Loving and forgiving your enemies

[abaris]

Since I never had any enemies and never was in that kind of situation, a what if question of this nature is impossible to answer.

I'm strictly against capital punishment, but I always insert the caveat that I wouldn't know what I would be capable of if someone were to hurt my loved ones. But that doesn't change my general aversion of someone being put to death by the state. And most of all, the state isn't there to carry out any personal revenge but to keep society safe.

So, there's the dilemma. I wouldn't know what I would do to such a person if I could lay hands on them. I only know that I wouldn't want them to be put to death in a ritualised manner by the state in my name.