Tell that to the ones who lost family members. God gave us laws with penalties for breaking them for a reason. Thou shalt not kill. Punishment is death. Nothing more for me to think about.
When people do truly wicked deeds they should be punished quickly and permanently to deter future evil doers at least somewhat from doing it too. When the only punishment is 3 meals a day and a place to sleep for murdering and raping people then the law has no teeth in my opinion. When laws have no teeth you won't have order.
At one time I would have agreeded with you. As I have gotten older, I think that is God's job.
Everybody should be given the chance to repent or redeem. That is what God tell's me.
No?
No, because he gave us laws and he gave penalties for breaking those laws. Not following what he has written to do doesn't lead to kinder happier people. It leads to dope heads and murderers who don't fear the law and just commit crimes without fear of any serious punishment. I mean currently you can brutally rape a woman and probably get out after a year or two because they don't want to punish you but get you back out on early parole. You can cripple a person for life and get out after 2-3 years. Kill someone and you might get 5 years. The punishments don't fit the crime at all.
What Jesus says about the law:
"In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven. Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them, but to fulfill them. For I tell you truly, until heaven and earth pass away, not a single jot, not a stroke of a pen, will disappear from the Law until everything is accomplished.…" (Matthew 5:17)
To me it's pretty clean cut. Society doesn't last long without reasonable laws that are enforced fairly. Long jail times just make a person go crazy 99.99 percent of the time. It's far more merciful IMHO to get things over with quickly. I think jail time for longer than 5 years is cruel and unusual punishment. What he spends life in prison and is supposed to get parole after 20 years and suddenly become a saint? It just doesn't work that way.
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