-
Welcome to Religious Forums, a friendly forum to discuss all religions in a friendly surrounding.
Your voice is missing! You will need to register to get access to the following site features:- Reply to discussions and create your own threads.
- Our modern chat room. No add-ons or extensions required, just login and start chatting!
- Access to private conversations with other members.
We hope to see you as a part of our community soon!
Pope Francis says death penalty not aligned with the Gospel.
- Thread starter Jonathan Bailey
- Start date
susanblange
Active Member
Spiritual death is the second death. Everyone's soul/body will die. It is permanent and there is no resurrection. Upon death, the spirit separates from the body. In most cases, it will go to Heaven or Hell. The death of the spirit can also be instant. If your spirit goes to Hell, eventually it will be extinguished and you will cease to exist. Hell is not forever. If your spirit goes to Heaven, you will live forever and participate in the "resurrection" with God Zechariah 14:5.
BSM1
What? Me worry?
Sooo...what's the down side if you're going to "cease to exist" anyway?
Jonathan Bailey
Well-Known Member
You will not be able to hear the angels sing if you die in spirit. I would not like to live forever in spirit in a lake of fire. That must hurt quite a lot.
BSM1
What? Me worry?
But if you cease to exist what possible difference would it make?
susanblange
Active Member
Hell is not physical torture, it is mental terror. You also cannot be reincarnated from Hell. The death of the spirit is also permanent. When you "cease to exist", it's as if you were never born. God gets nothing out of sending someone to Hell. He prefers that you do righteousness and live.
BSM1
What? Me worry?
Not to belabor the point, but, again, if you were never born (never existed) what possible difference can it make?
susanblange
Active Member
I don't know how to answer your question. Heaven is priceless, it's also a free gift. Most of earth's inhabitants will be cut off in the three judgments by fire. At the end, there will be about 100 million people who will survive to witness the resurrection. Daniel 7:10.
sojourner
Annoyingly Progressive Since 2006
Are you even aware of what papal infallibility is, and how many times it has been invoked?
iam1me
Active Member
It would clearly be wrong to state the Death Penalty is strictly against scripture - seeings as at times the scriptures themselves call for the death penalty (such as the future Final Judgement, the Second Death).
That said, it is certainly in the Spirit of the scriptures to error on the side of mercy & forgiveness rather than to error on the side of judgement.
James 2:12-13 Speak and act as those who are going to be judged by the law that gives freedom, 13 because judgment without mercy will be shown to anyone who has not been merciful. Mercy triumphs over judgment.
That said, it is certainly in the Spirit of the scriptures to error on the side of mercy & forgiveness rather than to error on the side of judgement.
James 2:12-13 Speak and act as those who are going to be judged by the law that gives freedom, 13 because judgment without mercy will be shown to anyone who has not been merciful. Mercy triumphs over judgment.
Bob the Unbeliever
Well-Known Member
So. It's a Celestial North Korea, or the throat of an active volcano?
Wow... Whichever beast set that up is something of an <expletive>
In either case, it's Extortion.
Bob the Unbeliever
Well-Known Member
Considering that there were billions upon billions of humans alive throughout history?
That is a FAIL of EPIC proportions. Seriously. What sort of inept monster would be that stupid?
Bob the Unbeliever
Well-Known Member
It is seldom, these days, that I agree with an institution that systematically covered up it's most heinous sins, deliberately sacrificing children to save it's own reputation.
But in this case? I have to agree: The Death Penalty is incompatible with the Example Jesus gave.
The most obvious one, of course, is the sinning woman who was dragged before Jesus, and the now famous "Let he who has never sinned cast the first stone". And as we all remember, the woman was set free-- instead of brutally killed as the bible's laws demanded.
It would appear, that Jesus was something of a Situational Ethicist, and not a Strict Law And Order Or Else sort of guy.
So yeah-- even within christian theology, really, the Death Penalty cannot be supported, unless you ignore the example Jesus gave.
My personal objection? Is that there is no Do Over: Once you kill someone? Game Over. End of Story. Finis. Finito. No Undo.
And no Justice System that utilizes humans? Is even 90% accurate... you can let a poor schlob out of jail, who was wrongfully incarcerated.
What if you've killed him? Dig up his grave and apologize to his corpse?
The Death Penalty is Unethical on a very fundamental level.
I don't really see how he squares his position with past Church teaching, and it's a bit hypocritical for a "head of state" to condemn the death penalty without acknowledging the many executions carried out by his own "government," but I'm personally more concerned with kindness than consistency, so I think this is a positive step.
Whether so-called "pro-life" Catholics will pay heed, I don't know. Repealing the death penalty doesn't involve victimizing vulnerable people, so I suspect they won't be interested.
Cooky
Veteran Member
Ideally, the only time the death penalty should be used is when there is no way to ensure a murderer will not be able to kill other inmates.
Cooky
Veteran Member
Your distaste for all Catholics is duly noted.
Not all Catholics are morally corrupt enough to consider themselves "pro-life."
leov
Well-Known Member
death penalty is not consistent with NT. Pope is correct.
Sand Dancer
Currently catless
Jesus refuted eye for an eye.
Sand Dancer
Currently catless
Yahweh, yes. Jesus, no.