I’ve stated on Facebook (and may re-post those arguments
here later) that I do not see an inherent contradiction between being pro-life
and pro-death penalty. That being said, while I am pro-life, I am not an avid
proponent of the death penalty, even though I can affirm it in principle.
Here are some reasons I’m not generally in favor of the
death penalty, or rather the implementation of the death penalty. These are not
necessarily persuasive taken individually, and they are admittedly not equal in
weight. The first three, for example, are more pragmatic to my way of thinking and
so aren’t automatic game changers. But cumulatively, they make a difference in
my mind.
1) The death penalty does not appear to serve as a deterrent
against future homicides. The delay between conviction and execution can take
decades. This doesn’t seem to be an effective strategy to me. And I’ve heard
that studies don’t really provide evidence of the death penalty being a deterrent.
2) The way the legal system works today means that a lengthy
appeals process will inevitably put off the day of execution into the far, far
future. This creates an exceptional expense for society and burdens all parties
involved. I’ve also heard that studies show it’s cheaper for prisoners to serve
life terms than go on death row.
3) The death penalty (if its purpose is to remove a
person from society) is not necessary (at least in the U.S.) in light of the life-in-prison
option. No one in high security, supermax type facilities escapes (that I’m aware
of) and life-without-parole effectively does the same thing as putting a person
on death row (given that a number of inmates on death row die before their execution
date).
4) More weighty in my mind is that the potential for
an innocent life to be taken is ever present. In some (many?) murders, the murderer
is obvious; the case is open-and-shut. But in some (many?) situations, there
may still be reasonable doubt, yet the jury decides to convict. This is a troubling
possibility and should be troubling to any thinking person.
5) Which leads to an uncomfortable, and immoral state
of affairs. The wealthy in America can generally avoid the death penalty, while
the poor cannot. This is just a fact and an indictment on our current system.
Do we really want to entrust the process of deciding to end a person’s life to
a system rigged in favor of the wealthy?
Now, for me, a strong reason to support the death penalty
is that it is the government’s job to remove from society immediate threats to
its citizens. In other words, execution is a form of protection and self-defense.
Just like when a person defends him- or herself against an imminent threat to his
or her life. I am, as a citizen, permitted to defend myself. This may result in
the death of someone else. The goal is not to kill, but to keep one’s self, one’s
family safe.
By the same token, a government must keep its society, its nation
safe. This perspective acknowledges that all life has value, even the criminal
who is being convicted and executed. That person simply forfeited his or her
right to life by perpetrating a crime.
That being said, while the ‘government’ has a right to
execute such criminals, it really is not the government (a faceless, no person)
that is injecting the drugs, flipping the switch, opening the valve, pulling
the trigger, or dropping the rope. It is a person or persons doing each of
these acts.
So a final (and for now, the last, but not ultimate)
reason I’m generally opposed to the implementation of the death penalty (and so
also against war itself) is the trauma it causes the executioner. This seems to
be a terrible moral burden to place on another human being, the responsibility
to end a person’s life. It is a grave matter, and one in which the dark humor of
the pun involved is included reluctantly.
Well, I’m sure I have more to say but for now this
will do. I’m not tied down to this position 100% - it’s a topic that I will
continue to reflect on and develop. I’m interested in your perspective, but not
interested in arguing back and forth. If you have rational reflections on this
issue, feel free to comment.
Thoughtful regards, Lyn
===
Note: Some of the above points are addressed by Matt
Walsh in a 30-minute podcast from 2015 (see link below). He also includes a few
more points: a discussion of the danger of trusting the government with such
absolute power, along with the argument that if killing itself is unjust,
killing a killer is also unjust (‘two wrongs don’t make a right’). Plus, as a person
committed to the pro-life position, Walsh sees an inherent conflict with being
pro-death penalty. He tries to explain this biblically, but goes a bit off the
rails when he starts talking about OT and NT scripture in the last 5 or 10
minutes. If you have time, take a listen and let me know what you think.
Another thought. Some people like to throw this one up
as a kind of gotcha – how can you be pro-life and still be pro-death penalty?
Sure, it may be slightly problematic to be pro-life
and pro-death penalty – to hold these views together. I don’t think it’s a
logical inconsistency because I believe one can forfeit one’s right to life by
committing murder. However, it must be admitted that there are opposing
arguments to be considered. For example, if killing is unjust prima facie (as Walsh
posits, correctly) then killing the killer is also unjust despite what the
killer has done. My initial response to this is that there are differences
between murder and killing. But still, I understand the point.
That being said, while pro-lifers need to carefully
think through this issue, pro-aborts who are against the death penalty are in a
far worse position – they have no leg to stand on and are in complete hypocrisy
here. They can not explain how murderers should be saved yet babies can be
executed. Theirs is a depraved position. So my response to their ‘gotcha’ is
this: When they answer logically how they can be pro- guilty murderer yet anti-
innocent child (they can’t), then we can take our turn to answer logically (we
can) how one can be pro-life and pro-death penalty at the same time.
