toldailytopic: Should AZ shooter Jared Loughner be forgiven?

[Nathon Detroit]

The TheologyOnline.com TOPIC OF THE DAY for January 13th, 2011 11:03 AM

toldailytopic: Should AZ shooter Jared Loughner be forgiven?

Take the topic above and run with it! Slice it, dice it, give us your general thoughts about it. Everyday there will be a new TOL Topic of the Day.
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[drbrumley]

As no crime was committed against my person, I do not have the authority to forgive this man...

 

[aSeattleConserv]

toldailytopic: Should AZ shooter Jared Loughner be forgiven?

Man (through government) has a responsibility to have justice carried out. The death penalty (which we both know Scripture endorses), is the only form of justice that can be served in this particular case.

As Christians, we all hope that Loughner asks Jesus to be his savior and that God forgives him in the end.

 

[bybee]

He is guilty of premeditated multiple murders by reason of insanity.

This ought to be one of the pleas in our criminal justice system.
There should not be any possibility that this person is ever allowed to be free.

 

[TomO]

As no crime was committed against my person, I do not have the authority to forgive this man...

:nono: Ditto....not my place.

As a member of society and a citizen with an interest in Justice though, I do call for his swift execution. lain:

 

[aSeattleConserv]

He is guilty of premeditated multiple murders by reason of insanity.

This ought to be one of the pleas in our criminal justice system.
There should not be any possibility that this person is ever allowed to be free.

The problem is bybee, there is always the "possibility" that Loughner could go free (unless he's righteously executed):

"A life-without-parole sanction is a legal provision that specifies that the remainder of the criminal's natural life will be spent in prison. The life-without-parole sanction gained popularity as people realized that a normal life sentence, even a 'natural life' sentence, does not necessarily mean that the offender will be behind bars for life. Almost every state has a provision in its laws so that an offender sentenced to life becomes eligible for parole after a set number of years, or can accrue 'good time' credits and thus be released. Further, in most states the governor, sometimes in concert with a board, may commute a prisoner's sentence or may pardon an individual. In those states, a governor could pardon a prisoner with a life sentence outright, or could commute a life-with-out-parole sentence so that the individual would then be eligible for parole...

http://deathpenalty.procon.org/view.answers.php?questionID=001016

 

[elohiym]

Forgiven in what sense?

 

[aSeattleConserv]

Forgiven in what sense?

What my first post stated.

Society has a responsiblity to punish Loughner, we cannot "forgive him" by letting him walk free.

Only God can "forgive" a sinner; man doesn't have that ability. Our only "forgiveness" can be done here on earth, either by letting him walk free or punishing him.

 

[drbrumley]

As Mr. Block correctly notes:

To whom, then, does the murderer owe his life? Obviously, to the heirs of the victim. If I murder a family man, for example, his widow and children then come to "own" me. They can put me to death, publicly, and charge admission for this event, or they can force me to do hard labor for the rest of my miserable life, the proceeds to go to them. It is a crime and a disgrace that such criminals now enjoy air conditioning, television, exercise rooms, etc. They owe a debt to (the heirs of) their victims, who are now, to add insult to injury, forced to pay again, through taxes, to maintain these miscreants in a relatively luxurious life, compared to what they richly deserve.

 

[elohiym]

Society has a responsiblity to punish Loughner, we cannot "forgive him" by letting him walk free.

That depends on his defenses under the laws of men, and what you mean by "walk free" and when that occurs, i.e. after rehabilitation in a mental institution.

 

[Nathon Detroit]

Forgiven in what sense?

In any sense.

 

[zippy2006]

Forgiven in what sense?

Modernity seems to think that forgiveness and punishment are mutually exclusive, though I think many Christians would disagree :think:

 

[Rusha]

From a justice stand point, NO ... he should not be forgiven. He should die via the death penalty.

As far as the victims and their families forgiving him, that's entirely up to them.

 

[WizardofOz]

I hope the victims families do find a way to forgive. Holding on to that kind of resentment is bad for the soul.

I'm sure it won't be easy but it's worth the effort. I guess it mostly depends on how psycho man carries himself during his trial.

 

[Sherman]

Complex question:

Legally--Not. He should pay the full penalty for his crimes. That means a swift trial with credible evidence and a speedy execution if the evidence does indeed show he is the murderer.

Spiritually--only if he is repentant and accepts Jesus as his savior. Jesus is the only means by which this egregious sin can be washed from him.

America as a land is polluted, largely, because we are too soft on felons. We give them much less then they deserve.

 

[elohiym]

In any sense.

Then Jesus answered your question with a parable. Matthew 18:23-35.

The conclusion: "So likewise shall my heavenly Father do also unto you, if ye from your hearts forgive not every one his brother their trespasses."

 

[chrysostom]

chickenman quoted Paul as saying that our sins are already forgiven

 

[JoeyArnold]

The TheologyOnline.com TOPIC OF THE DAY for January 13th, 2011 11:03 AM

toldailytopic: Should AZ shooter Jared Loughner be forgiven?

Take the topic above and run with it! Slice it, dice it, give us your general thoughts about it. Everyday there will be a new TOL Topic of the Day.
If you want to make suggestions for the Topic of the Day send a Tweet to @toldailytopic or @theologyonline or send it to us via Facebook.

What does it mean to be forgiven, to forgive?

Should killers suffer consequences or not?

If we forgive killers, will they still have to suffer consequences?

Can we forgive and punish the same people at the same time: or do we have to either punish or forgive?

 

[miriam]

Only the victims can forgive him. And whether they do or not is totally up to them. But I guarantee it won't mean a thing to him.

 

[horiturk]

as a person i could not forgive him,the fact that he killed a nine year old girl has a lot to do with that. i don't think he is insane,he planned it and thought it out and went through with it. he's cold,calculating and gave himself over to his animal paranoia and passions willingly.