COLLEGE BRIEF: "Consistent Ethic for Life"

Capital Punishment:

· Some people believe in Capital Punishment because they believe that if a person simply receives a prison sentence, in time that sentence may be reduced and the person will be out on the street to pursue more victims.

· For some people, “justice” means “an eye for an eye.” These people cannot accept the concept of “mercy.” For them, to be merciful would be unjust.

· For many people, justice demands retribution, revenge, or “pay back.” Many people do not believe in “death row conversions;” even if they did, it wouldn’t make any difference. For these people, even if a criminal were to be completely rehabilitated, justice would require that he or she “pay the full price,” without mercy.

· Another reason given for Capital Punishment has to do with the treatment of all prisoners and the purpose for our prison system. Some may ask, is it fair or just that monies be spent to maintain the survival of criminals in a better way of life than their victims and the poor on the streets? For many of the poor, prison represents a better way of life; this includes many of the criminals, as well. Are our criminals getting a “free lunch” as a reward for their crimes? Are they contributing anything in exchange for life? Are we just promoting a “vegetative state” of life for them? Would death actually be more merciful, or for that matter, more just for them?

· On the other hand, what does the Gospel tell us about life and death? What does Jesus say? The Old Testament tells us that the “wages of sin is death.” Adam and Eve received the death penalty when they ate of that “deadly fruit.” Yet, even then there was a hint of God’s mercy, and the promise of redemption through resurrection. Basically, the scriptures tell us that all of us are “dead men” – all of us deserve the death penalty. All of us have received a “free meal” ticket. Jesus came to give us “new life” through resurrection. This new life is purely a free gift. All of us are in need of mercy. All of us have been forgiven so should we not forgive others? Scripture says: “And this is because the love of Christ overwhelms us when we reflect that if one man has died for all, then all men should be dead; and the reason he died for all was so that living men should live no longer for themselves, but for him who died and was raised to life for them.” (JB, 2Cor.5:14-15). Jesus calls us to do what he did. “It was God who reconciled us to himself through Christ and gave us the work of handing on this reconciliation. In other words, God in Christ was reconciling the world to himself, not holding men’s faults against them, and he has entrusted to us the news that they are reconciled.” (JB, 2Cor.5:18-19).

· God is the author of life; he was, in the beginning of creation, and still is, in Christ, Jesus. Life is not for this world alone. There is life after physical death. There are in fact, many “change of hearts,” many prison conversions. Is this not his promise: “to open the eyes of the blind, to bring out the prisoners from the dungeon, from the prison those who sit in darkness.” (JB, Isa.42:7). We are all prisoners of darkness and in need of this gift of mercy, no less than those in actual prisons are. Are our prison systems working towards bringing conversion and rehabilitation to the prisoners? Do we have hope that this can happen? Or, are we ready to just give up and put everyone out of his or her misery?

· Another very important objection to Capital Punishment is the inefficiency of our Justice System. Too many innocent victims are judged guilty. The truth comes too late. Is it not better that a guilty man go free than an innocent man suffer unjustly – through time in prison or through the death sentence?

· There is no real “good” in having the death penalty, except perhaps, saving the state some money. However, there is a greater good to not having a death penalty: respect for life, extending mercy, hope for conversion, and possibility of discovering that the person is innocent.

War:

· Christian Realism: Some people believe in a “Just War Theory” which states:

1. Last Resort: all other means to achieve a just solution have been tried

2. Just cause: preservation or restoration – against a clearly unjust adversary

3. Right intention: to restore peace with justice

4. Declared by legitimate authority

5. Reasonable hope of success

6. Noncombatant immunity: Civilians not involved must not be attacked

7. Proportionality: the good sought should exceed the evil of the violence

· Pacifism: Some people believe that Jesus calls us to choose “The way of the Cross” – emphatic nonviolence – Conscientious objection – no compromises. They believe that no good can come from war; only evil and more suffering. They believe that violence is always evil; and if a solution cannot be reached peacefully, the only way left is martyrdom.

· War as sin: some people see war as always immoral and leading to death and suffering of the poor and innocent.

· War as a consequence of sin: some people see war as inevitable and sometimes necessary to prevent a greater evil; if we conquer sin and evil, we will not have the consequence of war. War can be the lessor of two evils – the other being tyrannical domination.

· Civil Responsibility: We have a responsibility given by God, to protect the innocent and to maintain law and order, as well as the freedoms of our constitution. In some cases, war may be necessary to defend and protect these freedoms and rights. God will hold our Government accountable for abuse or neglect of their civil responsibilities.

