Death Penalty

[fredd bear]

I just read where the Governor of California has put a moratorium on executions. The article noted that thee have been  no executions in California since 2006. That 36 US states have either abolished or placed a moratorium on executions.

Capital punishment was abolished in my State of South Australia in 1964.

I wanted to make this thread to confirm or deny my suspicion about Atheists and deep moral questions. That the position of atheists is, if anything, more compassionate than the general population. Or at least no more severe;

My Position: I believe the community can do without certain people EG those who commit murder for personal gain and those who rape and or kill children.

I have ONE caveat: for me to support the death penalty in practice, I need a  guarantee that all convictions in capital cases are  100% safe.

We know for a fact this is not  the current situation in the US, where people on death row have been exonerated and released.

Be most interested to hear reasoned opinions, possibly avoiding strong emotionalism.**

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**If someone say rape and murdered my wife or child, my response  would probably be to bay for their blood. No death penalty here, so I would hope I got to them before the police. I would kill that person if I could. Now that's about as extreme as it gets. It is a  powerful emotional reaction, and completely irrational. I hate violence. Last time I hit another person in anger was in 1964.  My philosophical position is that if you think violence is the answer,  you're probably asking the wrong question

[Belacqua]

That the position of atheists is, if anything, more compassionate than the general population. Or at least no more severe;

How do we know this?

[The Grand Nudger]

From polls.

Religious Preference

Individuals who self-identify as Protestants are somewhat more likely to endorse capital punishment than are Catholics and far more likely than those with no religious preference. More than 7 in 10 Protestants (71%) support the death penalty, while 66% of Catholics support it. Fifty-seven percent of those with no religious preference favor the death penalty for murder.

https://deathpenaltyinfo.org/article.php%3Fdid%3D2249

[arewethereyet]

That the position of atheists is, if anything, more compassionate than the general population. Or at least no more severe;

How do we know this?

Try reading the sentence before it for some context.

[The Grand Nudger]

If we're running with the idea that the "more compassionate" position is to be against the death penalty then it's a fairly mundane statement that atheists are more compassionate or no less compassionate than the gp.  

The numbers aren't hugely different, though.  Line up ten protestants and ten "don't give a shits" and you might get one more person saying no in the latter camp.

[Gawdzilla Sama]

If I was sentenced to life in prison I'd find the biggest guy in the yard and make him my bitch.

[Jackalope]

Used to be for, now against. As long as we continue to execute innocent people, I remain that way, and probably if we didn't. I'm all for separating dangerous people from civil society, but not in this manner. My position has nothing to do with atheism, but empathy and compassion.

[bennyboy]

If I was sentenced to life in prison I'd find the biggest guy in the yard and make him my bitch.

Good luck with that. The biggest guy in the yard will probably be happy that you're willing to put in the effort before he goes in dry on you.

[arewethereyet]

If I was sentenced to life in prison I'd find the biggest guy in the yard and make him my bitch.

That probably wouldn't make your current bitch very happy.  I'm not speaking of Boss Lady.

[The Grand Nudger]

Against it for any reason, in any circumstance.  It's the states responsibility to pursue the interests of it's citizens, not their deaths.