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Are you for or against the death penalty?
If you're religious, does your religion's view on the death penalty match your own?

I have mixed feelings on the issue now. I used to be 100% for it all the way. But, with all the executions that've been botched lately here in the U.S. I've began to question wether it should continue to be used or not. I do believe that some of the ones put to death though deserve to suffer just as much as their victims did. Like Clayton Lockett, for example. I think he should've been shot with a shotgun and then buried alive just like he did to that young girl he killed. It's really sick to bury people alive and that's one of the many reasons (their beheadings are another) our government needs to wipe ISIS off the face of the earth as soon as possible.

Damn, you just opened a whole potential can of worms...

I agree with it only in cases that have 100% certainty of guilt. Seeing as how people are still being released from death row means that innocent lives are being lost.

By 100% certainty I mean thing like mass shootings or bombings or things of a nature where there are multiple witnesses and maybe even video evidence to show the person doing the deed. Unfortunately fingerprints and DNA are easily planted this day and age

Originally posted by juggerman
But the people don't remember their old life right? So isn't there an equal chance they are a decent person in the next life? Or do you believe their personality or "badness" survives?

Their Karma survives.

But does having a ton of bad Karma make one a bad person?

Originally posted by juggerman
But does having a ton of bad Karma make one a bad person?

That is too simplistic. The things you do, think, feel and experience over time makes up your Karma. If you have spent your life being selfish and brutal to others, why would you change? And that's the key. People can change, but if they are executed before they have a change to change, then they would continue in the next life.

Originally posted by riv6672
Damn, you just opened a whole potential can of worms...


Why? Because of the ISIS comment?

I'm all for it and I always will be. Not just because I'm a former prison correctional officer, too.

Originally posted by Star428
Why? Because of the ISIS comment?
That and your other example yeah.
Surprised no one jumped on them.

I happen to agree with you BTW, probably am more hardline on the subject really.

i think some people like the charles manson types who are obviously guilty and evil as **** should be taken out back and shot. no appeals or anything like that. but only if it's an open an shut case like say a saddam hussein type character. there's really no doubting they are guilty and should die. for ordinary run of the mill murders and shit, i say death row is too costly and counter productive. so either find some way to streamline that shit and make it cheaper or just lock them up for life and throw away the key. seems dumb to waste money on killing them with the current system just for the sake of vicarious revenge.

Understandable reasoning.
I'm more of a you're guilty you're dead type of guy, so streamlining the process i heartily support.

It's an expensive and ineffective deterrent for crime with innumerable records of wrongful executions past on the basis of a legal representation which quality is heavily influenced by defendant's financial status. On top of that it prolongs the suffering of victim and the families involved.

Of course I support it!

Good to see you're a glass half full kind of guy!

I like to think of myself as the kind of guy that would patent the cure for cancer and then overprice the treatment and take legal action against everyone who uses it without the rights.

Yeah you actually arent too hard to figure out.

Originally posted by riv6672
Understandable reasoning.
I'm more of a you're guilty you're dead type of guy, so streamlining the process i heartily support. i wouldn't mind it if it could be done without error. i don't think we're at that point yet to do it reliably enough without making it super expensive but i can't honestly say i know that much about it so i could be wrong.

You arent wrong per say, but, the endless appeals process is an issue.

This has really gotten away from religion as a topic. Just saying, thst wasnt my intent.

Originally posted by riv6672
Are you for or against the death penalty?
If you're religious, does your religion's view on the death penalty match your own?

I give you the death penalty for trolling my Superman Thread!

Originally posted by riv6672
You arent wrong per say, but, the endless appeals process is an issue.

This has really gotten away from religion as a topic. Just saying, thst wasnt my intent.


Well, the old testament supports the death penalty (i.e., "an eye for an eye" while the new one doesn't and is more about forgiveness (i.e., "let he who is without sin cast the first stone".

Yeah, i've often wondered about the discrepancy. Originally God wasnt the forgiving type.
Not being a religious expert i tend to see the old and new testaments along the same lines as the sanitizing of the Grimm fairy tales. The original purpose of the stories really being lost over time.

It's not really a discrepancy. God Himself never actually changed as He is immutable. If it weren't for His Son's sacrifice on the cross then ALL of the old testament laws would still apply. Because of Christ all the sins (both past and future) of humanity were paid for in full. Of course, people have to accept Christ (the one who paid for their sins) in order for them to be free of paying the price (eternal death by fire) for their sins. Many believe that accepting Christ requires you to willingly be baptized. I'm not sure if I agree or not with that last part though.

Ok but how does that pertain to killing/not killing?

Originally posted by riv6672
Ok but how does that pertain to killing/not killing?



I don't understand what you're asking riv. I was just replying to you saying that it was a "discrepancy". Are you saying I'm derailing the subject of the thread?

What? No.

So, old or new, God is okay with killing?
Why do many believers say the death penalty is wrong then?

Originally posted by riv6672
What? No.

So, old or new, God is okay with killing?
Why do many believers say the death penalty is wrong then?


Of course He is not okay with people murdering other people. It's a serious sin wether or not they are actually forgiven for it. You mean is He ok with executing people who deserve it? I honestly don't know. I would think that since His Son preached forgiveness and said "Let he who is without sin cast the first stone" that He doesn't approve of it anymore since it's virtually impossible for anybody other than Christ Himself to have never sinned in their entire lives. Those believers you're talking about may be correct in saying that it's wrong. I can't say for certain.

Thats what i'm getting at, on a per religion basis.
Is executing a murderer wrong in the eyes of god(s)? Do people not have the "right" to exact that punishment?

As I said, I don't know for certain but if I had to guess I'd say it is wrong to Him since, like I said, nobody is without sin. So, it would seem logical that He thinks it's not ok for them to be executed by any man or woman and that only He Himself has the right to judge them because He is the only one who is perfect. As for other "gods" you suggest I have no idea because my belief is that there is only One true god. Of course, there are many false gods though.

Ooooookay. Moving on!

Originally posted by riv6672
Ooooookay. Moving on!

I'm for it. Been watching some documentary on serial killers recently, those guys deserve nothing less. And not an electric chair or a bullet but to be torn to pieces by the relatives of the victims. Those little bs speeches characters love to give in movies "killing him won't bring him/her back!" always annoyed me.

I think the option should be open for repeat offenders and psychotics, but it's disturbing how often people on death row in America (to say nothing of other countries like China and Iran) are proven innocent before or after their execution or evidence turns up that makes their innocence likely.

Yeah its not an easy issue.
I mean, i'm for it but i understand its not a perfect system.

i think it could work in some sort of society where everything was governed by a super powerful form of AI or something. humans just turn it into a bureaucracy and it just lingers on as a sort of super expensive vestige of the good ol days.

Funky!