· Model of Jesus: Jesus was completely nonviolent. He came to establish the Kingdom of God on earth, to reveal the love and person of the Father, to call disciples, to preach the Good News of salvation, to reconcile us with God and one another, to give us new life, to lay down his life for all, and to serve the needs of the poor, through mercy, forgiveness, healing, deliverance, faith, hope, and love. He called his disciples to follow him and to do what he did. He did not call everyone to be his disciples, but he did call everyone to love.

· Scripture: In regards to war, Jesus said: “You will hear of wars and rumors of wars; do not be alarmed, for this is something that must happen…” (Mat.24:6)

· Scripture: “You must all obey the governing authorities. Since all government comes from God, the civil authorities were appointed by God, and so anyone who resists authority is rebelling against God’s decision, and such an act is bound to be punished…..The state is there to serve God for your benefit. If you break the law, however, you may well have fear: the bearing of the sword has its significance. The authorities are there to serve God: they carry out God’s revenge by punishing wrongdoers. You must obey, therefore, not only because you are afraid of being punished, but also for conscience’ sake.” (Rom.13:1,2,4-6).

· Conclusion: War is a separate issue from other pro-life issues because the choice does not belong to the people. We do not vote to go to war or not. However, we can take a stand against injustice when we see it. We can choose to be “conscientious objectors” or serve in the war. If it is an “unjust” war, we must take a stand against evil even if it means persecution or death for us. As a Catholic, the teaching of the Church is my guide in situations beyond my understanding.

Gun Control and Nuclear Bombs:

· Countries that do not allow guns for personal use or armed policemen have a far less crime rate than America.

· Guns represent aggression and power. They cause an increase of fear and paranoia, and this causes people to react without thinking, causing many innocent deaths, accidents, and deaths for minor infractions of the law.

· There is a high rate of children being killed or killing others with guns, accidentally.

· If a person has a gun, there is a reasonably strong chance that they will use it at some time, and it may be when they are emotionally out of control.

· Fear, aggression, and violence will only continue to increase as long as we have free use of weapons.

· On the other hand, in America gun control is already out of control. Some believe that individuals need to be armed to protect themselves against criminals who have guns. They believe they have a responsibility to protect their family and theirself. We have gone too far to turn back, now.

· The same arguments exist for nuclear weapons. We don’t know what the solution is. We can’t disarm unless everyone agrees to disarm. No moral or responsible leader ever wants to use them, but what if someone immoral or irresponsible wants to use them? If we are unarmed, do we invite tyranny and victimization?

Consistent Ethic for Life:

· Can a person be pro-life when it comes to abortion and yet, believe in Capital Punishment, assisted suicide, experimentation, or even Just Wars?

· Can a person who is pro-life still be consistent if they choose the lesser of two evils? Is either a choice, if one is truly pro-life? If we do not choose, do we automatically choose the greater of two evils?

· Can a person who is pro-life and a Christian still serve in the Military, Police Force, war, or be a civil authority in a nation that is not completely Christian?

· The answers to these questions really depend on what our beliefs and values are and what our "call" and responsibility is in life. I would choose to be a conscientious objector rather than kill another, because I feel called to be a disciple and to spread the Gospel, and I would never want to take a life, even in self-defense. However, I also believe that God calls some to be in a position of civil authority and to be responsible for the protection of others. Would they be rejecting God if they chose to be passive against the enemy? I can choose martyrdom for myself, but can I force others to be martyrs, as well? Jesus did not reject civil authority, and he embraced and loved the Roman Centurion. If the whole world were Christian and everyone embraced the Gospel, there would be no need for a Defense System, for the Military or Police Forces, for guns or bombs, for prisons, capital punishment, or wars. Abortion and euthanasia would not even be issues or concerns. But, the world is not Christian. The Gospel must be lived by believers but cannot be imposed or forced on others. If it is difficult for Christians to live the Gospel, which calls us to “life” and to a greater holiness than the “Law,” how can non-believers be expected to do so? We can only live the Gospel through the gift of new life and the power of the Holy Spirit, given by Jesus. We cannot make the Gospel into a law. It has to be motivated by love. This is a paradox because we can’t judge others, but we have to take a stand.

Conclusion:

To me, to be pro-life means that we believe that life is from God; that it is a gift of God, regardless of the circumstances; that we are called to create life and not to destroy it; that every life is of equal worth in the eyes of God, regardless of power, wealth, intelligence, health or wholeness, age, race, or creed. If we really believe this and claim to be pro-life, I don’t think we can choose between one life and another. I don’t think we can be against abortion, yet for suicide assistance, capital punishment, or euthanasia. We acknowledge those with birth defects and severe handicaps as still being a gift of life. To me, Politicians who claim to be pro-life because they are against abortion, but are for capital punishment or suicide assistance, are not truly pro-life. They may claim to be anti-abortion, today, but tomorrow, support a pill that can cause an abortion.