BDS

What, exactly, is the point of life unimprisonment?

Viti

Then you shouldn't assert it as fact.
Again, the number of humanists that oppose the death penalty or the number of religious that support it has nothing to do with my personal position, proves nothing, and evidences nothing.

From the link you provided

I have been under anesthesia 8 times. 4 of them used very light anesthesia, such as "twilight sleep", for minor surgeries. I felt no pain and was not aware of anything. The above quote is completely vague and meaningless and does nothing to evidence that the executed suffered or were in pain.


Anyway, the execution has taken place, and I don't think your letter was very convincing. If you are against the death penalty, I suggest you lobby your state legislators and be sure you have facts and arguments that are not based on atheism....use values most people are likely to share including devout Christians.

Matt the Medic

They sure make a big deal over lethal injections.

I don't think what laypeople realize is that I push the same drugs in the same dosages whenever I seek to rapidly intubate someone in the field, or in the hospital. The only difference is they do not intubate, and then push a potassium bolus for good measure.

Jehanne

Well, it is a fact, one that I am unable to prove at this time, though.

I suppose that no one on the IIDB should complain about "pro-lifers" ever again! What you are saying is that a "woman's right to choose" is relative, also!

The paper cited was published in the Lancet, a peer-reviewed journal. Are you saying (or implying) that the researchers are wrong? If so, how are you any different than a creationist?

I live in a state where there is no death-penalty. As far as my letter, again, most atheists are opposed to capital punishment. And, most Christians do rationalize their support of capital punishment with a belief in an afterlife.

Jehanne

Then why does Western Europe, which has no death penalty and fewer “lifers�? (only 25 people serving a “whole-life�? sentence in the entire UK), have a much lower murder rate and violent crime than does the US?

Jehanne

Are you saying that every murderer should be executed?

Reign_Cryogen

I would imagine it is the same reason those western Europeans talk real funny and don't speak American.
I'm asking a question. That is the implication of a question mark.

Viti

Fair enough
It is relative. All moral stances are relative. All any of us can do is try to convince others that our view is the more correct or better one. Arguing from popularity isn't very convincing.

I would need to see an actual study, and it would need to contain more than conjecture based on postmortem toxicology. People on both sides of any issue have been known to present findings in a skewed way.
Huh? You can't make a convincing argument so I am a creationist?

Great, and most of the people you are trying to convince with your letters are not atheists, and are, in fact, Christians, so arguing from atheism isn't going to change anyone's minds about the death penalty.

If your goal is to eliminate the death penalty in all states, you need to find some common ground with those who are in a position to make changes.

BDS

It's a well known fact that Western Europeans are wimps.

As for my "What is the point of life unimprisonment" -- I was trying to make a witty commentary on Reign's post. There's not much point to life OR death, to us atheists, is there?

Jehanne

Would you say the same thing about blacks? Hispanics?