The Morality of Capital Punishment Essay - 2467 Words

The precise question at issue in this essay is the moral standing of capital punishment. Taking the teachings of the largest Christian denomination (Catholic) as a starting point, some say that the presentation of capital punishment in the Catechism of 1992 (#2266) differs surely in restrictiveness from the teaching of the Catechism of 1566. And that the revised Catechism of 1997 is even more restrictive. Leets examine these ane other aspects of the morality of capital punishment. The Catechism (1997) #2267 says, in part, ... the traditional teaching of the Church does not exclude recourse to the death penalty, if this is the only possible way of effectively defending human lives against the unjust aggressor....†¦show more content†¦The penalties for murder and manslaughter were legislated as norms for you and all your descendants, wherever you live (Nm 35:16-29). This is seen as Old Testament justice but that justice is sometimes tempered with mercy, prudence and even stated exceptions that are not so well remembered and rarely cited. For example, no one was to kill the murderer Cain: If anyone kills Cain, Cain shall be avenged sevenfold (Gn 4:15); and again, the great cry in Ezekiel: Answer them: As I live says the Lord God, I swear I take no pleasure in the death of the wicked man, but rather in the wicked mans conversion, that he may live. Turn, turn from your evil ways! (Ez 33:11). Few took the latter two citations as a restriction on the communitys right to execute a justly condemned criminal. The same proved true of the Lords reversal of the eye for an eye (life for life) (Mt 5:38): But I say to you, offer no resistance to one who is evil. When someone strikes you on your right cheek, turn the other one to him as well (Mt 5:39). More prominent among Christian writers was their recollection and invocation of St. Pauls defense of civil authority: for it (authority) is a servant of God for your good. But if you do evil, be afraid, for it does notShow MoreRelatedThe Morality Of Capital Punishment Essay1301 Words   |  6 Pages Playing God While researching about criminal justice, I came across a few online articles with very shocking statistics about our current legal systems on the issue of capital punishment. The following statistics vividly captured my attention, â€Å"from January 1, 1997, to December 31, 2000, 683 executions took place in 31 states†. Another statistic was that â€Å"1,188 people were executed in the US from 1977 through 2009†. From this figures, it came to my mind that 1,188 men, women, fathers, mothers,Read MoreDivergent Views Of Capital Punishment958 Words   |  4 PagesDivergent Views: Capital punishment as a Human Rights Issue According to the basic principles of global human rights; capital punishment or death penalty is a crime towards humanity and the most crucial and important human right, which is the right to life. As a result, any form of justification attached to it is not valid arguing on the basis of the human rights organization policies. In order to successfully argue out the topic of discussion, this section uses two antagonistic perceptions of theRead MoreTaking a Look at Capital Punishment764 Words   |  3 PagesDeath penalty is also known as capital punishment. Capital Punishment is a penalty of execution, administered to someone legally convicted of a capital crime. The death penalty was established in America in 1608. The British influenced America to use the death sentence. 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The death penalty questions the morality of killing a person as justification for their crime. It also brings to question whether the death penalty actually serves as a deterrent for crime, and that some of the people executed are found innocent afterwards. The debates over the constitutionality of the death penalty and whether capital punishment should be used for retribution are alsoRead MoreEssay about The Debate Over Capital Punishment1141 Words   |  5 Pages The debate over capital punishment has been raging on for countless number of years. Capital punishment has been used for thousands of years due to the physiological fear it inflicts on the people who witness and learn about the death penalty. The use of this punishment has helped to reduce crime and alter the minds of future criminals to deter them against committing heinous crimes such as murder, treason, espionage, terrorism and in some cases aggravated kidnapping. Advocates say it deters crimeRead MoreThe Death Penalty Is A Valued Part Of Our Judicial System860 Words   |  4 Pagesâ€Å"Why I believe the death penalty is a valued part of our judicial system† Although the death penalty is opposed by many people, I believe capital punishment is a necessary and valued part of the judicial system for numerous reasons such as the ultimate warning message, the costs involved, and the morality of the punishment. The first reason that the death penalty is a valued part of our justice system is the notion that it serves as the ultimate warning message towards people considering crimesRead MoreThe Essence Of Life1368 Words   |  6 PagesShadi Jabbour Mr. Harless English.111.4238 10 April 2015 The Essence of Life Dated back to the earliest civilizations, Capital punishment, which recently is more referred to as the death penalty, has been used by authority to seek out judgement and maintain order against criminals in a society. In recent centuries, societies have tended toward more humane acts of capital punishment, compared to that of before where often a man would be tortured or disgraced before executions were at end. Society hasRead MoreCapital Punishment : An Unnecessary Practice1630 Words   |  7 PagesCapital Punishment: an Unnecessary Practice I. Introduction The debate of whether the capital punishment is morally and politically appropriate has historical origins. The practice of capital punishment in America started when British settlers discovered the new world and created the first American colonies. Despite of the practice of the death penalty being ancient, capitals crimes have changed over time. Throughout the eras, the abolitionist movement against the capital punishment has been presentRead MoreThe Debate Over Capital Punishment936 Words   |  4 Pages The debate over capital punishment is in regards to whether the death penalty contradicts the Eighth Amendment. If the death penalty does contradict the Eight Amendment, then the State should not have the power to sentence criminals to death for capital crimes. However, if capital punishment is not against the Eighth Amendment, then the State has the right to sentence criminals to death. In this essay I will first summarize Justice Brennan’s argument on why the death penalty is beyond the power