and deserving of death. Personally I think it's playing God to kill a living, breathing human being no matter how terrible their trespasses.

Circus Maximus

I strongly believe in the sanctity of life. However, there are certain crimes which are, IMHO, unforgivable and cause the person who willing did them to forfeit all rights including the right to be alive.