Rough Draft: Death?

Some medicine I took has made me a bit too drowsy to write a post tonight. Instead, I’ll show another few paragraphs of an essay I’m working on.

Continued from: Rough Draft: Death?

However, I have heard counterarguments. The worst, I find, are the religious, at least as they come from my own religion, Christianity. I might understand it if a Buddhist, or even more, if a Jain were to stand against the death penalty based off of their teachings, but as one who has read the Bible, I find myself either infuriated or bemused when I hear other Christians explain that it is Christianity which is against capital punishment. However, I rarely hear them discuss what must be their best argument. They talk of Jesus, and how loving he was, and how he would never, ever, ever kill anyone. I have yet to hear them bring up what might be their best ensample, that Christ was unjustly put to death. I think, however, that these Christians are the type of Christians that do not actually believe in Jesus, nor care to learn what he really preached. They much prefer their imagined Jesus which stands for just about anything they want at whatever moment they need.

Very well, what do Christians against the death penalty say? Most often, they turn to the Sermon on the Mount and rend from it a strict pacifism. I do not think this interpretation is correct, but books could be written on the subject. One point, then another, I’ll make. There is a time for everything: Jesus’ first coming was one of humility; The awaited second coming is said to be far more warlike. Indeed, one parable concludes, “slay them before me.” Furthermore, it is interpretation which moves from “turn the other cheek” to the principle that one should never defend oneself. It is, perhaps, ingrained in our culture to make that connection, it may be the right conclusion, but it is not what is literally written. In either case, it is a completely new step to move from a personal willingness to trust the defense of one’s life to God and to then move onto the idea that a state has no right to oppose a killer. And one more thing: Most of these Christians against the death penalty are completely fine with imprisoning the murderer for some term. How is that then turning the other cheek? If turning the other cheek means that we cannot kill a murderer, how can it then not also mean that we cannot stand against a murderer in any way? How could imprisoning someone be turning the other cheek to him? That last point, for all I know, someone truly holds. I think certain sects of Christianity might preach it.