Thursday, March 17, 2022

Religion & The Death Penalty

Versions began 1997, updated 9/2023

Religion & The Death Penalty
Dudley Sharp, independent researcher, death penalty expert, former opponent, 832-439-2113, CV at bottom
 
Here are over 4000 pro death penalty factual, philosophical, biblical and theological references, which either
 
1) support the death penalty or which
2) refute the factual, biblical and/or theological objections to the death penalty.

NOTEProper Translation and Meaning
 
It is important to look at biblical commentators, regarding any biblical text.
 
This has 8-12 different commentaries, per text. Use them.

Religious
 
For 4,500 years (biblical timeline), the death penalty has had religious support, starting with Genesis 9:5-6. Anti-death penalty teachings did not occur, in major Christian denominations, until the 1950's, with the Roman Catholic Church not joining that chorus until 2018 - 4500 years after Genesis 9:6.
 
Did the bible or basic theology, suddenly change? Of course not, as reviewed, in detail.

US Catholic Dioceses and Archdioces have been receiving versions of these since 1997.
 
Through today and for more than 4500 years, there has been Noahic and Christian New Testament support for the death penalty, from Genesis to Revelation, from Jesus to St. Dismas, from the Holy Ghost (Ananias & Saphirra) to the greatest of Popes, Saints, Doctors and Fathers of the Church, church leadership, biblical and theological scholars, which, in breadth and depth, overwhelms any teachings to the contrary, particularly those wrongly dependent upon The Church not knowing of human dignity, until the 20the century, and upon the secular concerns, such as defense of society and the poor standards of criminal justice systems in protecting the innocent, such as within Evangelium Vitae and the 1997/2018 amendments to the Catechism of the Catholic Church (CCC) 22667, as detailed:

NOTE: Go to the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops website and enter "death penalty" in their search box. Everything which pops up is defeated, within this review, Religion and the Death Penalty. It will take you awhile to research, fact check and vet, everything, but you will be way ahead of the Church, which has chosen to avoid that process, since 1995. 

If you have a specific issue, just let me know.

1)  The Catholic Church & The Death Penalty
12 (14) Factual Errors: 2018 CCC 2267 amendment

2) Saint/Pope John Paul II marks the beginning of the Catholic Church's disastrous anti-death penalty run, 1995 forward, intentionally, avoiding the most basic of reason, research, fact checking and vetting, as detailed, throughout.

Pope John Paul II: His death penalty errors 
 
3)  The Death Penalty: Mercy, Expiation, Redemption & Salvation

4)  Jesus and the Death Penalty

5) Catechism & State Protection:
The Gross Negligence of the Holy See

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insert
“Capital Punishment: What the Bible Says”, Dr. Lloyd R. Bailey, Abingdon Press, 1987. A definitive biblical review of the death penalty.  
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6)  30 Examples:
How Death Penalty Opponents Value Murderers 
More Than Their Innocent Victims

7)  Sister Helen Prejean:
Her Lies, Deceptions and/or Astounding Willful Ignorance? - A Compilation

8) “The Purpose of Punishment (in the Catholic tradition)”, by R. Michael Dunningan, J.D., J.C.L., CHRISTIFIDELIS, Vol.21,No.4, sept 14, 2003 www.st-joseph-foundation.org/newsletter/lead.php?document=2003/21-4   

9) “God’s Justice and Ours” by Antonin Scalia, First Things, 5/2002 

10) See para 13, "Unnatural Lawyering", first, then start at the beginning:

By Man Shall His Blood Be Shed: A Catholic Defense of Capital Punishment

11)  "The Death Penalty”, Chapter XXVI, 187. The death penalty, from the book Iota Unum, by Romano Amerio,  domid.blogspot.com/2007/05/amerio-on-capital-punishment.html titled “Amerio on capital punishment “, May 25, 2007    NOTE: Thoughtful deconstruction of current Roman Catholic teaching on capital punishment by a faithful Catholic Vatican insider. 

