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The right to sentence death!

Does man have the right to pronounce death upon another for crimes done against mankind? Some religious faiths will say no and others will emphatically say, "Yes!"

Some faiths such as Islamic groups actually think their leaders have the right to call death for those who simply speak out against something they believe in. Is that pushing it too far?

What about if a man committs rape or murder - should he be put to death or just endure a life sentence in prison. Can a man accomplish anything in a prison?

What are your thoughts from a religious and moral standpoint?

death sentence to The

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Some faiths such as Islamic groups actually think their leaders have the right to call death for those who simply speak out against something they believe in

I think like Omario said in another thread that some people who call themselves muslims but they're really not misinterpreted the Islam to accomplish their evil thoughts. I want to believe that because what religion will teach that is okay to kill????

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What about if a man committs rape or murder - should he be put to death or just endure a life sentence in prison. Can a man accomplish anything in a prison? What are your thoughts from a religious and moral standpoint?

Wow, you know, today I was watching 'Touched by an Angel' (one of my fav. shows on TV). And was about the same subject.
I do not really have a standpoint on this subject. I do not really take into consideration religion in this point because maybe I will be justifying something that I do not really feel good about.
It's tough, men play someway to be Gods deciding wether a person should live or die. Think about it. At the same time the person who commit the crime played to be God too since the life of the victim was at his/her hands.  
Don't know what to say, I don't really have a position on this subject.

The right to sentence death! Beliefs Religious General

Numbers 35:

17And if he smite him with an instrument of iron, so that he die, he is a murderer: the murderer shall surely be put to bdeath.

17 And if he smite him with throwing a stone, wherewith he may die, and he die, he is a murderer: the murderer shall surely be put to death.

18 Or if he smite him with an hand weapon of wood, wherewith he may die, and he die, he is a murderer: the murderer shall surely be put to death.

35 Moreover ye shall take no satisfaction for the life of a murderer, which is bguilty of death: but he shall be surely put to death.

Exodus 21:

29 But if the ox were wont to push with his horn in time past, and it hath been testified to his owner, and he hath not kept him in, but that he hath killed a man or a woman; the ox shall be stoned, and his owner also shall be put to death

Leviticus 20:

16 And if a woman approach unto any beast, and lie down thereto, thou shalt kill the woman, and the beast: they shall surely be put to death; their blood shall be upon them.

Leviticus 24:

17 And he that killeth any man shall surely be put to death

21 And he that killeth a beast, he shall restore it: and he that killeth a man, he shall be put to death

There are probably more examples, but the above quotes from the Bible indicate from a religious stand/view man has the right to put another to death for certain crimes. All but one listed involve retribution or punishment for the death of another person.

I personally am opposed to the death penalty, but I believe there is definate proof that God is not.

Edited: tenaheff on 25th Nov, 2003 - 7:49pm

death sentence to The

but is to get death sentence always worse than to endure a life sentence in prison? I think in holland it's not that bad to live in prison, but if you live in a poor country death may be better than prison.

death sentence to The

Torenvalck, what you have said may be, but it isn't the point to this thread. The question is does man have the right to pronounce such a sentence on another. What is your opinion of that?

The right to sentence death!

i don't think man have the right to pronounce death sentence on another because you're doing the same the murder did when you're killing him.

The to sentence death

I would say that man does not have the right to pronounce death - however, God does and He has given man the circumstances when we may justly do so: my understanding is that this *may* occur in lawful self-defense and *should* occur as a restitutional punishment for *pre-meditated* murder.

So, no, mankind do not have the right to violate anyone's rights (of any kind) save under those condiitons which are exempted which are chiefly found under the gamut of the law of self-defense or restitution.

Dubhdara.

The to sentence death General Religious Beliefs

I agree with dubhdara, for the most part.

In order to maintain some sort of order, all societies have defined the types of punishments necessary to restrict and punish crimes.

With that in mind, we can look at various cultures and societies, and see what those punishments are.

Under Islam, there are a host of offences that warrant the death penalty, including blasphemy (against Allah, the Koran, or Muhammed), adultery, and murder. Stealing warrants the removal of the right hand.

In some countries, rape warrants the death penalty. Most have the death penalty for treason, including cowardice in the face of the enemy.

It depends on the particular society, what crimes warrant a particular punishment.

And the purpose of these punishments is NOT for restitution. It is to discourage and, hopefully, eliminate the types of behaviour. So, if a person has a high expectation that he will lose his life if he is caught in adultery, he might think more than twice about philandering. If he expects society to turn a blind eye, or be very selective about punishing that adultery, he may just take a chance.

With murder and other violent crimes, there is probably some room for discussion on the subject, as many people claim that the death penalty doesn't discourage murder. I agree, in some ways. Since murder trials, penalty phases, and then the actual punishment (in the US) are drawn out so long, even a horrific crime, such as the Oklahoma City bombing, usually means years before the punishment takes effect.

During the Old West of the US, crime was actually very low. Part of that came from the fact that when a punishment was called for, it was immediately executed, whether that punishment was jail time, whipping, or hanging. Another part of it came from the fact that many people were armed, and self-defence was a fully expected and encouraged way of preventing the crime. It really wasn't profitable for criminals to rob and plunder a lot, when their victims might be better armed and more skillful than the criminals. When criminals were successful, it usually didn't last long, as they were hunted down and punished.

So, as a deterent, I believe the death penalty can be useful, but only when it is swift and sure. The problem, of course, is that mistakes can be, and are, made, and innocent people are executed.

Now, looking outside of the West, I see that the death penalty is severely abused. China, Vietnam, Sudan, Zimbabwe, many other countries use execution as a political, as well as a social weapon.

So, to answer the original question of this thread, I tend to think that society has the right to provide for the death penalty. I don't think that it is right for one person, or a small group of people, to do so.

One final thought. This is all considering that society is working. In cases of complete anarchy, reality says that a man (or woman) must defend himself and his family, which may require that he decide (quickly) to bring on death and destruction.