God can keep forgiveness... I'll take vengeance...

So a Facebook friend has been keeping me updated on the disappearance (now apparent murder) of a little girl in Florida.  The friend mentioned that she felt as if she couldn't bring a child into a world where people are so callously murdered.  The response she got was bible-scripture talking about judging not lest ye be, etc. etc.  That God wants us to forgive, 'cause it's the Christian thing.

Look, I'm all for forgiveness.  Someone takes your sandwich from the fridge at work?  You forgive them!  Someone doesn't put a fresh roll of TP on when they use the last one up?  Forgiveness!  Someone rapes, tortures, murders your child???  Sorry, I'm not Jesus -- forgiveness ain't even on the list.  In that case, I leave forgiveness squarely in God's hands.  And I?  I want some vengeance.

Because as far as I'm concerned, people like that don't deserve to live.  They do not deserve to breathe the same air that my children breathe.  They don't deserve to live a life that a child doesn't get to live -- because of them.  What they DO deserve is to die.  Yeah, yeah, the death penalty isn't being carried out fairly, it's not a deterrent,  blah blah blah.  That doesn't mean it's inherently wrong.  It just means that we have to change how it's carried out.  But carried out it should be, and for more than just what we apply it t.  Selling government secrets should not be considered worse that raping a child.  And while sometime there's a darn good reason for murder, there's never a good reason for raping a baby.  THAT is a crimes wothy of death.

So don't quote scripture to me.  I'm human.  I'm allowed to be a sinner.  And if doing the "right" thing means forgiving a child molester, I don't mind being "wrong."

Comments

[Gissel]

Hum, my ex bf was of the humanist-preachy kind. My opinion about it? It's very easy to be like that when you don't bother to put yourself in the victim's place, and when you haven't had to witness or experience a horrible crime. It's very easy to talk about "bad life circumstances that lead a person to commit a crime", or rehabilitation, when you don't have to deal with criminals yourself.

Personally, I don't speak of vengeance, I speak of justice. I too think that some people don't deserve to live for what they've done. In Uruguay there were three guys who entered a house, tied up a whole family and stabbed them to death, including a pregnant woman. The murderers weren't mindless drug-addicts, they weren't starving, they just wanted the money. I don't think people like that can be rehabilitated, I don't think they'll ever feel remorse, and yes, I believe the world would be a much better place if they were dead.

I don't mind being "wrong" about this either. And I'll tell you even more: people who defend murderers that are going to be executed, aren't really good people, IMO. They cheapen the life of the victims every time they ask for compassion to their murderers. If lawyers can put a price on a limb or an injury, well, LIFE IS EVEN MORE PRECIOUS, PEOPLE! And I mean, THE VICTIM'S life, damnit!

I can forgive if someone takes my sandwich :-)

[The Queen of the Blog]

I don't really consider the death penalty to be justice, because the person who is being judged doesn't suffer the true consequences of their actions (Suffering long-term for what they've done). The punishment itself lasts only minutes, and unless you believe in the fire and brimstone hell, the punishment doesn't thoroughly fit the crime.

Since I'm not morally opposed to torture, maybe I'd feel better if we threw some of that in. It sickens me that there are groups so adamantly defending animals, that there are groups so fanatical about saving the killers and rapists. where are the groups fighting truly fighting for the rights of victims. Because sometimes it really IS about vengeance.

[Gissel]

Well, normally I'd also think that a quick death isn't enough for some criminals, but then there are these annoying humanist groups and international organizations that wouldn't allow longer punishments...

I wouldn't ask for death penalty if these criminals would stay in jail for a lifetime (and our jails ARE horrible places where criminals suffer a great deal, because you have six guys in a cell made for two), but I've seen many of them here get out after a relatively short period of time and go on with their lives as if nothing had happened. Or worse: they get out and kill or rape someone else. Of course, that wouldn't happen if they were dead and buried.

Speaking about animals, there are groups asking for a Universal Declaration of Animal Rights. That includes not eating them! Let me laugh at that for a while. I'm against animal abuse, but damn, that's just ridiculous. It animals must be protected from becoming food, then these groups should protect gazelles from being eaten by lions :-D Or else they shouldn't be against lions eating humans, because well, lions have the right to eat, don't they? Oh, dear, what a legal paradox.

[Matt]

"Sorry, I'm not Jesus -- forgiveness ain't even on the list. "

I agree with this.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OrlvOYUay_4
Song in the same vein, lyrics say "I'm not Jesus, I will not forgive."

[The Queen of the Blog]

Gissel, I don't trust any group that tries to help animals while ignoring the plight of true victims. While I'm not in favor of actual cruelty to animals, I do think they're food and will treat them as such. :D

Matt, I'd never heard that before. Thanks.

[Matt]

Welcome.
Like I said, my music tastes are highly varied.