Which is hypocritical and which is not?

A loaded question. Clever but the two can't be compared. Your talking about punishing adults for making the heinous choice to kill another human out of anger and trying to contrasting that that to killing a baby that never had a chance to see what it's mother looked like.

It would be hypocritical to be pro-life and pro death penalty. No one is "for" abortion. So the second group is in favor of limiting the governments reach.

Neither.

To be for the potential of a child, but against the continued existence of a murderer who murdered KNOWING the penalty was death and thus forfeited his right to life is not hypocritical.

To be for the potential for a life gone wrong, a murderer who clearly didn't understand the consequences of his actions and could be saved, vs. a bit of unthinking flesh that is a parasitic life upon a mother who does not want to bring it to term is not hypocritical.

It's all perspective and values.

Both are hypocritical if you claim that the right to life is the most important right.

Though both also have their own unique way of justifying their exceptions to the rule that life is precious.

Pro-life would say "only innocent life is precious".. Strange there's no footnote in the Ten Commandments that says that but oh well.

Pro-choice would say that a woman's right to choose is more important the the unborn's right to life.

@ Hi... newborns do not know that they are alive so is it OK to kill newborns?

for the first there is at least a stightly sensible expanation... and i suppose for the other as well....

1) a child has no control over it's life and people aboring fetuses w/o regard for life are worse then people being put to death who have made their own decisions.

2) suggesting that a criminal can be rehabilitated is this position but killing a baby/fetus is perfectly acceptabel w/o rehab...?

persoanlly i don't care, just pointing out the positions.

Neither one is hypocritical. They are unrelated issues.

No one is 'for' abortion. I am pro-choice, I chose to have both of my children.

The death penalty as pro life

Dudley Sharp

First, the "pro life" term was, originally, identified with the anti abortion movement, which still seems the most appropriate context.

Secondly, in the context of the facts, yes, of course you can be pro life and pro death penalty. There is no contradicition.

All sanctions are given because we value what is being taken away.

Whether is be fines, freedom or lives, in every case we take things away, as legal sanction, it is because we value that which is taken away.

How can it be a sanction, if we do not value that which is taken away? It can't.

In addition, more innocent lives are saved when we use the death penalty, thereby a pro life benefit.

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.

"The Death Penalty: More Protection for Innocents"

http://homicidesurvivors.com/2009/07/05/the-death-...

25 recent studies finding for deterrence, Criminal Justice Legal Foundation,

http://www.cjlf.org/deathpenalty/DPDeterrence.htm

"Deterrence and the Death Penalty: A Reply to Radelet and Lacock"

http://homicidesurvivors.com/2009/07/02/deterrence...

"Death Penalty, Deterrence & Murder Rates: Let's be clear"

http://prodpinnc.blogspot.com/2009/03/death-penalt...

We have great care for innocents

In at least three ways, innocents are more protected with the death penalty, than with lesser sanctions. Another pro life consideration.

"The Death Penalty: More Protection for Innocents"

http://homicidesurvivors.com/2009/07/05/the-death-...

The false innocence claims by anti death penalty activists are legendary. Some examples:

"The Innocent Executed: Deception & Death Penalty Opponents"

http://homicidesurvivors.com/2009/10/08/the-innoce...

The 130 (now 139) death row "innocents" scam

http://homicidesurvivors.com/2009/03/04/fact-check...

"A Death Penalty Red Herring: The Inanity and Hypocrisy of Perfection", Lester Jackson Ph.D.,

http://www.tcsdaily.com/article.aspx?id=102909A

The moral and religious arguments, in support of the death penalty, all have a foundation in respecting innocent life, therefore, when it is wrongly taken away, the highest form of sanction is provided.

As in:

Genesis 9:5-6: "For your lifeblood I will surely require a reckoning.... Whoever sheds the blood of man, by man shall his blood be shed; for God made man in his own image."

Chapter V:The Sanctity of Life, "Principles of Conduct: Aspects of Biblical Ethics" By John Murray, 1991 (first published 1957) by Wm. B. Eerdmans http(COLON)//tiny(DOT)cc/4SFBY

"Death Penalty Support: Religious and Secular Scholars"

http(COLON)//prodpinnc.blogspot(DOT)com/2009/07/death-penalty-support-modern-catholic.html

"Pope John Paul II: Prudential Judgement and the death penalty"

http(COLON)//homicidesurvivors(DOT)com/2007/07/23/pope-john-paul-ii-his-death-penalty-errors.aspx

Other issues:

"The Death Penalty: Neither Hatred nor Revenge"

http(COLON)//homicidesurvivors(DOT)com/2009/07/20/the-death-penalty-neither-hatred-nor-revenge.aspx

"Killing equals Killing: The Amoral Confusion of Death Penalty Opponents"

http(COLON)//homicidesurvivors(DOT)com/2009/02/01/murder-and-execution--very-distinct-moral-differences--new-mexico.aspx

"The Death Penalty: Not a Human Rights Violation"

http(COLON)//homicidesurvivors(DOT)com/2006/03/20/the-death-penalty-not-a-human-rights-violation.aspx

"Physicians & The State Execution of Murderers: No Ethical/Medical Dilemma"

http(COLON)//prodpinnc.blogspot(DOT)com/2009/10/physicians-state-execution-of-murderers.html

i am a liberal on most issues, however, i am also pro-choice and believe that some people should pay the ultimate price for their evil deeds. i do believe that they are separate issues as i have taken biology classes and do not consider abortion killing.

I'm not for the death penalty, unless for extreme cases (Osama Bin Ladin) and i'm not for abortion, i'm pro-choice.

Its different, killing something that knows its alive is wrong.

It really depends on what your beliefs are. It is possible to be both those things without being a hypocrite.