Spirituality and Capital Punishment

Hello all,

I have a philosophical question that I would like to explore. Yesterday evening a Mexican national on death row in Texas was put to death, and it really started to raise questions in my mind.

As a spiritual individual I believe that acts of aggression hurts everyone physically and spiritually and this includes the recipient of the aggression, as well as the aggressor. As such, aggression is something that should be of last resort; however, I am at a cross roads when it comes to capital punishment.

What do you feel? Is capital punishment (death penalty) a just punishment for an individual that took the soul of another? If yes, why? If no, why not AND what would the better option be?

With Love,
Spirit Monk

[psychoslice]

Spiritually no one ever dies anyway, if we have a case of a dog killing someone we then put that dog down, the dog is as much an animal as we are, so if we can put a dog down, then why not a human ?.

"We kill the people who kill the people who we tell not to kill people"

[psychoslice]

Originally Posted by Stellar_Steve

"We kill the people who kill the people who we tell not to kill people"

Then we shouldn't be black and white about it, we need to have those grey ares for such things as capital punishment.

Originally Posted by psychoslice

Then we shouldn't be black and white about it, we need to have those grey ares for such things as capital punishment.

Yes, perhaps. I'm against it, myself but I can certainly see the argument for it and respect it. I just think it will be one of those polarizing issues that people will never agree upon.

Originally Posted by Stellar_Steve

Yes, perhaps. I'm against it, myself but I can certainly see the argument for it and respect it. I just think it will be one of those polarizing issues that people will never agree upon.

And here is where my conflict comes out - I understand that the killing of a life, any life, will have a karmic impact; however, I also understand the concept of just punishment.

I'm do not think it is the "right" thing, per se, but my spiritual understanding of life doesn't conflict with the executing an individual who found to be guilty and there is no question of that guilt.

Stellar_Steve, as you are against it, what alternatives do you see? Life in prison?

With Love,
Spirit Monk

Originally Posted by psychoslice

Spiritually no one ever dies anyway, if we have a case of a dog killing someone we then put that dog down, the dog is as much an animal as we are, so if we can put a dog down, then why not a human ?.

I would ask the question a bit, psychoslice: why do we feel the need to take any life, human or dog?

I guess what I'm struggling with is the impact to the soul of the person on death row and the potential impact to the soul of the person "flipping the switch".

With Love,
Spirit Monk

Originally Posted by spiritmonk

And here is where my conflict comes out - I understand that the killing of a life, any life, will have a karmic impact; however, I also understand the concept of just punishment.

I'm do not think it is the "right" thing, per se, but my spiritual understanding of life doesn't conflict with the executing an individual who found to be guilty and there is no question of that guilt.

Stellar_Steve, as you are against it, what alternatives do you see? Life in prison?

With Love,
Spirit Monk

Life in prison makes more sense to me, yes. Death seems like giving a way out, especially since it is done in such a humane way nowadays. I would want someone who had committed a terrible crime to be put in a cell with no hope of ever being free. I would also wish for them some kind of redemption before they die. I may sound naive but I don't believe anyone to be too far gone for redemption no matter what they have done.

Originally Posted by Stellar_Steve

Life in prison makes more sense to me, yes. Death seems like giving a way out, especially since it is done in such a humane way nowadays. I would want someone who had committed a terrible crime to be put in a cell with no hope of ever being free. I would also wish for them some kind of redemption before they die. I may sound naive but I don't believe anyone to be too far gone for redemption no matter what they have done.

I'm starting to think that life in prison is the "better" option in terms as well. I also agree, the option for redemption is something that would be available to all if they so chose.

[psychoslice]

Originally Posted by spiritmonk

I would ask the question a bit, psychoslice: why do we feel the need to take any life, human or dog?

I guess what I'm struggling with is the impact to the soul of the person on death row and the potential impact to the soul of the person "flipping the switch".

With Love,
Spirit Monk

Well I don't think there is a soul, and the one who flips the switch should of course be someone who can do the job without guilt, but either way it doesn't bother me, as i said before, no one dies.