Personally I disagree with him but characterizing him as being opposed to the death penalty is simply not accurate based on this quote. He made a point of saying he opposes a federal death penalty. Perhaps he clarified this more elsewhere.
He believes that if a state decides they want to allow murders to live then they should be permitted to allow them to live. He is anti-death penalty, state by state.
The cynicism you guys have as well as the willful distortion you're content to use is actually somewhat surprising.
All Paul supports is exactly the system we have in place now. He's just as much a supporter of a state enacting capital punishment as he is supportive of a state's decision to rescind the death penalty. It's completely ignorant and puerile to call him "anti-death penalty" when his position's of course more nuanced than that.
Are you guys incapable of thinking of any issue outside an either/or black or white yes or no matrix? I'm dead serious.
Not only that but it is in self-contradiction to Ron Paul's own clearly stated allegiance to the Constitution, which gives the states no such right.
Resting in Him,
Clete
If a state decided to abolish the death penalty Ron Paul would support that decision.
How is that not anti-death penalty?
He places the rights of the state over the concerns of justice. Ron Paul's error is in his belief that the states have the right to decide what is and what is not just. The state has no such right and the advocacy of such a right is fundamentally unjust.
Not only that but it is in self-contradiction to Ron Paul's own clearly stated allegiance to the Constitution, which gives the states no such right.
Resting in Him,
Clete
NO! Of course the Federal government should have no such right. You're stupid Granite. You beg and plead with me to engage you in a debate and then inside of two posts of my doing so you resort to this sort of inane, idiotic nonsense.But the federal government should have such a right? Well that's a terrifying totalitarian prospect. Small wonder you see zero problem with it.
You know Clete, "big government" liberals have nothing on you. You're one of the more fervent advocates for a downright massive government on TOL. You guys love the idea of big government solving your problems. That's not a surprise: since nobody buys what you're selling anymore, coercion must seem awfully appealing.
NO! Of course the Federal government should have no such right. You're stupid Granite. You beg and plead with me to engage you in a debate and then inside of two posts of my doing so you resort to this sort of inane, idiotic nonsense.
Well this is obviously a lie but I'll respond to it anyway...
A Biblical government would be very small indeed compared to the monstrous beast that exists at every level of government in this country. The government has three and only three basic responsibilities...
1. To enforce civil and criminal justice.
2. To protect the nation's borders.
3. To build and maintain the nation's infrastructure.
Of course each of those things entail a great many details but really the point I am making here is that the government has no business feeding people, housing people, educating people, providing health care, etc, etc, etc. If the government minded its own business it could run itself with less than a 10% tax rate, much less. I'd hardly call that "big government". Indeed, the only thing about government that should be big is the stick it uses to clobber the criminal with.
Romans 13:3 For rulers are not a terror to good works, but to evil. Do you want to be unafraid of the authority? Do what is good, and you will have praise from the same. 4 For he is God’s minister to you for good. But if you do evil, be afraid; for he does not bear the sword in vain; for he is God’s minister, an avenger to execute wrath on him who practices evil. 5 Therefore you must be subject, not only because of wrath but also for conscience’ sake.
Resting in Him,
Clete
I guess the obvious question for you Clete is who granted the power to the Federal Government? Therein lies your answer.
NO! Of course the Federal government should have no such right. You're stupid Granite. You beg and plead with me to engage you in a debate and then inside of two posts of my doing so you resort to this sort of inane, idiotic nonsense.
Well this is obviously a lie but I'll respond to it anyway...
A Biblical government would be very small indeed compared to the monstrous beast that exists at every level of government in this country. The government has three and only three basic responsibilities...
1. To enforce civil and criminal justice.
2. To protect the nation's borders.
3. To build and maintain the nation's infrastructure.
Of course each of those things entail a great many details but really the point I am making here is that the government has no business feeding people, housing people, educating people, providing health care, etc, etc, etc. If the government minded its own business it could run itself with less than a 10% tax rate, much less. I'd hardly call that "big government". Indeed, the only thing about government that should be big is the stick it uses to clobber the criminal with.
Romans 13:3 For rulers are not a terror to good works, but to evil. Do you want to be unafraid of the authority? Do what is good, and you will have praise from the same. 4 For he is God’s minister to you for good. But if you do evil, be afraid; for he does not bear the sword in vain; for he is God’s minister, an avenger to execute wrath on him who practices evil. 5 Therefore you must be subject, not only because of wrath but also for conscience’ sake.
Resting in Him,
Clete
All authority flows from God. Any unjust use/abuse of that authority is an affront to God and is immoral and fundamentally unjust.
Romans 13:3 For rulers are not a terror to good works, but to evil. Do you want to be unafraid of the authority? Do what is good, and you will have praise from the same. 4 For he is God’s minister to you for good. But if you do evil, be afraid; for he does not bear the sword in vain; for he is God’s minister, an avenger to execute wrath on him who practices evil. 5 Therefore you must be subject, not only because of wrath but also for conscience’ sake.
drb,
You aren't making any sense.
How our government was formed is completely irrelevant to the point. Any law, in any nation, regardless of its form, source or derivation that effectively ends with "...and then you can kill the baby.", is a fundamentally unjust law and those that support the passage of such laws or even support the right to pass such laws are guilty of murder and have no business running for any office in any capacity in any nation, state, city or province.
I don't care if the state government pases the law or the federal government, or the Spanish, French or Sudanese government passes the law, the law is unjust - period. Get it?
Resting in Him,
Clete
How so?No kidding Sherlock! You came to this conclusion by yourself? I am not arguing it is a bad law if a state or nation legalizes the butchery. What I am saying is you go along with the problem by having the federal government (who won't be changed) keep on doing what they have been doing. You encourage them.
I'm anything but stupid DrB but I'm not simply going to take your word for it either.But your to darn stupid to figure that out.
No! I don't.I agree with you if California legalizes abortion, that it is a BAD LAW! And I agree we should put lots and lots of pressure on those states. But we have done alot to the FEDS and they haven't flinched! Why? Cause they have the power. And the guns. The Federal Government doesn't even follow the Constitution given to it by the states, so why not take them out of the picture entirely? Seems like the right thing to do! Get it?