Wow, first that anyone's made a deal of that but okay, sure.
It's the name of a book. The least you could do is capitalize it's title...
Right, so would God be happy when innocent people are convicted and executed and denied any appeals process that could have proven them innocent? Never mind deflecting with how much "better" your system would be, just answer the question.
Do the math and as addressed earlier. If God abhors the shedding of innocent blood then why should I listen to a guy who is not only naive enough to think his proposals would take the crime rate down to near zero but would deprive people of a right to plead their case through appeal before being wrongfully killed?
Not really, not unless you think God is happy when innocent blood is shed.
Well, if we have the means to ascertain guilt beyond the circumstantial then would God be happier if all means at disposal were used to ensure guilt or innocence before executing people or does God not actually abhor the shedding of innocent blood after all?
No, I don't think God is happy when innocent people are killed. But I also think that He's less unhappy when a mistake is made in the process of enforcing justice than He is when people are just processed through a system where there is little to no justice at all being dealt to criminals, because at least with the former, His statutes are being upheld, whereas with the latter, His statutes are completely ignored, and "everyone does what is right in his own eyes."
God wants as few innocent people killed as possible. If the system is regularly allowing criminals to go free on technicalities or through loopholes or because there aren't enough resources to actually determine who the criminal is let alone catch him, then the system is inherently broken, and should not be fixed, but instead replaced with one that does work and works well, at least well enough that crime is not as prevalent.
No, it doesn't. Murderers are not let go as a "matter of course".
And yet, the article I provided says otherwise. Would you like me to show you the FBI data on how many criminals are let go or acquitted due to various reasons? It's probably a lot higher than 0-5%.
I don't fully support the current system.
Which just means you support it to some extent.
I oppose the system entirely, I don't support it at all. It should be replaced completely because it is inherently broken. You can't put new wine in old wineskins.
I think there's too many technicalities and loopholes in it and I've maintained that position for years on here so that's nothing new on my part.
So then why support it at all?
I may not be pro DP but I'm in favour of tougher sentencing for violent crimes and a complete tightening up where it comes to cases where convicted offenders are allowed back out.
So what makes your standards for punishments better than God's? Are you trying to be nicer than He is?
Because all you've offered so far is subjective assertion and empty rhetoric.
You're not providing a "solution".
Yes, because it's inevitable and all you offer is subjective opinion and waffle as to how your "system" would miraculously reduce crime to record low levels. There's nothing of weight to support it at all and quite frankly it's just naive.
That is just more assertive blather with nothing but subjective opinion to support it.
Seriously, if you think your "system" would reduce crime to virtually zero within the space of a month then not only are you naive you are in complete and utter la la land...
[emoji33]:
You're right. I was being too generous with my estimates.
Crime would drop to virtually zero overnight.
And my system would reduce crime because it would deter criminals, not try to prevent their crimes.
Restitution is a deterrent. Corporal punishment is a deterrent. (Eg, caning in Singapore.) Execution is a strong deterrent when enforced properly. (Here in America, it's not a deterrent because it's not enforced quickly, and even when criminals are executed, the people have long since forgotten what crime he committed to deserve such a punishment.
Eh, that's supposed to be taken seriously, why?
Because it's an argument against your position.
I don't just brush off your arguments, could you extend the same courtesy to me and not brush off mine?
Know what an appeals process has done in the past? Allowed wrongfully convicted people to fight their case and be exonerated. Know what your complete denial of any appeals process would do? Kill innocent people.
Well, you say "yes" but with your system there'd be no appeals process whatsoever so nobody could appeal against a wrongful conviction.
Dude, you'd do away with an appeals process altogether.
Smileys aren't going to do away with the fact and that you would tolerate innocent people being executed without any sort of appeal.
Tell that to those who have been exonerated because of it. Even under a system that did reduce crime there'd still be innocent people convicted and you'd deprive them of a process that could prove their innocence. Simple as that.
Those who have been exonerated or let go after being put in prison for their punishment, how many of them really did commit the crime and were able to be freed based on technicalities or lack of evidence (which is only an issue in an "absolute/irrefutable proof" system, I might point out), or even because he made a convincing argument to the one he appeals to? How long did it take?
What about those truly innocent people who made a deal or settled when they should have maintained that they were innocent? (This is an important question that I address below.)
