Catholic Bishops Launch Major Catholic Campaign to End the Use of the Death Penalty

USCCB ^ | March 21, 2005 | USCCB staff

[dangus]

Not true. Such odds would exist for a pristine sample, but most false results are due to contamination.

[dangus]

Real world: Stop the money and they will say, "why should we listen to you, who don't give us money?"

And no-one, even a liberal, likes to admit to himself that he can be bought.

[dfwgator]

I must admit that the Schiavo case has made me reconsider my stance on the Death Penalty as well. Maybe there could be a "Devil's Island" approach where the most notorious criminals would be sent to the middle of Alaska, where they could be no threat. No TV, no rec rooms. But yet there would still a chance for redress if there was a legal mistake. Once they're killed, there is no chance for that.

[siunevada]

Such odds would exist for a pristine sample, but most false results are due to contamination.

I'm not sure what you mean here. False results are producing exonerations?

Doesn't the prosecuting authority make the motion to dismiss charges in most states? I would think they would have to be convinced the evidence is beyond doubt.

[siunevada]

Opposed.

Sure about that?

Catechism of the Catholic Church:

2267 Assuming that the guilty party's identity and responsibility have been fully determined, 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.

[old and tired]

I'm not crazy about the government having the ultimate power over a person, however I wish these idiot bishops would do something we Catholics could actually respect. With abortions rampant, Terri Schiavo being legally forced to starve to death, and homosexuality running deep in their ranks, can't these guys find something better to do with their time?

[cricket]

"By all means, do everything you can to ensure the justice system protects the innocent. But more lives would be saved by reinstituting public hangings than would ever be saved by issuing blanket stays on executions."

Could not agree more with all you say. . .

Like the 'car analogy' also. . .works for me too.

[cricket]

"The odds of a mistake are in the trillions."

Realize the DNA stats; but was thinking more of mistakes in the 'records or recording of; sharing data etc. . .when information is handled; mistakes are made; albeit much less opportunity with DNA info.

That said; I think the DP should never be eliminated; just saved for the extreme and heinous and horrible and unfair and unwarranted and whereby we know. . .beyond any doubt; that this person is guilty. . .ie the perp who murdered the Judge and 'others' in Atlanta. . .the perp who murdered little Jessica. . .

There are plenty of perps; who stand in Court without even the slightest justification; nor doubt offered. . .as to what went down and who is responsible.

We need to save the death penalty, for the best of them. . .

[siunevada]

Groundbreaking Zogby Poll Demonstrates Al Gore is actually President of the United States.

Zogby and the USCCB - just makes you tingly all over, doesn't it?

[BelegStrongbow]

This is akin to just war, you know, also under attack from lefty theologians. But then, logic is what Alice found in Wonderland anymore, along with the English language and Orthodox religion.

BTW, I saw His Eminence on CSPAN a few days ago. The faculty of Georgetown turned out to welcome His Majesty King Abdullah of Jordan. So, the good Cardinal gave the Invocation: he referred to God, to be sure, but in perfectly Unitarian terms, not once even implying that there are three Persons in the Godhead, I suppose thus being most welcome to His Majesty, a Muslim. But then, Georgetown was one of the schools whose academic 'qualifications' for Catholic education was most responsible for Ex corde ecclesia.

In Christ,

Deacon Paul+

[cricket]

"Exoneration is almost unheard of. What they mean is that the death penalty is reversed, almost always due to technicalities, or failure to present cause for doubt."

Well it happens. . .but yes, the legal system is careful as well, in that they never assume a person's 'innocence'; rather make only the determinatin of guilty/not guilty. . .

[cricket]

"But then, Georgetown was one of the schools whose academic 'qualifications' for Catholic education was most responsible for Ex corde ecclesia."

. . .and 'The Exorcist' . . .

[siunevada]

We need to save the death penalty, for the best of them. . .

Ted Bundy is the poster boy. He escaped custody twice. And when he escaped the second time, innocent people died needlessly. His life revolved around killing and he was tough to keep in custody.

[Aliska]

If you're talking about Catholics, the Catholic position is that euthanasia is wrong and the Vatican has spoken out vehemently against the judge-sactioned execution of Terri Schiavo.

Thankfully. I'm glad that the Vatican has done this. I feel like it is a slap in the face to have this in the headlines now when Terri is starving to death.

Why aren't the American bishops launching a campaign to save Terri first?

This does not compute with me.

[Aliska]

I wasn't real keen on eliminating the death penalty for the worst of offenders. Two things hold me in check. One, in California Scott Peterson in on death row, and in my state, a third cousin of my kids served 20 years and got out for almost the exact same thing except the wife he murdered, cut up and threw in the river wasn't pregnant insofar as we know.

Secondly, I could not personally pull the switch, be in a firing squad, trip the blade on the guillotine, give the shot, or participate in it.

So I guess that makes me against the death penalty. If I cannot do it myself, it is wrong to condone others doing the dirty work imo.

I would rather the priority go to saving innocent life rather than those of convicted criminals if push came to shove.

[cricket]

"Ted Bundy is the poster boy. He escaped custody twice. And when he escaped the second time, innocent people died needlessly. His life revolved around killing and he was tough to keep in custody."

There can be no absolute guarantees when the criminal is in prison; and no doubt; not a perfect night's sleep for potential victims; revisited. .

and of course, there is always the threat of 'mudslides. . .tsunami's. . .earthquakes; hurricanes. . .that just might require evacuation and opportunities for the more determined and desperate.

Better safe. . .than sorry. . .

[eastsider]

This is precisely the kind of situation I had in mind when I wrote here about the dilution of apostolic authority to proclaim moral truth concerning intrinsic evils. To me, it looks like the USCCB is trying to rehabilitate its tarnished image by taking a stand on the morally neutral issue of capital punishment because of its Zogby-tested popularity, rather than proclaiming the God-given moral truth, despite its unpopularity, about intrinsically evil matters like euthanasia.

[Salvation]

What about the death peanlty that is being forced on Terri Schiavo???????????

[narses]

The Church now teaches that 2,000 years of teaching regarding this issue were wrong. Interersting.

[walden]

But doesn't it say in the bible that God decreed that the punishment for murder was death, because of the great value He places on human life?

Or, don't Catholics read the bible?