Christian loons who support the death penalty.

[Jehanne]

Entirely different discussion why atheists are for or against it. I oftenly stress that I have little in common with many atheists apart from not believing. And that's the crucial point. The one and only instance where not believing really has any kind of significance. We don't have any kind of scripture preaching love and frogiveness. We're also not, as I already said, a group, but individuals with our own personal set of values.

That's why it's apples and oranges if christians support capital punishment or atheists doing it. Christians have a rulebook and some of them are very vocal how much they care about life, forgiveness or that Jesus is love. If you go down that road, you better rise up to your own standards or be called a hypocrite.

Yes I understand that. Which is why I commented how I did. Because the original "As an atheist" part made it seem like because he is an atheist he is against the death penalty. Due to us all being very different in all other aspects that wording is bad.

I think that atheists should be against the death penalty.  It's very cruel for any society to tell any human being that "at such and such a time, at such and such a place" you will "cease to exist"; if that's not cruelty, then what is?

[Jehanne]

his dad, an FBI agent, turned him in

Do you think the father was right to turn him in? Does that mean his dad didn't love him?

Maybe not.  As an FBI agent, he knew the Law; at least, he could have arranged for his son to plead the 5th, and then after that, arrange for a life sentence.  Instead, he just turned his kid into the authorities.

[Jehanne]

I get why people would find Christians for the death penalty hypocritical but I don't see the "As an atheist, I am opposed to executions for any and all crimes, no matter how grievous," really works. It has nothing to do with not believing in god that led you to be against it. I'm an atheist and I'm for the death penalty completely.

The poll that I ran on this board last time had 75% against, 25% pro.  You're certainly entitled to your views, of course, but you're in the minority on this one.

[LadyForCamus]

I would say perhaps that's an oversimplification of the scenario. Many people who are mentally ill can still discern right from wrong. That's why the accused are afforded fair trial, along with psych evals from a qualified professional if they pursue that line of defense. If a defendant was deemed mentally impaired to the degree of not understanding their actions then I would agree that the death penalty is not an appropriate punishment in that circumstance.

[Jehanne]

I would say perhaps that's an oversimplification of the scenario.  Many people who are mentally ill can still discern right from wrong.  That's why the accused are afforded fair trial, along with psych evals from a qualified professional if they pursue that line of defense.  If a defendant was deemed mentally impaired to the degree of not understanding their actions then I would agree that the death penalty is not an appropriate punishment in that circumstance.

One can demonstrate through neurological MRIs, CT scans, etc., brain structure deformities in adults who were abused as children; to say that they are responsible for their actions to point of being executed for those actions is substance dualism, something that I would expect to hear from the lips of people like WLC.

[LadyForCamus]

I would say perhaps that's an oversimplification of the scenario.  Many people who are mentally ill can still discern right from wrong.  That's why the accused are afforded fair trial, along with psych evals from a qualified professional if they pursue that line of defense.  If a defendant was deemed mentally impaired to the degree of not understanding their actions then I would agree that the death penalty is not an appropriate punishment in that circumstance.

One can demonstrate through neurological MRIs, CT scans, etc., brain structure deformities in adults who were abused as children; to say that they are responsible for their actions to point of being executed for those actions is substance dualism, something that I would expect to hear from the lips of people like WLC.

I didn't say that at all. What I'm saying is, making a sweeping generalization that all people who commit violent, horrible crimes are mentally incapacitated to the point of not understanding right from wrong is an oversimplification of criminal psychopathies. I have no idea if the man in my scenario was abused as a child. I was just using his crime as an example. Just because someone can't control themselves doesn't mean they don't possess the wherewithal to seek help before they ACT on their sick fantasies. Have you ever watched To Catch a Predator? Those guys know exactly what they're doing, and they all have the same cookie-cutter, pre-planned responses on tap the SECOND they realize it's a set up.

[Jehanne]

I'm an atheist but I do support death penalty. In fact I think it should be introduced in my country as well. Only then we can have some order and fair punishment towards the murderous gypsies.

As a member of the EU, it's doubtful at best, but perhaps it explains why your country is so unhappy:

http://www.euronews.com/2015/03/20/why-i...-in-the-eu

[Faith No More]

I would say perhaps that's an oversimplification of the scenario.  Many people who are mentally ill can still discern right from wrong.  That's why the accused are afforded fair trial, along with psych evals from a qualified professional if they pursue that line of defense.  If a defendant was deemed mentally impaired to the degree of not understanding their actions then I would agree that the death penalty is not an appropriate punishment in that circumstance.

What about the mentally retarded, which the Supreme Court ruled is cruel and unusual, yet Texas sees fit to execute them anyway?

http://www.alternet.org/civil-liberties/...sabled-man

[Chad32]

How can any christian support the death penalty, does the bible not say something about "Thou shall NOT kill"??

Yeah, right before god tells Moses to go kill everyone at the base of the mountain, because they broke the previous rules they didn't know existed.

[Jehanne]

I would say perhaps that's an oversimplification of the scenario.  Many people who are mentally ill can still discern right from wrong.  That's why the accused are afforded fair trial, along with psych evals from a qualified professional if they pursue that line of defense.  If a defendant was deemed mentally impaired to the degree of not understanding their actions then I would agree that the death penalty is not an appropriate punishment in that circumstance.

What about the mentally retarded, which the Supreme Court ruled is cruel and unusual, yet Texas sees fit to execute them anyway?

http://www.alternet.org/civil-liberties/...sabled-man

One must wonder why the Supreme Court did not intervene?  Probably, because they consider themselves to be a court of appeal and not of fact-finding, which they leave to the lower courts.