Capital Punishment Essay

Even during the Early church, when death was much more common, some Catholics fought against the death penalty; one such example the Athenagoras of Athens written in 133 A.D claims “we cannot endure even to see a man put to death, though justly. . . . We, deeming that to see a man put to death is much the same as killing him, have abjured such spectacles. How, then, when we do not even look on, lest we should contract guilt and pollution, can we put a man to death?.” However, many Catholic leaders have supported the death penalty, St. Thomas Aquinas himself stated “The death penalty was not merely permitted by God: for certain crimes it was required by God.” Nevertheless, over the years the Church has become more and more uncompromising in its beliefs against the Death Penalty. Starting with Pope John Paul II a Catholic Pope who served from the late 70’s to early 2000’s creating the Evangelium Vitae which asserts ¨that [the state] ought not go to the extreme of executing the offender except in cases of absolute necessity: in other words, when it would not be possible otherwise to defend society. Today however, as a result of steady improvements in the organization of the penal system, such cases are very rare, if not practically non-existent.¨ In this doctrine, Pope John Paul II clearly and definitively makes the Catholic Church’s negative response

In view of these safeguards, proponents of capital punishment believe that state executions are justified sentences for those convicted of willful first-degree murder. They do not think sentencing murderers to prison is a harsh enough sentence, especially if there is the possibility of parole for the perpetrator. A final argument posed by proponents of the death penalty is that execution is an effective deterrence. They are convinced that potential murderers will likely think twice before they commit murder. Despite the rhetoric of politicians for the increased use of the death penalty, a number of prominent individuals and organizations have emerged to express their opposition to capital punishment. Along with families of death row prisoners, the International Court of The Hague, the United Nations, Amnesty International, the Texas Conference of Churches, Pope John Paul II, Nobel Peace recipient, Bishop Tutu, numerous judges and former prosecutors, former Attorney General, Ramsey Clark, actors, and writers are waging a determined struggle against the death penalty. They invariably argue that capital punishment is wrong and inhumane. Religious folk generally evoke the nature of an “ideal spiritual community” (Cauthen, 1). Within this perspective, a moral and ethical community does not insist on a life for a life. While a community must act to protect law- abiding citizens, an ethical response would be to

The Death Penalty, or capital punishment is nothing new in the world. SInce the dawn of civilization people were sentenced to death for sometimes even the most minor of crimes, such a theft. As the world has changed in the last few thousand years, so have attitudes toward the Death Penalty,yet it is still a punishment that is carried out throughout the world today. In the United States, as of July of 2015, 31 states in the Union actively carry out the death penalty. Only 19 states have abolished the death penalty and replaced it with life in prison without the possibility of parole as the maximum sentence. However, with the declining popularity of the death penalty in the United States and throughout the world, the question that needs to be

This paper examines the topic of capital punishment as a relevant public policy that is related to criminal justice. The history, justification and evidence for the policy, factors that have influenced the policy, competing positions and stakeholders, negative consequences of the policy, and evidence based changes to the current policy, will all be discussed. Relevant examples will be provided within each appropriate section. A comprehensive approach will be used to identify all key elements in regards to capital punishment. Finally, a concluding paragraph will summarize all salient information and takeaways from this topic.

The United States Bishops have gone on to say the following on their views against the use of capital punishment, which mirrors the views of the Vatican. The U.S Catholic bishops have voiced strong opposition to the death penalty. The rationale for the bishops' position against capital punishment is "in the conditions of contemporary American society, the legitimate purposes of punishment do not justify the imposition of the death penalty." The U.S Bishops went on record saying that the abolition of capital punishment would reaffirm the unique worth and dignity of each person from the moment of conception, as a creature made in the image and likeness of God. The abolition of capital punishment would underscore the conviction that God is the Lord of life, and would remove any ambiguity as to the Church's affirmation of the sanctity of human life in all its stages, including the unborn, the aged and the infirm. It would be in accordance with the example of Jesus, who both taught and practiced forgiveness. And also emphasize that the best means for promoting a just society are intelligence and compassion, not power and vengeance (CACP, 585204). More recently, in their Nov. 2000 statement

The evencylical Evangelium Vitae (Gospel of Life) promotes the value and dignity of each human life. Pope John Paul II used the bible story of Cain and Abel to proclaim that God cares for all human life and no one is sin free and no one deserves to be valued less. We are called to care for the lives of others. John Paul II mentions that scientific medical research is making abortion easier and more available. He notes when abortion is accepted as necessary, it cheapens the value of human life. John Paul II does not just condemn those who might use abortion, but challenges everyone to reach out to assist them in their time of need.

