What is your opinion on capital punishment?

[namkcuR]

If we're doing one on abortion, we can do one on capital punishment.

I am totally 100% against it. There is a great quote from Ghandi: "An eye for an eye will leave the world blind." Murder is wrong, and murder is murder is murder. The government can't just say, 'murder is wrong and you're a murderer', and then turn around and murder you. It's totally hypocritical. I cringe whenever I hear people say "well so-and-so deserves to die." Bullshit. No one, I repeat, NO ONE, deserves to die. I believe that everyone is born good and clean. If one is driven to commit a crime that results in the death of others, then either they are screwed up psychologically, or they have cultural biases that were harbored by a less-than-suitable growing up environment. Fine, so put the person behind bars for life and continue to work to improve society so that less people are driven to murder. Capital punishment DOES NOT work. It doesn't deter anyone. It just kills people who would be better punished living in a cell and eating stale food for the remainder of their lives.

 

[oceane]

Completely, absolutely, 100% AGAINST. This is one of the issues on which there is no doubt in my mind, and there are not many of those. Now I'm going to bed and might not be able to argue with anyone on that for a while...

 

[bonosloveslave]

I think it should only be considered when there is no doubt whatsoever that the person commited the crime, ie caught on video or DNA evidence.

 

[starsgoblue]

I am against it. Like the vein with abortion...I did not create life, so what right do I have to destroy it.

 

[Liesje]

100% against. I would be a hypocrite if I opposed abortion and advocated capital punishment.

 

[bonosloveslave]

A Biblical perspective for Christians who think capital punishment is wrong

 

[deep]

A Biblical perspective for Christians who think capital punishment is wrong

Do you think the laws in the United States should be based on the Bible?

 

[Pearl]

I'm not so sure. Some people do such evil, horrible things and have no remorse for what they did. For them to simply spend the rest of their lives in prison and my tax money going to their upkeeping doesn't seem enough.

But at the same time, I believe I have no place to be so judgemental and impose such a harsh, definite sentence to someone. Its hard to look past what a person did, but you have to realize what made them commit such acts. Like namckuR said, there maybe something psychologically wrong with them or their environment influenced them. Its just the fact that some murderers have no remorse or shame or guilt over what they did that makes me think the death penalty can be a necessary option.

 

[discothequeLP]

i am against capital punishment, unless we are 100% sure the person is guilty, without employing lawyers or expert witnessess or anything (though this would violate the constitution). before captial punishment, however, we have to hope that this person has the capacity to change, and as unreliable or touchy-feely as this idea sounds, the person on death row is still a human being and should be treated with respect granted to all people

 

[Anirban]

it should never be used. very barbaric... we should progress as a society, not go back to immoral ancient practices. (even if there is 100% proof that the person committed the crime)

 

[indra]

I much prefer the jail option. Besides for those who say they don't want their tax money used to house criminals -- more tax money is used to put them to death, since so many appeals must be exhausted prior to killing them. Of course, that must be done, because what if that person isn't guilty? And considering how many people on death rows have been let out because of irrefutable evidence that they were not guilty, I don't see how the death penalty can be justified.

 

[Pearl]

originally posted by indra
Besides for those who say they don't want their tax money used to house criminals -- more tax money is used to put them to death, since so many appeals must be exhausted prior to killing them.

I'm not saying I don't want my taxes to house criminals. The fact that some criminals could care less for what they did, and are spending the rest of their lives in prison just hanging around doesn't seem like a good enough punishment, and I don't like my taxes supporting that. If there were a more significant punishment done to such criminals, I would support my taxes being used for that, and probably wouldn't think the death penalty would be an option.

And as for criminals hanging around while in prison, that can happen. I've read stories of prisoners who got to play sports, work-out in the gym, see a movie each week, and so forth. I don't think that is right for some serial killer to have such privileges while serving their sentence. I know and agree that they deserve some rights like other people. But how is that proper punishment for someone who committed vicious crimes?

 

[starsgoblue]

Do you think the laws in the United States should be based on the Bible?

A lot of them do have a Judeo-Christian background....

