Is it wrong to feel sympathy for these criminals?

[meatnub]

Gangsters, murderers, rapists, serial killers, pedophiles, you-name-
it.

These were all once innocent children. But something went wrong.
Mental Illness? No parents? Abused as children? Who knows.

Of course, they are adults and most ought to know better, but they
don't, for whatever reason.

I am not a religious man, but was raised Roman Catholic. I don't
believe in god but I believe in 2nd chances and forgiveness. Except
how do you give a second chance to a rapist, pedohpile or serial
killer?

I don't think these people should be free to walk the streets. They
often disgust me for the crimes they have done, and I would prefer to
see them hanged, castrated, euthanized, whatever than to sit alive in
jail.

But then I find myself sympathizing for these people who were once
children themselves, and someone let them down. But again, that
doesn't make me want to hug them or pat them and say "there, there".

I know it's not wrong to feel however I do. But I just wonder at times
and wonder if I'm alone in the way I think or feel about this?

[meatnub]

And just to follow up, I know that many criminals do what they do out
of the sheer enjoyment, and DO know better, have the IQ to know better
and mental aptitude to know better, but don't care and enjoy killing,
raping, etc. I don't have a bleeding heart for these people.

So of course, the problem is then, how do I know which criminals are
"bad" because of something that happened to them as children, and
which ones are "bad" out of pure pleasure.

[kevirwin]

Getting into the "question of evil" in this forum can lead to long-
winded dissertations on how the concept is completely subjective (or
not).

Blame it on “life”…

Just a thought,
K e v

[Chronos]

We were all children once. Some folks had tough childhood, were raised by"
the street", saw and went through plenty of uglyness in their life, but
still remain humain and unwilling to hurt another human being. Maybe it's
due to proper brain chemistry balance.

[turtoni]

"Chronos"

that doesn't justify the "ugliness" to imagine it gives balance.

"violence breeds violence"

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b9jIKX2ntpU

"If it's true a rich man leads a sad life
That's what they say, from day to day
Then what do the poor do with their lives?
On judgment day, with nothin' to say?

I've been beat up, I've been thrown Out
But I'm not down, Oh I'm not down
I've been shown up, but I've grown up
And I'm not down, Oh I'm not down

On my own I faced a gang of jeering
In strange streets
When my nerves were pumping out
I Fought my fear in, I didn't run
I was not done

I've been beat up, I've been thrown Out
But I'm not down, No I'm not down
I've been shown up, but I've grown up
And I'm not down, No I'm not down

So I have lived, that kind of day
When none of your sorrows will go away
Go down and down and hit the floor
Down and down and down some more
Depression
But I know, there'll be some way
When I can swing everything back my way
Like skyscrapers, rising up
Floor by floor, I'm not giving up

So you rock around and think that
You're the toughest
In the world, the whole wide world
But you're streets away from where
It gets the roughest
You ain't been there"

[curmudgeon]

As seen on a bumper sticker

*GOD forgives Sinners not Criminals*

[ZerkonX]

On Thu, 22 May 2008 09:30:48 -0700, meatnub wrote:

> I don't think these people

'these people" are, in fact, individuals not 'these people'.

[ZerkonX]

On Fri, 23 May 2008 00:30:17 -0600, curmudgeon wrote:

> *GOD forgives Sinners not Criminals*

Oh really? which god is that? For instance, who is the only single
person promised heaven in the New Testament?

[tg]

On May 22, 1:00 pm, meatnub <meat...@gmail.com> wrote:

Except that the feeling of pleasure they get might be because of what
happened to them as children. Or brain chemistry, or whatever. In this
respect, they are no different from anyone else---you could ask the
same question about someone whose behavior you admire, right?

The only reason to be concerned with any of that is if it shows the
way to change the behavior. Otherwise, it makes no sense to feel
either anger or pity (assuming you or someone close isn't a victim or
perpetrator). If someone is not deterred by the law, they must suffer
the consequence, and perhaps be permanently incarcerated.

-tg

[bigfl...@gmail.com]

To enjoy such behaviour is equally, if not a greater example of
'malfunction'

There is work going on at some unis on the 'criminal gene'.

I have no doubt whatever that such a genetic link exists.

If that is true, how does one punish a person because of a genetic
inheritence.

If you look at this logically, there is a parallel with racism.Some
are punished for their physical inheritance.

Of course we have to protect society.

Answers? Of course there are, otherwise the questions would not exist.

They also become clear when one considers karma and reincarnation.

From a Biblical perspective, the contradicton between "the sins of the
fathers' and "as ye sow" is resolved.

BOfL

[bigfl...@gmail.com]

Two songs came to mind..

Blame It On The Bossanova...

and of course..

"Thats Life"

Not so silly if you consider the 'dance of life'. Even the Hindus can
relate to that one with their 'dance of shiva' although I dont think
she dances the bossanova..:-)

See why I like the replacement of the word God, with Life.

BOfL

[bigfl...@gmail.com]

Brian !!!

BOfL