Many conservatives use the death penalty as some sort of barometer for haw tough a politician may be on the issue of violent crime involving murder. First off, let us examine the issue in depth. Ask your self a few questions. Has the death penalty reduced the amount of murders in the U.S.? Has the death penalty created a guaranteed way out or years or a lifetime of imprisonment? The argument could be made that the death penalty creates a fulfillment of suicidal wishes of those convicted of murder. Is the death penalty a gift to those who face the possibility of life in prison? I would ask you, is it more of a penalty to live out the rest of your life with the guilt and confinement that are associated with a murder conviction? I would argue that the death penalty is a vacation provided for by the state from a convicts mental anguish for heinous immoral acts. If conservatives are all about harsh punishment you would think they would be against the death penalty and for the murderer to be sentenced to a lifetime of watching the view, or reruns of concentration camp pictures and video 23 hours a day. Is death an escape from the thought and regret of taking another human life? Do many convicts wish for death instead of life in prison away from freedom and their family? I would say the death penalty is a vacation from their anguish of their actions. The death penalty in my opinion, only serves the wish or revenge for the family and friends of the victim. Many do not realize the other issue the death penalty creates. The fact is the concept is held within the Bible. The government mandating and paying for the death penalty is a direct support for religion. The Death penalty is government sponsorship of Biblical Law. This is a direct violation of the constitutional prohibition or state promotion of religion. The Biblical verses that order the death penalty for murder are: Numbers: 35:16-21/21:12-14. What is more disturbing is that even Christ in 1st John 3:15 and Matthew 5:21 would treat everybody who hates their brother (fellow mankind) is a murderer and should be treated the same in court. This is Jesus prescribing capitol punishment by the court for just hateful thoughts. Now hate is not a virtuous thought. But is it worthy of death? No, yet even Christ would let people who hate be put to death by sentence of a court. That’s love? I do not think so. This is why we must revisit the issue of the legality of the death sentence. Not under cruel and unusual punishment standards, instead it should be reviewed for reasons of promotion of religion by the state.

...but it IS an outdated, barbaric, irreversible and unnecessary method of punishment that should have remained on the unConstitutional list where the Supreme Court put it with 1972's Furman v. Georgia decision. If only Brennan and Marshall's opinion, that the death penalty ITSELF was unConstutitional, had been the final decision...

JohnDavidPrince:

Is death an escape from the thought and regret of taking another human life? Do many convicts wish for death instead of life in prison away from freedom and their family? I would say the death penalty is a vacation from their anguish of their actions.

I would hazard a guess that you overstate the remorsefulness of those on death row. Are you suggesting that life imprisonment should be preferred because it is more cruel?

JohnDavidPrince:

. . . The government mandating and paying for the death penalty is a direct support for religion. The Death penalty is government sponsorship of Biblical Law.

Use of death penalty = sponsorship of biblical law. Use of death penalty = almost every civilization that ever was. Therefore, by the transitive property, almost every civilization that ever was supported biblical law. Those sneaky Jews were everywhere!

JohnDavidPrince:

What is more disturbing is that even Christ in 1st John 3:15 and Matthew 5:21 would treat everybody who hates their brother (fellow mankind) is a murderer and should be treated the same in court. This is Jesus prescribing capitol punishment by the court for just hateful thoughts. . . That’s love?

Your understanding of theology is on par with your grasp of history. I don't even know where to begin. Jesus' point was that, not only should your actions be pure, but so should your heart. You had to have flunked Sunday school.

JohnDavidPrince:

. . . This is why we must revisit the issue of the legality of the death sentence. Not under cruel and unusual punishment standards, instead it should be reviewed for reasons of promotion of religion by the state.

Those crazy theocrats trying to impose their morality on us! Lying, stealing, murder, rape: all condemned in the Bible! We need to challenge these laws that attempt to legislate morality.

Oops. I think I just realized you were being sarcastic all along. My bad.