In defense of the Torah: Rebellious Sons, and Their Punishment. Part 2

Atheists, and others, may object to capital punishment, saying that the Torah is, “cruel and immoral.”  However, we find loyal Jews commenting the same with respect to rebellious sons in Talmud.  Many people have a hard time wrapping their heads around the idea that such people can exist.  However, psychology does know of sociopaths; defined as - people born without a conscious that can never have one, and will do evil at every chance (evil rebellious children that only become evil adults), and such people, rebellious sons, should be considered as candidate for the punishment of death.  That is, psychologists believe that the premise of some religions - that everyone knows right from wrong - is not true.  This is the psychological diagnosis: “Antisocial personality disorder,” for which there is no cure.

It is not even a sociopath’s fault that he or she is a sociopath.  This disorder is simply something they are born with, and live all of their life with.

There is no diagnosis most psychologists believe is more despicable.  Even psychologists usually have less compassion for sociopaths.  Sociological disorders are the only diagnosis professionals commonly feel this way about. A psychologist would be more likely to say murder should be forgiven, than say that sociopath is not a waste of flesh.  Psychologists generally respond with compassion for every other psychological disease.

The Torah requires three eye witnesses to put someone to death, a trial, and several other measures, such as a warning and an acceptance of a warning (intent), and that the person does it anyway after the warning, to prevent a miscarriage of justice.  Assuming, Judaic law (a utopian ideal for me), I believe that if three licensed psychiatrists (read “elders” Deuteronomy 21:20) diagnose a child as a sociopath, then that son should be put to death because the world will be better off.

I do not believe in capital punishment by pelting anyone with stones.  Sociopaths should be put to death by lethal injection.  The Talmud says that, “When one sins it is as if their heart turns to stone.”  Thus, I believe death by lethal injection is humane and correct replacement to the old way of pelting criminals with stones, as lethal injection causes a person’s heart to turn to stone.