Not Contradictory

There are two issues, both of which I feel strongly about, which some people feel are linked, though they are not. If you happen to be, like me, someone who is Pro-Life, and supports the Death Penalty, you can expect, at some time or another, to hear someone ask how you can reconcile these two, seemingly, opposing points of view. Of course, you are usually being asked the question by someone who supports abortion, while being anti-Death Penalty, but doesn't see their own views as contradictory, and also, usually, fail to see the irony of this situation. However, be that as it may, the real issue here is one of basic communication. Let me explain.

When someone like me is asked this question, "How can you reconcile being both Pro-Life, and in favor of the Death Penalty?" The questioner thinks they are asking, "How can you desire to deny the right of a woman to eliminate a mass of cells from her body, which cannot live on it's own, is not self aware, and is many years away from contributing anything to society, while at the same time you want to kill a full grown adult, who is self aware, self-sufficient, and could be rehabilitated back into being a productive member of society?" While the question I heard was, "Why do you want to protect the life of a little baby, who is fully and completely innocent, totally unable to defend itself, guilty of nothing, while being one of the greatest gifts God ever gave to mankind, while at the same time you think that a vile murderer (and in my opinion you could add child molesters) who has, by their own choices and actions, proven that they have no regard for human life, or the law, or basic human decency, guilty of some of the greatest crimes (on an individual level) known to man, should be put to death?" So, please forgive me if I look at you and say, "DUH!"

It really all comes down to where we place the value. For some, life starts a birth, and is nothing more than an accident of nature, and someones value as a person depends on what they bring to the table. Rights are granted by the State, and the State should not take away life from someone who has already been born. So, if someone even has the potential to be a contributing member of society, regardless of their crimes, they should be given another chance, and another and another, while an unborn baby doesn't even deserve one chance, because, in their view, it's not even alive yet.

On the flip side of this are people like me. Life is created by Almighty God at the time of (or more accurately, before) conception, and is therefore precious, and needs to be protected, and the right to live, or anything else, is also granted by God, and everyone is, in fact, created equal, and has value based on these facts alone. In addition, a person retains these rights as long as they remain innocent of these terrible crimes, but can forfeit these rights by their actions. Also, contrary to what some might tell you, there is nothing "Un-Christian" about the death penalty, as, in the book of Numbers, God clearly instructs Moses that Murderers are to be put to death, and is quite clear on the parameters of what constitutes a crime worthy of death. For us, it really is all about innocence. The baby is innocent and deserves protection, the murderer is not, and deserves death.

So, these two issues are not linked, nor are they in conflict, but they are often reflective of a persons core values and beliefs.

Lest you think that I am a heartless and wanton killer of criminals, let me assure you, just as it is laid out for us in Numbers, I do feel that something as severe as the death penalty should be carefully administered. To put it succinctly, let me quote the Character Gandalf the Grey from the Lord Of The Rings movie (the first one): "Some who live deserve death, but many who die deserve life, can you give it back to them?" Here again, it is about protecting the innocent.