Views on the Death Penalty? (a poll)

[Catholic_Lady]

I believe all human life is sacred. It is not conditional. Nothing can take away the sacredness of a life, even doing horrible things does not take away the sacredness of a person's life.

It's odd that your God killed millions of people but you are against the death penalty.

If life is sacred then why is your God a blood drunk killer?

I don't believe God "killed" anyone.

And it's not odd at all. The Catholic Church has taken a stance against the death penalty and the Pope has spoken against it vehemently.

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Just to lighten a serious subject for a moment.

I was watching an episode of an old 80's show a few weeks ago and a TV interviewer was talking to a judge known as a "hanging judge"

I cracked up at:

"Judge, where do you stand on the electric chair?"

"Right next to the switch!"

Now, carry on...

There's nothing funny about the death penalty, but I must admit this made me chuckle. Now I have to go to confession. ;-)

[Ben Davis]

It's odd that your God killed millions of people but you are against the death penalty.

If life is sacred then why is your God a blood drunk killer?

I don't believe God "killed" anyone.

Really? Even though the bible clearly states that God directly killed people and ordered others to kill on his behalf?

And it's not odd at all. The Catholic Church has taken a stance against the death penalty and the Pope has spoken against it vehemently.

Only recently. In times past, the death penalty was endorsed by the church (with direct Papal approval) as appropriate retribution for all sorts of transgressions, like not being a Catholic.

[KUSA]

I don't believe God "killed" anyone.

You are a typical xtian. You don't read much of the bible and the parts you do read are either dismissed or cherry picked.

Let's see here, how about some mass murder in the bible that everyone knows about. Does the flood ring a bell? How about all the Egyptian children he killed? You remember the Passover right?

I could go on and on and on.

[pocaracas]

I don't believe God "killed" anyone.

You are a typical xtian. You don't read much of the bible and the parts you do read are either dismissed or cherry picked.

Let's see here, how about some mass murder in the bible that everyone knows about. Does the flood ring a bell? How about all the Egyptian children he killed? You remember the Passover right?

I could go on and on and on.

That's OT... She's catholic.... she doesn't care much for the OT... it's all allegory.
NT doesn't change a word of the law (OT law), but there's not much killing done by the god character - God for kids!

[Catholic_Lady]

I don't believe God "killed" anyone.

You are a typical xtian. You don't read much of the bible and the parts you do read are either dismissed or cherry picked.

Let's see here, how about some mass murder in the bible that everyone knows about. Does the flood ring a bell? How about all the Egyptian children he killed? You remember the Passover right?

I could go on and on and on.

As I explained in several other threads, Catholicism is not sola scriptura, and most of us believe the OT was not written literally or written by God. ;

[Catholic_Lady]

And it's not odd at all. The Catholic Church has taken a stance against the death penalty and the Pope has spoken against it vehemently.

In times past, the death penalty was endorsed by the church (with direct Papal approval) as appropriate retribution for all sorts of transgressions, like not being a Catholic.

Very true. But likewise, much more recently in history, Americans condoned slavery... and yet none of us would sit here and say "Americans are a-ok with slavery, and the United States promotes slavery."

Just because a group of people did some heinous things centuries ago, does not mean that generations of people many many years down the road can't have completely different views on a specific social issue, even if they fall under the same title of "American" or "Catholic." The Catholic Church and its Pope are huge promoters of life, calling for a respect for all human life from the moment of conception until natural death, being against the death penalty, and having very strict standards on what would constitute as a justifiable war.

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You are a typical xtian. You don't read much of the bible and the parts you do read are either dismissed or cherry picked.

Let's see here, how about some mass murder in the bible that everyone knows about. Does the flood ring a bell? How about all the Egyptian children he killed? You remember the Passover right?

I could go on and on and on.

That's OT... She's catholic.... she doesn't care much for the OT... it's all allegory.
NT doesn't change a word of the law (OT law), but there's not much killing done by the god character - God for kids!

There are several times when Jesus addressed an Old Law specifically and completely contradicted it. Most notably when He said this:

"You have heard that it was said, 'AN EYE FOR AN EYE, AND A TOOTH FOR A TOOTH.' But I say to you, do not resist an evil person; but whoever slaps you on your right cheek, turn the other to him also."

^An eye for an eye was an OT law.

And of course, when Jesus stopped people from following the law by stoning an adulteress, and told them that doing so would be wrong.

Those are the more notable ones, but there were many others.

Why do you think so many Jews of the time condemned Jesus and eventually had him sentenced to death? Because they believed Him to be a blasphemer who did not follow the old law and instead brought on new, contradicting ideas.

Hope that clears it up.

[KUSA]

You are a typical xtian. You don't read much of the bible and the parts you do read are either dismissed or cherry picked.

Let's see here, how about some mass murder in the bible that everyone knows about. Does the flood ring a bell? How about all the Egyptian children he killed? You remember the Passover right?

I could go on and on and on.

As I explained in several other threads, Catholicism is not sola scriptura, and most of us believe the OT was not written literally or written by God. ;

Why have it in your bible then? Seems to me that you take cherry picking to the next level.

[Catholic_Lady]

As I explained in several other threads, Catholicism is not sola scriptura, and most of us believe the OT was not written literally or written by God. ;

Why have it in your bible then?  Seems to me that you take cherry picking to the next level.

Because someone wrote it in there?

Cherry picking would be saying the bible is written by the hand of God and completely infallible, and then turning around and saying some things on there are not 100% accurately representing God.

We do not claim or believe that the bible is either written by God Himself, or infallible doctrine. The Church existed before the bible did.

If you want to accurately criticize Church teaching, you look at the Catechism or other infallible documents. You don't look at the bible.

[KUSA]

Why have it in your bible then?  Seems to me that you take cherry picking to the next level.

Because someone wrote it in there?

Cherry picking would be saying the bible is written by the hand of God and completely infallible, and then turning around and saying some things on there are not 100% accurately representing God.

We do not claim or believe that the bible is either written by God Himself, or infallible doctrine. The Church existed before the bible did.

If you want to accurately criticize Church teaching, you look at the Catechism or other infallible documents. You don't look at the bible.

So basically, anything goes in your religion. The bible being fallible means little to nothing.

[Catholic_Lady]

Because someone wrote it in there?

Cherry picking would be saying the bible is written by the hand of God and completely infallible, and then turning around and saying some things on there are not 100% accurately representing God.  

We do not claim or believe that the bible is either written by God Himself, or infallible doctrine. The Church existed before the bible did.

If you want to accurately criticize Church teaching, you look at the Catechism or other infallible documents. You don't look at the bible.

So basically, anything goes in your religion. The bible being fallible means little to nothing.

No.