...Does God accept the death penalty? The death penalty is a controversial matter. Men justice condemned to death criminals, according to the biblical law “An eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth.” That was millenniums ago, but today when humanity is supposedly be more advanced and educated, jet we believe that the killing a murder is acceptable by God and men’s justice system. I believe that life in prison is a more acceptable condemn, because the criminal will suffer the imprisonment, separated from the society. I believe that that is more humane punishment. This action is more humane in deed, but costly for society, so what solution can we find? There is a humane process called “lobotomy.” Used in the past to cure mental sick people. About 50,000 lobotomies were performed in the United States. Lobotomy consists of cutting or scraping away most of the connections to and from the prefrontal cortex. The procedure of the "trans orbital" lobotomy involved lifting the upper eyelid and placing the point of a thin surgical instrument, called the ice pick, under the eyelid and against the top of the eye socket. A mallet was used to drive the orbit clast through the thin layer of bone and into the brain along the plane of the bridge of the nose, around fifteen degrees toward the interhemispheric fissure. The orbit clast was malleted five centimeters (2 in) into the frontal lobes, and then pivoted forty degrees at the orbit perforation so the tip cut toward the opposite side of...
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...Yes, I believe in the death penalty. Criminals that have spent years in prison sometimes can turn very heartless and some will never change. I think the death penalty should be reinstated in the U.K. Sure there are several reasons to why people would be against it, like the fact that an inmate can spend several years on death row and receive trials to try and get them off during their waiting time. And, yes, innocent people could be executed, but it’s not as a big of a number as people make it out to be. The death penalty does deteriorate crime, specifically homicide rates, but when a convicted murderer is released from prison there is a 90%+ chance they will re-commit, only because they have been deprived from the outside world for such a long time and there are new things for them to introduced to, which may intimidate them. But at least when you execute the inmate, it’s one less person regular society has to worry about. People like them that are serving time just don’t change. Just put them to death so they cant terrorize society anymore. Surely, it would be a win win situation anyway, because their suffering would cease as well. The medieval philosopher, Thomas Aquinas made this point very clear: “Therefore, if any man is dangerous to the community and is subverting it by some sin, the treatment to be commended in his execution in order to preserve the common good… Therefore to kill a man who retains his natural worthiness is intrinsically evil, although it may be justifiable...
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...her death. The judgment one receives is based on the choices they make throughout their life. If they make the right choices, they will be rewarded with entrance into Heaven to live alongside God. If they make the wrong choices, however, they are damned to Hell to suffer eternally. The problem with this view of eternal damnation is that the determining factors are seemingly unfair. Without enough epistemic facts, one is forced to choose between various different religions and beliefs, some of which revolve around God, some of which don’t. Even deciding not to make a choice is making a choice – a choice not to believe in God. This traditional view creates two problems: (1) that God delivers unjust punishments to those who choose to sin, regardless of how little evidence they have about what choices they should make, and (2) that God may be unloving of his subjects. Seeking to defend the traditional view of eternal damnation, Murray evaluates two models of hell that Christians commonly endorse, which he calls the penalty model and the natural consequence model. As he analyzes objections to each model, Murray concludes that the best defense for the traditional view of eternal damnation is a combination of the two, a hybrid model. The penalty model presents an idea that all humans who are guilty of sin must pay a penalty, and so are punished with spiritual death. However, since Jesus Christ died on the cross for our sins, those who accept him do not have to pay the penalty. The...
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...direction, patience and understanding. Since all four of those things come from God, let’s take a look at what His word says. Have you ever read the book of Leviticus in the Old Testament of the Bible? You wouldn’t be alone if you said no. In fact, much of the Old Testament is skimmed or skipped entirely by Christians. However, if you are going to know God, His righteousness, His commands, His judgement, and His love, grace, and mercy, you must read the Old Testament. Leviticus is admittedly difficult to read. It is the law as given by God to Moses and the Israelites. What one needs to...
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...and her country to speak against capital punishment – the Death Penalty. On these talks, she discusses her experiences of being a spiritual advisor to inmates sentenced to death row, and explains what it really means to accompany men to their death, meeting the family of a man doomed to die by the state as well as the families of the victims. She’s a fervent critic of politicians and the legal system, discussing how and when the court system works and when it doesn’t. She also speaks on and of forgiveness. She also writes about her beliefs, latest is a book “the Death of Innocents: An Eyewitness Account of Wrongful Executions” that came out in 2004. It is a book that delves into her experience of witnessing two men that she believes were wrongfully executed, revealing evidence that the juries did not see. It is the second book after her famous novel “Dead Man Walking”, that was adapted into a hit film by the same name, telling the story of Sister Prejean as she establishes a special relationship with Matthew Poncelet, an inmate on death row. While each story might be of slightly different dynamics and different characters, the message remains that before you make up your mind about the death penalty, learn all that you can about it. She believes that many of the people who are for the death penalty may have never actually reflected on it. In this paper, I will analyze Sister Prejean’s argument against the death penalty as chronicled in her books and essays, and provide a personal...
