Capital Punishment: the Asterisk in the Bible

[matthewstryker]

I think I'm going to write a position paper about capital punishment. I'm against it, and I think it's for pretty good reasons. I don't harbor any illusions that the people on death row are not criminals deserving of the harshest punishment available. That much is true. I just don't think capital punishment is effective or necessary, to say

Comments

Re: Once Again

[dayadhvam]

Im not attacking Christianity, so you don't get to wave that flag. Like I said, I was attacking you and your stance as a Christian. From your viewpoint, it seems like you're putting old testament scripture (on which we have already discussed its dubiousness as factual text) before the actions of Jesus, which is not what a "Christian" "does."

Now to your U.S. Constitution statement. Why is it safe to say that times were different in the times of Jesus, but not in the time of the Constitution? This Ammendment was written to protect people from being lynched if he/she was believed to be a traitor.

Further, your statement that "democracy favors the will of the majority" is complete bunk. It favors the will of those who control the majority. We both know this. The truth is, not many people put much thought into their stance on capital punishment and are easily swayed man's tendency toward zealotry and persuasive marketing.

You can sit here all day making straw-man arguments with the Bible and the Constition, but that's not doing either of us any good. I'm making this argument to you as a Christian to a Christian. Our goal is to be more Christ-like (even though we can never be completely Christ-like). Christ is an Avatar of love, compassion, and forgiveness. One cannot both condone the death penalty and say he is a Christian without the help of ignorance or deceit.

Get all huffy about that if you want. Take it as a personal insult and leave the argument behind. But, you're better than that. So I hope you don't.

Re: Once Again

[matthewstryker]

I was the one attacking christianity. And I did it on the basis that the right wing supports capital punishment in large part because the religious right approves of it which appears hypocritical when christianity says certain things about life and death.

I think it's a valid point. "Thou shalt not kill," but you can certainly enjoy an execution.

Re: Once Again

[dayadhvam]

Nice slogan.

But.

Quoting the Bible is off limits in this kind of debate, because it goes both ways.

Re: Once Again

[dayadhvam]

Who said I'm a friggin Christian? Your whole rant is moot. I don't care what Jesus thinks. As for your grasp of the Constitution, you seem to be confused. Traitors are still eligible for death. It's called treason. I think you were hinting at the "cruel and unusual" clause. My point was that capital punishment is constitutional. Yes, even for traitors. You can pretend you know what the framers "thought," I'm just saying what is written and what is law - today, 2005.

"Further, your statement that 'democracy favors the will of the majority' is complete bunk. It favors the will of those who control the majority. We both know this."

And who puts the people with the will to control the majority in power? The majority!

"The truth is, not many people put much thought into their stance on capital punishment and are easily swayed man's tendency toward zealotry and persuasive marketing."

Well, I know many who put thought into their stance.

"I'm making this argument to you as a Christian to a Christian. Our goal is to be more Christ-like (even though we can never be completely Christ-like)."

I never said I was Christian! In case anyone is confused, this isn't Scott Miller or another Scott who claims he's a Christian.

Scott
Whose religion has not been disclosed

Re: Once Again

[dayadhvam]

Well, fuck. I thought this was Scott Miller. That changes things a bit, then, doesn't it?

Anyway.

""Further, your statement that 'democracy favors the will of the majority' is complete bunk. It favors the will of those who control the majority. We both know this."

And who puts the people with the will to control the majority in power? The majority!"

No, those people don't. The people who have money/power do. One doesn't get elected without money. Further, the elected officials only hold a portion of the power. Large businesses hold a large portion of power in our culture.