The question of the Death Penalty is a fairly simple one to answer, in my book, from an atheistic perspective.
We look at the data: whether or not you agree with the righteousness of killing in the name of the state on principle, in order for the state to have any moral right to kill a citizen, we must have absolute certainty in their guilt, or we are no better than the murderers we are executing. So what is the data on conviction-certainty?
"In April 2015, the Death Penalty Information Center said that there had been 152 exonerations of prisoners on death row in the United States since 1973.[1]
University of Michigan law professor Samuel Gross led a team of experts in the law and in statistics that estimated the likely number of unjust convictions. The study determined that at least 4% of people on death row were and are innocent. [2] The research was peer reviewed and the prestigious Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences published it [referenced in Scientific American article, at citation #3], Gross has no doubt that some innocent people have been executed." (Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wrongful_execution)
"Researchers estimate that more than 340 U.S. inmates that could have been exonerated were sentenced to death since 1973." [3]
And these are just the known wrongful convictions. There are other articles, linked in the Wiki, which show strong suspicion and even proof of wrongful executions. There is only a degree of certainty that even the best justice system can attain, and I would forward that it cannot be high enough for us to murder in the name of the state, particularly given that anyone who has reviewed our system has pointed to its many flaws and prejudices. [4] This broken system can be linked to our Judeo-Christian heritage and its peculiar views on the nature of guilt and justice. [5]
List of citations:
[1] http://www.nytimes.com/2015/04/04/us/ant....html?_r=1
[2] http://www.theguardian.com/world/2014/ap...s-innocent
[3] http://www.scientificamerican.com/articl...convicted/
[4] http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/post...is-broken/
[5] https://sojo.net/articles/how-poor-theol...ice-system
We look at the data: whether or not you agree with the righteousness of killing in the name of the state on principle, in order for the state to have any moral right to kill a citizen, we must have absolute certainty in their guilt, or we are no better than the murderers we are executing. So what is the data on conviction-certainty?
"In April 2015, the Death Penalty Information Center said that there had been 152 exonerations of prisoners on death row in the United States since 1973.[1]
University of Michigan law professor Samuel Gross led a team of experts in the law and in statistics that estimated the likely number of unjust convictions. The study determined that at least 4% of people on death row were and are innocent. [2] The research was peer reviewed and the prestigious Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences published it [referenced in Scientific American article, at citation #3], Gross has no doubt that some innocent people have been executed." (Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wrongful_execution)
"Researchers estimate that more than 340 U.S. inmates that could have been exonerated were sentenced to death since 1973." [3]
And these are just the known wrongful convictions. There are other articles, linked in the Wiki, which show strong suspicion and even proof of wrongful executions. There is only a degree of certainty that even the best justice system can attain, and I would forward that it cannot be high enough for us to murder in the name of the state, particularly given that anyone who has reviewed our system has pointed to its many flaws and prejudices. [4] This broken system can be linked to our Judeo-Christian heritage and its peculiar views on the nature of guilt and justice. [5]
List of citations:
[1] http://www.nytimes.com/2015/04/04/us/ant....html?_r=1
[2] http://www.theguardian.com/world/2014/ap...s-innocent
[3] http://www.scientificamerican.com/articl...convicted/
[4] http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/post...is-broken/
[5] https://sojo.net/articles/how-poor-theol...ice-system
A Christian told me: if you were saved you cant lose your salvation. you're sealed with the Holy Ghost
I replied: Can I refuse? Because I find the entire concept of vicarious blood sacrifice atonement to be morally abhorrent, the concept of holding flawed creatures permanently accountable for social misbehaviors and thought crimes to be morally abhorrent, and the concept of calling something "free" when it comes with the strings of subjugation and obedience perhaps the most morally abhorrent of all... and that's without even going into the history of justifying genocide, slavery, rape, misogyny, religious intolerance, and suppression of free speech which has been attributed by your own scriptures to your deity. I want a refund. I would burn happily rather than serve the monster you profess to love.
I replied: Can I refuse? Because I find the entire concept of vicarious blood sacrifice atonement to be morally abhorrent, the concept of holding flawed creatures permanently accountable for social misbehaviors and thought crimes to be morally abhorrent, and the concept of calling something "free" when it comes with the strings of subjugation and obedience perhaps the most morally abhorrent of all... and that's without even going into the history of justifying genocide, slavery, rape, misogyny, religious intolerance, and suppression of free speech which has been attributed by your own scriptures to your deity. I want a refund. I would burn happily rather than serve the monster you profess to love.
