Originally Posted By mele <<^ ^ ^ Trust me, it's all fun and games, liberal and pseudo-Christian views until it's YOUR family that is involved in said crime.>> That's a pretty nasty thing to say. Who are you to label other people's beliefs as "fun and games, liberal and pseudo-Christian"? There are PLENTY of people who lose family members to brutal crimes who do not believe in the death penalty. How dare you call them psuedo-Christians?
Originally Posted By JazzCat I used to be very pro, but I've seen so many true crime shows it made me realize that killers have families too. I think it completely depends on the situation and person. And since we're on the subject, why the heck isn't Charles Manson executed yet??
Originally Posted By TomSawyer If you believe life is sacred, then life is sacred. There's no asterisk there. One of the things that Christians are charged with is to pass the Good News and to save as many as can be saved - and even murderers can still be redeemed by Christ. Our job as Christians isn't to send people to Hell, but to try to help them get to Heaven. We may fail, but it's our job to try. I know it would be extraordinarily difficult if this involved a crime against my own family, but sometimes laws - human and holy - exist to save ourselves from our baser instincts.
Originally Posted By officerminnie Definitely for it, but only when there is absolute proof of guilt. And the appeals process should be totally revamped - you get one shot at an appeal, then you're done.
Originally Posted By Lisann22 <<<Trust me, it's all fun and games, liberal and pseudo-Christian views until it's YOUR family that is involved in said crime.>>> That's definitely your opinion, my Christian views are not pseudo. I've had family members on both ends of a fatal crime. So I feel pretty strong in my opinion too.
Originally Posted By Autopia Deb "<<^ ^ ^ Trust me, it's all fun and games, liberal and pseudo-Christian views until it's YOUR family that is involved in said crime.>> That's a pretty nasty thing to say..." From what I've seen of DVC_dad's posts, I would say there is a lot of pain and hurt behind his statement. Just my opinion.
Originally Posted By amazedncal2 So far in my life I'm for it. I could easily be swayed the other way I suppose. I appreciate that I haven't had a loved one on either side of this so sad issue. I tend to turn off the news when it gets too graphic or upsetting so I miss a lot of what is going on in the world. Right now I'm at a point in my life that I can't deal with more than my day and what it hands me. I know that will change in time. I'm feeling very ostrichey with these questions.
Originally Posted By LacyBelle <<And since we're on the subject, why the heck isn't Charles Manson executed yet??>> Manson will never be executed. Although he was sentenced to death during his trial, California abolished the death penalty shortly after that. All death sentences in effect at the time were commuted to life in prison. When the death penalty was re-instated in California, it only applied to new cases.
Originally Posted By RAM1984 >>California abolished the death penalty shortly after that<< That was the first and as far as I know the only time my father and I voted differently. It was the commuted to life with opportunity at parole that made me vote against abolishment. Luckily for society, Manson keeps proving the need to keep him locked up forever.
Originally Posted By lesmisfan i am not sure if i am for it or against it. to me if you kill somone, i say the deserve the death penalty, but then the other half says if you kill that person, than you are no better than he is. so i am kinda mixed about it.
Originally Posted By Labuda I don't think any human being has the right to decide another human being needs to die. One murder should not lead to another.
Originally Posted By DVC_dad MELE please read... <<<There are PLENTY of people who lose family members to brutal crimes who do not believe in the death penalty. How dare you call them psuedo-Christians?>>> Mele please give me a chance here to explain, first of all I am not calling anyone pseudo-anything. Let me apologize for messing that up. I am sorry. Let me mention the Amish tragedy. I read that the families who lost their dear children, actually invited the spouse of the killer to their funeal, and that they had totally forgiven the killer. I have total respect for that, in fact that is probably the very way that God probably intends us to live as Christians. What I meant to say was this: There are a lot of people out there (NOT EVERYONE, JUST A LOT) who claim to be against the death penalty. However, I suspect that a large number of them would suddenly change their mind if they themselves or their family were the victim of some violent crime. Now, having said that, I allow that there are also a vast majority of people who would still stick to their beliefs in the face of being involved as a victim in some terrible tragedy. Mine very fine point is simply this: It is almost imipossible for many people to know how they would feel about this until they were walking in the very shoes of the people most affected. I am sorry to have offended anyone, I should and will choose my words more carefully.
Originally Posted By DVC_dad ^ ^ ^ And yes Lisann I used to be against. I am now in favor for reasons I won't go into. BUT still, those reasons don't give me a right to barge in like a bull in a china shop. I was wrong, I am sorry...I'll be more respectful and careful and step more lightly.
Originally Posted By 999HAUNTS I am for it. I think for some crimes that isn't even harsh enough. Of course, there would need to be a way to absolutely, without a shadow of a doubt, make sure the person was the guilty one.
