Al-Qaeda leader should be punished, but the late archbishop wouldn't have wanted his abductor executed.
Whatever you think about the morality of the death penalty in general, you’ve got to admire the leaders of the Chaldean Christians in Iraq. In a land that is torn by ethnic and religious power struggles—a place where memories of past travesties are nurtured for the sake of political advantage—these Christians have responded in a very Christian manner to the Iraqi Central Criminal Court’s death sentence for the Al Qaeda leader who abducted and perhaps killed their archbishop.
Paulos Faraj Rahho was kidnapped February 29. His body was discovered March 13. (The cause of death is still uncertain, since Rahho suffered from a heart condition and his body appeared not to have been shot.)
Compass Direct offers this report of church leaders’ response to the death sentence:
Speaking from Baghdad, Auxiliary Bishop Shlemon Warduni said that Ahmed should be punished for his crime but that executing him would be pointless.
“If somebody is killed I think there is no use in it for the Iraqi people,” the Chaldean church leader said. “Our principles are love and pardon and reconciliation.”
Chaldean Archbishop of Kirkuk Louis Sako openly condemned the sentence.
“We are not satisfied with this decision, because the church is against the death penalty,” he told Agence France-Presse yesterday.
An AKI (AdnKronosInternational) news item added these quotes from Warduni:
"We pursue peace, security and reconciliation in Iraq, all the things that Monsignor Rahho fought for during his life," said Shlemon Warduni, current auxiliary bishop in Baghdad, quoted by the Italian bishop's conference news agency SIR on Monday.
...
"Monsignor Rahho, would not have accepted the sentence. Christian principles say it is not allowed to sentence someone to death, and instead it invites us to forgiveness, reconciliation and justice."
In that cultural and historical context, with a seeming endless pattern of violence and vengeance, that is a costly and credible witness to Jesus and his teaching: "You have heard that it was said, 'Love your neighbor and hate your enemy.' But I tell you: Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, that you may be sons of your Father in heaven."
Posted by David Neff on May 21, 2008 2:40PM
Comments
Thank God that Christian leaders are finally taking a stand for God's love to prevail over every situation; even one as tragic as this. If the Kingdom of God is to move forward in our generation it will be built on the kingdom keys of love, reconciliation and restoration. These are the central planks of the salvation message of Jesus Christ, and should be the central planks on which the Christian church moves forward with the plan of God to our generation. God bless those who had the moral and spiriatual strength to "stand" (Eph 6) on this decision, based on love and reconcialiation, the place where ambassadors of the Kingdom will spread God's wonderful love.
Posted by: Mark Dodd at May 22, 2008
That indeed, is what Christianity all about.This is the foundation of our faith and the basis of our sins to be forgiven by our Saviour. But is is sad to see that some section of the church of God wan't or can not forgive and habour grudges and hatred toward others which will endanger their salvation a great deal. Apart from the bible take for an example the AMISH comunity in the U.S.
Posted by: olaf Raasch at May 24, 2008
The principle of forgiving ones enemies is indeed scriptural. May the spewers of hatred in the moslem camp take note of this act of kindness and employ it in their dealings with their Christian neighbors.
Posted by: Sandra Lee at May 27, 2008
The imposition of the death penalty certainly does not conflict with Christian principles. Just the opposite.
This recent, clear review by Andrew Tallman
"If Jesus elsewhere opposes capital punishment, then He is not only contradicting the Father but even His own words."
"The doctrine of the Trinity affirms the eternal unity of all three persons of the Godhead, but such a fundamental disagreement between the Son and the Father would rupture this unity. In fact, if Jesus had contradicted any of the Father’s principles, let alone such a well-established one, that very disagreement would have immediately disproved His claims to be the divine Son."
"This was exactly the heresy the Pharisees were hoping to trap Him into when they brought the woman caught in adultery to Jesus. Even His enemies knew that He absolutely had to affirm capital punishment in order to prove Himself not a false prophet."
http://andrewtallmanshowarticles.blogspot.com/2008/04/why-i-support-capital-punishment-part-8.html
Posted by: Dudley Sharp at May 29, 2008
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