Re: Death penalty

I'm with Paul on this. I've not seen the death penalty work as a deterrent and 
can't see criminals thinking, "Oh, I shouldn't do this. I might be killed by the 
state." But if I'm wrong and it does work as a deterrent, it also holds the 
inherent danger that an innocent could be put to death for a crime they did not 
commit, which cancels out the benefit as a deterrent.

The fact that lifetime imprisonment could bring danger to those guarding them 
doesn't wash for me - guards know the risk going into it. Neither does the cost 
- when it comes to life and eternal souls, money doesn't hold much weight for 
me.
From a faith standpoint, I can't support anything that puts vengeance in the 
hands of human beings. We're far too fallible. My primary objection is the death 
penalty completely removes the possibility for grace in the criminal's life. 
Killing them takes away any opportunity for the grace and love of God to reach 
them. God's grace and love is more powerful than any crime. And while it might 
satisfy our concepts of justice, I think it oversteps God's.
Æ




________________________________
From: pcg <[email protected]>
To: DADL (off topic) <[email protected]>
Sent: Mon, November 8, 2010 5:02:27 PM
Subject: Re: [DADL-OT] Death penalty

> So you only see the death penalty as vengeance?

Of course, as that's precisely what it is. It serves no useful social
purpose, neither as a deterrent nor as an implementation of justice.
It *is* more economical than imprisonment, but that's not the same as
being useful (and, at any rate, the question of economics has no place
in a debate about taking human life).

The death penalty has no function other than to serve as a
state-sanctioned act of vengeance, which provides closure for those
deprived and satisfaction for those interested.

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