Meat Sacrificed To Idols

1 Corinthians 8:

5 For even if there are so-called gods whether in heaven or on earth, as indeed there are many gods and many lords,

6 yet for us there is but one God, the Father, from whom are all things and we exist for Him; and one Lord, Jesus Christ, by whom are all things, and we exist through Him.

7 However not all men have this knowledge; but some, being accustomed to the idol until now, eat food as if it were sacrificed to an idol; and their conscience being weak is defiled.

8 But food will not commend us to God; we are neither the worse if we do not eat, nor the better if we do eat.

9 But take care that this liberty of yours does not somehow become a stumbling block to the weak.

10 For if someone sees you, who have knowledge, dining in an idol's temple, will not his conscience, if he is weak, be strengthened to eat things sacrificed to idols?

11 For through your knowledge he who is weak is ruined, the brother for whose sake Christ died.

12 And so, by sinning against the brethren and wounding their conscience when it is weak, you sin against Christ.

There has been much discussion in circles catholic about the Death Penalty and Saddam Hussein, and that discussion is mainly about the permissability of capital punishment in catholic tradition and doctrine. But, does being permissible also make it good?

Saddam Hussein was hanged for his crimes against Shiites, and would have been for his crimes against the Kurds as well, not as a protection against future crimes. This application follows from America, where juries are given to option of Life Without Parole as an alternative to execution. The executions, are not necessary for the protection of society, but are revenge for the crimes of the accused. If one needs evidence of this revenge, witness the celebrations that follow such executions.

The people who desire retribution are our weaker brothers, and the rope an idol of justice. Let's not encourage their worship of revenge by justifying the sacrifice of meat to their idols. Instead, we should be continually preaching mercy and redemption. Imagine if Saddam had a conversion while in prison, like Tim McVeigh before his execution, what a powerful witness that would have been. Now, we'll never know.