showing their position on life to be consistant
In America, we often have debates concerning "the right to life" concerning various procedures that occur from before our departure from the womb to the end of our life. Good people, many of whom are Christians and Catholics will debate whether it is ok or not to abort a fetus, euthenize a terminally ill patient or put a serial killer to death. And we, reflecting our diversity, will take up various positions along the way.
Some will stand on permitting abortion but opposing the death penalty. Some will stand on the opposite ground. But not the Catholic Church. Here,, unlike in other areas, the church is probably the most consistant entity in the debate.
The Catholic Church's philosphy on life is simple. Man has no right to take it. Man has no right to end a pregnancy. Man has no right to perform any kind of "mercy killing" of any terminal patient. Man has no right to put someone to death, no matter what their crimes are.
The Catholic Church pays strict adherence to the commandment that tells us "thou shalt not kill." The Catholic Church sees no justification to kill whatsoever. This has remained consistant since after the Crusades and the middle ages. And at least in the modern era, they have remined uberconsistant on their position.
My hat certainly is tipped to the Church here. Where I do criticize and scrutinize some of their doctrine and practices, this particular one is at least not contradictory of itself. American evangelicals and conservative christians often confuse their "culture of life" philosophy by limiting it to abortion and Terri Shaivo, while endorsing wars, supporting the death penalty and allowing thousands of others who aren't Terri Shaivo to be euthenized without protest or congressional intervention. The Catholic Church, at least officially, remains consistant.
The latest statement of that consistncy came this week when the CC officially declared their view that putting Saddam Hussein to death was immoral and wrong. The church said in it's statement that hanging Saddam was simply committing another crime against humanity to somehow pay for other crimes and had nothing to do with justice.
Are they right? I don't know. Like most Americans, I like to think that I support life. I am against the death penalty. Tho my views on abortion, politically, at least, do not reflect the church's view. I am curious to how other Christians, and namely Catholics see the execution of Hussein. Will conservative Catholics side with their President or their Pope when it comes to this issue and the issue of the death penalty in general which the CC opposes and is uncompromising on? To me, at least, it could be an interesting discussion.
I would be curious to how an American who calls themselves anything that puts them in concert with the GOP concept of "culture of life" looks at this. I would also be curious to know why those who support this way of thinking, that if the Church deems something immoral or wrong, that they should try to make America conform to those standards, rationalize this in their own mind. For example, anti-gay marriage stances are often defended with religion. But those same people will defy the pope when it comes to going to war or killing those who society has ruled a criminal so bad that they should not be allowed to live.
Hmmmmmmmm.....