Why does java ThreadPoolExecutor kill the thread when a RuntimeException is thrown?

This is the same as Why does java ThreadPoolExecutor kill the thread when a RuntimeException is thrown? but there is no broad acceptable answer.

In the "Workflow" method

/**
 * Main run loop
 */
public void run() {
    try {
        Runnable task = firstTask;
        firstTask = null;
        while (task != null || (task = getTask()) != null) {
            runTask(task);
            task = null;
        }
    } finally {
        workerDone(this);
    }
}

      

        
        
        
      

    

Why not just catch the RuntimeException in the while loop so that the worker continues the loop?

ps: I am using Java 6 on Mac. Java 8 makes some changes, but no different mechanism.