The Second Vatican Council does not allow attacks against human life “"Whatever is opposed to life itself, such as any type of murder, genocide, abortion, euthanasia, or wilful self-destruction, whatever violates the integrity of the human person” (Evangelium Vitae)

On the other hand, a copious amount of religions and people reckon that the death penalty proves as a just form of punishment. In Christianity, people died for crimes, like coming out as a homosexual, having sexual relations before marriage, and worshiping other gods. Considering these sins, which they did, and living by the saying, “An eye for an eye” drove them to believe that the sinners must be put to death. While these quotes have truth to them, murdering a human, even if one figures another deserves it, is never the answer to

The world is a place full of black and white along with so much gray. Many people who have heated debates usually have them on topics related to ethical dilemmas that range from abortion to politics to religion. No one ever agrees on everything all of the time which can leave a lot of issues unresolved or ignored. Most of the time a person and their worldview determines what they consider is an ethical choice. This paper will cover the ethical dilemma of euthanasia and how the Christian Worldview impacts that choice in comparison to other views.

As common knowledge, the word “punishment” is usually used to describe something that is a painful consequence or outcome based on one’s actions and/or poor decision-making. In the criminal justice system, “punishment’ is a sanction that is opposed on offenders for committing a criminal offense (Banks, 2013). Thus, the utilization of capital punishment is not new when it comes to the element of punishment. Capital punishment can be traced all the way back to ancient Greece. For example, Socrates was tried and executed for corrupting the minds of Athenian youth (Ristroph, 2009,

Capital Punishment is viewed with two different thoughts, those for it and those against it. There are those who feel that it is not right to take another person’s life for it makes the system responsible for the death no better than the convicted murderer. The Catholic Church is on of this out there who opposes to the death penalty. “Over the past several decades, the Catholic Church has become an influential voice in the public debate about the death penalty(Klein).” Because of the influence the Catholic Church they can hold a lot of weight of in the discussion of Capital Punishment. The Catholic Church wants to protect the other side of those effected by Capital Punishment. “The Church’s position does not require an absolute

Criminal law is imposed by almost every nation in the world to reduce crime rate and maintain law and order of the society. An individual who found guilty of a crime will have to face corresponding punishments. Among all penalties, capital punishment is considered to be the most severe and cruelest one which takes away criminal’s most valuable right in the world, that is, right to live. It is a heated debate for centuries whether capital punishment should be completely abolished world widely. The world seems to have mixed opinion regarding this issue. According to Amnesty International (2010), currently, 97 countries in the world have already abolished capital punishment while only 58 nations still actively adopt death penalty.

"Religious leaders and organizations have been powerful lobbies on both sides of the death penalty debate. Those against the death penalty say it is their moral obligation to bring the issue of capital punishment to the forefront of the religious community's agenda. They also argue that it is becoming increasingly difficult for the U.S. to maintain its position as the global leader on human rights when it not only still executes people, but juveniles as well. On the other side of the debate, some religious leaders firmly believe the Sixth Commandment is a prohibition against murder and not a prohibition against the death penalty." 5

Thesis Statement: Has been ongoing throughout the world as being both unconstitutional and inhumane or a just punishment for those who offend certain laws, eye for an eye. Capital Punishment should be legalized because it is ethical, safety for the public and to lower the cost of prisons. Capital punishment is appropriate because it provides a strong durance against future crime, it protects the rights of victims, and because everyone benefits from it.

Capital punishment has always been an urging matter. In television shows it is seen all the time. Game of Thrones, for example, is a widely popular show with billions of adoring fans. It is also extremely bloody and with its own set of rules for justice. In the show, execution is performed in public to enforce deterrence. By sentencing death to a criminal, the authority enforces its power, stops others from making the same crimes, and demonstrates political dissent. Capital punishment is the dilemma that is constantly revisited. On one hand, it is not difficult to see all the negative characteristics it holds. Human beings are not the ones who can make this kind of decision. Depending on one’s religious views, it is believed that capital punishment is a right reserved to God, karma, time or any other superior being. However, unlike Game of Thrones, there is a well-established justice system that ensures fair trials and serves a death sentence when it is absolutely necessary. Capital punishment is the most superior and fair form of retribution, and support for these notions can be seen in the Jewish Bible, The Christen bible, Glaspell’s Trifles, the trial Gregg v. Georgia, and Snow Falling on Cedars.