That ought to rattle some cages. What of military chaplains? What of "an eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth?" When executions and killing are part of the panorama, how does anyone go about undoing that panorama?VATICAN CITY (AP) — Pope Francis has decreed that the death penalty is “inadmissible” under all circumstances and that the Catholic Church must work to abolish it, changing official church teaching to reflect his view that all life is sacred and there is no justification for state-sponsored executions.
Whoa mama!
Unless, of course, the pope decides to join Donald Trump on the walk-it-back trail.
Whenever a christian urges any Old Testament solutions such as "an eye for an eye, etc.", I must ask if they're jewish as the Old Testament describes jewish tribal law intended to make the tribe dominant in the region. A method that still isn't working very well.
ReplyDeleteAn eye for an eye suggests, "hit back". But Jesus said turn the other cheek and let he who is without sin cast the first stone which suggests "don't hit back". This would seem the significant change between old and New Testament.
Of course they'll argue that the Old Testament was kept for a reason. But I believe that reason was to suggest a creation and. upward history that included the prophesy that justified Jesus.
So around 1450 BCE Moses set forth the 10 Commandments.
ReplyDeleteNumber 5 was “Thou shalt not kill.”
2018 C.E. Pope Francis says the Death Penalty, eg a government’s right to kill, is hereby rescinded.
OK.
Why?
Really why?
Now what?
Outside the clergy, outside the faithful, who cares?
It takes a concerted effort to change the political process in general (look at racism in the USA since the end of the Civil War? Slavery is gone you say? Look at employment, working conditions and real wages.)
Will the Catholic Clergy and faithful lay activists actually do something like write well reasoned articles, hold demonstrations, resign in protest, denounce Trump and other “legal offenders,” recommend not voting for those who want to uphold the Death Penalty?
Will other Christian sects join the Roman Catholics?
Will other faiths? (Supposedly Hinduism and Buddhism already oppose the death penalty.
Both Judaism and Christianity bent the “Commandment” “Thou shalt not kill” millennia ago.
We shall see.
In the meantime we need to examine incarceration in general and life imprisonment in particular.
At best, doing away with capital punishment is a token, likely political gesture.
There are a guesstimated 1.2 billion Catholics out there somewhere. Presumably at least some of them credit the pope and his clout.
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