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DeathPenalty
Ok, H. , I'll be brief. The first thing I'd like to say concerning the death penalty is that it is not necessary. In War, or in a situation where you are defending life, it may be necessary to kill, but in a situation where a person is convicted of a crime, there are other, better alternatives. To say "you did wrong, and therefore we are going to kill you", is to adhere to the Old Testament "Eye for an Eye". Now, in some primitive cultures where there is no alternative, "eye for an eye" may be the only way they can deal with the situation, but a more advanced (i.e.. Christian) culture should be able to deal with and correct "error" in a more merciful manner and still uphold the rule of law. After all isn't that what Jesus came he to do? To bring us all to God via the path of forgiveness ("and forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us...") The bottom line is this: To look at your brother (poor, deluded, or error ridden as
he/she may be) and say "Christ does not dwell here - you deserve to die" - is (in my
opinion) to crucify Jesus all over again. A better solution would be to remove them
from society and place them into a discipline where they can come to know the Lord and
be saved (even if it takes their whole life). Whether or not they would be let out
sometime in the future would depend upon whether or not they had truly transformed
their lives in accordance with God. For those heinous crimes where we don't know
if they would ever be cured, then they can serve God the rest of their life by ministering to
others behind bars. Of course the root problem as to why the above solution is currently untenable is because the PEOPLE DO NOT WANT TO FORGIVE. They instead demand blood (what they call Justice, but really isn't). What most people don't realize is that this very same attitude of judging and condemning is what perpetuates crime in the first place. And so as society doles it out, it gets doled back to them. Yes, our very attitude about Justice is what brings that Justice back upon us so that we (as a society) are paying for our lack of compassion. The root problem is that the average person does not care about those less fortunate, or less beautiful, or less educated, or less anything. They just want the problem to "go away", but it won't go away. So when society says to a poor child, "we don't care if you live or die, just go away" he/she grows up twisted, angry and alienated. So when they break the law of a society who never have a damn about them, and who would kill them with their self-centered indifference, is it any wonder that they in their deluded suffering cross the line and "give back" to society the same self-centered indifference (to life)? The only way to break this continuous cycle of death is via the path of compassion and forgiveness. Here then, justice will be tempered with mercy, and the errors will not be allowed to multiply, but will be corrected in the only way that will ultimately work which is via "loving discipline". Yes, Forgiving is hard, but it's the only solution. That's my $0.02 on the subject. jc ===================================================== Ch., The situation is: What do we do with a person who has committed an act of of violence? This question cuts to the heart of our current criminal justice system. The current emphasis of our criminal justice system is punitive. It seeks to punish a person for X numbers of years, then it lets them out. We as a society are now reaping the results of this policy - more violence. Is the answer more punishment, longer prison terms, or even more capital punishment? As I look at a picture of the Tree of Life, I can see three Tarot keys that balance between Severity and Mercy. K8: Strength (between Severity and Mercy) A violent criminal should be removed from society until such a time as they've learned their lessons, tamed their Red Lion, and are no longer a threat to society. If they don't wish to learn in this lifetime, then in prison they should remain for this lifetime. What are the lessons? Look at the Tarot keys. They are the same lessons we are learning. Prison should be a more restricted environment where an errant individual can learn his/her lessons and raise their vibration to a point where they can once again join society and continue learning just like the rest of us. Prison should not just be a place where you do your time and get out. If someone doesn't want to change, then in prison they should stay. But we must also provide the inmate with a path up and therefore out. Like the merciful Hermit, we must shine a light for him/her to follow if they choose. For those who are more stubborn, an Ox-Goad curriculum should be devised where the individual can work out their Karma on the level that matches their own vibration. Of course, as a practical matter, the problem becomes: How do we accurately measure a person's level of spiritual development in all its aspects? Our inability to measure this is the reason we mustn't judge others. We can't possibly know everything about their personality, spiritual level, and lessons that their Holy Guardian Angel has in store for them. So determining when and if someone has actually changed, and therefore to let them out would be tricky. Prisons : Where we keep Wild Red Lions in check and away from the flock until the Lion has been tamed.
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