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Those who believe in Eternal Life do not oppose death

Pope   versus   Death Penalty

        Few Catholics, including Pope John Paul II (Karol Wojtyla), seem to understand the difference between authoritative teaching and the various levels of personal opinion.1 The pope and many Catholic cardinals and bishops are in opposition to capital punishment. This early command of God has been approved by the practice of Catholics and through the teachings of the Church from its foundation.

        In the minds of many, a pope is believed to speak with infallibility. However, this concept is untrue except under a very limited set of conditions that are always under the control of the Holy Spirit. When a pope speaks personally or is addressing a group of people his words are to be given thoughtful consideration, but, there is no requirement to blindly accept that what he is saying is in accordance with God's will.

        Having accepted the Catholic understanding that popes have been authorized by Jesus to make infallible universal declarations on matters of faith and morals, that are duly recorded and witnessed, I present the following position:

       In order to avoid being considered a hypocrite for asking people to go against Scriptural requirements concerning the death penalty, Pope John Paul II should "attempt" *  to make an infallible declaration against the death penalty.  If he believes that there are specific crimes that would call for capital punishment, he should state at least two or three examples of crimes where the death penalty would be morally acceptable.
*   The word "attempt" is used as a qualifier as it is believed that he will not only be unable to make such a declaration, but that by making the attempt he risks the loss of both temporal and eternal life.
        Should he not make his position an infallible teaching of the Church, he should publicly acknowledge his error and do public penance. One of the earliest commands of God was -- "If anyone sheds the blood of man, by man shall his blood be shed; For in the image of God has man been made." Genesis 9:6. (God's Word should be considered as unchangeable even by an "enlightened" generation.) Since this teaching must be viewed as an infallible teaching, the only way to oppose capital punishment is to somehow diminish or make a substitution for this infallible teaching.

Many confuse the commandment, "Thou shalt not kill," by separating it from the rest of Scripture that gives it its proper understanding.
"Whoever strikes a man a mortal blow must be put to death. He, however, who did not hunt a man down, but caused his death by an act of God, may flee to a place which I will set apart for this purpose. But when a man kills another after maliciously scheming to do so, you must take him even from my altar and put him to death. [Exodus 21:12-14]

Capital punishment called — "cruel and unnecessary"

        John Paul II's belief that capital punishment is "cruel and unnecessary 2 " is illustrative of a diminished belief in God. When comparing a simple execution, even of the most heinous type, with the eternal torture of Hell it should be clear that capital punishment is not cruel for it serves good ends.
  1. It stops forever the destructive activity of the individual.
  2. It has allowed the perpetrator time to repent and die at peace with God.
  3. It gives recognition to a sense of justice in the world.
  4. It gives the individuals and community harmed by the act a sense of closure and safety.
  5. It sends a message to others that the particular activity has dire consequences.
  6. It reestablishes a sense of order in the world.
  7. It reestablishes peace with God when humanity disallows grave injustices to continue festering through acts of giving only token punishments for grave offenses against God and man.
  8. The concept of spiritual values of justice being of greater importance than humanistic values concerning limited life is reinforced.

        The wisdom of God – known to us through His just laws – must never be referred to as unnecessary. God is the creator and has the perfect right to take life when He so chooses, and, He also has full right to order that it be taken under certain conditions. To believe otherwise is illustrative of either a weak faith, or a total lack of faith in God.

        The Catholic Church teaches that God is immutable (unchangeable). When both the consistent practice of the Church and the Sacred Scriptures 3 – given full approval by the Church – teach in favor of capital punishment for grave crimes, then it must be understood that those in opposition to those teachings have set themselves up as false Gods, the gravest of all crimes as established in the First Commandment.

  1.  Levels of Authority and Beliefs – Sequential Authority Structure of the Catholic Church.
  2.  John Paul II trip to St. Louis, USA in January 1999.
  3.  Consistent practice of the Church and the Sacred Scriptures:
    1. The chief priests and the entire Sanhedrin kept trying to obtain false testimony against Jesus in order to put him to death, [Mt. 26:59] — Implicit recognition of justifiable capital punishment.
    2. What (then) will the owner of the vineyard do? He will come, put the tenants to death, and give the vineyard to others. [Mk. 12:9] — Parable of what the God who always sets good example will do when justice comes to the world.
    3. If I have committed a crime or done anything deserving death, I do not seek to escape the death penalty; but if there is no substance to the charges they are bringing against me, then no one has the right to hand me over to them. I appeal to Caesar." [Acts 25:11] — Saint Paul's clear acknowledgment of deserved death sentences and that he would not seek to escape a justified sentence of death.
    4. Although they know the just decree of God that all who practice such things deserve death, they not only do them but give approval to those who practice them. [Rom. 1:32] — Statement of Saint Paul that the death penalty is a just decree of God for various offenses.
    5. Anyone who rejects the law of Moses is put to death without pity on the testimony of two or three witnesses. [Heb. 10:28] — A statement of the priestly writers that the death penalty is not only just, but that it is to be carried out without pity in relation to the perpetrators – this would seem to include the concept of lack of sympathy for those associated with the guilty party.
    6. "Whoever has ears ought to hear what the Spirit says to the churches. The victor shall not be harmed by the second death." [Rev. 2:11] — Concern should not be expended on bodily death – for everyone dies – but rather on eternal punishment that is known as "the second death."
    7. The sea gave up its dead; then Death and Hades gave up their dead. All the dead were judged according to their deeds. Then Death and Hades were thrown into the pool of fire. (This pool of fire is the second death.) [Rev. 20:13-14] — Both good deeds and bad deeds have there eternal ramifications.

You Shall Not Kill            Pope and Bishops Index            John Paul II vs. God

Which is the real Pope John Paul II ?        Do Not Murder

God's Justice in relation to Capital Punishment        The Adulterous Woman

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