A group of prominent religious leaders in Mississippi recently issued a statement condemning capital punishment and seeking a moratorium.
They were saying that innocent people have been wrongly accused and executed and that most of the criminals sentenced to death have lacked educational and economic opportunities.
Concerning these arguments, Ann Pace, whose own daughter was viciously murdered, observes: "With modern forensic science, (innocent people no longer are executed)."
To be sure, some religious opponents of capital punishment persist in arguing that the executions of sadistic murderers is cruel, barbaric and state-sanctioned murder.
However, if the execution of sadistic murderers like Ted Bundy and John Gacy is state-sanctioned murder, then state imprisonment of rapists, child molesters, drug dealers, burglars and murderers is state-sanctioned kidnapping and state taxation on consumer goods is state-sanctioned theft.
When foes of the death penalty cite "Thou shalt not kill," we must reply that the commandment is more precisely understood as "Thou shalt not murder."
Some killing is morally justified such as killing in self-defense or in a just war.
If the state has the moral right to authorize its citizens to wage a just war, then the state also has the moral right to authorize the executions of vicious, unrepentant murderers.
Haven Bradford Gow
Greenville
http://www.hattiesburgamerican.com/a...ON03/105080323
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