Warning: Use of undefined constant referer - assumed 'referer' (this will throw an Error in a future version of PHP) in /usr/home/essaywo/public_html/essays on line 102

Warning: Use of undefined constant host - assumed 'host' (this will throw an Error in a future version of PHP) in /usr/home/essaywo/public_html/essays on line 105

Warning: Cannot modify header information - headers already sent by (output started at /usr/home/essaywo/public_html/essays:102) in /usr/home/essaywo/public_html/essays on line 106

Warning: Cannot modify header information - headers already sent by (output started at /usr/home/essaywo/public_html/essays:102) in /usr/home/essaywo/public_html/essays on line 109
Christian Love And Community - School Essays

Christian Love And Community


A central principle of a just society is that every person has an equal right to "life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness." Within that framework, an argument for capital punishment can be formulated along the following lines: some acts are so vile and so destructive of community that they invalidate the right of the perpetrator to membership and even to life. A community founded on moral principles has certain requirements. The right to belong to a community is not unconditional. The privilege of living and pursuing the good life in society is not absolute. It may be negated by behavior that undermines the nature of a moral community. The essential basis on which community is built ...

Want to read the rest of this paper?
Join Essayworld today to view this entire essay
and over 50,000 other term papers

null and void their own right to membership. Those who violate the personhood of others, especially if this is done persistently as a habit must pay the ultimate penalty. This punishment must be inflicted for the sake of maintaining the community whose foundation has been violated. We can debate whether some non-lethal alternative is a fitting substitute for the death penalty. But the standard of judgment is whether the punishment fits the crime and sufficiently honors the nature of moral community.
LOVE AND AN IDEAL SPIRITUAL COMMUNITY
Agape, Christian love, is unconditional. It does not depend on the worthiness or merit of those to whom it is directed. It is persistent in seeking the good of others regardless of whether they return the favor or even deserve to be treated well on the basis of their own incessant wrongdoing. An ideal community would be made up of free and equal citizens devoted to a balance between individual self-fulfillment and the advancement of the common ...

Get instant access to over 50,000 essays.
Write better papers. Get better grades.


Already a member? Login

of course, but some kind of service to the community might be required as a way of partially making amends.

EVALUATION

Such, in brief, is the argument for and against capital punishment, one founded on justice and the nature of moral community, the other resting on love and the nature of an ideal spiritual community. If we stand back from this description and make an attempt at evaluation, one point is crucial. The love ethic requires a high degree of moral achievement and maturity. It is more suitable for small, closely-knit communities in which members know each other personally and in some depth. Forgiveness and reclamation flourish best in a setting in which people can ...

Succeed in your coursework without stepping into a library.
Get access to a growing library of notes, book reports,
and research papers in 2 minutes or less.


CITE THIS PAGE:

Christian Love And Community. (2008, March 23). Retrieved December 22, 2024, from http://www.essayworld.com/essays/Christian-Love-And-Community/80991
"Christian Love And Community." Essayworld.com. Essayworld.com, 23 Mar. 2008. Web. 22 Dec. 2024. <http://www.essayworld.com/essays/Christian-Love-And-Community/80991>
"Christian Love And Community." Essayworld.com. March 23, 2008. Accessed December 22, 2024. http://www.essayworld.com/essays/Christian-Love-And-Community/80991.
"Christian Love And Community." Essayworld.com. March 23, 2008. Accessed December 22, 2024. http://www.essayworld.com/essays/Christian-Love-And-Community/80991.
JOIN NOW
Join today and get instant access to this and 50,000+ other essays


PAPER DETAILS
Added: 3/23/2008 09:04:23 PM
Category: Religion
Type: Premium Paper
Words: 2475
Pages: 9

Save | Report

SHARE THIS PAPER

SAVED ESSAYS
Save and find your favorite essays easier

SIMILAR ESSAYS
» Capital Punishment: For And Aga...
» The Roots Of Judaism And Christ...
» Compare And Contrast The Aims
» Martin Luther King
» Gay Marriages-Acceptable To God...
» Martin Luther King
» The Beliefs Of Martin Luther Ki...
» The Christian Coalition: A Smal...
» Comparison Of Martin Luther Kin...
» More's Utopia And Huxley's Brav...
Copyright | Cancel | Contact Us

Copyright © 2024 Essayworld. All rights reserved