[DRAFT] Coming Clean

[Jutsa]

So, this is a bit of an odd draft, but uh... hopefully it's an interesting one?

Title: Coming Clean
The Issue: While watching news coverage aired the confession of serial killer and video pirater @@RANDOMNAME_1@@, your Arch Bishop has taken noticed something rather peculiar — a high-ranking clergyman was involved. Upon your Bishop's meeting with the Clergymen, it turns out @@FIRSTNAME_1@@ was afraid the clergyman would channel divine energy that would punish @@HIM@@ if he didn't come clean with @@HIS@@ crimes and various sins.
Validity: Highly Religious; Monoreligious?, courts?

Option 1: "It was the police officer's idea," says clergyman @@RANDOMNAME@@, adorning the same symbol-clad attire @@HE@@ had during the confession. "@@FIRSTNAME_1@@ was about the most devout person you'd ever meet. It's a shame that @@HE_1@@ had committed @@HIS_1@@ sins, but I believe @@HE_1@@'s now forgiven by our Great Creator, who now holds it in our responsibility to punish @@HIM_1@@. I truly believe it would be in our nation's best interest to have a clergyman available at all police questionings, and instill the message that our Creator will forgive all those who repent, but forever burn those who don't."
[effect] trial witnesses are drowned in holy water and holy scriptures

Option 2: "That's all well and good, but holy power doesn't dish out punishments like that on this mortal plane," suggests the highly devout police officer, chaining a weighted ball to a duck. "It dishes out miracles. I propose we throw high-profile convicts who don't confess into boiling holy water. If they survive, then they're innocent. If they don't, well, then I guess they didn't deserve a miracle."
[effect] divine soup is surprisingly not very good for the soul

Option 3: "Heaven's mercy..." says your Arch Bishop, holding up a holy scripture to the police officer. "It's not that I don't believe in miracles, but asking our Creator to save every person we throw in a stew is surely too much, not to mention a devilish expense in holy water. We just need to reinforce the idea that you'll be treated better or worse in the afterlife the better or worse a person you are. Schools should teach those values to our youth at an early age, while unbelievers and criminals should be handed to the church to be set back on the path of righteousness."
[effect] you will be on the one true path whether you like it or not

Option 4: "Hey, I know this is a kind of bad time," says the convict from outside your office window, "but I just spilled my guts to the divine powers at be. They've forgiven me, so... maybe the state could as well?"
[effect] terrorists are forgiven for saying they're sorry

[Trotterdam]

So... what is the issue? I don't really see the structure of "several different solutions to the same problem". It's just several courses of action only loosely connected to one another:
1. The scenario in the set-up worked well, so let's try to make that standard practice.
2. Let's do something else that only related in as far as that it's also religious, but otherwise isn't supported in any way by recent events.
3. Basically the same goal as option 1. The whole thing wouldn't have worked if the killer hadn't been raised to fear divine punishment as option 3 says. Why/how do the speakers of option 1 and 3 disagree with each other?
4. I was initially confused how this was different from option 1, which also emphasized the killer having been "forgiven by our Great Creator". On closer reading I noticed the difference, but really it seems weird for a religious person to insist that God has forgiven someone but we shouldn't. That's basically saying that God's judgement is inadequate.

By the way, remember that it's possible to abolish copyright law.

[Australian rePublic]

Option 2 sounds like something that would happen in the 12th Century, not the 21st century

[Jutsa]

Option 2 sounds like something that would happen in the 12th Century, not the 21st century

Yep, that's the point — actually this whole issue draft was made to work around this option.

Option 1/3, I agree, should be together somehow; and I'm noticing there's no option keeping the church out of the criminal justice system.

Also seeing how 1/4 is an issue, too.

Hmh... probably would have to rework this. But yeah, I think the premise of having a divine power dish out justice is an interesting one.
Not 100% sure the description works as it stands, but I'd still like to try to work with the idea.