I have mixed feelings about capital punishment. I like to think of myself as a Pro-Lifer from cradle to grave. While reading the Lord of the Rings when I was 16, I was struck by this dialogue between Frodo and Gandalf. Frodo said that it was a pity Bilbo didn't kill Gollum, when he had a chance. Gandalf replies, "It was pity that stayed Bilbo's hand. Many that live DESERVE death. Some that die deserve life. Can you give it to them, Frodo? Do not be too eager to deal out death in judgment. Even the very wise cannot see all ends. My heart tells me that Gollum has some part to play yet, for good or ill, before this is over. The pity of Bilbo may rule the fate of many"
This week, unaware, being in my little bubble, I ran across this tumblr...
I am Lawrence Belk
This statement reminded me of the Outer Limits 1995 (and later a movie by the same name) I, Robot. It is based on a short story by Asimov.
I immediately clicked on this link... to find out the details of the story.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/09/21/troy-davis-and-lawrence-b_n_974293.html struggling with my stand after reading this. Who wants a serial killer on the same earth as the ones you love? I try think of how Christ would have handled it. When confronted with a woman who was sentenced to die...
John 8:7, where Jesus challenges the men who would put her to death, he points out the guilt in us all, and they walk away.
But adultery is not murder, and it is include a grotesque desire for blood. But Jesus lived at the peak of the Roman empire. Have you read about the blood, gore, bloodthirst, and atrocities which occurred? Seriously, Christ lived in a society which would have Lawrence Belk in charge of arena games, or a soldier of some sort. And yet, He was silent on a lot of social issues, even that. I am probably minimalizing and summarizing these thoughts to a fault.
We live in a broken world, with broken people. There are awful, horrible things done to innocent victims. Jesus did have a few words to say about those who hurt children. It includes a millstone and is kind of harsh. (I need a reference here, but can't seem to find it...help me out)
I just struggle with a state's right to try and sentence an individual to DEATH. What a responsibility! There are innocent people who are tried and found guilty every year. Mostly due to the lack of financial funds, because lets face it... if you have money in this country, you can get away with a lot! Yes, Lawrence Belk DESERVED DEATH. But I certainly would not want to push the button, especially if it meant that a potentially innocent man like Troy Davis had to die! See, my dilemma? What is the worse of two evils? The government having the power to administer life and death, or the evil which lurks in the hearts of men? Perhaps we need a Shadow to administer justice..
Going back to the issue... should we kill our worse criminals? Should we administer "an eye for any eye" as a society? What will that do to the soul of our culture?
There is another Outer Limits episode. It deals with the prison system of the future. The episode is called THE SENTENCE. Imagine a virtual prison, administered in a few moments. During that small amount of time, the prisoner spends years and years in a prison or sentence appropriate to his crime. It is an extremely thought provoking episode. Perhaps a death sentence is more humane.
The silent ramblings of my mind will continue...
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