Pope calls for worldwide ban on the death penalty.

"This is going to work better if you DON'T read the book."

Courtesy of Reuters:  

Pope Francis on Sunday called for the worldwide abolition of the death penalty, saying the commandment "You shall not kill" was absolute and equally valid for the guilty as for the innocent. 

Using some of his strongest words ever against capital punishment, he also called on Catholic politicians worldwide to make "a courageous and exemplary gesture" by seeking a moratorium on executions during the Church's current Holy Year, which ends in November. 

"I appeal to the consciences of those who govern to reach an international consensus to abolish the death penalty," he told tens of thousands of people in St. Peter's Square. 

"The commandment "You shall not kill," has absolute value and applies to both the innocent and the guilty," he told the crowd.

Uh, hey I don't want to be "that guy," and  I totally support this idea, but has the Pope read the book that is supposed to provide his moral compass?

For instance there is this passage from Deuteronomy 17:

2 If there be found among you, within any of thy gates which the LORD thy God giveth thee, man or woman, that hath wrought wickedness in the sight of the LORD thy God, in transgressing his covenant, 
3 And hath gone and served other gods, and worshipped them, either the sun, or moon, or any of the host of heaven, which I have not commanded; 
 4 And it be told thee, and thou hast heard of it, and enquired diligently, and, behold, it be true, and the thing certain, that such abomination is wrought in Israel: 
5 Then shalt thou bring forth that man or that woman, which have committed that wicked thing, unto thy gates, even that man or that woman, and shalt stone them with stones, till they die. 

Yeah I know, that's the Old Testament and a lot of Christians like to pretend that they get all of their moral guidance from the New Testament.

Well if true then this is what you are instructed to do in Luke 19:27:

But those mine enemies, which would not that I should reign over them, bring hither, and slay them before me.

Like I said, the Bible does not exactly give clear instructions on not murdering.

And if you want to choose God as your moral barometer.....well you don't want to choose God as your moral barometer.

By some estimates, just in the Bible alone, God has murdered somewhere between just below 3 million to 25 million people.

And if you take Creationists at their word, that death did not exist until after Eve ate of the Tree of Knowledge, that means every single creature that walks, swims, or flies on this planet has been murdered by God since that time just to punish mankind for the actions of two ignorant people.

So like I said, good on the Pope for calling for an end to the death penalty, but maybe he wants to base his reasoning on something less hypocritical like, I don't know, the Game of Thrones books for instance?