a site i visited posed the question:
is it a contradiction to be pro-life, & for capital punishment?
do you think so?
what about,,,
if you are pro-choice & against capital punishment, this is also a contradiction?
let`s hear your thoughts.....

Not in the least. Capital punishment is for adults that have killed someone. Being pro life is for all the children that will be born.

I don't think it's a contradiction, but I don't share those views. Based on life experiences, I've experienced sadness and rage about women aborting my babies twice, and my attitude towards the death penalty has changed over time. For the former, I am truly grateful to finally be a father and while painful and infuriating, would never usurp the right to anyone to remove any parasite from their body. At the same time, I refused to help in one case, and didn't know until after the fact for the latter.

As to the death penalty, simply put, it's not justice. It's revenge. We could easily afford to keep all murderers in jail for life if only we recognize that use of and trafficking of drugs is not really a crime, but rather a circus of events to create an all new slave society and financer of murder of people in other countries. The real crime as it relates to drugs starts with the government. See also, Iran/Contra, CIA plane crash in mexico circa 2008 (4 tons of cocaine), and the rise of Heroin since the war in Afghanistan and the increase of opium production to more than 8000 tons annually. The prison population increased from 3/8ths of a million in 1970 to 2.3 million today. We, the American people, lost the war on drugs.

I am Pro Choice. There is WAY too much value placed on human life over the rest of the life on this planet. Likewise this also touches on a quality of life issue especially if you know the child will be born defective. Who wants to be forced to have to take care of a retarded child who will grow up to be a dependent adult? No, I also do not like empowering Dr. Coat-hangar!

No. It is most definitely not a contradiction to have any combination of such positions. You can even throw in vegan and other assorted 'positions on harming others'. There is no permutation of such positions which is self-contradictory.

It only appears to some people that these combinations of positions are self-contradictory because they are making assumptions about why other people hold their positions. They oversimplify the landscape of beliefs that people have.

For example, Lillot is right to point out this difference:

i'm pro choice and for capital punishment... abortions should be made easier to get, and they should execute faster and more often... the money saved from inmates waiting on death row for 20 years could pay for the abortions...

Define the two terms - Pro-life & Pro-choice -
without specifically attributing either to abortion or to punishment.

For what other reasons would a person incorporate 'Pro-life' as part of their values? What moral implications would that have for this person?

Similarly, why would a person incorporate 'Pro-choice as part of their values? What moral implications would that have for this person?

The terms are not relavent only to abortion or to punishment, so what else could these apply to?

Just something to contemplate.

I think the term "Pro-Life" is misleading, anyway. To say you are pro-life is to imply that someone who is pro-choice is anti-life. I think a more accurate term is "anti-abortion". I have yet to meet anyone who LIKES the thought of abortion. A common misconception about pro-choice people is that they take abortion lightly. While that may be the case for a very small amount of people, the reality is that women have very strong maternal instincts and it is not an easy decision or a decision that anyone wants to be in the position to make. Unfortunately, some people are put into that position and it's not up to the government to judge them.
That being said, being pro-choice and against the death penalty have nothing to do with one another.
Being for the death penalty and anti-abortion have nothing to do with each other either. But if you call yourself PRO-LIFE, then yes, it is a contradiction. It would also be a contradiction to support war.

Well stated Libra...a valid point that does get over looked.

I'm a pacifist, I loathe war and all that comes with it.
I object to the death penalty and I'm pro choice.
I have been accused of 'supporting' 'condoning' or 'encouraging' abortion...that is not the case at all.

I have seen those who call themselves pro life, support war and I don't understand that... anymore than they understand my stance I suppose.

Perfect!

I am both!!

pro-life. (I am all for living!) I don't define that term to mean that you can't or shouldn't get an abortion.

Pro-choice (I am all for being free to make your own choices) - That is, FREEDOM.

If you define the terms only to mean for or against abortion, my opinion is that these are just politically correct terms to make both sides sound "right."

But if Pro-life really means pro-life, then you must also be against capitol punishment, mercy killings, war etc. If not, then yes it is a contradiction.

BUT if you are against abortion and in yet still in favor of killing, war and capitol punishment, that just means you like babies but when they grow up, then its okay to kill them.

If all humans are deserving of autonomy....or freedom of choice concerning their own bodies....why is the child being aborted not awarded this same basic human right?

being pro-life is different than being for capital punishment. I am very much for both. The difference to me is in the two lives. Being pro-life is all about a child,a baby who has the right to live,who is innocent and deserves to live. The death penalty is a 'punishment' for someone who has done terrible,horrible things. Serial killers deserve the death penalty. Someone who has done an unspeakable thing to someone. There is a BIG difference between the two.

You can call it whatever you wish, but murder is murder. Go ahead and sugar coat it and tell yourself whatever you need to to help you sleep at night, but the truth is the truth.

Agreed

I do, and I can also respect other people's opinions on it.

To be clear I was talking about the topic, not about anyone in particular.

Pro Life is Anti Woman plain and simple. Pro Life individuals look at women as breeders and not individuals. 2.9 million kids live in Orphanages in The United States. I don't see any of these Pro Life people adopting anytime soon.

Or, maybe they just don't like the idea of killing people.

What makes you so sure they don't adopt?

When did a fetus become a person? Show me some census records that show this.

I'm talking about what's true, not what's on paper.