Wednesday, April 25, 2012

Catholics and Vatican Forces In State Affairs Again - Death Penalty Abolished In Connecticut

Lisa Miller , of all people , gives some recognition  to "powerful" Catholic forces some not even Americans that played a role in the Death Penalty being abolished in Connecticut. See Catholic activists pushing politicians to turn tide against the death penalty

A nice piece that I will forgive this little snark inserted in the piece: " Powerful, vocal Roman Catholics have been much in the news of late, mostly for their hard-line positions on abortion and birth control, and their self-serving rhetoric on the subject of religious rights in the health-care debate"

I can't help but notice the Church should get out of politics , beware of foreign Potentates ( the Vatican) , take away their tax exemption, violation of Church and State crowd   have been silent on this today.

Which leads to the obvious conclusion that some Speech and actions in the public square are "good" (Execution , the Poor, The Onzone layer , increasing social programs)  while others is "bad " ( gay marriage , abortion, any thing that is the distant cousin of sex , medical ethics ) and should be prohibited.

Which is one reason I am glad we don't make these choice on CONTENT of speech we like or don't like.

I am not that pro State Execution except for certain cases ( Terrorist, Treason in time of War, etc) so I am glad to see this happen. It also is good that this happened at a legislative level and not by dubious Judicial Fiat.

3 comments:

bill bannon said...

Inmates and guards now in Connecticut are in more danger from being murdered by lifers because inter prison murders are now a free kill with no punishment possible except solitary which is temporary for financial reasons.
Fr. Geoghan and Jeffrey Dahmer were both killed by lifers in non death penalty states. Will the Church keep track of murdered inmates like them following on her influence? Did she keep track of mafia infiltration of labor unions? Vatican II stated that the Church " follows the path of repentance" which as theologian Fr. Karl Rahner pointed out means the Church sins in some real sense....e.g. the burning of heretics mandated by Pope Innocent IV in 1253 ( see " Inquisition" newadvent encyclopedia).... and the permission to enslave in Romanus Pontifex by Pope Nicholas V (see mid 4 th large paragraph).
You are seeing little girls yearly being raped and strangled to death in the US. A life sentence of part time work, three meals a day, full medical coverage, and probably decades of additional sins of solitary sex...does not amount to retributive justice for child rape and murder nor does it lean matters toward salvation as much as imminent death would...ie the good thief.

James H said...

Let me say I am very open to that argument you make espcially as to Prisons. An argument that you rightly say is too much overlooked.

One thing about inmates on Death Row is they are in a very controlled environment and segregated for obvious reasons.

Lifers as you point out not so much. So you do have a much more mixing of the general population and more victims sadly.

bill bannon said...

For me the new position is as much error as the opposite papal support for burning heretics which began in 1253 A.D. under Pope Innocent IV ( see Inquisition, Blotzer,J... newadvent's encyclopedia) and was reaffirmed by Pope Leo X in Exsurge Domine 1520...art.33 condemned as against Catholic Tradition and Doctrine...ie Luther opposing burning as against the Holy Spirit. That was a harsh error that lasted 600 years. This is a soft error in Catholic men which will last centuries thanks to the final paragraph of the Profession of Faith which prolongs mistakes in the ordinary papal magisterium. It's really public relations designed unconsciously to appeal to secular liberals of Europe to see us as different than the Inquisitional Church and...would they please oppose abortion if we oppose
the death penalty. Half of that project worked...the Inquisition part.