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Deacon John Harden's avatar

Insofar as the Deposit of Faith is equivalent to all that has been revealed for the sake of our salvation, (and not mere human curiosities), then it is indeed the fullness of the Gospel. You can abbreviate the Gospel message in various Symbols of Faith or Kerygmatic formulas, but that is simply an abbreviation. The Gospel is the Deposit of Faith.

Regarding Capital Punishment ... I'm generally opposed to it, not on doctrinal grounds, but on pragmatic concerns. I loathe the idea of the state claiming the right to kill you under certain circumstances. I think it imprudent for any society to see that as a good, insofar as power corrupts, and absolute power corrupts absolutely. It's a terrifying thing to consider.

That being said, those who oppose the death penalty as such, have a serious unfounded optimism about the human condition that does not comport to reality. Putting someone behind bars doesn't make them inert. Violent crimes happen more in prison than in any other place in our society.

What if you were in prison with these persons? Should you not have the right to be free from the fear of rape, assault, and murder? For this reason, it seems the state has a duty to utilize capital punishment in those situations where a violent offender, once incarcerated, continues to engage in violent behavior, especially if it involves rape, homicide, or attempted murder.

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Philip's avatar

"But I would ask that you do so, and converse with each other, in a spirit of Christian charity. This isn’t Twitter."

Nobody deserves the Twitter-level of dialogue. I think we should aim for at least the Catholic Answers forum (pre-shutdown) level of understanding and discourse.

"If 10% of the tens of thousands of free readers getting this newsletter subscribed at $5 a month, well, I would sleep considerably better than my 18-month-old baby does. "

Your pleas have touched my heart and stirred me to action. I now entitle you and your team to one medium sized Starbucks coffee per month on me. You'll all have to share though...

Thank you for all the great journalism work you, JD, and the entire Pillar team do!

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