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...Amendment; while supporters of the death penalty counter that this clause was not intended to prohibit legal executions. In the 1972 court case of Furman vs. Georgia , the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that capital punishment was no longer legal. However, in Gregg v. Georgia (1976), the court allowed capital punishments to resume in certain states, and shortly thereafter, Gary Gilmore was executed by a firing squad in Utah. Since the reinstatement of capital punishment in the United States,a separate penalty trial has been required for some capital cases, at which time the jury reviews circumstances that suggest the need for capital punishment. In 1982, Texas became the first state to execute a prisoner using lethal injection; other common methods of execution used in the United States include lethal gas and electrocution. In recent years, the Supreme Court has made it more difficult for death row prisoners to file appeals. Nearly 3 of 4 americans support the death sentence as a form of punishment. The other third has condemned it and their list of claims against it is long. Opponents challenge proponents on issues of deterrence, economics, fallibility, and rehabilitation. Their indifference to capital punishment is founded on constitutional and moral grounds. In societies best interest and for the safety of individuals, capital punishment is a respectable form of retribution for a crime being committed. More information on recent U.S. Supreme Court Death Penalty Cases Since 1990. History: ...
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...CAPITAL PUNISHMENT The concept of capital punishment/death penalty forces Christians and non-Christians alike to question their morality. The idea that humans have the right to take life from those whom society have deemed undeserving of one is of constant debate. Many Christians find it easy to accept this practice for the worst of criminals. So one is left to question rather this practice of “an eye for an eye” as described in the Holy Scripture is appropriate or if it is just outright murder (sin). My perspective lies somewhere in the middle. On one hand I do not believe any human being has the right to take another’s life, yet on the other hand, there are some crimes so heinous that there seems to be only one appropriate punishment. In this paper I will examine the Christian perspective, practical applications and moral implications. DEATH PENALTY AND MORALITY Some people believe that if there were no death penalty than our country would fall into anarchy. The death penalty, in their mind seems to be moral in the sense that it treats the defendant as a “free moral actor” in control of his/her own destiny. Dr. Ernest Van Den Hagg of Fordham University is an outspoken advocate of the death penalty. He stated that "Common sense, lately bolstered by statistics, tells us that the death penalty will deter murder... People fear nothing more than death. Therefore, nothing will deter a criminal more than the fear of death... life in prison is less feared. Murderers clearly...
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...Amendment; while supporters of the death penalty counter that this clause was not intended to prohibit legal executions. In the 1972 court case of Furman vs. Georgia , the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that capital punishment was no longer legal. However, in Gregg v. Georgia (1976), the court allowed capital punishments to resume in certain states, and shortly thereafter, Gary Gilmore was executed by a firing squad in Utah. Since the reinstatement of capital punishment in the United States,a separate penalty trial has been required for some capital cases, at which time the jury reviews circumstances that suggest the need for capital punishment. In 1982, Texas became the first state to execute a prisoner using lethal injection; other common methods of execution used in the United States include lethal gas and electrocution. In recent years, the Supreme Court has made it more difficult for death row prisoners to file appeals. Nearly 3 of 4 americans support the death sentence as a form of punishment. The other third has condemned it and their list of claims against it is long. Opponents challenge proponents on issues of deterrence, economics, fallibility, and rehabilitation. Their indifference to capital punishment is founded on constitutional and moral grounds. In societies best interest and for the safety of individuals, capital punishment is a respectable form of retribution for a crime being committed. More information on recent U.S. Supreme Court Death Penalty Cases Since 1990. History:...
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...The Death Penalty and its Ethical Permissibility Palestine Fox Kaplan University Abstract The death penalty has been used for centuries to punish criminals for heinous crimes, in spite of the fact that arguments concerning the death penalty, its concepts of retribution, deterrence and just punishments have been disagreed upon. The question at hand is whether or not the death penalty is permissible and if so under what circumstances, which has long been a heated debate for centuries. The ethical issues surrounding the death penalty include the morality of this form of punishment and whether or not it is morally right to deprive a human being of life. This paper will discuss the background of the death penalty, its permissibility under the law and how the death penalty would be viewed by the ethical philosophies and various religions. The Death Penalty and its Permissibility Introduction of the Death Penalty The death penalty or capital punishment is the practice of executing someone as a form of punishment for a heinous or specific crime following a proper legal trial. The death penalty is usually a punishment sentenced for serious types of murders, in some countries treason, types of fraud, adultery and rape, which are capital crimes (Capital Punishment, 2013). The death penalty was introduced as early as the Eighteenth Century B.C. in the Code of King Hammaurabi of Babylon, who codified the death penalty for 25 different crimes. In the Seventh Century B.C. Athens...
