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Do You Support The Death Penalty?
Lynne:
--- Quote from: David on October 01, 2007, 10:47:11 pm ---I always found it strange that most of the people who support the death penalty also consider themselves Evangelical Christians. I thought one of the most important rules of Christianity was "Thou Shalt Not Kill"?
I feel this is yet another example of "Christians" bending and shaping the rules of their religion to suit their needs.
I fully agree with everything you said Lynne. Thanks for your comments! :)
--- End quote ---
Thank you, David. Tell you what, there's the same dissonance going on with the death penalty discussion as with the homosexuality discussion in the so-called evangelical Christian movement. I know I'm oversimplifiying, but the 'Thou Shalt Not Kill' and 'Turn the Other Cheek' doctrines conflict with the 'Eye for an Eye' doctrine. To my mind, these are the same conflicts that are used to label homosexuality sinful - it's all there with the same verses that explain how slaves and wives shall best be treated and punished for perceived infringments. I have little use for any of it. My favorite (ironic-sense) embodiment of these sentiments are those who think it's completely logical to be both pro-life and pro-death penalty. WTF? :-\ ??? It's one of my many arguments that church and state should never ever meet.
Fundamentalism (as we tend to define it) is just as dangerous in this country's evangelical movements as in any Muslim state.
Nobody thinks that Timothy McVeigh should have blown up the Federal Building in OK City. He did it on my birthday weekend and it's forever etched in my brain - that whole weekend. And I'm no scholar of that whole scene, but I read enough at the time to feel at least some degree of empathy for him...the soldier feeling abandoned and alienated by the government he used to hold as inviolate. He lost the whole basis of his belief structure. I am definitely not saying there's any excuse for what he did - but there were reasons that make sense if you can look at them from his twisted perspective. I've never touched mint chocolate chip ice cream again. And I never will.
serious crayons:
--- Quote from: Lynne on October 02, 2007, 12:45:39 am --- My favorite (ironic-sense) embodiment of these sentiments are those who think it's completely logical to be both pro-life and pro-death penalty. WTF? :-\ ???
--- End quote ---
Well, I have to hold to my slavishly ACLU-style adherence to overall principles as opposed to politics and say that, as I mentioned before, I don't think these two issues are comparable. From the pro-life, pro-death (!) position -- one which, as I said, I don't agree with -- I think you might argue that you're pro-life because fetuses are innocent human beings and therefore don't deserve to die, but serial killers have done something terrible and therefore DO deserve to die.
Again, please keep in mind that I don't subscribe to this view, I just think I have to distinguish capital punishment and abortion as two separate issues, because I'm the opposite -- anti-death penalty, pro-choice.
--- Quote --- I've never touched mint chocolate chip ice cream again. And I never will.
--- End quote ---
OK, so I'm out of the loop. What's the deal with mint chocolate chip ice cream?
Lynne:
--- Quote from: ineedcrayons on October 02, 2007, 01:04:18 am ---Well, I have to hold to my slavishly ACLU-style adherence to overall principles as opposed to politics and say that, as I mentioned before, I don't think these two issues are comparable. From the pro-life, pro-death (!) position -- one which, as I said, I don't agree with -- I think you might argue that you're pro-life because fetuses are innocent human beings and therefore don't deserve to die, but serial killers have done something terrible and therefore DO deserve to die.
Again, please keep in mind that I don't subscribe to this view, I just think I have to distinguish capital punishment and abortion as two separate issues, because I'm the opposite -- anti-death penalty, pro-choice.
--- End quote ---
I feel you - that's kinda what I was trying to say. I can understand the arguments they make, but is it 'Thou Shalt Not Kill' or 'Judge Not Lest.'? Inconsistent, IMO.
--- Quote ---OK, so I'm out of the loop. What's the deal with mint chocolate chip ice cream?
--- End quote ---
McVeigh's 'last meal' before his execution was mint chocolate chip ice cream. It's not that I have that much sympathy for him, it's just that I can never forget it - it's always in the back of my brain.
dot-matrix:
I am firmly on the fence about the death penalty. Some criminals commit crimes so heineous that death as a consequence should be a no-brainer. But our legal system is flawed and innocent people are convicted on circumstancial evidence, and inspite of what legal purists will tell you the presumption of innocence is a dream. There is no easy answer to this dilemma.
As for abortion, I am firmly pro-choice. I personally would never ever abort a child, but neither would I force one onto someone who neither wanted it nor was prepared to care for it. You cannot legislate morality.
serious crayons:
--- Quote from: Lynne on October 02, 2007, 01:11:23 am --- I can understand the arguments they make, but is it 'Thou Shalt Not Kill' or 'Judge Not Lest.'? Inconsistent, IMO.
--- End quote ---
Oh, definitely. And "He who is without sin can throw the first electric-chair switch." Clearly, those who most often mention Jesus seem to be the ones who pay the least attention to his viewpoints.
--- Quote ---McVeigh's 'last meal' before his execution was mint chocolate chip ice cream. It's not that I have that much sympathy for him, it's just that I can never forget it - it's always in the back of my brain.
--- End quote ---
Oh great, now it's going to be in mine, too. :-X Luckily, I'm not big on mint chocolate chip. Thank God he didn't order blueberry cheesecake or fudge-ripple mocha!
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