Posted on 09/27/2015 9:35:07 AM PDT by Isara
In an interview with POLITICO shortly after the pope’s historic address to Congress, the Texas senator said he respects Francis’ views and the Catholic Church’s teachings on the issue, but “as a policy matter, I do not agree.”
“I spent a number of years in law enforcement dealing with some of the worst criminals, child rapists and murderers, people who’ve committed unspeakable acts,” Cruz said. “I believe the death penalty is a recognition of the preciousness of human life, that for the most egregious crimes, the ultimate punishment should apply.”
Cruz also said that whether the death penalty should be in place is an issue that should be left up to each state.
Though Francis touched on several hot-button policy issues during his speech to lawmakers, one of his sharpest messages came on the topic of the death penalty. He called for its “global abolition” and arguing that any punishment should never preclude the chance for rehabilitation.
“I am convinced that this way is the best,” Francis said. “Since every life is sacred, every human person is endowed with an inalienable dignity, and society can only benefit from the rehabilitation of those convicted of crimes.”
It is ok with HIM that he mentioned it at the UN. I don’t speak for the Pope and you don’t either. You are just bashing which is unbecoming.
Yapping about Abortion to the UN when they have NO POWER to do anything at all about, BUT the Congress could have, and he took a LEFT turn.
Reminds me of liberals who spent 8 years cheering on every single one of Clinton's wars, only to claim retroactively during the George W. Bush presidency that they had been "against war" when Clinton was President.
Right as rain.
My God. You are so insulated from reality. The states are making abortion next to impossible in this country. I am thrilled with that. You obviously think the Congress can get anything done. They can’t. They are unable to function. The states are taking this issue and destroying it. I am so happy. Your in constant disgruntle psychosis. You keep yapping up the Congress. I will go with reality and celebrate the states doing their job.
Yes.
If they could be sentenced and dead the next day that would be great. But no our country is so stupid that it costs millions to kill one of our death penalty candidates. It is dumb.
JPII never offered his opinion on the death penalty as anything other than his opinion. He therefore was abusing his office by publishing it.
.......in his speech to Congress?
Do you have a link to that?
Every human life is deserving of preservation. However, a few humans, by virtue of their own willful decisions, choose to forfeit their humanity and to act as feral animals. These are the ones that deserve to be put down after the appropriate conclusion of due process.
p.s.
That process doesn’t have to take more than a few days, either.
That’s an interesting point. Pardon me while I allow my thoughts to run a bit.
I have this theory in the back of my head. It’s not a universally working point, but it’s still there.
God is life
Satan is death
For death to occur, God has to withdraw
When Jesus was near death on the cross, his words were something to the effect, “Why have you forsaken me?”
That’s a question known to every God fearing person at some point.
It’s a point I consider from time to time, how it applies to life and death, our moments of futility.
Are there truly implications to be derived from Christ’s death that could relate to the death penalty? I’ll have to give that some thought.
Did God believe in the death penalty, or did he simply let Satan have his way with His Son for the benefit of Mankind?
There are the final wages of the sinner aren’t there. There’s the death penalty analogy IMO.
When that death for all sinners arrives, it will be in the absence of God’s presence.
Absent God’s presence, nothing survives.
I believe there is a very good chance the opposite is also true. In God’s presence, nothing dies.
When evil is finally consumed in the lake of fire, will God will that death, or simply withdraw his presence?
Sinners still living, is God still with them? The violent murderer, is God there? The Holy Spirit must be, unless totally rejected, but can and will He return if the sinner opens up his heart? Can he actually open his heart if the Holy Spirit is not moving within him?
Interesting stuff.
God did NOT forsake His Son, Jesus Christ to Satan, BUT He did CHOOSE the Death Penalty for Him to pay for OUR sins, and Jesus KNEW His Father demanded the Death Penalty, and thus “Why have you forsaken me” statement. Jesus KNEW He would be re-united with His Father in heaven in 3 days.....If God HAD forsaken His ONLY Son, GOD FORBID, Jesus would have never resurrected to heaven.... jmho
Crickets...
Well you offered a generous deal
35 vs 730,000
20,857 times more.
Ditto. I may be talking tinfoil hat material, but I feel that he was forced out by powerful progressive-liberals in catholic leadership. Then they purged out other solid conservatives from positions of influence.
Pope Francis oppose the death penalty; but no in Cuba. He begged for a meeting with Fidel Castro that was described by the Vatican as very friendly and familiar, and the fact that Fidel Castro has sent thousands of Cubans to be murdered by his infamous firing squads, did not diminished the Pope’s high stem for the Cuban tyrant, admiration that was publicly and shameless expressed.
I don’t see that biblical history precludes the death penalty for certain actions/behavior. Even Jesus on the cross did not proclaim abstinence of such for a criminal. Jesus did tell the sinner that his recognition of the saving glory of Gog by the recognition of Jesus set the way for eternal life. I have often mused about the fairness of death penalties by sinners of God’s commandments and have come to the belief that all death penalties need a very strict and thorough examination. There have been to many persons given a death sentence without a very, very thorough and indisputable basis. However ,there seems to be no opposition to the/a death penalty for a soldier by even the highest of office holders.
Fair response. Words can be imprecise.
I agree that God didn’t cast Christ off. IMO He allowed Him to die. I do think there’s a reasoned assumption He had to leave him for death to take place.
Does this mean his angels left Christ’s side, or that Christ was not eternally connected to God? I think this is an important point. We are all eternally connected to God.
For all of us it’s a choice. Jesus made the right choices. He’s the only one that ever did. I still believe we have a relationship with God that is a lot closer to that of Christ than we realize.
Where did Christ come from? Was the Holy Trinity always a trinity? The implication is that Christ was the offspring of God the Father. At some point he come into being. How did that happen? Was he a product of the dust of the ground at some point?
Are we the kin of Christ, closer than we ever knew? I wonder.
There are a lot of questions I’d like to ask. I’d like to be around to have them answered.
Yes, Jesus in his heart knew the promise of God. He knew he would be raised up. I don’t for a moment think those words from Christ’s mouth weren’t said in pure anguish, Him experiencing our experience on some level.
The beauty of Jesus on some level, is that we have His experience. We know the promises too. We have the opportunity to know God just as he did. We can look at his faith, and grow to be more like Him.
He was one of us. When we feel despair, we’re follow in His footsteps. I think we’re kidding our selves if we miss this truth.
Jesus had to be a fallible man, live our life, and remain dedicated to God each moment for His sacrifice to be sufficient.
He experienced our experience.
We will be as close to God as we desire to be.
That’s the only advantage Jesus had.
It was the only advantage He could have.
He dedicated Himself to His father in heaven.
As much as I respect God and think of Him over us, I think we lose a lot of perspective if we don’t wallow in the humanity of Jesus Christ.
He felt what we feel.
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