Theos-Talk Archives (June 2001 Message tt00099)

There is no specific consideration of the death penalty in the teachings. 
Mr. Judge wrote an article titled Capital Punishment and Theosophy. There are 
sufficient data in the articles on suicide and the after death states of 
soldiers written both HPB and Judge to give thoughtful theosophists pause in 
relation to the death penalty. In both situations there is a violent 
separation of the physical body from the other principles. The person is not 
really dead. It functions on the astral plane with the ability to influence 
people who are sensitive or receptive to thoughts of revenge or hate or 
whatever. And it does this until the normal course of life has been expended 
till the astral body disintegrates. This may be for decades. Think of the 
psychological states of both suicides and death penalty recipients. Think 
also of how the last thoughts of an individual affect the after death states. 
Do we want these uncontrolled entities peopling the astral light?

Myrra Lee