Supporting The Death Penalty Is Sinful And Will Land You In HELL!!
...and other fairy tales
Vatican on the Death Penalty, Not Inherently Evil, but "difficult to justify today"
By John-Henry Westen
VATICAN CITY, February 7, 2007 (LifeSiteNews.com) - A declaration of the Holy See regarding the death penalty was released today. It was delivered at a world congress on the death penalty, held in Paris, France from February 1 to 3.
Rather than condemning the practice outright, the Vatican used nuanced language to indicate that while it found the practice "an affront to human dignity", it could in some circumstances be necessitated. The language is starkly different from that used to condemn abortion, euthanasia and same-sex marriage which can never be justified.
"The Catholic Church continues to maintain that the legitimate authorities of State have the duty to protect society from aggressors," says the document on the death penalty. "Some States traditionally include the death penalty among the means used to achieve this end," an option "that is difficult to justify today."
"Difficult" to justify.... but not impossible.
I have no problem whatsoever if any fellow Catholic is against the DP for whatever reason. Hell... if anything, I applaude them for sticking by their convictions. But what does irk me to no end is when I'm told that my approval of the DP in rare cases, and only in cases of extreme gravity, are sinful and will stain my immortal soul forever and land me in eternal hellfire.
I'll readily admit that the majority of those in positions of power with The Church are against the DP. I can live with that. Let's just say that all those that bombard me with the "DP is sinful" mantra, I can now tell to go pound sand.
...and other fairy tales
Vatican on the Death Penalty, Not Inherently Evil, but "difficult to justify today"
By John-Henry Westen
VATICAN CITY, February 7, 2007 (LifeSiteNews.com) - A declaration of the Holy See regarding the death penalty was released today. It was delivered at a world congress on the death penalty, held in Paris, France from February 1 to 3.
Rather than condemning the practice outright, the Vatican used nuanced language to indicate that while it found the practice "an affront to human dignity", it could in some circumstances be necessitated. The language is starkly different from that used to condemn abortion, euthanasia and same-sex marriage which can never be justified.
"The Catholic Church continues to maintain that the legitimate authorities of State have the duty to protect society from aggressors," says the document on the death penalty. "Some States traditionally include the death penalty among the means used to achieve this end," an option "that is difficult to justify today."
"Difficult" to justify.... but not impossible.
I have no problem whatsoever if any fellow Catholic is against the DP for whatever reason. Hell... if anything, I applaude them for sticking by their convictions. But what does irk me to no end is when I'm told that my approval of the DP in rare cases, and only in cases of extreme gravity, are sinful and will stain my immortal soul forever and land me in eternal hellfire.
I'll readily admit that the majority of those in positions of power with The Church are against the DP. I can live with that. Let's just say that all those that bombard me with the "DP is sinful" mantra, I can now tell to go pound sand.
posted by Kevin Whiteman at
3:07 PM
8 Comments:
Oh come now sir, "land me in eternal hellfire," shouldn't we atleast be happy to hear liberals aknowledging that Hell does exist, and as a place of literal fire no less!
Take your victories where you can get them, haha.
"Some people need killing: some people need it really slow!"
Hang in there Cavey. Remember, the only reason we are now having this type of discussion is due to JPII's "Cult of Personality" that has been interpreted as Dogma by most of the faithful (but clueless).
Semper Fi
You're right, of course. The death penalty is likewise biblical, Constitutional, and firmly rooted in traditional Catholic teaching (which can neither err nor change).
I support the legislative abolition of the death penalty in the U.S., but that's a totally separate question.
But brother, if you're going to be pissed off by people simply being wrong, then you're going to be endlessly pissed off.
Oaul, just because certain individuals are wrong, that doesn't piss me off.
What does get me PO'd is when they try to tell me that I'm sinful for supporting the DP
But they're just wrong when they tell you that. So why get PO'd?
I think the assertion that the death penalty is "less justifiable" today is not only wholly unproven, but ridiculous on its face. Thanks to modern technology, one individual can pack as much destructive force as a company of soldiers. Meanwhile, modern morality, and especially respect for the sanctity of life, and respect for the law by courts that hear criminal appeals, swirl down the toilet. Those factors would seem to increase the justification for capital punishment.
A good explanation of the "Thou shalt not kill" commandment is given by Rabbi Moss (I found this text on the web one day):
"The original Hebrew is "Lo Tirtzach", which means "Do not murder". The Hebrew word for killing is "Hariga", a completely different verb.
Murder is the taking of innocent life, which is always forbidden, while killing is the taking of any life, which is sometimes not only permitted but obligatory. The Bible commands us to kill those who have lost their innocence.
Innocence is lost in two ways:
1) Someone who was found guilty in a court of certain crimes, for example, "Say to the Israelites: 'Any Israelite or any alien living in Israel who gives any of his children to Molech (a form of idolatry where priests pass children through ritual fires) must be put to death. The people of the community are to stone him." (Leviticus 20:2)
2) Someone who is clearly posing a direct threat to the lives of innocents. "If the thief is caught while breaking in and is struck so that he dies, there will be no bloodguiltiness on his account" (Exodus 22:2). This only applies where it is clear that he is willing to kill the house owner.
It is clear that there is no contradiction between these commandments - actually they compliment each other. Innocent life is protected, both by the commandment not to murder and the commandment to kill those who are a threat to innocence."
Theophilus
"an affront to human dignity",
Someone better email God and let Him know.
We are an evolving Church.
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