 

[indra]

I'm not saying I don't want my taxes to house criminals. The fact that some criminals could care less for what they did, and are spending the rest of their lives in prison just hanging around doesn't seem like a good enough punishment, and I don't like my taxes supporting that. If there were a more significant punishment done to such criminals, I would support my taxes being used for that, and probably wouldn't think the death penalty would be an option.

And as for criminals hanging around while in prison, that can happen. I've read stories of prisoners who got to play sports, work-out in the gym, see a movie each week, and so forth. I don't think that is right for some serial killer to have such privileges while serving their sentence. I know and agree that they deserve some rights like other people. But how is that proper punishment for someone who committed vicious crimes?

Perhaps we should let Lyndie Englund at 'em! That will teach 'em!

But really, what would be "just" punishment? Cattle prod to the testicles? The problem is, reasonable, non-sadistic people can't hurt truly vicious people without losing their own humanity. Allowing a person convicted of horrible crimes to have certain minor privileges simply means the rest of society has not become just as brutal.

 

[deep]

A lot of them do have a Judeo-Christian background....

Is this true?


Or just a load of often repeated crap?

 

[Angela Harlem]

100% against. I would be a hypocrite if I opposed abortion and advocated capital punishment.

On the religious side of this debate, I struggle with how (dare I say it) certain representatives of the Christian Right freely and keenly play God for those mankind is allowed to judge and condemn.

I think it's cool to be close to God and all. But Jesus people, we can never BE God.
!

 

[A_Wanderer]

I am against capital punishment if the individual no longer presents a threat to other people but while they are still a danger then they are fair game; as in targeted assasinations on Hamas leaders. Border is crossed on some crimes e.g. cases of crimes against humanity - they should be left hanging off a rope unceremoniously like the Nuremberg Trials. My opinion there is tempered by the situation at hand, Saddam will probably be executed, one life does not bring closure or comfort to all and is merely the last death in a sorry piece of modern history - I will not shed a tear for him. I would prefer if we had a purgatory sentence for these monsters, would that be possible?

I am against death sentences for murder etc. two wrongs do not make a right. Terrorism becomes a different level because you are not talking a few lives at risk, you may be talking thousands, in a lot of those cases they can be very useful alive.

 

[dandy]

according to the international declaration of human rights, capital punishment has been found to be 'cruel and unusual punishment.' i tend to agree with this argument because our justice system is far from infallible. guilt is determined on a standard of reasonable doubt, not 100% certainty. there is always the risk that an innocent person can be convicted and executed, which i think is unacceptable. the only way to eliminate this risk to abolish capital punishment.

 

[A_Wanderer]

Agreed, abolish capital punishment and torture fully all over the globe.

 

[Klaus]

A_Wanderer
what do you think about the Israeli tactic letting imprisoned militant leaders out of jail and kill them later (with a little "colateral damage")?

 

[A_Wanderer]

The Mossad are very good, when they do the job properly there is no collateral damage. I have no problem if they kill somebody like Sheik Yassin after releasing them. Proven terrorist threatens innocent lives, elimination will save lives and will prevent terrorists attacking for leverage for release. As I said better to have 1 terrorist leader and 3 bodyguards dead than suffer 200 innocent people get blown up. Since the seperation barrier and targeted assasinations Hamas has gone from blowing up busloads of innocent people in Israel proper to launching puny rockets across short distances. Fighting terror involves killing terrorists, negotiation failed outright and the Al Aqsa Intafada demonstrates it, offer a Palestinian state with significant concessions and Arafat responds with the suicide homocide bombers of Palestinian Diplomacy.

Whether you like it or not killing terrorists solves the problem, proof positive is the success of the Israelis in dealing with the second intafada which is now pretty much over.

 

[speedracer]

Do you think the laws in the United States should be based on the Bible?

Do you think they shouldn't?

Writing laws that are informed by biblical or religious moral principles is not necessarily a violation of the Establishment clause.

That said, I really don't think the Bible makes an ironclad case for or against capital punishment.

