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Originally Posted by tooblue
Justice is universal ... we can no more escape justice in society than we can escape eternal justice throughout our existence.
The death penalty is not about revenge it is a consequence. Society is commanded of God to met out punishment as a consequence for actions detrimental to the societal body as a whole. If one Murders with malicious intent he or she forfeits the right to his or her own life as a consequence. Such justice should not be misconstrued as a determent but nothing more than a consequence.
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Who determines what is justice? If I steal a loaf of bread in some countries my had will be cut off? Is that justice? In some countries justice requires that adulterers be executed; is that justice?
The notion of justice may be universal, but the determination of what constitutes justice is far from universal. The severity or leniency of any punishment is determined by man and usually drawn from religious and cultural customs.
No one argues that there should not be a consequence for murder. Our society has decided that that consequence is either life in prison or execution, depending on the state in which you live. The severity of any consequence is determined by what people in a society decide is appropriate. It has nothing to do with fulfilling some sort of eternal cosmic duty.
So when you say, "If one Murders with malicious intent he or she forfeits the right to his or her own life as a consequence" I would respond by asking, "Says who?" It is certainly not a natural consequence. It is only a consequence because some people say it is.
Ultimately the issue of capital punishment comes down to public policy. What do we want to do to people who kill other people? The only natural consequence of murder is what people determine that consequence should be.