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I just came across your website and want
to clarify something you have posted.
You
have listed George Bush as Pro-Life and Al
Gore as Pro-Death. If your definition of Pro-Life
is protection of all life from the womb to
the tomb, then George Bush is as Pro-Death
as Al Gore is.
Texas executes more people than any other
state in this country. Killing is killing,
whether it is a defenseless fetus or a prisoner
on death row. If your definition of Pro-Life
is different than mine (and the Church's);
Oh well. Both of our Presidential candidates
are Pro-Death, Anti-Life — whatever
you want to call it.
Shalom,
Heather Knight
Youth Minister
St. Mary Magdalene (The Madeleine) Church
{ Can you clarify this posting? – How can you call a political candidate Pro-Life when he's Pro-Death? }
Mike
replied:
Hi Heather —
First, thank-you for your e-mail.
I want you to know that all the Catholic Apologists
on this website are loyal
to the Magisterium and Her teachings.
We are also open to correction when
we say something that, you believe, is incompatible
with Catholic Teachings that
have passed down through the generations from 33 A.D.
Second, on the issue of Abortion
versus The Death Penalty, I thought
Alan Keyes gave an excellent explanation
about the difference.
In one, abortion, innocent life is
being taken.
In the other, theoretically, guilty
life is being taken.
Why do I say theoretically?
Because our justice
system is made up of a jury of sinful
peers who can make mistakes.
I will agree with you there.
That said, over the past few years Pope Francis (on May 11, 2018) changed a key paragraph in the Catechism of the Catholic Church, paragraph 2267, dealing with the Death Penalty. In lieu of St. Thomas Aquinas' view of self defense, I still prefer the previous version of the Catechism.
I believe Francis may have been given some bad advice on the effectiveness of penal sanctions and systems of detention. Nevertheless I accept what the revised Catechism says today, seeing even the original version of paragraph 2267 stated near the end:
'Today, in fact,
given the means at the State's
disposal to effectively repress
crime by rendering inoffensive
the one who has committed it, without depriving him definitively
of the possibility of redeeming
himself, cases of absolute necessity
for suppression of the offender today — are very rare, if not
practically non-existent.
The new version of the Catechism of the Catholic Church, paragraph 2267, now reads:
Legitimate defense.
.
.
2267: Recourse to the death penalty on the part of legitimate authority, following a fair trial, was long considered an appropriate response to the gravity of certain crimes and an acceptable, albeit extreme, means of safeguarding the common good.
Today, however, there is an increasing awareness that the dignity of the person is not lost even after the commission of very serious crimes. In addition, a new understanding has emerged of the significance of penal sanctions imposed by the state. Lastly, more effective systems of detention have been developed, which ensure the due protection of citizens but, at the same time, do not definitively deprive the guilty of the possibility of redemption.
Consequently, the Church teaches, in the light of the Gospel, that "the death penalty is inadmissible because it is an attack on the inviolability and dignity of the person", (Pope Francis, Address to Participants in the Meeting organized by the Pontifical Council for the Promotion of the New Evangelization, 11 October 2017: Romano, 13 October 2017, 5.) and she works with determination for its abolition worldwide. [Pope Francis, Oct. 11, 2017]
So basically, Pope St. John Paul II wants to make it rare, if not
practically non-existent and Pope Francis wants to abolish it.
Third, I thought it was enlightening
when Alan made reference to Jesus'
opinion of the death penalty. Yes!, Jesus had a view on the death penalty!!
Let's go back to when Our Blessed
Lord and Savior was before Pilate:
[Pilate:] 10 Do you not know that I have
power to release you, and power
to crucify you?
[Jesus answered him]
11 You would have no power
over me unless it had been given
you from above;
therefore he who delivered me
to you has the greater sin.
The only thing I want to point out
here Heather, is that Our Lord is sourcing
the authority for the death penalty as
from the Father above.
Jesus could have said, You
have no authority to kill Pilate,
killing is wrong.
On the Presidential candidates. Let's compare them:
Governor Bush:
I will sign a bill to ban Partial
Birth Abortions and make it law.
Al Gore:
I will protect a woman's right
to choose to kill the fetus she
has conceived in her womb.
A fetus where even our U.S. Court system acknowledges the fetus in a mother's womb as a real, live baby boy or girl.
(for example in the Scott Peterson case, where Scott was charged with two counts of murder against Laci and her fetus, Connor Peterson.)
Which position do you think is
more Catholic?
Which position do you think is
Pro-Life?
Pro-choice is no choice for
the living baby growing in the mother's womb. Also bad circumstances and situations, like rape and incest, do not change the biological and spiritual reality that a young baby, a growing fetus, is growing in a mother's womb.
Liberated women say,
"It's my body! What right
does any Church or any group of
religious MEN have to tell me
what I can do with my body!"
My reply: Who gave
you that loony idea?
the Democratic party?
Planned Parenthood?
Dr. Drew?
OK, if it is your body,
then step out in front of oncoming
traffic with cars going over 70 miles
per hour, and bring yourself back
to life.
Why won't these liberated
women do that?
Because they know, deep down in their holy gut that, based on the natural
law that is written on everyone's
soul, that it is not their own body. If
it were their own body, after being
killed by the oncoming vehicles,
they would be able to raise their
body from the dead as Jesus did.
No man or woman owns their bodies.
Our bodies were created by God to
make holy choices, not destructive
choices.
Shalom back,
Your brother in prayer, your brother
in Christ,
Mike Humphrey
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