Reason # 5698 That I Favor Capital Punishment: Life In Prison? Yeah, Right!
From CNN.com:
Germany Frees Killer of U.S. DiverMy Comments:
BERLIN, Germany (CNN) - A Hezbollah militant sentenced to life in Germany for murdering a U.S. Navy diver during the 1985 hijacking of a U.S. jetliner has been freed, officials said.
The German government denied on Tuesday the release was related to the freeing of a German hostage in Iraq.
Mohammed Ali Hamadi was released Thursday and allowed to return to his native Lebanon on the next day, after qualifying for parole after 19 years in prison, said Ulrich Hermanski, spokesman for the North Rhine Wesphalia state justice ministry.
"There was no special treatment," Hermanski said in a telephone interview.
(emphasis added)
Uh-huh, yeah right. No special treatment whatsoever. And just to refresh your memories as to why this excrement was serving a "life sentence":
Just 10 minutes after TWA Flight 847 took off from Athens on June 14, 1985, two men with guns stormed the cockpit. The pilot radioed that one had explosives, saying, “He has pulled a hand grenade pin, and he is ready to blow up the aircraft if he has to. We must, I repeat, we must land at Beirut.”This scumbag was never brought to justice in an American courtroom. I'm just hoping for a little "extra-judicial" justice to be served up by some of America's finest.
After brutally attacking several of those on board, the hijackers — Hezbollah terrorists — discovered that one passenger was enlisted in the U.S. Navy: Robert Dean Stethem, 23, a steelworker and diver.
Stethem, too, was severely beaten [ED: other reports say he was "tortured"], then shot and killed — his body shoved out of the plane to the tarmac below.
In memory of Petty Officer Robert Dean Stethem.
posted by Pro Ecclesia 10:41 AM
4 comments
4 Comments:
I'm a little confused. I'm converting to Catholicism right now, and learning all the dogma, etc. Prior to starting RCIA classes, I was adamantly pro-capital punishment. Now, it's not a clear line at all for me. But mostly, the gray areas are in situations where children are killed. Nonetheless, isn't it Church doctrine that life is protected in all cases? pro-life, anti-euthanasia, anti-war, and anti-death penalty?
I'm sincerely NOT attacking this post...rather truly wondering how other Catholics reconcile individual beliefs with the teachings of the Church.
Can you help with this?
Kelli,
The issue of capital punishment is definitely a tough one for me, especially when it comes to terrorists and sexual predators who rape and kill children.
I have become more and more ambivalent about the death penalty over the years, so that I'm no longer really an advocate for capital punishment. But neither am I strongly opposed to it like I am when it comes to abortion and euthanasia.
The Church allows for some prudential judgment when it comes to capital punishment. By contrast, abortion and euthanasia are intrinsically evil, and the Church requires opposition to these measures in all their forms.
See my post here (and follow the link within that post) for more information on what the Church teaches regarding capital punishment.
Kelli I personally am against capital punishment in about 99% of situtions. I used to support it and I got away from it thanks to the teachings (though they were not binding) of JP II on the subject. Also all religion aside it hasn't been proven to reduce crime and it is actually more expensive than giving somone life in prison.
The biggest problem with opposing capital punishment is that some "Catholics" use that as a stand-in and think it cancels out the fact that they support abortion. Never mind that there are more abortions in a day then executions in a year. Beward of people trying to use this as a cop out.
I hope you are enjoying RCIA, I've been Catholic since day one but I know that converts often make the best Catholics!
Thank you so much for your information. The way that both of you explained it makes so much sense. I appreciate your insight. And yes, I am really enjoying my RCIA classes...I have a wonderful sponsor and a great group.
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