Christian loons who support the death penalty.

[Jehanne]

With the impending Democratic victory, and hopefully, the continued progressivization of the federal courts, I did some online searches to see what Christian fundamentalists currently think about capital punishment.  This one really stood out:

Andrew Allen Cook was executed on February 22, 2013 for the brutal, senseless murders of two young college students around his age, Grant Patrick Hendrickson, 22, and Michele Lee Cartagena, 19; he was apprehended nearly 2 years after the crime after his dad, an FBI agent, turned him in:

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-...-1995.html

As an atheist, I am opposed to executions for any and all crimes, no matter how grievous, but what really bothered me after reading this story is what one of the victim's mothers said:

She added: 'I think that's what it was: the devil's work. When all that is going on, I was just thinking to myself, 'Well, the devil is not going to win. He's not going to win over my heart. He is not going to win.''

This just makes me sick!  For starters, the idea of a "devil", "devils" and/or "evil spirits" is just plain lunacy; it's equivalent to believing that the South won the US Civil War.  But, worse, when this mother was witnessing the slow death of her child's killer, she was thinking, "Hey, they're killing one of Satan's servants" and as opposed to think that a living, breathing human being was dying before her very eyes.  How convenient!  If this does not show the evil of conservative Christian thinking, then what does?

While there are atheists who support the death penalty, I am ecstatic about the upcoming victory of Secretary Clinton and the diminishing role and influence of Christian fundamentalism in the United States.

[Minimalist]

Jesus freaks are a bit slow on the uptake.

[abaris]

It's in direct contradiction to their ancient scholars, if they endorse capital punishment. It's only a result of the Constantinian ass kissing contest that they revised their views. And courtesy of antisemites and enemies of the people such as Martin Luther that they suck up to authority.

[Jehanne]

He really needs to be smoking a cigarette.

[Jesster]

I may disagree with the death penalty, but I also know plenty of atheists who support it. I don't necessarily see this as a religious point of view. There might be some hypocrisy in there though, and then you may have a point. Fundamentalists are also very nauseating with their reasoning.

[Jehanne]

I may disagree with the death penalty, but I also know plenty of atheists who support it. I don't necessarily see this as a religious point of view. There might be some hypocrisy in there though, and then you may have a point. Fundamentalists are also very nauseating with their reasoning.

And, in no way am I trying to diminish the horrific nature of this particular murders, but the mom's statement reminds me of the classic quote from the Albigensian Crusade, ""Kill them all and let God sort them out."  It's much easier for Christian fundamentalist wackos to say that "Satan's servant" is being put to death and that person's consciousness will continue on in the 'afterlife' as opposed to acknowledging the fact that the condemned inmate is about to have his/her conscious existence annihilated out of existence.  Certainly, in the South at least, there is this religious aspects and/or overtones to executions.  Frankly, I could never kill another human, except, perhaps, in the heat of self-defense if I felt my life or that of my family threatened.  In this case, at least, there was an alternative of life imprisonment without parole, but any pity that may be felt in execution chambers across the US can simply be written off as being "the Devil's work".  It has all the superficiality of a Disney movie, absent the horrific fact that a human being is being put to death.

[vorlon13]

I generally let the parents of victims have their say. They are expressing their opinions from their viewpoint of which the truly lucky among us will never experience.

A friend of mine was shot dead in Wisconsin many years ago, a drive by, thrill kill scenario, and one executed at a gay bar with no regard as to who was shot there. I've had the occasional uncharitable thoughts imagining what (should have) became of the killer(s). Having said that, it's truly a different world today than it was 35 years ago.

I've Google Earth'd the site, it's a vacant lot now. There wasn't anything visible in the street view either . . .

[Chad32]

Jesus freaks are a bit slow on the uptake.

Wasn't that said because he thought the world was going to end in a few decades? The world didn't end, and his followers started following the older rules instead.

[LadyForCamus]

I have no qualms about the death penalty, personally.

[Catholic_Lady]

I agree it's hypocritical for a Christian to call themselves pro life but then take a non pro life stance when it comes to criminals. Life is either sacred or it isn't.

I don't support Hilary but I don't support Trump either.