Posted on 02/04/2002 8:48:52 PM PST by Lancey Howard
By GINA HOLLAND
.c The Associated Press
WASHINGTON (AP) - Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia on Monday criticized his church's position against the death penalty, saying that Catholic judges who believe capital punishment is wrong should resign.
The devout Roman Catholic said after giving it ``serious thought'' he could not agree with the church's stand on the issue.
Scalia questioned the church's opposition to the death penalty late last month at a conference on the subject in Chicago. He was asked about it again Monday at Georgetown University, a Catholic school.
The Vatican under Pope John Paul II has been strongly anti-death penalty, and the pope has personally appealed to leaders to commute death sentences. In 1999, he said capital punishment, abortion, euthanasia and assisted suicide are part of a ``culture of death.''
Scalia told Georgetown students that the church has a much longer history of endorsing capital punishment.
``No authority that I know of denies the 2,000-year-old tradition of the church approving capital punishment,'' he said. ``I don't see why there's been a change.''
Scalia, a father of nine, including one priest, attended Georgetown as an undergraduate and later taught there as a visiting professor. He talked about the cultural move away from faith before answering questions from students.
In Chicago on Jan. 25, Scalia said, ``In my view, the choice for the judge who believes the death penalty to be immoral is resignation rather than simply ignoring duly enacted constitutional laws and sabotaging the death penalty.'' His remarks were transcribed by the event sponsor, the Pew Forum.
Scalia said Monday that ``any Catholic jurist (with such concerns) ... would have to resign.''
``You couldn't function as a judge,'' he said.
Some in the crowd applauded when a female student asked Scalia to reconcile his religious beliefs with his capital punishment votes on the court. Scalia, 65, is one of the court's most conservative members and has consistently upheld capital cases.
Freshman Sean Kiernan said later that he was disappointed that Scalia talked about the importance of his religion, then took a stand contradicting the church. ``I don't think it's correct,'' he said.
``He's got a lot of courage and conviction,'' said Stephen Feiler, the student who organized the event to celebrate Jesuit heritage.
I'm assuming that you are joking here. If not do you also think that God is an "agent for the culture of death." There are a LOT of references to death as the proper punishment in the Bible.
Crowns of thorns and side-piercing are simple adornments. If prisoners want to wear them to their executions-- I see no reason why they shouldn't be accommodated. Afterall, they were right with God, and his Son.
I dunno.... can judges sentence babies in the womb to be put to death by abortion?
Whatever, if a Catholic justice or judge thinks abortion is cool, or even acceptable, then he should certainly resign if he is in any position to promote, endorse, or "okay" abortion. On the other hand, a traffic court judge who is Catholic and thinks abortion is a good idea presumably wouldn't have a conflict
Does one call oneself a devout spouse and then critcize one's spouse in public? Should Cardinal Dulles, instead of merely walking out of the room in disgust, have lept up ad grabbed the microphone contiuing the tacky argument further?
I recognize the justice's right to state his side of an argument with a body he claims to have allegiance to in public, and without inviting counter argument in the very same forum.
I didn't see that part. Did Scalia say that the same logic should not apply to beliefs about abortion?
Not joking...not interested in your scriptural references.
I didn't see that part. Did Scalia say that the same logic should not apply to beliefs about abortion?
Well, Scalia didn't say it explicitly. But if (as I am 99.9% sure) Scalia is, and always has been, opposed to abortion, then why didn't he resign when he was an Appeals Court judge?
I never knew Scalia had something against Chuck Hagel.
Well, ignorance is certainly a strong argument, huh? To knock someone for his/her beliefs in the word of God then not care what that word says is very interesting. I think the "Reverend" Jesse uses the same philosophy...
Anyway, here is a transcript of Scalias comments on the death penalty
So, I am curious - - is there any Justice you do like?
Also, do you like Judge Bork?
Regards,
LH
One other thing - - you didn't author the above line, right? I suspect pulled that line from some goofy foreign publication because, again based on your thoughtful previous post, I am sure you did not author that line of drivel.
"He has not contributed in any positive way to any aspect of American life."
LOL !!!!
Talk about "meaningless", hahaha.
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