Killing

[dairygirl4u2c]

so if you believe in a liberal use of execution.
and you know hypothetically who your father's killer is for sure, but thejury doenst buy it.
you're pretty sure you can get away with killing themurderer.

why or is it morally wrong ot kill him?
what makes it magically okay just cause a few other people say that it's okay? if those people are mistaken and wud have killed him had they known,what's teh difference?

[goldenchild17]

The death penalty is different from murder. Also just punishment is different from revenge. God has given the government the power to dole out a fair punishment to all crimes. This is their job and if done without revenge or malice is perfectly legitimate. Same with a just war. But murder is not a valid means of killing someone.

[dairygirl4u2c]

well i might've technically been wrong to say murder.

but the point is that the single person is just as capable to kill the murderer wihtout revenge as their motive, but rather justice etc.

you may have a very good point that i hadn't considered though, cause it's too hard to distinguish for a single person, revenge etc. though getting them killed by jury is still based on revenge etc, so i don't see a clear distinction. there's differnt points.

[goldenchild17]

sure, though I don't know what actual power an individual (say the son or daughter of a murdered parent) has to "get them killed by jury." But still, I believe that the government has been given the power by God to dole out fair punishment, and this power is not granted to individual people. And yes (in case this comes up) there is such thing as a citizen's arrest, but in this case the citizen doing the arresting is not actually giving the punishment, only apprehending the criminal and handing him over to the proper authorities.

No doubt the lawful authorities have often abused their power, but it is theirs nonetheless and not up to a citizen to punish someone.

sorry if I don't make much sense tonight, I'm exhausted

[dairygirl4u2c]

i don't disagree with anyting you said.

but to be clear.
why isn't it okay for them to kill that person if htey're not doing it out of revenge but for justice? i think it's possible for the situtaion to occur, that it'd be not for revenge but justice.

is your response merely what i said that it's hard to make that distinction? i assume that's what your response is.
cuase if there's more reasons, i don't know what it is.

if it's merely cause it's hard to make the distinction for practical purposes, it does't say why theoreticaly a person shouldn't be able to kill, if they'renot doing it for revenge.

Edited October 5, 2008 by dairygirl4u2c

[goldenchild17]

Well because I believe the average citizen does not have the proper authority to do it for justice. It is the government's job to do so. If a person really wanted to do it for justice then he needs to trust the governments decision and make sure the criminal is turned in to the proper authorities. A properly-installed government has the authority to give the appropriate punishment, so citizens need to trust that the right decision is going to be made and not take matters into their own hands. Abuses of governmental power do occur, but we need to trust that they will do the right thing and not take matters into our own hands. If we try to handle everything ourselves, it will only lead to anarchy (maybe a discussion about anarchism is where you want this to go?).

Edited October 6, 2008 by goldenchild17

[Majella]

How can you leave just execution up to a state that executes thousands of innocent babies every year?
I think the best thing is to go back to Our Lord's teachings and to follow His example, no mattter how hard it may seem!!

[CatherineM]

I don't really want to turn this into a debate on the death penalty, but I did have a perspective to offer. I helped raise a nephew off and on from when he was 4 years old, until he was 19. I had custody from the age of 15 on. He was murdered. Stabbed by a John while living a drug-addicted street life. His killer was not prosecuted. When a street person dies, the cops call it NHI. No human involved. Had his killer been convicted, I would have requested life for him, not death.

If you want a real perspective, I suggest you read some of Bob Welch's stuff. Here a link to his [url="http://www.journeyofhope.org/old_site/People/bud_welch.htm"]Website[/url]. He lost his daughter in the Oklahoma City bombing. She was everything my nephew was not. That doesn't make her death any less or more painful to her family, but it does matter to society. He campaigned against the death penalty for Timothy McVey. I think of all the people I've met or talked to back home who were affected by the bombing, he has achieved the most healing and closure. I'm sure that is partially due to his Catholic faith, but I also believe in the power of forgiveness.

[homeschoolmom]

[img]http://i56.photobucket.com/albums/g161/brandon2802/Inigo-Montoya.jpg[/img]
It's only okay if your father's killer has six fingers.

[MilesJesu]

Now that is a GREAT post! I loved that movie!

Peace,

MilesJesu