I think we're communicating better now, Raedwulf. :-)

Keep in mind that my snarky remarks (which you orginally objected to) were directed at Clinton Hammond! Clinton and I have a thing going where although we like each other (at least, I like and respect him), we disagree fundamentally on all kinds of philosophical matters, and insult each other with absolute abandon at any excuse. It's sort of an "in joke" at this point, between me, Clinton, and Raptor. Clinton is one of my most worthy opponents on Mudcat, along with Wolfgang, Troll, and one or two others...depending on what's being discussed (politics, religion, science, UFO's, William Shatner, etc...)

Obviously, word of my classic feud with Clinton has not reached everyone on this forum...so I have to watch what I say, I guess, lest in offending Clinton, I offend many!

The primary reason I am opposed to capital punishment is that I have strong spiritual beliefs (NOT religious beliefs...I belong to no specific religion or church), and those spiritual beliefs tend to make me very opposed to premeditated, calculated killing of helpless people by an individual, a government, or an authority. My beliefs don't cause me to be opposed to killing in self-defence or in defense of others "in the heat of the moment", so to speak, when there may be no other recourse...I'm just opposed to killing people who have been captured, subdued, imprisoned, etc. I'm likewise opposed to torturing them. I don't consider either activity justifiable. I think it's vengeance, not practicality, and I am well convinced by now that vengeance is a useless indulgence...although it's definitely an impulse that is very strong in most people...and it makes for wonderfully gripping stories (ever read Louis L'Amour?).

I'm a real cynic too...but maybe not about the same things as you. I'm cynical about governments, churches, laws, traditions, class structures, educational systems, stuff like that...the world's authority structures, in other words. I'm not cynical about spiritual matters, moral matters, or love (in the larger than just romantic sense of the word).

So of course, my views are subjective. I wouldn't even consider working money into the equation of whether or not someone should be killed by society...and I cannot imagine that a person could truly be intrinsically worthless....although...they could most certainly be in a temporarily worthless state of mind (for whatever reason).

The best way I can explain it is: I cannot ultimately judge the worth of any other human being, I can only judge his acts. I may imprison him for antisocial acts (and the danger he may commit more such), but not because he is intrinsically worth less than another human being. I frankly don't know what he's worth, and neither does anyone else...nor can they know it.

I believe the worth of any human soul is a mystery that is simply beyond our calculations. So, like you say, I'm subjective in my opinions.

- LH