Perspectives that Matter

Pursuing dialogue about current issues from a perspective of faith informed by the character and principles of Jesus Christ.

1. Argonaut 1.9.08 / 3pm

   I am trying to place myself in a situation of a parent whose daughters were raped and dumped next to a highway.

   Maybe your questions should have been asked differently: Isn’t the execution by lethal injection an easy way out for such a criminal? Would such a criminal deserve to die humane and painless death? Shouldn’t he/she be placed in a situation where he/she would experience at least a bit of what his/her victim/s experienced? Wouldn’t a more drastic and radical execution method serve as a deterrent for other potential hard-core criminals, which would consequentially lead to a fewer cases of serious criminal acts that necessitate a death penalty?

   The question - “What would Jesus do?”, is irrelevant here. We do not know what would he do. We may only keep guessing and quarreling about it. Each case is different, and Jesus would probably treat each one of them in a different way. We could agree that principally Jesus was “for life”, but this could also mean that we are called to get rid of the junk that threatens life of another. How many lives have been ruined and destroyed thanks to such yeasts of evil?

   For or against capital punishment? I am against because it is a too easy way out for hard-core criminals. I would take their freedom away and create conditions where they would be subjected to some hard work, instead of putting them into prisons where they are doing nothing at the expense of society.
2. Jim 1.9.08 / 5pm

   No, capital punishment sucks.
3. Herb 1.10.08 / 3am

   No, Jesus would not agree with it. The basic message of the Gospel is reconciling love, and that message has implications for this world as well as the next. Capital punishment excludes reconciliation, and is contrary to what Jesus would have us do.
4. Elem 1.14.08 / 4am

   There are no more or less humane methods of execution. All are uncivilized and primitive, and those that are more “people-friendly” (such as execution by lethal injection) are equally more sinister. The whole concept of death penalty is based on justice that excuses retribution. The examples of countries without death penalty and their very low crime rate in society shows that death penalty is not a good deterrent either.
5. Tihomir Kukolja 1.16.08 / 3pm

   The following is a paragraph from my latest column “Killing Me Softly” - http://ourgeneration.wordpress.com/

   …I would like to suggest that the underlying issue in the case of the lethal injection goes beyond the question of whether our most benevolent style of execution measures up to its claims. For it does not make a difference from an ethical, moral and spiritual standpoint whether execution is performed by crucifixion, drowning, burning at the stake, beheading, electrocution, firing squad, lethal injection, or even hugging or kissing. It still remains a forced, involuntary and imposed death: a cruel and ugly thing. Killing anyone softly, whatever the circumstances and reason, does not upgrade execution to a more advanced institution. The more gently it is administered, the more sinister it becomes, almost resonating the sadistic soothing voice of a Frankenstein doctor from the Balkans ­ “No worries mate, we’ll do it lovingly!”…

   To read the entire column please visit - http://ourgeneration.wordpress.com/

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