I don't expect any answers to those questions, but in my system, the criminal (if he isn't executed for the crime) is punished swiftly and painfully, and then it's over with, and he can move on with his life, and not waste his time locked up in some cell in some giant building out in the middle of nowhere. Instead of being a burden on society, forcing them to pay for his internment, he's a productive member of society again.
Now, this question I would like answered:
How many of the people who were exonerated after the sentence had been handed down would not have been even considered had there been more resources available to look for evidence or the real criminal, and/or if there had been more evidence available at the time of the trial, would have been deemed innocent at the time of the trial, and not been punished for something they didn't do in the first place?
Nobody's arguing that certain things aren't black and white but rather the essence of things like evidence for crimes couldn't be the same for ancient times as it is now. That would be pretty much the only way of measuring such things back then.
Oh c'mon man, that's not forensic evidence, that's circumstantial! :doh: Forensic evidence would involve DNA swabs etc. If the woman had scratched the man then evidence could be ascertained through the man's DNA from her fingernails along with matching blood types. Yours is simply the say so of a woman and a man with a scratched face and a torn cloak. Unlucky for a guy who fell through thorny bracken eh?
I've never argued that people were "stupid" back then but they didn't have access or the knowledge that we have today. Your "assurances" are just more rhetoric.
I could care less what "your definition" is as you don't seem to be able to differentiate between forensic and circumstantial as it is. With the advent of such techniques then yes it is needed, that is if you're serious about ascertaining proof for crime.
I assure you that you're erroneously assumptive. I've never said that DNA evidence is the only form that matters but I sure ain't gonna downplay its importance.
Either way, evidence is evidence. And all evidence is a witness, just as eyewitnesses are witnesses. And since two or three witnesses is the standard for determining something according to God, who is just and righteous (and is Himself triune (which makes Him three strong witnesses)), therefore if the authorities gather enough witnesses (evidence), it should be able to be determined who the criminal is, even though man is fallible.
Well, kudos for acknowledging the first bit. Of course Lennie's not a murderer, he didn't mean to kill for a start. As to the latter...
Yet you've just acknowledged that Lennie isn't a murderer...
Correct. Which means that he would have fled to a city of refuge established by a righteous government.
But just because we determined that Lennie wasn't a murderer does not mean that that is true for every case. That's a hasty generalization based on a sample size of, so far in this conversation, 1.
I don't recall being asked
I do remember asking, and within my last 3 posts.
and I'm sure you can do your own homework if you're that bothered.
So you're saying that it's too much effort to look it up? Why should I bother then?
This is another major flaw with the current law systems. . . There's TOO MANY LAWS! No one knows what the law is anymore, except for the lawyers.
FTR, I've never made light of perjury.
But you don't know what the common law penalty for it is?
Ok, let me ask you this then.
What does God say, in the Bible, the penalty for perjury should be? (Hint: I've already provided it, if you were paying thorough attention.)
No, it's the premeditated killing of another person. Maybe this will be a bit clearer for you. A man finds out that his wife has being having an affair. He finds out who it is and makes plans to kill him and does so. That's murder. Never mind that you think adultery is a capital crime etc, the calculated act is murder.
That would be an avenge killing. That is not murder, nor does God consider it murder, or He would have demanded that such people be executed for murder.
But if the manslayer [JR's note: or in AB's example, the adulterer who slept with the man's wife] at any time goes outside the limits of the city of refuge where he fled,and the avenger of blood finds him outside the limits of his city of refuge, and the avenger of blood kills the manslayer, he shall not be guilty of blood, - Numbers 35:26-27
http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Numbers35:26-27&version=NKJV
"he shall not be guilty of blood" is referring to "the avenger of blood (or in this case, marriage)."
Would you do away with "diminished responsibility"? Bear in mind that you've acknowledged that the Lennie character in Of Mice And Men wasn't a murderer.
Judges will fully punish those convicted of perjury, false confession, credible threat, conspiracy, abetting, or attempted crime, as though they had personally committed the crime; will flog and impose restitution on those convicted of slander, shall not grant nor have special immunity from prosecution; shall not give more lenient punishment to minors; shall not give special recognition to lawyers or experts in the law; shall not accept no-contest pleas or bargains; shall punish criminals for all collateral damage; and shall show no mercy to the guilty.
Does that answer your question?
Answered already.
Sure I do and refer to my earlier address above where it comes to the current system.
See above.
All addressed already.
:AMR:
So do I.
Only God would know.
Yes, it was.
Let me know if you want me to answer these. I feel like I addressed all your major points, but if there's anything else, let me know.