Capital Punishment: Murder?

Originally posted by rwingett
Since the evidence indicates overwhelmingly that capital punishment is not a deterrent, it would be reasonable to conclude that those examples are due to other factors. After all, it would be foolish to conclude that capital punishment is only a deterrent in New Hampshire, but not anywhere else. Plus if you look at the number of executions, you'll see that ...[text shortened]... ving the death penalty, New Hampshire has not actually executed anyone in the last three years.

I haven't seen any overwhelming evidence of such things. Like I said before, picking the right statistics can seem to prove any point you wish.

Originally posted by stellspalfie
its funny that if you look at the list of countries that still have the death penalty its a who's who of americas enemies. it would seem you guys have more in common with china, n korea, cuba, iran, iraq and pakistan than you would like to think.

http://www.theatlantic.com/international/archive/2011/07/map-which-countries-use-the-death-penalty/241490/

Here's a map showing death penalty status by country around the world.

Originally posted by robbie carrobie
all you have done is quote a bunch of scriptures, you still haven't told us what a soul is.

I thought you JWs always want scripture to support the truth of an idea. Maybe this is a better example:

So the Jews answered and said to Him, “What sign do You show to us, since You do these things?”

Jesus answered and said to them, “Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up.”

Then the Jews said, “It has taken forty-six years to build this temple, and will You raise it up in three days?”

But He was speaking of the temple of His body. Therefore, when He had risen from the dead, His disciples remembered that He had said this to them; and they believed the Scripture and the word which Jesus had said.

(John 2:18-22 NKJV)

As Jesus and Paul say, the body is like a temple or a house that you live in. The body has no "will" like the soul does, because it is not really you. The soul is really you and the body is only a physical dwelling place for your soul.

What is the watchtower definition of the body and the soul?

Originally posted by rwingett
http://www.theatlantic.com/international/archive/2011/07/map-which-countries-use-the-death-penalty/241490/

Here's a map showing death penalty status by country around the world.

Statistics can't really prove the truth of anything. They can only be used to support a hypothesis.

Originally posted by RJHinds
Statistics can't really prove the truth of anything. They can only be used to support a hypothesis.

stastics prove that even though you have the death penalty (which you claim puts people off murder) america still has a murder rate 4x that of western europe (which has no death penalty to put people off).

since 1976 to 2010 the southern states of america have executed 1072 people.
the northeast and midwest and west added together have executed 238 people.

guess which one has the highest homicide rate?

Originally posted by RJHinds
Statistics can't really prove the truth of anything. They can only be used to support a hypothesis.

And the statistics strongly support my hypothesis that capital punishment is not a deterrent.

Originally posted by rwingett
And the statistics strongly support my hypothesis that capital punishment is not a deterrent.

Perhaps.

Originally posted by RJHinds
I thought you JWs always want scripture to support the truth of an idea. Maybe this is a better example:

[b]So the Jews answered and said to Him, “What sign do You show to us, since You do these things?”

Jesus answered and said to them, “Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up.”

Then the Jews said, “It has taken forty-six years ...[text shortened]... l dwelling place for your soul.

What is the watchtower definition of the body and the soul?

The soul is really you and the body is only a physical dwelling place for your soul - RJH

again you have not explained what a soul is, all you have done is quote more
scriptures, so i will ask you again, what is a soul? If it is me, does hat mean its a
human being? Is it my personality? Is a personality the soul?

Originally posted by galveston75
And the big point here that is being missed, in God's eyes the wages of sin is death and that death of a person cancels out all previous sins. The slate is clean and that person is promissed a resurrection back to life in the future. So in an absolute way of justice that debt of the sin of killing another has been paid and now that guilty person is able ...[text shortened]... s beyond any justice system that man can institute.
Why would anyone have an issue with this?

Wait just a minute here.

Are you ACTUALLY saying that the sin in killing a person has been paid by that victim's death? That the act of killing a person accrues sin debt AND pays it off in one stroke?

What are you on, and did you bring enough for the whole forum?

Originally posted by robbie carrobie
The soul is really you and the body is only a physical dwelling place for your soul - RJH

again you have not explained what a soul is, all you have done is quote more
scriptures, so i will ask you again, what is a soul? If it is me, does hat mean its a
human being? Is it my personality? Is a personality the soul?

Why, oh why, robbie, do you ask these questions if you (supposedly) already know the answer?

Is it to make fun? Is your agenda to attempt to humiliate RJH with your answer?

Not showing a whole lot of love for your Christian brother there, are you?




And please, PLEASE don't give me your excuse that "RJH is not a Christian". So does that give you license to humiliate ANYone?

No, it doesn't.

Originally posted by robbie carrobie
The soul is really you and the body is only a physical dwelling place for your soul - RJH

again you have not explained what a soul is, all you have done is quote more
scriptures, so i will ask you again, what is a soul? If it is me, does hat mean its a
human being? Is it my personality? Is a personality the soul?

So what is it Robbie, what is my soul doing while I am killing someone (feloniously or legally), is it pontificating about the hereafter, or perhaps it is sitting on my shoulder abhoring or applauding my actions.

Are we no more than seats for the cinema going souls who have come to watch God's latest greatest epic.

Originally posted by Suzianne
Why, oh why, robbie, do you ask these questions if you (supposedly) already know the answer?

Is it to make fun? Is your agenda to attempt to humiliate RJH with your answer?

Not showing a whole lot of love for your Christian brother there, are you?




And please, PLEASE don't give me your excuse that "RJH is not a Christian". So does that give you license to humiliate ANYone?

No, it doesn't.

Why, oh why, robbie, do you ask these questions if you (supposedly) already know the answer? suzzianne

I know what my understanding of the term soul is, but i want RJH to explain what his is,
isn't that obvious? RJHinds belittles himself, he doesn't need me to do it and whether
he is a Christian is for Jesus to decide, now if you are finished being cynical perhaps
you will tell me what a soul is?

Originally posted by kevcvs57
So what is it Robbie, what is my soul doing while I am killing someone (feloniously or legally), is it pontificating about the hereafter, or perhaps it is sitting on my shoulder abhoring or applauding my actions.

Are we no more than seats for the cinema going souls who have come to watch God's latest greatest epic.

actually our understanding is that the whole person is a soul, not that transient entity
exists within us that is capable of transcending death. A soul is simply a living
breathing entity that has been animated with life. I think Jehovahs Witnesses are
entirely unique in that we do not believe that a part of us transcends death, unlike very
religion I can think of.

Originally posted by robbie carrobie
actually our understanding is that the whole person is a soul, not that transient entity
exists within us that is capable of transcending death. A soul is simply a living
breathing entity that has been animated with life. I think Jehovahs Witnesses are
entirely unique in that we do not believe that a part of us transcends death, unlike very
religion I can think of.

You still believe in an afterlife though.

Originally posted by googlefudge
You still believe in an afterlife though.

How can I believe in an afterlife when i do not profess that any part of a human
transcends death? I believe that there will be a resurrection, not an afterlife, in fact,
the teaching of the resurrection is incompatible with that of an afterlife, because how
can you be resurrected if you have not really died, but have transcended death?