Personally, I find the notion of 'deserving' something, which is one of the main arguments in favour of the death penalty from what I've seen here, pretty dubious. Why is murder the one crime whose punishment is the same as the crime? Why don't we steal from robbers, or rape rapists? Where does this notion of deserving something come from, especially if our choices are entirely a product of our environment, genetics and circumstances (i.e. no contra-causal free will)? Plus, I'm not sure that the deterrent effect of capital punishment is that great. Like Adrian, however, I'd probably support the choice of prisoners to be killed or have a prison sentence.
'We must respect the other fellow's religion, but only in the sense and to the extent that we respect his theory that his wife is beautiful and his children smart.' H.L. Mencken
'False religion' is the ultimate tautology.
'It is just like man's vanity and impertinence to call an animal dumb because it is dumb to his dull perceptions.' Mark Twain
'I care not much for a man's religion whose dog and cat are not the better for it.' Abraham Lincoln
'False religion' is the ultimate tautology.
'It is just like man's vanity and impertinence to call an animal dumb because it is dumb to his dull perceptions.' Mark Twain
'I care not much for a man's religion whose dog and cat are not the better for it.' Abraham Lincoln
