In the U.S. should we have capital punishment?

Question

Many people who are against abortion are in favor of capital punishment. Can you be pro life and favor state executions? Does pro life mean that all life is sacred, no matter how great the sin the sinner may have committed?

Answer 1

But no.....its not a proven solution. There is no clear research that it actually has been a deterent to crime! Murder is a crime that most of us can not understand and fathom because (thank God) we have our mental faculties about us and have not reached a breaking point where we throw away all reason and logic. When someone picks up a gun, knife, or whatever weapon and aims it at another with intent to kill they have lost all reasoning skills and are resorting to an act that is completely emotional. Do they stop and say, "Oh, I shouldn't do this because I could very well get the death penalty for what I'm about to do?" Of course not. They have so lost all capacity to think of anything that makes sense. Even pre-meditated murders don't do this. If they are deranged enough to plot the death of another they don't have the logic or reason to even heart to care about the effects. They just want the other person dead.......and they don't plan on getting caught. Well guess what........they usually do get caught. That alone shows what horrid reasoning skills they have. There is no perfect murder. Just as there is no perfect solution to this horrendous problem. But one thing is for sure..........they never stop to think I will die if am caught. It does not stop them!!

No, I'm not protecting the sinner. I say let him rot in jail. That is a much worse punishment! In my opinion it is taking a life for a life. For in prison all quality of life as we know it is gone. Unless of course you've always dreamed of being Bubba's boy toy. But that's a whole other issue. As I was saying........life as we know it is over. A life of guilt and ridicule and finger pointing is a horrid life. Imagine how we feel day to day when we make a mistake and a finger is pointed at us. Now multiply that 100 times over. The media, the inmates, the soul will punish him......for sure.

And who are you actually punishing by taking the life of the criminal? His family. Or do we want them to hurt as much we hurt? Is that the point? If we are talking about being a good Christian, is that really the way? You want others to feel the same pain as you? I do not in anway way support what the killer has done, but I don't feel that executing him in anyway repays what he has done. It only takes a horrible act......and makes it that much more tragic for many more people. I can't possibly support something that purposefully causes more pain.

I'm obviously not a believer in capital punishment. I would so so love to see the guilty suffer!! But by death? It's not the answer. It does nothing to appease the pain of the crime he committed.

*steps off soapbox*

Answer 2

I'm such a fence sitter when it comes to capital punishment, I can see both arguments very clearly, but cannot stand up and say I have a firm belief "that this is the one correct way to do it."

I do know from studies that I have read that it is primarily the poor that are eventually executed...the rich, or even the moderately well off that can afford real lawyers...are not. Well that's a bunch of BS, isn't it? What does that say about the system?

The other thing that is frightening is how many times the system has gotten it wrong and executed an innocent person. Oops. Sorry about that.

I'm personally in favor of letting the victims family decide the punishment.

For instance, if someone killed one of my children...and I knew I would have some say in deciding their fate...I wouldn't have to find a way to kill them myself. Which trust me, I would do in a heartbeat.

I just don't think I could make peace and forgive someone knowing that they are alive for however long their natural life is...with 3 squares a day, free health care (which I cannot even afford to provide for myself...whole other issue.), cable TV, etc.

And Christian "values" has nothing to do with this...at the time that Christianity was just a little cult pssing off the Jewish leadership and the Romans...you could be stoned for saying "Jehovah." Jesus preached about forgiveness and love, yes, but he didn't go around saying...don't kill the sinner...he said to forgive them...but he omitted anything about the whole punishment.

This is a conundrum of great importance and I don't see an easy solution at all.

Answer 3

The people against abortion believe- right or wrong that they are protecting an innocent. Back to capital punishment. Most murderers and child abusers are not mentally challenged. Spontaneous crimes of passion may lack the forethought of consequences but that's an individuals self control issue. If capital punishment were a sure consequence it would be a great deterrent. Violent crime is where it is applicable. Our legal system is to blame. At current you have a 50/50 chance of receiving any punishment. The odds better the more wealth you have. Some criminals cannot be rehabilitated. Life in prison protects society outside of the prison walls but why should the taxpayers especially victims families be forced to pay for their "right to life" once they made the choice to give that up. Most of us would be happy to spend that money on the homeless, the children who could use three meals a day and a roof over their head every night .Even in their state of poverty they played by the rules. Don't get me started on taking care of the starving and ill in other countries. Charity begins at home and we certainly could use it.

Answer 4

You make a good point. It is interesting that the majority of conservatives are for capital punishment and against abortion. And most liberals are for abortion (or, rather, choice) and against capital punishment. Doesn't make a whole lot of sense, does it? And it's kind of a hypocrisy.

As for me, I am for capital punishment. I think that once a person has murdered an innocent in cold blood, that person has forfeited his/her right to live. Barbaric? Maybe. But why should such a detriment to society be allowed to live with the rest of us who contribute? I'm also pro-choice. It's all about the quality of life. An unwanted child leads a miserable life. Most criminals were unwanted as children.

