Scott Peterson gets the death penalty

Story from MSNBC.

Don't get me wrong. I think Peterson was guilty as sin. And his crimes were unbelievably heinous. His own wife! His own son! (Incidentally, that was quite a victory for the pro-life movement - a conviction for the murder of an unborn child.)

However, on principle, I am against the death penalty (in almost all cases), and that holds true in this case, too. I don't see how killing Scott helps anybody, least of all, his victims. I have read reports about how witnessing the execution of the perpetrator does very little in terms of "closure" for the victim's family. There is also the necessity of acknowledging the possibility for reform and repentance. Scott's a scumbag, all right, but that doesn't mean that God couldn't touch his heart.

Of course, I understand why people want him to pay the ultimate price. It is difficult, if not impossible, to wrap one's mind around the degree of cruelty and callousness required to kill your 8-months pregnant wife in cold blood. Anger is certainly a legitimate reaction, and I was angry, too. However, I felt a chill down my spine when I heard that people outside the courthouse cheered when the recommendation of death was read. I don't know. I think it would be quite appropriate for him to rot in prison. Other people seem to actively want him to rot in Hell. Which is a horrible position for any Christian to take (or should I say "so-called Christian"?) and a pretty disturbing stance for any normal person to hold.

I'm not saying I don't understand the desire for the death penalty. It's the I-won't-be-happy-unless-he's-damned-for-all-eternity point of view that I find chilling. It sounds like an attitude that, well, Scott would have!