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...and is very close-minded. To illustrate, he says “He shall not save these girls from death,” as a response to his son, Haemon, that his decision is final and nothing Haemon says will change that. Creon takes pride in his decisions that he will be giving death to Antigone and sees no reason to listen to anyone else’s views, which will always be the case. Also, Creon feels superior to...
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...Is the Death Penalty Ethical? It is clear in our society that violent crimes, such as murder, should carry some sort of stiffer punishment than that of other, lesser crimes. What is not clear is what that punishment should be. One punishment that is a constant source of debate is the death penalty. In this paper, I will examine whether the death penalty is or is not ethical. Both sides of the issue will be explained, through examination of various aspects of it, which include religious and financial considerations, whether the death penalty is a deterrent or not, and whether or not it can be regarded as justice. I submit that the death penalty is an ethical and equitable punishment for murderers, and should be used throughout our country. The seemingly greatest amount of debate comes from a religious standpoint. Depending on whose interpretation one hears, the Bible is for or against capital punishment. Verses from The Bible are used by both sides of the argument to support their own beliefs. The United States is made up of numerous different religious cultures. A sample of a few official policies from some denominations’ web sites shows an almost fifty-fifty split for and against. For example, the Assemblies of God (USA) do not take a stance for or against the death penalty. The same is true for the Church of Christ of Latter-day Saints, who say that it should be left to “…the prescribed processes of civil law.”(November 28, 2011). The...
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...Introduction If one is big enough to do the crime, then he should be indeed big enough to take the punishment that follows. “Capital punishment, the death penalty, or execution is the sentence of death upon a person by the state as a punishment for a crime.” (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Capital_punishment) Basically Capital Punishment is the country’s major punishment, for what they consider to be the most major crimes. It is a subject of active disagreement and controversy in various countries and positions in the argument can vary with a single switch in political hierarchy. To count there are about fifty eight countries that still recognizes Capital Punishment. Surprisingly most of the European and Asian Countries are the ones prohibit the use of Capital Punishment. And oddly even though most of the world physical land masses rebukes Capital Punishment, most of the world’s population still resides in countries that still strongly agree with the use of Capital Punishment. But here in The Bahamas, our situation is quite a special one. We are a free independent country, our laws say that we recognizes the use of Capital Punishment in the country, it obvious that a country cries for it, but the dilemma is that it is not being carried out. But the question raised is why? What is the hold up, and how do the Bahamian people feel about the whole situation? Chapter 1 “Capital Punishment in the Bahamas; Gone but not forgotten” Capital Punishment in The Bahamas has been...
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...argue the death penalty should be abolished, they fail to offer up any comparable alternatives for the crime for murder. It is a harsh punishment but, in all fairness, the punishment fits the crime. Capital punishment does what the name suggests: it punishes and it removes the notion that one can kill and get away with it. It serves as a deterrent for those contemplating murder and in the end, it brings justice. Capital punishment defends the sanctity of life and until we evolve to the place where murders are no longer a part of our society, we must punish this crime fairly. To know we have removed a murdering criminal from the street is a relief thankful to deterrence of violent crime, retribution, Christianity, and innocence. One argument for the death penalty is the fact that it deters crime. Those enticed by killing someone might think twice if they know their life will be taken as a consequence. Joanna Shepherd explores the history of capital punishment and explains that while many studies produced mixed results, modern economic studies reveal executions “significantly deter murders” (Shepherd). In addition, Wesley Lowe reports when the death penalty was temporarily suspended, the number of murders in the America “skyrocketed from 9,960 to 23,040, a 131 percent increase” (Lowe) and the murder rate “doubled from 5.1 to 10.2” (Lowe). He goes on the quote Karl Spence of Texas A and M University, who maintains until “we begin to fight crime in earnest [by using the death penalty]...
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...why we need salvation, how God provided salvation, how we can receive salvation, and what are the results of salvation. The first verse on the Romans Road to salvation is Romans 3:23, "For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God." We have all sinned. We have all done things that are displeasing to God. There is no one who is innocent. Romans 3:10-18 gives a detailed picture of what sin looks like in our lives. The second Scripture on the Romans Road to salvation, Romans 6:23, teaches us about the consequences of sin - "For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord." The punishment that we have earned for our sins is death. Not just physical death, but eternal death! The third verse on the Romans Road to salvation picks up where Romans 6:23 left off, "but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord." Romans 5:8 declares, "But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us." Jesus Christ died for us! Jesus' death paid for the price of our sins. Jesus' resurrection proves that God accepted Jesus' death as the payment for our sins. The fourth stop on the Romans Road to salvation is Romans 10:9, "that if you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved." Because of Jesus' death on our behalf, all we have to do is believe in Him, trusting His death as the payment for our sins...
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...character from the audience, but also make the audience fear the character and their decisions. For example, in Sophocles’ Antigone there are two characters who might be considered a tragic hero. Creon is the tragic hero in Antigone because of his arrogance, his willingness to accept his faults, and what his faults teach the audience. Creon’s hubris is what makes him the perfect tragic hero of Antigone....
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