[aspiring.hillbilly]

The difference you describe is hair splitting and equivocating, they are trying to have it both ways so as to offend nobody. This is not the spiritual way to present bedrock beliefs. Contrast this to how the Bible sanctions the death penalty in many passages and without apology or ambiguity; i.e. ..stoned to death. A wavering belief in the hereafter and judgment day is foundation of the anti-death penalty zealots, because they see death as a finality.

Notice the difference?

[Mark in the Old South]

Re: "Notice the difference?"

Sure I do but the next logical question I would have is this:

Does this mean a person who does not believe in the death penalty is outside the Kingdom of God? (and they say Catholics are tough on Dogma) Because if a person can believe in death penalty and get in Heaven and the person who does not believe in the death penalty can get in Heaven, we are right back where I started and you have taken us around our elbow to get to our thumb.