 

[U2Kitten]

I am for it for people who murdered intentionally and cruelly. While I do value life highly, IMO anyone who has deprived another of their life does not deserve theirs, even behind bars. I think it should be reserved for the most heinous of crimes, rape/murders, multilation murders, and especially child killings. I don't think a guy who shoots his best friend when he's drunk should get it, or even someone who shoots in a robbery, they should have life with no parole. But serial killers like the snipers and John Wayne Gacy should be executed.

 

[U2Kitten]

I also want to add, there should be undeniable evidence including DNA tests and possibly surveilence cameras before the death penalty is given, not just eyewitness accounts. And don't even try to throw shit at me that it's no different from abortion, it IS. That baby never had a chance to live and do anything wrong, they never had a 'choice.' The criminal did.

 

[AussieU2fanman]

Do you think the laws in the United States should be based on the Bible?

bahahaha! Yeh, turn the other cheek! That will work!

Obviously basing law on Christian teaching (especailly the BIBLE) will lead to anarachy. We are not all good people and people will take advantage of the weaknesses in Christian ethics leading to a much worse off society IMO.

Nah but seriously, I am 100% FOR Captial Punishment. For such serious crimes eg. Mass murdering, the punishment should fit the crime. Okay so Capital Punishment is somewhat of an easy way out for many criminals, but nontheless it eliminates one more problem in society. By keeping someone in jail for life is just a pure waste of taxpayers money. I'm not gonna work my arse off to pay some jackass to live more comfortably than half the people in the world just because he's a scumbag murderer.
You guys say it violates human rights? They forfeited their rights by the choices they made. Sometimes you have to strip things like that.

 

[speedracer]

bahahaha! Yeh, turn the other cheek! That will work!

Nah but seriously, I am 100% FOR Captial Punishment. For such serious crimes eg. Mass murdering, the punishment should fit the crime. Okay so Capital Punishment is somewhat of an easy way out for many criminals, but nontheless it eliminates one more problem in society. By keeping someone in jail for life is just a pure waste of taxpayers money. I'm not gonna work my arse off to pay some jackass to live more comfortably than half the people in the world just because he murder's people.

I bet you also advocate booting for making crank phone calls.

 

[AussieU2fanman]

I bet you also advocate booting for making crank phone calls.

Snruh? What do you mean by 'booting?'

 

[A_Wanderer]

Do you think the laws in the United States should be based on the Bible?

Most certainly not sir. A state with divine right is the combination of the two most opressive concepts in the history of mankind; government and religion.

Laws must be based on reason and logic and not superstition. Those in the world that actively pursuing divine laws are the ones who bring about cruelty on to population. The United States legal system must never become a mirror image of Sharia.

If one bases the legal system on upholding and protecting the rights of the individual and punishing those that harm or remove the rights of others it can do a lot more that one rooted in theology.

I am only slightly less passionate about this than I am about Sharia because in this situation it is a hypothetical wheras Sharia is practiced frequently and many suffer because of it - and no matter how much anybody tells me to be tollerant I will never stand by while evil is committed as part of religious affairs.

 

[AussieU2fanman]

Most certainly not sir. A state with divine right is the combination of the two most opressive concepts in the history of mankind; government and religion.

Laws must be based on reason and logic and not superstition. Those in the world that actively pursuing divine laws are the ones who bring about cruelty on to population. The United States legal system must never become a mirror image of Sharia.

If one bases the legal system on upholding and protecting the rights of the individual and punishing those that harm or remove the rights of others it can do a lot more that one rooted in theology.

I am only slightly less passionate about this than I am about Sharia because in this situation it is a hypothetical wheras Sharia is practiced frequently and many suffer because of it - and no matter how much anybody tells me to be tollerant I will never stand by while evil is committed as part of religious affairs.

Lol, I wouldn't take the comment about basing law on the BIBLE too seriously!

 

[A_Wanderer]

Booting is a cunning reference to the Bart vs. Australia from Simpsons Season 6 where the Booting is Barts punishment.

"Mr Simpson please be quite, dispariging the boot is a bootable offence"