Changes

:::::::::: Thinking about this, it seems the death penalty is something that was present in just about every culture around the world. Therefore the pertinent question is, who first came up with the idea of ''not'' having the death penalty, and why? I know the secularist Cesare Beccaria argued against it in the 18th century; do you know of anybody prior to that?--[[User:CPalmer|CPalmer]] 09:50, 28 May 2009 (EDT)

:::::::::: Thinking about this, it seems the death penalty is something that was present in just about every culture around the world. Therefore the pertinent question is, who first came up with the idea of ''not'' having the death penalty, and why? I know the secularist Cesare Beccaria argued against it in the 18th century; do you know of anybody prior to that?--[[User:CPalmer|CPalmer]] 09:50, 28 May 2009 (EDT)

::::::::: You're most welcome! I suppose the purpose of exhuming and burning a dead heretic (I am presuming here that he died of natural causes) was to set an example and show people that he was indeed evil, and that people should not follow his teachings. For every crime, there must be a punishment - everyone is equal under the law, from dictators (Saddam Hussein) to the dead (aforementioned heretic). [[User:GeorginaD|GeorginaD]] 15:49, 27 May 2009 (EDT)

::::::::: You're most welcome! I suppose the purpose of exhuming and burning a dead heretic (I am presuming here that he died of natural causes) was to set an example and show people that he was indeed evil, and that people should not follow his teachings. For every crime, there must be a punishment - everyone is equal under the law, from dictators (Saddam Hussein) to the dead (aforementioned heretic). [[User:GeorginaD|GeorginaD]] 15:49, 27 May 2009 (EDT)

::::::::::: You seem to be correct about the notion of using execution and cremation as a way of "expunging evil." According to Catholic Encyclopedia (please alert me if you deem it too liberal a source), "[t]he nations of modern Europe, as they gradually developed, seemed to have agreed upon the necessity of extirpating all influences and agencies which tended to pervert the faith of the people, or which seemed to them to betray the potency of evil spirits. Therefore, the laws of all these nations provided for the destruction of contumacious unbelievers, teachers of heresy, witches, and sorcerers, by fire." <ref>http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/12565a.htm</ref> --[[User:Economist|Economist]] 17:03, 27 May 2009 (EDT)

::::::::::: You seem to be correct about the notion of using execution and cremation as a way of "expunging evil." According to Catholic Encyclopedia (please alert me if you deem it too liberal a source), "[t]he nations of modern Europe, as they gradually developed, seemed to have agreed upon the necessity of extirpating all influences and agencies which tended to pervert the faith of the people, or which seemed to them to betray the potency of evil spirits. Therefore, the laws of all these nations provided for the destruction of contumacious unbelievers, teachers of heresy, witches, and sorcerers, by fire." <ref>http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/12565a.htm</ref> --[[User:Economist|Economist]] 17:03, 27 May 2009 (EDT)

*His Holiness is in fact both a political and spiritual leader.  He is subject to the very same pressures, from the left and right, as all ''political leaders''.  It is on matters of Faith and/or Morals that Holy Mother Church says his teachings, coming as they do from the True and Inspired Word of God, where Catholics consider him to be infalliable. GeorginaD, you are correct in what you say, but it almost incomprensible, on both sides of the Atlantic, what "conservative" means in the EU and vice-versa. Thankfully Pontiff's have most always ignored termporal clamorings and taken a rather long view, historically speaking.  Of course their are notable exceptions, such as John-Paul's intimate knowledge of Communism, and its barbarism, causing him to weigh in on this most recent battle between good and evil. --[[User:TK|'''₮K''']]_{<small><small>/Admin</small></small>}^{[[User_Talk:TK|/Talk]]} 15:28, 27 May 2009 (EDT)

*His Holiness is in fact both a political and spiritual leader.  He is subject to the very same pressures, from the left and right, as all ''political leaders''.  It is on matters of Faith and/or Morals that Holy Mother Church says his teachings, coming as they do from the True and Inspired Word of God, where Catholics consider him to be infalliable. GeorginaD, you are correct in what you say, but it almost incomprensible, on both sides of the Atlantic, what "conservative" means in the EU and vice-versa. Thankfully Pontiff's have most always ignored termporal clamorings and taken a rather long view, historically speaking.  Of course their are notable exceptions, such as John-Paul's intimate knowledge of Communism, and its barbarism, causing him to weigh in on this most recent battle between good and evil. --[[User:TK|'''₮K''']]_{<small><small>/Admin</small></small>}^{[[User_Talk:TK|/Talk]]} 15:28, 27 May 2009 (EDT)