12) CATHOLICISM & CAPITAL PUNISHMENT, by Avery Cardinal Dulles, First Things, April 2001, 

13) Pro Life: The Death Penalty

14) “Capital Punishment and Magisterial Authority”
"Fastiggi on Capital Punishment and the Change to the Catechism, 
Part I," Edward Feser, 8/26/2023,
Part 2, 8/30/2023

15) Forgotten Truths: “Is The Church Against Abortion and The Death Penalty”, by Luiz Sergio Solimeo, Crusade Magazine, p14-16, May/June 2007 

16) New Testament Death Penalty Support Overwhelming

17) “Capital Punishment: A Catholic Perspective” at 

18) The Death Penalty: Neither Hatred nor Revenge

19) Does Truth Matter? Sister Prejean, The Church & U of Notre Dame 
 
20) The Legitimacy of Capital Punishment,

21)  Forgiveness and Murder

22) What Did Jesus Teach about Violence and Turning the Other Cheek? 
by: J. Daryl Charles, Timothy J. Demy, Crossway, May 16, 2014,

23)  Catechism & The Death Penalty Problems: Section 2267: 
A Rational Deconstruction of Catholic Revisionism, 1995-2019

24)  Four Catholic Journals Indulge in (anti-death penalty) Doctrinal Solipsism, Steven Long, THOMISTICA, March 5, 2015,

25)  Three questions for Catholic opponents of capital punishment, 
Dr. Edward Feser, Catholic World Report, 9/15/2019,
 
26)  Magisterial Irresponsibility, First Things, 10/18
 
27) Archbishop Chaput: “Both Scripture and long Christian tradition acknowledge the legitimacy of capital punishment . . . " "The Church cannot repudiate (the death penalty) without repudiating her own identity." "Archbishop Chaput clarifies Church’s stance on death penalty", CNA, Catholic News Agency, Oct 18, 2005. Chaput was then archbishop of Denver, now of Philadelphia

28)  BISHOPS HIDE TRUTH FROM THEIR FLOCK: DEATH PENALTY 
 
29)  Catholic Bishops: So Wrong on Death Penalty

30) Moral Hypocrisy: European Union & The US Death Penalty


31) Judaism & the Death Penalty 2: Rabbi Shlomo Brody & Jonathan Silver https://prodpinnc.blogspot.com/2023/08/judaism-death-penalty-2-rabbi-shlomo.html

32)  Religion and the Death Penalty, (aka Rebuttal to Albert Camus)
By Walter Berns,The Weekly Standard, February 04, 2008,

33) “At the Death House Door” Can Rev. Carroll Pickett be trusted?

34)  The Woman Caught in Adultery, the Death Penalty & John 8:2-11

35)   The Death Penalty: Fair and Just
http://prodpinnc.blogspot.com/2013/12/is-death-peanalty-fairjust.html
 
36)  Pre-Constantine Death Penalty Support

37)  Judaism & the Death Penalty


39)  Quakers & The Death Penalty

40) “The Death Penalty”, by Solange Strong Hertz at 
 
41) A Refutation of the ELCA Social Statement on the Death Penalty

42)  Is There a Biblical Requirement for Two Eyewitnesses for Criminal Prosecution? 
 
43)  The Death Penalty: Justice & Saving More Innocents
 
44)  The Death Row "Exonerated"/"Innocent" Frauds 
 71-83% Error Rate in Death Row "Innocent" Claims, Well Known Since 2000 

 
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600+ pro death penalty quotes from murder victim's families &
3300+ from some of the greatest thinkers in history
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Additional research, w/sources, w/fact checking/vetting & critical thinking, as required of everyone.  
 
1) The Death Penalty: Justice & Saving More Innocents
and
Students, Academics & Journalists: Death Penalty Research
(7 pro-death penalty experts are included)
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Partial CV

Maybe future edits, below
 
“Catholic and other Christian References: Support for the Death Penalty”, at 
 
“MOST CATHOLICS OPPOSE CAPITAL PUNISHMENT?”, KARL KEATING’S E-LETTER, Catholic Answers, March 2, 2004  
 
“THOUGHTS ON THE BISHOPS’ MEETING: NOWADAYS, VOTERS IGNORE BISHOPS” , KARL KEATING’S E-LETTER, Catholic Answers,, Nov. 22, 2005 www.catholic.com/newsletters/kke_051122.asp