The Death Penalty

Three points in this video. First, capital punishment does not comport with Jesus' teaching as presented in the New Testament and, therefore, it is odd that Christians support capital punishment in such significant numbers. (BTW, I am well aware of the fact that there is reason to doubt that the story of the woman taken in adultery is original to the Gospel of John. So there is no need to point that out. I must confess being amused by some atheists suggesting that because of this we cannot know that John 8:7 presents Jesus' actual words--as if we can know that Jesus said ANY of what is attributed to him in any of the gospels. Come on, nonbelievers: you should know better and get the point of my raising this story in the video.) Second, opponents of the death penalty populate all points on the ideological spectrum; they're not exclusively liberals or leftists. Third, since the death penalty is irreversible, it necessarily presents a significant risk to society because the criminal justice system that administers the penalty is fallible. Society can punish criminals, defend public order, and protect people's safety without the death penalty. Moreover, without the death penalty, society does not run the risk of wrongfully executing an innocent person—a penalty it can never reverse or remediate in any way.

By the way, apologies for the varying (and often crappy) sound quality in this video. I'm not sure what happened.

Links:

1. LatumWay's channel: http://www.youtube.com/user/LatumWay

2. The videos by LatumWay and TheAtheistAntidote to which this video refers and responds: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9Fa4cveRKyU http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tuUkmuEkHDk http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c9GuXzpWTVM

3. Pew Research Center data on religious support for capital punishment: http://pewforum.org/Politics-and-Elections/Few-Say-Religion-Shapes-Immigratio...

4. Christianity Today's data on Christian support of the death penalty: http://www.christianitytoday.com/ct/2008/march/6.20.html

5. The Rutherford Institute on the death penalty: http://www.rutherford.org/Issues/DeathPenalty.asp

6. Jay Sekulow's statement against capital punishment: http://www.acadp.org/contents/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&a...

7. Salvation Army's statement against the death penalty: http://www.salvationarmy.org/ind%5Cwww_ind.nsf/vw-sublinks/80256E520050A2E280...

8. Catechism of the Catholic Church on capital punishment: http://www.scborromeo.org/ccc/para/2267.htm

9. The Innocence Project: http://www.innocenceproject.org/

10. New York Times report on, among other things, what has motivated a decrease in public support of the death penalty: http://www.nytimes.com/2011/09/23/us/in-debate-davis-execution-offers-little-...

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[logician360]

I'm against the death penalty, but I don't think the fallibility/irreversibility argument is very strong. Justice systems certainly aren't infallible, but isn't any punishment irreversible once it's been administered? Someone wrongfully given the death penalty can't be brought back from the dead, but neither can a person who was wrongly imprisoned for twenty years get back those years.

I'm against DP not because it's irreversible and open to misuse, but because it's unnecessary.

[ProfMTH]

@logician360 "...isn't any punishment irreversible once it's been administered?"

No. One can be released from prison and compensated, one can be paid back a fine wrongly imposed, et cetera. One cannot be brought back from the dead, as you note. While one cannot in a perfect way get back years wrongly spent in prison, society has ways, albeit imperfect ones, to compensate a person in such a situation. Society can do nothing for the dead.

[philosophicalreason]

The best way to confront religious people is using their own holy book against them.

[ProfMTH]

@philosophicalreason I certainly think it's *one* of the best ways.

[TheWisemonkey8]

Good video man...

[ProfMTH]

@TheWisemonkey8 Thanks!

[ProfMTH]

@bamcis17 "The death penalty has always existed. It's part of evolution."

Part of evolution? How so?

[edwardd6681]

FUCK THE DEATH PENALTY

[philosophicalreason]

I watched a few of the atheistantidotes vids and felt myself literally get sick with what he says.

[eutexian]

His case was one of the main catalysts in the repeal of the death penalty here in the UK. The very idea of an innocent man being murdered in error by the state is in my opinion so awful.. so very very awful that even to contemplate it as a 'regrettable' side effect and.. in any way excusable shows nothing but a blood lust that belongs in History books. Or as an example of of our inability to deal with justice except as revenge. Surely as a species we have moved on from that.

[eutexian]

My own view is coloured by my catholic upbringing. Although i now have no belief in God, I cannot change all my prejudices. In my view Murder is a wicked act. it is the ultimate act of theft; the theft of someones life and future. I cannot in any way condone the state replying to a wicked act WITH a wicked act. The death penalty is Murder. Whenever this topic comes up in normal discourse I mention the UK case of Timothy Evans. And go no further. His fate brought shame on the Justice system.

[DoubleR2591]

Most people who are in favor of the death penalty don't seem to realize that the death penalty is only one of the two punishments the condemmed will face. There are two: the time you will spend behind bars in prison and the execution itself. Now as of today in the year 2012, the average time spent on death row is about 12-15 years if I remember correctly. So it's not like they are given the sentence and executed the same week they have to wait a very long time