Pro-life is a politican spin word that makes people who are against abortion look righteous and is intended to make the other side look cruel and evil. It's BS in my not-so-humble opinion.

Answer 5

Capital Punishment might certainly make criminals think twice about the crimes they might commit! Think about it, if you were going to kill someone and you KNEW that you would be put to death, without the possibility of being alive in prison using hundreds of thousands of tax dollars, until the day you die naturally, or someone shanks you, would you still do it? If you were going to get a hand or leg cut off because you stole someone else's property, would you still do it? If you were going to be castrated for molesting a child, or raping someone would you still do it? Maybe once, but probably not again. I am not too religious, but even the bible talks of "an eye for an eye" kind of justice, and even spare not the rod, and spoil the child, type punishment. Even animals that live in groups have harsh punishments for their kind that can't live in peace within the groups, they are exiled, or ripped to shreds. Why should someone think they can get away with a horrible crime with just a slap on the wrist? I know that a prison term is not just a slap on the wrist, but compared to a REAL punishment, it would be.

Answer 6

I am pro-life and against capital punishment for a number of reasons. Our justice system is severely flawed. I do think that if the death sentence were carried out swiftly, it would actually be a deterrent to crime. Honestly, if a murderer knew that if captured and convicted he would be executed within the week; I do think he'd think twice about killing. Instead, convicted felons sit on death row for years and go through lengthy appeals processes. The threat of capital punishment is ineffective.
A young fellow I've known since he was 11 is now almost 20. In his teenage years he got involved in drugs and made a mess of his life. Three years ago he tried to stab someone to death. He has been indicted for attempted murder. He is out on bail. His case has not even come to trial yet. That's a screwed up system if you ask me.
Another reason I do not favor capital punishment is because people can be wrongly convicted - we read about it constantly now that DNA testing is available. When I was in college, there was an older student enrolled. Harold spent 10 years on death row in the Georgia State Penitentiary. He was finally pardoned by the governor when the two fellows he was with when the robbery and murder occurred were arrested for another crime. They finally admitted to framing Harold. He turned his life around and went on to speak in schools across the nation warning young people of the dangers of drug and alcohol abuse.
I think we should do away with capital punishment in the US.

Answer 7

I am the opposite. I am against capital punishment but prochoice. Though I think many people do deserve to die and should be killed, I cannot justify giving that power or authority to the government.

Answer 8

Two different issues. Capitol punishment requiring death has to do with a great injustice done to society. The other has to do with killing someone very innocent.

"For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;" Romans 3:23

"For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord." Romans 6:23

"But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us." Romans 5:8

"For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life." John 3:16

"That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation." Romans 10:9-10

Answer 9

If life were considered sacred, we would not be killing each other on the streets or in our homes.
Death penalty is a proven solution to a convicted premeditated murderer/child killers, etc.
Why keep them around. They offer no value to society except cost us our tax dollars.

Answer 10

on an identical time as what's taking place with using scientific marijuana is a foul undertaking (my mom makes use of it and no, i do no longer prefer to work out her in detention center) it rather is an exceedingly diverse tale than the stoning of the Kurd woman and might't be compaired. those everybody isn't being sentenced to a painful demise because of the fact they fell in love with somebody of a diverse faith...that's because of the fact they chosen to apply a drug (plant or no longer plant) that's unlawful. whilst they offered the drug they chosen to take the threat of going to detention center by ability of breaking the regulation. Stoning is an prolonged and grousome way of thrashing somebody to demise. human beings p.c.. up rocks and throw them at you till you're so overwhelmed which you die. no longer something which you pronounced is any the place close to as brutal because of the fact the government over seeing someone get stoned to demise. i'm uncertain of the case getting used as an occasion yet frequently this occurs bc the guy took area in pre-marital intercourse and 'shamed' the family contributors. those are called honor killings. you have pronounced the undesirable issues that ensue in our usa yet i'm proud to stay in a rustic that does no longer condone stoning as a appropriate style of punishment. I recommend which you watch a stoning and then attempt to declare that it could evaluate to something you pronounced. Your connection with our 'defective equipment' is dated, that may no longer a cutting-edge concern. You pronounced church and state....properly she became stoned because of the fact of a religous rule, that's without a doubt, so there you pass. I refuse to apply the term 'civilized' because of the fact that's loaded and is interpreted otherwise by ability of each and every reader. even with the undeniable fact that, in the previous you're making such accusations of america being worse than international locations who're greater suitable than keen to stone young women to demise because of the fact of what you indexed I especially recommend you get some greater coaching and open your eyes to governments worldwide. I see what you're announcing, i do no longer agree and your argument is vulnerable. God Bless u . s . a . of america and might he help the undesirable souls who're being tourtured in different international locations. *You further that no longer all states furnish leathal injection. Then what are you announcing they do? wonderful? electric powered chair? they are no longer in use anymore...as of 1998 the electrical powered chair has been retired.*