From what I’ve seen in the news–and the comboxes–in recent months, there seems to be some confusion. Obviously you’re never supposed to kill an innocent, but when can you kill someone who committed a crime? Turns out, there’s a definitive list of sins that are so bad they warrant a death sentence. Ready?
In case the graphic didn’t come through, let me list them out for you:
That’s right. Nothing.
Not drawing a blasphemous cartoon or fighting racism. Not being a terrorist. Not torturing terrorists. Not even torturing innocent people who “look like terrorists.” Not selling loose cigarettes or playing with a toy gun. Not being unwanted or unborn or incurable or “illegal.” Not being a burden or a lesbian or a Muslim or a bully or a jerk. Not poverty. Not rape. Not murder. Nothing.1
I kind of thought this went without saying, but apparently I was wrong: you don’t get to decide who deserves to live and who doesn’t. Everybody deserves to live. So can we quit for a minute with the conservative/liberal/patriotic/radical nonsense that tell us the lie that some lives are worth more than others? Pro-life means all life. Liberal means freedom for everybody. Nobody is “subhuman” or “worthless” or “unnatural.” However inconvenient or appalling he might be, every person was made worthy of love by a God who died to save him. Nothing he does can ever negate that.
There is a lot of evil in this world. Fight it with love.
- Because you’ve always got to nuance everything on the internet, I’ll point out that I’m not talking about just war or legitimate defense. Even then, nobody deserves death. Killing is a last resort in an attempt to prevent atrocities. [↩]
Obviously I SO agree with all of this. Obviously.
But, I have a question:
How would I answer someone that raises the point that the death penalty is in the Bible? Like, say, this guy: http://religion.blogs.cnn.com/2014/05/01/why-christians-should-support-the-death-penalty/
I know you’re always good for some apologetics advice 😉
Jenna@CallHerHappy recently posted…7QT: if that person understood the silent treatment, she’d be getting it
I’d point out that even in the Bible death isn’t a punishment but the means to prevent future crime. Before maximum security prisons, there was no guarantee that a murderer could be contained–or that an idolater wouldn’t teach his blasphemy to his guards in prison. God was protecting the Israelites in a way that we don’t need to be protected today. And as the author of that column acknowledges, the application of the death penalty in America today is appallingly unjust–so much so as to be considered a violation of human rights by many international organizations. Even if I weren’t opposed on principle (you don’t kill people who kill people to show that killing people is wrong), I couldn’t support the system we have now and I would hope nobody would.
I don’t know much, which is why I am genuinely asking this question…If death is a “means to prevent future crime,” then what’s wrong with killing terrorists, especially those who are part of groups that are known to strike again?
When the Bible speaks about certain things deserving death, that was when people were living under law. Now we live under grace and Jesus has paid the penalty of death for us. So now no one deserves death because of what Christ did for us.
It not that we don’t merit it but because the sentence has already been carried out by the only one never sinned. Thank you Father.
Your topic of the death penalty and which crimes merited such punishment has moved my soul. I feel VERY STRONGLY that there are certain crimes against humanity which can and do merit such judgment and punishment. Please read this article about Christy, an innocent and her death at the hands of cowards and terrorists. Yes, God will be their judge, and I fear for their souls. I pray for them daily, but, if they were American citizens, no they he committed such heinous crimes, I would fight for the juice due this tiny innocent, and that would include the death penalty.
http://www.catholic365.com/article/577/remembering-the-picture-killinglittle-christy.html
Mallory recently posted…She laughs…
Yes. Absolutely agree. Thank you for writing this!
I wholly agree with you, Meg.
Amen.
The Starving Inspired
Iris Hanlin recently posted…the cross (1 minute read)
It really puts the “love thy enemy” to the test. It is hard not to feel anger at certain people because of their actions, but Jesus would ask us to separate the people (who he created and loves) from their actions. Really really hard stuff to do on a daily basis.