A must-read on abortion and the death penalty

Death Penalty and Abortion :

In terms of moral theology there are several reasons why abortion and the death penalty are not of equal weight.

The first is the question of proportion. .... Generally speaking in the United States about 50 criminals are executed every year. This compares to well over a million abortions each year.

The second issue we need to consider is ability to resist the violence which takes life. The criminal being executed has no way to resist the executioner. However, he or she does have the full process of law and numerous appeals through all the courts of the land before the execution takes place. ....

In addition to this, the criminal had the choice not to commit the crime for which he or she is being executed. ....

The unborn infant has absolutely no choice or ability to resist the violence inflicted upon them. The unborn child is a totally innocent victim. The condemned criminal is not.

This brings us to the third issue: guilt of the condemned. .... Most often the criminal is guilty himself of a violent crime. The unborn child, on the other hand, is completely innocent of any crime.

The fourth issue is one of personal or corporate responsibility. In the case of abortion individuals are making monumental decisions about the death of an innocent child. .... In the case of the death penalty the individual is put to death by the will of the people, decided by a democratic process, and executed anonymously so that it remains, as much as possible, the action of the corporate body done through legal means in the name of the body politic. ....

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Therefore we must consider the circumstances and intention of those seeking abortion and those seeking the death penalty. .... The circumstances and intentions surrounding abortion are complex, but the ultimate reasoning is that it is better to take an innocent life than to continue with the problems the pregnancy presents.

The circumstances and intentions of a state execution, on the other hand, are very different. The circumstances are clear: the prisoner has committed a heinous crime. His legal appeals are exhausted. The intention is that the state end his life as an act of justice. The culpability of this action is negligible compared to the culpability of a person who procures an abortion for self centered 'social' reasons.

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I hope no one will mis-understand this post. I should state clearly that I am opposed to the death penalty, and do not wish to support it in any way. Nevertheless, it is important to think through these moral issues with both clarity and compassion.