While I am no fan of the death penalty it is good to see a growing backlash against religiously justified violence.

http://www.wsj.com/articles/bangladeshi-...1451577416

Yeah, well, murder is murder and I'm glad, they got convicted. Death however doesn't bring the victim back to life. Prison would serve just fine.

Give me a call when the sentence is carried out.  That's when I'll believe it.

Not a fan of the death penalty.

(January 1, 2016 at 12:12 pm)Evie Wrote: Not a fan of the death penalty.

Neither am I, it is not an act of correction nor is it a deterrent. Killing in the heat of battle on the spot in direct danger is one thing. But after someone is caught and detained, no. Bin Laden is slightly different, unfortunately you cant put someone like that on trial because of his "hero" status, he'd just act as a billboard if put on trial. But outside high profile monsters, I think it is simply best to treat them as criminals like street thugs. Arrest them, put them on trial, presumption of innocence, and with a conviction, you lock them up.

(January 1, 2016 at 12:29 pm)Brian37 Wrote: Bin Laden is slightly different, unfortunately you cant put someone like that on trial because of his "hero" status, he'd just act as a billboard if put on trial.

Actually, you can put someone like that on trial. The Nuremberg, as well as the Hague trials prove that. You can't put someone like that on an American trial, but the Hague would have suited him just fine.

I'm almost a pacifist actually. Although killing for self-defence or defense of my loved ones would be something I may have to do and would do as a last resort, it's not something I consider necessarily moral or ethical. I'm a favoritist, I favor myself and my loved ones but I can't morally justify it. And I don't believe in free will, I don't believe two wrongs make a right, and I believe in the separateness of persons and consciousness to the extend that I don't aggregate pleasure or pain between individuals, I don't aggregate the philosophical utilitiarian sense of "utility".

Intentions matter and malice matters, those things are what cause an awful lot of horrible pain, suffering and death in the world. But even when the intentions are seemingly morally justified through self-defense--and something I would do myself--or are otherwise good, at the end of the day consequences that leave to death or suffering in the long run--as opposed to the short run because of course, suffering a bit to undergo a medicial Doctor's procedure, for instance, is necessary suffering, I'm talking about unnecessary long term suffering--is still death or suffering in the long run.

I can't justify morally or ethically a lot of how I live my life personally. Like, in a sense I feel being a pescetarian would be morally and ethically superior than if I eat all meats as I do (although I don't think vegetarianism or veganism is necessary morally or ethically), but personally I find it undesirable to give up eating meat. I want to try to be a good person and maintain the goodness I already have as a person, I don't try to be perfect.