Should christians believe in the death penalty?

Withdrawn · #1 10-14-2008, 01:03 PM

http://www.ohio.com/news/top_stories/30943114.html

This has been a major news story in my area for the last few weeks. I must say that I'm a little torn about the whole issue. Maybe it's my spirit wrestling with my flesh.

I know that the Bible states that the wages of sin is death. But scripture also teaches us that we are freed from the curse of the law - the law that stated "an eye for an eye..." We are the light of the world and are called to spread the good news of life and restoration. But when I see something like what this guy did, something in me rises up and says it's time to take out the trash.

I was 19 when this happened and remember it well. Wendy Offredo was in my speech class at UA in the spring semester, 1986. I remember the horror of hearing how these girls were tortured and beaten to death, and the place where it all took place is within 5 minutes of where I worked. This was, in some ways, personal to me, though admittedly distantly personal.

So I'm having trouble reconciling within myself the heinous criminal acts, the conviction of the charges, and the meeting out of the punishment. He's clearly unrepentant as his defiant final remarks indicate. I just wonder, though...

If we are all worthy of death due to our sins (none greater than any other), can we as christians agree with a civil penalty of death based on what society agrees are crimes worthy of death? Has anyone done a Bible study on this topic?

I'm interested in hearing biblically supported perspectives (either way) as well as what your gut says. Are you conflicted the same way I am?

God bless.
~ Jim

Sept5SavedTeen · #2 10-14-2008, 01:40 PM

Could it be that the Bible is not meant for these sort of issues? As a Christian, my aim is supposed to ALWAYS be forgiveness and reconciliation. I do not want a man to be put in jail, tortured, executed, ect, ect... as a Christian. However, as a person who lives in a society, with a government and politics in place, I understand that it is their job to punish the evildoers. I am not supposed to go against the government or anything like that (unless they make an ungodly statute), and I am supposed to live peacibly with all men. Could I be a policeman? In the military? or something like that? Probably not. As a Christian should I spray someone with pepper spray, handcuff them, take them into jail and all of that? I don't think so. Do I want people who will do those sort of jobs- absolutely! But am I called to those jobs as a Christian? Well, I guess I sound like an Anabaptist or Quaker now. I'll end with this point- I don't really think Christians should discuss the death penalty very much, I think we should leave it to the government to figure out how the evil doers will be punished. Vote if you have the privelege of voting, there's nothing wrong with that, and do prison ministry if you are able, and above all- PRAY!

-Bro. Alex

ReddMann24 · #3 10-14-2008, 02:45 PM

I was just talking about this with my wife last nite. She had brought up abortion and I said I didnt see how you could be for one and against the other.Which seems to be the norm. Liberals often support abortion but not the death penalty . Con. are often against abortion but for the death penalty." Let he who is without sin cast the first stone". Jesus forgave the thief on the cross , took paul from murderer to preacher and so on. Im sure you have all heard of people who have commited crimes who are now saved. This isnt possible if you give'em the needle.

Blubayou · #4 10-14-2008, 03:10 PM

I do not believe that we have the right to take a life regardless of the circumstances. Taking life is God's business. I do have a close relative on death row and have had to deal with this issue. What he did was despicable, and he should be isolated from society. But I do not believe that we have the right to decide when someone should die. On another but related subject, I do not believe that we should go to extra ordinary means to prolong life.

Mercy · #5 10-14-2008, 03:31 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Blubayou

I do not believe that we have the right to take a life regardless of the circumstances. Taking life is God's business... I do not believe that we have the right to decide when someone should die.

I have said pretty much the same thing when speaking with people who are against abortions but for the death penalty. I do believe they should be removed from society, but I believe it is God's choice as to when they die, and how they die. Our job is to try and witness to that soul before it transitions.

Be niether (the hypothetical) judge nor jury....but on the witness stand.

mfblume · #6 10-14-2008, 03:53 PM

When the bible says Jesus took the curse of the law for us, it is only saying believers who claimed Christ in faith for their sins do not have to be judged for sins that are forgiven. The cross was their judgment. We cannot generally apply this to the death penalty.

Mercy · #7 10-14-2008, 04:03 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mfblume

When the bible says Jesus took the curse of the law for us, it is only saying believers who claimed Christ in faith for their sins do not have to be judged for sins that are forgiven. The cross was their judgment. We cannot generally apply this to the death penalty.

But can we apply that we are suppose to let vengence be God's to the death penalty?

Sept5SavedTeen · #8 10-14-2008, 04:15 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mercy

But can we apply that we are suppose to let vengence be God's to the death penalty?

Yes, we are supposed to do this, but the government also has a job that it is supposed to do.

Also, the abortion-death penalty link doesn't really hold up. One is the taking of an innocent life and the other is the taking of a life that has been tried through the court system and had the consequence of execution meeted out to them for the crime they committed to society.

Here's a death penalty story for everyone, I just saw it today:
http://www.comcast.net/articles/news...vqh=itn_inmate

To Blue, has your relative gotten right with GOD?

-Bro. Alex

grace_seeker · #9 10-14-2008, 04:19 PM

I am totally against it. If it's wrong to kill I don't see where God sanctions capital punishment since we are inept in making judgements without error or bias. And furthermore it would make good fiscal sense to abolish it!

tstew · #10 10-14-2008, 04:23 PM

I used to be a firm proponent of the death penalty, but have recently started to think differently. I have not changed due to a moral problem with execution itself, but due to the fact that I have seen so many cases proven to be wrongful convictions through DNA. I don't want to think about how many innocent people we may have killed already. The number of DNA acquittals was astonishing to me, but when you factor in that only a fraction of cases have DNA evidence to begin with, the implications are sobering.