Death penalty. For or against?

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Are you in favour of the death penalty?

Yes in all cases of murder	9%	[ 5 ]
Yes but only in brutal murder cases	11%	[ 6 ]
Yes but only if a murder is pre-meditated	5%	[ 3 ]
Hang em all, don't need any expensive prisons then	9%	[ 5 ]
No because sometimes the innocent are killed	14%	[ 8 ]
Never. There is no place for it in a civilised society	44%	[ 25 ]
Other? Explain.	9%	[ 5 ]

Total votes : 57

gina-ghettoprincess
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31 Jan 2009, 4:39 pm

DentArthurDent wrote:

gina-ghettoprincess wrote:

DentArthurDent wrote:

slowmutant wrote:

My views on the death penalty are not entirely informed by my religion.

So like so many other christians you cherry pick the ideals that suit you and discard the ones that do not. To be a christian means to follow the teachings of christ, Yes things change and evolve but execution goes against one of his fundamental teachings.

This is exactly the sort of hypocrisy that the Bible preaches. The Bible also says "an eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth". Self-contradictory, amirite?

I am no theologian but I understand that for christians the new testament overrides the old

That is true, but many Christians choose to disregard this when and where necessary for whichever point they are trying to defend.

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31 Jan 2009, 4:39 pm

DentArthurDent wrote:

gina-ghettoprincess wrote:

DentArthurDent wrote:

slowmutant wrote:

My views on the death penalty are not entirely informed by my religion.

This is exactly the sort of hypocrisy that the Bible preaches. The Bible also says "an eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth". Self-contradictory, amirite?

I am no theologian but I understand that for christians the new testament overrides the old

You are correct DentArthurDent. Jesus explicitly addresses the issue of "an eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth" in Matthew when he instructs his follows to turn the other cheek.

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greenblue
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31 Jan 2009, 4:50 pm

DentArthurDent wrote:

I am no theologian but I understand that for christians the new testament overrides the old

Under the OT law, death penalty by stoning for adultery was practiced, which, apparently came to be abolished by Jesus or Christianity. John 8:1-11.

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Dussel
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31 Jan 2009, 5:23 pm

greenblue wrote:

DentArthurDent wrote:

I am no theologian but I understand that for christians the new testament overrides the old

Under the OT law, death penalty by stoning for adultery was practiced, which, apparently came to be abolished by Jesus or Christianity. John 8:1-11.

OFF TOPIC:
An old Catholic joke: Jesus says "If any one of you is without sin, let him be the first to throw a stone at her." suddenly a stone hit the woman and Jesus turns to a woman in the crowd and shouts: "Mother, sometimes you are really a pain in the arse!"

---

More serious: In newer research it is seen as certain that this story has been added later to the Gospel of John.

DentArthurDent
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31 Jan 2009, 5:40 pm

So as I see it Jesus unequivocally tells his followers to
1. Turn the other cheek
2. That only those who are without sin can continue with an execution

So unless you are a christian that has led an absolutely saintly life you are contemptuously ignoring the teachings of Jesus by calling for the death penalty

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31 Jan 2009, 5:41 pm

Other.
In theory unconditionally against death penalty. In practice death is preferable to being subjected to most prison conditions.

Let the convicted decide which they want - life in prison or death.

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31 Jan 2009, 6:01 pm

DentArthurDent wrote:

Well, number 2 there isn't a rule of "If you're sinless, you can execute others" but rather a way of reminding the lynch mob "Hey, you're not perfect either, so stop being a bunch of self-righteous, judgmental arses." Jesus went off on hypocrites on more than one occasion.

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Dussel
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31 Jan 2009, 6:34 pm

DentArthurDent wrote:

... or to let do the execution by a non-Christian ...

Tim_Tex
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31 Jan 2009, 6:46 pm

I support the death penalty.

DentArthurDent
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31 Jan 2009, 7:29 pm

Tim_Tex wrote:

I support the death penalty.

Why?

Dussel
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31 Jan 2009, 7:54 pm

A little bit back to the numbers:

In Europe capital punishment is abolished in the most states de-facto or de-jure since decades. The overall crime statistic is still much lower than in the US. So for what this kind of punishment?

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31 Jan 2009, 8:27 pm

Dussel wrote:

greenblue wrote:

DentArthurDent wrote:

I am no theologian but I understand that for christians the new testament overrides the old

Under the OT law, death penalty by stoning for adultery was practiced, which, apparently came to be abolished by Jesus or Christianity. John 8:1-11.

That is a hoot!

ruveyn

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01 Feb 2009, 5:01 am

DentArthurDent wrote:

slowmutant wrote:

My views on the death penalty are not entirely informed by my religion.

I'm not sure you're the one to tell me what being a Christian means.

Ideally, a clergyman is present prior to the execution and he offers the conedmned one last chance to confess his sins, ask God for forgiveness, etc.

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01 Feb 2009, 7:24 am

slowmutant wrote:

But does not stop the switch from being thrown on the poison injected into the arm. That is really some big help, isn't it?

ruveyn

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01 Feb 2009, 7:41 am

ruveyn wrote:

slowmutant wrote:

But does not stop the switch from being thrown on the poison injected into the arm. That is really some big help, isn't it?

ruveyn

It is not the place of the clergy to interfere with a state execution ordained by the courts.

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01 Feb 2009, 7:59 am

slowmutant wrote:

I'm not sure you're the one to tell me what being a Christian means.

.

Just pointing out that the guy you follow was fairly unequivocal in his thoughts upon executions, and the revised rules concerning 'an eye for an eye' So it seems fairly simple to me that to if you accept him as the son of god, the messiah, the saviour who died so that your sins can be forgiven, you sort of need to follow all his teachings.

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