I oppose capital punishment only because of the chance that innocent people could potentially be put to death, not for any moral appeal that would have me to believe that it is inherently wrong.
If I walked into a room to find someone raping my grandson, it's highly unlikely that person will survive the encounter. The rape and murder of a child (or adult for that matter) is so heinous a crime that I don't think forgiveness is possible. I think a general policy of one-time forgiveness for minor transgressions is harmonious for society, but I can't think of why forgiveness should be considered a moral imperative for major transgression or repeated minor transgression.
If I walked into a room to find someone raping my grandson, it's highly unlikely that person will survive the encounter. The rape and murder of a child (or adult for that matter) is so heinous a crime that I don't think forgiveness is possible. I think a general policy of one-time forgiveness for minor transgressions is harmonious for society, but I can't think of why forgiveness should be considered a moral imperative for major transgression or repeated minor transgression.
