 | And on a more serious note...
The Catholic Dilemma of the Death Penalty
It's a percieved fact by many that the Catholic Church in America has psuedo-schismatic bishops; "it's only a sin if you think it's a sin" spouting priests and nuns; and an ever growing percentage of laity that are clamoring for democracy vice theocracy in The Church. Well... these are times that can be somewhat confusing for Traditional/Orthodox Catholics. Now I am to understand that the latest and greatest threat to my Immortal Soul may come down as to whether or not I happen to be a proponent of the Death Penalty as utilized by proper public authority and only in extreme cases.
You know, I recently had a nun state that I had a "bloodthirsty attitude" because I have the bad manners to adhere to The Churches teaching on the Death Penalty. Needless to say, the conversation deteriorated rather quickly. It eventually boiled down to me asking the good Sister one simple, basic question; "Do I have the Stain of Sin on my soul if I believe in the Death Penalty as The Church defines such?". This may be presumptuous of me, but I kind of hoped that Religious of the Roman Catholic Church would be able to answer me, but what New Age retort did I get? "Only YOU know what a sin is in your heart". Gee... Moses was given "The Ten Suggestions"? Jesus preached "The Recommendations on The Mount"? What's a former Altar Boy to do? How many other fellow Catholics are being brainwashed by the Dark Forces of Modernism?
The Catholic Church has had, and continues to maintain the right and duty of legitimate government to execute, if need be, those individuals who have utilized their God given free will to commit any heinous capital offence. Examples include such stellar performers as Ted Bundy, John Wayne Gacy, Gary Gilmore. And lets not forget those found guilty at the Nuremberg Trials and The Tokyo Tribunals for such minor oversights in judgement like the Treblinka Death Camp, or the Bataan Death March. I feel safe to say that if anyone deserved the Hangmans Noose... they certainly did.
Lets take a look at what The Bible says about all this. The 5th Commandment says "Thou Shalt Not Kill". Pretty straightforward, huh? We must keep in mind that The Bible runs the gamut from Hebrew; Aramaic; Greek; Latin; to the various modern languages. More than just a few Biblical scholars have said that the word "Kill" in the specific sense of the word means "Murder". And while I'm on The Book of Exodus, take a gander at 23:7. "Do not slay the innocent nor the righteous". Time for a common sense check. Does that not imply that there are those that DO deserve to be slain? Sure it does.
Even the New Testament is replete with examples. St Paul tells us in Romans 13: 4 "But if you do evil, be afraid, for it (authority) does not bear the sword without purpose; it is the servant of God, to inflict wrath on the evildoer".Even in The Gospel of St Luke, when Jesus was being crucified, the Bad Thief mocked Jesus to have Angels rescue them. But the Good Theif, St Dismas, rebuked him by saying "We have been condemned justly, for our sentence corresponds with our crimes, but this Man has done nothing wrong". Did Jesus at any time refute Dismas? Nope, in fact, Christs silence was deafening on the question of the correctness of Dismas's execution.
Now we all know that Christ told us to turn the other cheek; to carry our enemy's pack an extra mile, etc. But how can anyone with an iota of common sense believe that Christ meant for us to totally and never endingly submissive in the face of evil? No... in the Name of Christian Charity, we are expected to defend ourselves, our families, and our society.
Granted, any given meaning of any given passage of Sacred Scripture can be interpreted by any given individual. That's why we Catholics have The Magesterium, Our Teaching Authority. The Catechism of the Catholic Church, paragraph #2266 specifically states that "The Church has acknowledged well-founded the right and duty of legitimate public authority to punish malefactors by means of penalties commensurate with the gravity of the crime, not excluding, in cases of extreme gravity, the death penalty". That pretty much ends the discussion, huh? Well, my more liberal friends in The Church always seem to point to #2267 which states "If bloodless means are sufficient to defend human lives against an aggressor and to protect public order, and the saftey of persons, public authority should limit itself to such means...".
I agree wholeheartedly with 2267. But just what IF bloodless means are not sufficient? How do we deal with the like of Elmo Patrick Sonnier, who vowed to kill again and again and again? Or Henry Lee Lucas, who bragged of killing over 264 people? Hey, that's 23 more innocent people killed by him than all of the Marines killed in the Beirut Bombing. What do we say to the parents of 12 year old Polly Klaas? That the legally released felon that kidnapped, raped, sodomized, and eventually sexually tortured their little girl to death really wasn't that great an aggresor to the public order?
Unfortunantly, those that maintain that the justifiable taking of the life of a capital offender, as a last resort and only in extreme cases, is somehow inconsistent with the teachings of Jesus, and incompatable with being a loyal Catholic... well, those folks are sailing into dangerous shoals. We all have God given free will. And with that free will comes the demand that we be held accountable for our actions. If I choose to commit the ultimate evil here on earth, I better be ready to pay the ultimate price here on earth.
I will agree that there are inconsistencies and prejudice within our legal system. But because of a minority of abuses, doesn't is just make plain old good sense to just correct the problems, and not allow the scales of justice to be tilted all the way to the extreme notion that there are no crimes against humanity that are deserving of the ultimate punishment? It's just like with our own children. When we punish then, do we still love them and forgive them? Sure. But will we still give them the punishment that they deserve? Sure. If someone were to murder a member of my family, am I expected to forgive them.... even love them? Sure. And as they are being strapped to the table, I hope I can say to him " I forgive you and I love you... and you are about to recieve the punishment that you deserve".
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And here's a little something I sent to the local "Faith Community Worship Center" when they sent me a survey that was SOOOOO theologically left-leaning, it would even make a Unitarian blush
6 June, 2005
Father XXXXXX,
I have no desire nor will I ever waste my time with any of your silly surveys. I still have the Yellow Pages ad where the parish is listed as our local "Liberal Catholic Church". And "liberal" you most certainly are. There is a word for "liberal" Catholics. They're called heretics.
Currently at Immaculate Deception, one will find that horizontal worship vice vertical worship is the norm of the day; insipid sermons where worship of Man is the main theme; a so-called church that has all the sense of reverence and respect as an auto parts warehouse. You call your parish a "Christ centered church", but where exactly is Christ? Hidden away... now I think I know how St. Mary Magdelene felt when she said "They have taken away my Lord, and I know not where they have laid Him" (Jn.10:13)
Please know that I will never give one penny of my hard earned pay to the New-Age inspired, "Cult of Me", sodomite-friendly shrine you facilitate over, or preside over, or whatever liberal-speak verbiage you use at Immaculate Deception present day. You and your ilk would certainly make martin luther look up from hell and smile.
When you decide to start conducting yourself like a Catholic priest, please notify me. In the meantime, take me off the rolls of your neo-pagan self-worshipping "Faith Community".
I pray for your conversion to Catholicism,
X.X. XXXXXXX
MSgt USMC (ret)
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