CAPITAL PUNISHMENT

JOURNAL QUESTION: What do you know about the existing practice of Capital Punishment in our country? How often do we execute someone? Which state(s) do it the most? What methods are used? Etc. http://www.deathpenaltyinfo.org/documents/FactSheet.pdf

WHAT IS THE POINT OF PUNISHMENT? (Quiz on these three Friday) REHABILITATION The punishment will bring about a change in the offender. DETERRENCE The punishment will encourage others NOT TO commit the same crime. RETRIBUTION Order is restored by giving the criminal “what he deserves.”

Evolution of Church’s Teaching In the Old Testament certain crimes warranted the death penalty. These were: blasphemy, sorcery, murder and adultery. See John 8:3-6. Thomas Aquinas taught that for the sake of the common good, you can kill someone by capital punishment. But recently, the Church, especially in the United States, has condemned capital punishment.

Why has it changed? The constant, common truth that the Church has always held onto about capital punishment is: It is only acceptable “if this is the only possible way of effectively defending human lives against the unjust aggressor” (CCC #2267). However…these situations are “practically non-existent” today.

FOUR REASONS AGAINST IT… It violates the respect for life and human dignity Killing a criminal in “our” name diminishes all of us The use of the death penalty in our country is deeply flawed & full of mistakes We have other ways to punish criminals

A Culture of Life and a Penalty of Death The USCCB make it clear that all Catholics should be against Capital Punishment. “It is time to turn away from a deeply flawed system of state-sponsored executions to a way of protecting society and holding accountable the truly guilty in a way that reflects our society’s best values.” (Section V) (November, 2005)

Into The Abyss

Into The Abyss In his fascinating exploration of a triple homicide case in Conroe, Texas, master filmmaker Werner Herzog (Cave of Forgotten Dreams, Grizzly Man) probes the human psyche to explore why people kill—and why a state kills. In intimate conversations with those involved, including 28-year-old death row inmate Michael Perry (scheduled to die within eight days of appearing on-screen), Herzog achieves what he describes as “a gaze into the abyss of the human soul.” Herzog’s inquiries also extend to the families of the victims and perpetrators as well as a state executioner and pastor who’ve been with death row prisoners as they’ve taken their final breaths. As he’s so often done before, Herzog’s investigation unveils layers of humanity, making an enlightening trip out of ominous territory.

Assignment We have looked at the issue of abortion and the death penalty through the lens the “culture of life” and the right to life. For this assignment I would like you to answer a very simple question (in at least 5 paragraphs): Why do people (individuals, groups, the state, etc) kill?