Should Christians Support The Death Penalty?

MMurphy

Inactive
I use to be very in favor of the death penalty, especially for those who murder heinously. However as I've grown in faith, I'm not so sure. Should we not afford everyone the utmost opportunity to repent including by not prematurely terminating their life?

Or perhaps can the threat of death compell someone to repent? Interestingly Jeffrey Dahmer was baptized just before he was murdered in prison.
 
I am not for the death penalty. I don't trust any judge or jury. Though I am sure it does help reduce murder rates and is a necessary evil in certain states / countries.

I think as Christians, we should not be for the death penalty. We should be pro life. Imagine having the chance to go and witness to Hitler. We all reach that 'compelling' age at 65.
 
As a follower of The King, I cannot support capital punishment.

There is NO valid scriptural reason to follow it in The New Testament. Only in the Old. And we're passed that time.

As a homo sapien sapien, I cannot support it either.

1. It teaches that violence is a problem solving tool. Which is false.
2. It costs more to put someone to death than incarcerate for life.
3. It takes away from humanity the opportunity to have that person work for others benefit, through work projects and through testing to see if there are psychological markers that can give us data on how and why murderers murder.
4. Most murders are one time events. Serial killing is rare.
 
I do not support the death penalty.

I agree with KingJ that miscarriages of justice happen even with our best attempts at legal systems.

I also believe in giving a person every chance possible to repent.
 
I would support abolishing the death penalty if we could use the inmates who would have been sentenced to death for testing. New drugs, product reactions, etc.
 
The death penalty is certainly biblical. However, in present day America it is also the final solution in a justice system that has far too often proven itself prone to injustice and corruption.
Once someone is put to death there is no chance of proving they never deserved to be incarcerated in the first place. While life without parole is a sentence someone worthy of death should have. Then if they're wrongly convicted, they can at least one day walk out of prison. And hopefully file a lawsuit and make those who put them in there pay. Rather than having paid with their life because those who put them in there sought a sentence that would cause a wrongly convicted citizen to be murdered by the state.
 
I don't think Christians should ever be in favor of such a sentence. The reason being that we do not have the Christian or even simply moral authority to sentence anyone to death.

I remember last summer I was at a BBQ. I was having a conversation with one of my dad's friends who was running for Maryland House of Delegates. He's a Presbyterian, a Neo-Conservative, and a nice guy. Though he said as Christians we SHOULD support the death penalty because if we care about the well-being of others, we need to stop suffocating them with taxes that go into prisoners and provide a sentence that matches the crime.

I had to disagree with him 1) that it's more costly to execute someone due to the hearings, lawyers, etc. than to have someone in prison for 50 years -- so it's a bigger tax burden to execute, but furthermore 2) when we interrupt the life of someone who deserves a chance to repent and come to peace with God, then we've consciously taken something greater than he may have even imagined when he committed the crime.
 
I would support abolishing the death penalty if we could use the inmates who would have been sentenced to death for testing. New drugs, product reactions, etc.

Eek. Do you think that could be crossing into a Slave/Master relationship rather than justice being served?
 
I don't think Christians should ever be in favor of such a sentence. The reason being that we do not have the Christian or even simply moral authority to sentence anyone to death.

I remember last summer I was at a BBQ. I was having a conversation with one of my dad's friends who was running for Maryland House of Delegates. He's a Presbyterian, a Neo-Conservative, and a nice guy. Though he said as Christians we SHOULD support the death penalty because if we care about the well-being of others, we need to stop suffocating them with taxes that go into prisoners and provide a sentence that matches the crime.

I had to disagree with him 1) that it's more costly to execute someone due to the hearings, lawyers, etc. than to have someone in prison for 50 years -- so it's a bigger tax burden to execute, but furthermore 2) when we interrupt the life of someone who deserves a chance to repent and come to peace with God, then we've consciously taken something greater than he may have even imagined when he committed the crime.

I'd put it to Christians this way.

If God rescinded our release from the Death Penalty we were under because of our sin, would we be happy?

We must always remind ourselves the truth:

We Deserve Death.
 
I would support abolishing the death penalty if we could use the inmates who would have been sentenced to death for testing. New drugs, product reactions, etc.
And if that person is wrongly convicted? Innocent the whole time? What then?

Your suggestion sounds like Dr.Joseph Mengele and his actions using the excuse of the Final Solution as an inroad. :(
 
And if that person is wrongly convicted? Innocent the whole time? What then?

Your suggestion sounds like Dr.Joseph Mengele and his actions using the excuse of the Final Solution as an inroad. :(
It was more tongue-in-cheek than anything. I honestly don't have strong opinions on this one way or the other. Some folks deserve to die, others don't. That's all I know. The subject isn't that high on my list of concerns so I'm not too well versed in it.

And maybe if we'd let the nonviolent drug offenders out we'd have more room for violent criminals for life. Building and staffing new prisons doesn't seem to factor in to the cost equation when comparing death vs life.
 
I think as Christians, we should not be for the death penalty. We should be pro life. Imagine having the chance to go and witness to Hitler. We all reach that 'compelling' age at 65.

I really like that, King J. It shows hope for all people, because of the hope that's been given to us.
 
:) I can certainly understand that. The DP isn't something that crosses my mind very often either. Save for threads like this that ask our opinions.

It was more tongue-in-cheek than anything. I honestly don't have strong opinions on this one way or the other. Some folks deserve to die, others don't. That's all I know. The subject isn't that high on my list of concerns so I'm not too well versed in it.

And maybe if we'd let the nonviolent drug offenders out we'd have more room for violent criminals for life. Building and staffing new prisons doesn't seem to factor in to the cost equation when comparing death vs life.
 
Those who object to the death penalty are ignoring the Bible, or worse, misrepresenting the Bible. The Bible shows that the death penalty is an appropriate government tool. The death penalty was used very frequently in NT times, even unjustly against my Lord, and yet not a word if objection to executions is found in the NT.

In Romans 1, Paul meant those offenders deserved to be executed. He didn't mean some self-obsessed hatred that says "everybody deserves to die" therefor you think you've clear yourself of being an advocate of justice. Wrong again.

Those of you who object to the death penalty also ignore the costs of not executing the worst criminals. Like Pilate who killed Jesus, you wash you hands of the innocent victims of criminals which you help create. Sorry, guilt doesn't wash off except through repentance. And, you are not repentant.

You take your values from the ungodly. They are the opponents of the Death Penalty. They have no compassion for the innocent and no sense of righteous judgement.
 
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