Capital Punisment - Immoral or Not

CAPITAL PUNISMENT - IMMORAL OR NOT

As a minority of US bishops once said, "We cannot teach that killing is wrong by killing."

The Catholic Church has spoken out repeatedly and passionately about the need to protect human life of every stage of existence. All issues and matters relating to the dignity and worth of human life fall with the realm of the fifth commandment, "You shall not kill." The Catholic Church consistently communicates the importance of human life.

As the late pope John Paul II once stated, "May the death penalty, an unworthy punishment still used in some countries, be abolished throughout the world. A sign of hope is the increasing recognition that the dignity of human life must never be taken away, even in the case of someone who has done great evil."

Capital punishment is one of those moral issues that divide society. Most people in favour of the death penalty think that it should only be for those that have committed brutal premeditated crimes, mass murders and convicted multiple rapes. But Christians teaching, whatever the religion, believe that the criminal should be given the chance for rehabilitation.

Early references to penalties for murder and capital punishment can be found in the bible. The first mention of appropriate punishment for murder is found in Genesis 4: 11 - 15 "Now you are under a curse and driven from the ground, which opened its mouth to receive your brother's blood from your hand. When you work the ground, it will no longer yield its crops for you. You will be a restless wanderer on the earth."

Cain said to the lord. "My punishment for murder is more than I can bear.

Today you are driving me from the land, and I will be hidden from your presence; I will be a restless wanderer on the earth, and whoever finds me will kill me for what I have done."

But the LORD said to him, "Not so; if anyone kills you, he will suffer vengeance seven times over." Then the LORD put a mark on Cain so that no one who found him would kill him.

In today's society Capital punishment is being heavily contemplated for particular actions around the world. As I speak, Shapelle Corby recognized for drug smuggling faces her toughest hour as she waits for her verdict. One of the consequences for her actions if she is found guilty encompasses the use of the Death penalty. To a striking degree many people consider the action of the death penalty for drug smuggling to be quite ruthless. Although this is the case, Indonesian Law takes very highly to any illegal action, weather it be from something as little as stealing a Cd to mass murder. No matter the feat, the Indonesian government treat the severity of each crime as a near equal consequence.

Capital Punishment serves no moral purpose; in fact, it undermines respect for human life. It contributes to the cycle of violence. It is a barbaric remnant of an uncivilized society. It is immoral in principle, and unfair and discriminatory in practice. As a remedy for crime, it has no purpose and no effect.

The Christian and Catholic response to capital punishment is clear and well defined. There is no justifiable reason to take a life. In Pope John Paul II encyclical, "The Gospel of life", he appealed to every person to reject killing and other forms of violence to "Build a new culture of life that will welcome and cherish human life in all its human conditions. The pope is no naпve idealist. He has suffered a brush with death at the hands of and assassin. What did he do? John Paul visited his attempted murderer in prison. He acted on the belief than no person is beyond redemption or forgiveness.

Capital punishment brings together so many different concerns and feelings. Increasingly our society looks to death as means to deal with some of our most difficult crimes. We are tragically

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