The Death Penalty. If the USA is a christian country, why does their government kill their citizens?

Question

What happened to Thou shalt not kill? Isn't Bush a born again? Why is he and many other Americans such strong supporters of the death penalty (and gun ownership). Doesn't Bush read his bible? He must do because he calls on god for support all the time. Most other developed countries dropped the death penalty decades ago. Why is America so far behind the rest of us? (I realise not every US state has the DP).

I know, I know. You can twist the words of the bible to mean anything you want. I mean the spirit of the new testament is forgiveness, right? Not the hellfire and damnation of the pre-christian old testament.

Answer 1

Christians are the biggest hypocrits in the world.
They judge everyone even thought the Bible they worship clearly states, "Judge not lest you be judged."

And the Bible states "Thou shall not kill."
So they turn around and kill and kill and kill.

George Bush is not a Christian, he just pretends to be when it serves his needs. He never sets foot in a church. Bush lies and lies and lies.

Answer 2

Lord! Jack, did you forget to put the "o" and "f" between the k and f. I love when the ill informed call others idiots.

First, you have it backwards, the death penalty is what is not a deterent, nor is imprisonment. The grist mill of Texas executions only opens space on death row and the numbers are not dropping.

Second, the death penalty is determined by individual States, not the Federal Government, who can also execute but have excused themselves of late of that pesky Constitution.

Third, someone who is not a Christian, is not necessisarily an atheist. They just may just not be a Christian. Now I realize those whose experience with life outside their little circle of like minded neighbors is limited, that of the six billion people on this planet, now I hope you are sitting down for this, are not Christians. Between 2/3 rd and 3/4 in fact, don't see divinity the same way as you.

Of the Christians, there are Catholics, Orthodox and Protestants, Coptic, Ethiopian, Eastern, Western, French, Lutheran, Presbyterian, Episcopal, (For great Christain reading, get the bit on Oliver Cromwell and the English Civil wars between the Presbyterians and Episcopal churches after they stole everything from and exterminated the Catholics. A fine lot of Christians), Mormon, Cavinist, Jehovahs Winess, Seventh day Adventist, Amish, Menonite and anybody who can buy a Penecost Bible and rent some vacant mall space.

You are all quoting chapter and verse, but of your many sects and cults, why is it you happen to have gotten it right. My, taking all the differing viewpoints, you really are a small and tiny minority. Perhaps the Jewish have it all wrong, you and your ilk are the chosen people, not them.

Now, I find it interesting that the you have decided the Old Testiment was thrown out. What part of the single god made that decision? The god of Abraham part, the Jesus part or the holy spirt part of the same God? Or the chosen, you. One god, three parts, in disagreement with themselves? Multiple personalities?

What about the Saints? Don't Christians pray to them too? How about the Virgin Mary? There are patron Saints, Saints for healing, travel, fertility and so on; isn't more like pagan Roman sub-gods?

Now I am glad you speak and write Aramaic so you personally are right on top of the sources of the Bible and the word of Jesus and can faithfully translate what he said. If you can't, is that again because above all Christians, God(s), revealed the truth only recently again to you and your church mates after all these centuries since Jesus. My how special you are. You must be chosen!

Your recent other chosen luminaries include David Koresh, who was Jesus returned by the way, and Timothy McVey doing Gods work. Murder by god, What a defence.

The government may not be Christain, because it was designed that way, although your heros Bush, Ashcroft and Frist have done their level best to establish a crooked Christian tyrrany to replace law and real justice. The separation of church and state was to protect the state from the church. This is because the overly religious don't think things out, they operate by faith in revealed truth and upon what their guru tells them is truth, not actual facts.

Nobody wants your blood but it is clear you relish the blood of others to satisfy your blood lust. Execution is not a worthy endeavor of any advanced society, It is meaningless, barbaric, backward, uncivilized, not a deterrent and more expensive in dollars to the society than confinement.

A society cannot abhor what it embraces. You had better grow a few more grey cells before insulting others and citation is feeble when unsupported by fact.

Yeah, your a real smart guy and the rest of the world are idiots. Did Jesus tell you that too?

Oh and by the way, Japan and China are not Christian and are hardly in anarchy. If fact, they are slowly wresting world dominace from the United States and the EU, the all Western Christian countries.

Answer 3

One reason is the american government is not a christian organization. BTW, thou shall not kill is "old testament", Christ is mostly "new testament". Do you read your bible? Probably not, or you would understand that. Actually, the original commandment was "thou shall not murder", but after years of translations meanings somehow slowly change. But most christians know that, and apparently you are not christian, so you don't.

I find it odd that you blame Bush for american laws that have been on the books for centuries. Capital punishment did not begin with G.W. Bush, you know. In fact, capital punishment is as old as mankind has been on the planet. The fact that many countries no longer use it doesnt change the fact that they overused it in the past. European countries have some of the most barbaric histories of all. Now it seems they feel guilty of their pasts sins and are trying to redeem themselves. LOL. Most muslims countries have capital punishment, and they still use torture and other things. Asian countries still have it too. Imagine that. I know, they are not christian countries, and your real purpose is to attack christianity, so I will not stray any further.

