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.<

I was talking about the death penalty in cases where there is no question of 
guilt.  Those cases do exist as is evidenced by the example I provided.  And 
I've only talked about it as a deterrent for the person being executed.  I do 
think the law is a teacher and does send a message about what society will 
tolerate but I don't care about its deterrent value in an abstract sense.



>The fact that lifetime imprisonment could bring danger to those guarding them 
>doesn't wash for me - guards know the risk going into it. <

Wow, the life of a guilty murderer is more worthy of protection than that of a 
man/woman doing a job.   

>Neither does the cost - when it comes to life and eternal souls, money doesn't 
>hold much weight for me.<

I don't know why either of you inject money into this equation when I have 
explicitly ruled it out as a factor in my support of it.  As far as I'm 
concerned the money argument is a straw man.


>From a faith standpoint, I can't support anything that puts vengeance in the 
>hands of human beings.<

You keep saying it is vengeance.  I will keep saying it is not. 


> 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.<

Yes humans are a fallible, we wouldn't have to punish criminals if we weren't.  
But the criminal removes the possibility of grace in his/her life when he/she 
chooses to take the life of another will malice and without justification or 
mitigating factors.  


Are you against the use of deadly force in self defense for the same reason?  


Mike F.  



________________________________
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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