Back to the 10 commandments (which btw, pretty much went out the window with the coming of Jesus). Thou shall not kill means thou shall not murder. I suppose to a bleeding heart weiner dude such as urself, any killing is considered murder. You say even those that would murder shall be sparred. And you have a point, too. Jesus did say love thy enemy, afterall. But, American government is not Jesus. Jesus said give unto me what is mine, and give unto Ceasar what is his. Do you know what he was saying? He wasnt telling government to be Jesus. He realized that government has the responsiblilty to maintain law, order, and justice. Without it we have anarchy.

The european countries that banned capital punishment, has it helped deter crime. No. Has it improved the moral conduct of its citizens? No, they are even more depraved and perverted than before. What good has it done? Nothing that I can see. Do you see any ways the banning of capital punishment has changed for the positive life in those countries? If so, explain it to me, because I am missing something.

Why attack Bush for this issue? Why attack his faith? What is your faith? Do you have any? I bet you are an atheist, on the prowl for blood. Christian blood is what you want. But you wont get it. Attacking a person that cannot hear you or see you is a waste of time. If you were honest and had no hidden agenda, you would question the entire political system that created and supports capital punishment in america. The lawmakers are congress, not the president. The supreme court backs up congress and makes sure they dont pass laws that are not constitutional. The president only enforces the laws passed by Congress.

So in conclusion, ur an idiot. You ask stupid questions without thinking them thru first, in a feeble attempt to attack christianity and Bush. Its hard to believe that people can be so stupid, but there you have it.

Answer 4

America is behind because America is a young nation compared to England and others. 200 years we celebrated in 1976. Other nations have buildings older than us. And the Islamic nations even younger - they remind me of American Colonists fighting off the Europeans. It's odd as an American to be in a church in England and hear the tour guide say "this church was first built in the year 1200" - it's quite a surprise, when your "world", your country, wasn't even discovered until almost 300 years later (longer than we have even been a nation).

America is learning and growing and maturing. I think Clinton put a great face on America and I think Bush puts a crappy one on (of course I was making more money under Clinton and I think that Bush represents the very worst in America).

What is shocking to me about the Death Penalty thing is that so many people here voted for him thinking he would help make abortion illegal and then they felt tricked after he was re-elected, when he literally phoned in his speech at the Pro-Life rally, held just outside the White House. How could these people equate a Death Penalty supporter with a pro-life candidate? How could anyone reconcile that? 2 years later we see that Bush is installing judges left and right - a legacy of his brand of politics that could last 20 or 30 years. Maybe the pro-lifers were right to back him, or maybe we are all in big big trouble.

Answer 5

If you were to look in the Bible the Death Penalty was used by everyone, the Jewish, the Romans, the Pagans, the Christians, It was (as it still is) used as a method of punishment for crimes where prison terms were not enough. This is not an "un-christian" form of punishment nor is it against any religion that I know of. It is more of an ethical issue with some. But so are the crimes committed which call for the death penalty.

Answer 6

Many politicians believe that their commitment is to secular law rather than God's law. Of course God would disagree, but your question does not ask that. Whatever the personal opinions of these politicians regarding the death penalty, they generally seek to enforce the government's law.

In the United States, laws which proscribe the death penalty may be changed at any time if a majority of the legislature votes to do so, which they surely would do if a clear majority of their constituents demanded it. At this time, the voting populace of all 50 states seems to have no interest in abolishing the death penalty. In every state where it does not currently exist, that is so because of judicial rulings rather than voting.

Answer 7

Well, here is what it says in the New Testament about governments who impose the death penalty.

"Let every soul submit to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except by God, and the authorities that exist are instituted by God. Consequently the one resisting the authority has opposed the ordinance of God, and those opposing shall receive judgment to themselves. For rulers are not a fear to good works, but to evil. And do you wish not to fear the authority? Do what is good, and you shall have praise from the same. For he is God's servant to you for good. But if you do evil, fear; for he does not bear the sword in vain; for he is God's servant, an avenger for wrath to the one practicing evil. Romans 13:1-4

Answer 8

Numbers 35:31 Moreover ye shall take no satisfaction for the life of a murderer, which is guilty of death: but he shall be surely put to death.

Romans 13:3-4 For rulers are not a terror to good works, but to the evil. Wilt thou then not be afraid of the power? do that which is good, and thou shalt have praise of the same: For he is the minister of God to thee for good. But if thou do that which is evil, be afraid; for he beareth not the sword in vain: for he is the minister of God, a revenger to execute wrath upon him that doeth evil.

What do you think a sword is used for? (This doesn't mean that I support a preemptive war based upon lies to get their oil.)

The government's duty is to execute justice. It doesn't have the right to forgive a trespass. Only the victim has that right to forgive. If the victim chooses to forgive, then they can exercise that right in court to have charges dropped. However, if the victim is dead because of a trespass, there is no one with the right to forgive the trespasser. And the government has a duty, as a minister, to execute justice, no more and no less.

Answer 9

If the navy is asking the chaplain to pray in other gods' name, how can America be a Christian country? If schools are not allowed to have morning devotions, how can America be a Christian country? America is not a Christian state and they will do anything cuz they don't give a fukc about us!

Answer 10

In the Bible, it specifically states that when someone murders another, they should immediately be killed so they can stand before God for judgment. Also, there's eye for an eye, etc that support the death penalty.

The U.S. isn't behind anyone.