how can A christian or a catholic be oppsed to the death penalty?

Question

Numbers 31:17 (Moses) “Now therefore kill every male among the little ones, and kill every women that hath known man by lying with him.” In other words: women that might be pregnant, which clearly is abortion for the fetus.

Hosea 13:16 God promises to dash to pieces the infants of Samaria and the “their women with child shall be ripped up”. Once again this god kills the unborn, including their pregnant mothers.

2 Kings 15:16 God allows the pregnant women of Tappuah (aka Tiphsah) to be “ripped open”. And the Christians have the audacity to say god is pro-life. How and the hell is it that Christians can read passages where God allows pregnant women to be murdered, yet still claim abortion is wrong?

1 Samuel 15:3 God commands the death of helpless "suckling" infants. This literally means that the children god killed were still nursing.

Psalms 135:8 & 136:10 Here god is praised for slaughtering little babies.

Answer 1

From a Catholic point of view:

Jesus, in John 8:1-11, spares a women guilty of adultery whom the Mosaic Law said should be stoned to death.

If the guilty person's identity and responsibility has been fully determined then non-lethal means to defend and protect the people's safety from the aggressor are more in keeping with the common good and the dignity of the human person.

The Church does not exclude recourse to the death penalty, if this is the only possible way of effectively defending human lives.

However in today's modern society, the capability of rendering the offender incapable of doing harm - without definitively taking away from him the possibility of redeeming himself - the cases in which the execution of the offender is an absolute necessity are very rare, if not practically non-existent.

With love in Christ.

Answer 2

Death Penalty is so final and should only be used to protect society.

The quotes you give are valid ... however the Old Testament does go on and make 500-700 more rules throughout the books of Exodious, Number, & Deuteronomy. This is where Jesus came and openly said that rules are goofy and gave us the two simple Golden rules: Love God above all & each other as we love ourselves. (Which miffed off the Pharasis')

The Catholic Chuch teaches this:

"2267 Assuming that the guilty party's identity and responsibility have been fully determined, the traditional teaching of the Church does not exclude recourse to the death penalty, if this is the only possible way of effectively defending human lives against the unjust aggressor. If, however, non-lethal means are sufficient to defend and protect people's safety from the aggressor, authority will limit itself to such means, as these are more in keeping with the concrete conditions of the common good and are more in conformity to the dignity of the human person.

Today, in fact, as a consequence of the possibilities which the state has for effectively preventing crime, by rendering one who has committed an offense incapable of doing harm - without definitely taking away from him the possibility of redeeming himself - the cases in which the execution of the offender is an absolute necessity "are very rare, if not practically non-existent.""

Answer 3

I'm a christian and I'm for the death penalty. There were just some things in the Bible that were punishable by death. Like murder. A murderer has no right to take another persons life, therefore his is taken away. Its to try and use it as an example that maybe people will think twice before doing something with a punishment like that.

Answer 4

The references you make above have little to do with the death penalty. I am a Christian and I believe in the death penalty. Most Christians that oppose it quote other parts of the Bible to justify their position. Judge not, lest you be judged. Or, Vengeance is mine, saith the Lord. Let he who is without sin, cast the first stone. None of these either are good reasons to oppose the death penalty.

You took a life and now, for that, you lose yours. Some call the death penalty cruel. Some call it murder. But in the states that do not have the death penalty they will lock you up for the rest of your life and of course, that isn't cruel, right? Either way your life is taken away. But, of course, in prison you have excellent health care, so it isn't all bad.

Answer 5

Scriptures are only one source of theological and religious teachings. The Roman Catholic Church professes that all human life is sacred and must be treated with respect, from the moment of conception to the moment of death.

Oh, and just a suggestion - next time you decide to play at "bible quarterbacking" you might want to do your research a bit better. You kinda missed the Commandment "Thou Shalt Not Kill" in your little "argument."

Answer 6

The rationale for opposing the death penalty is a simple lack of equal justice under the law.

As long as the poor and infirm are more likely to be sentenced to death than those who are more richly blessed, the death penalty will continue to be unjust.

If justice was truly impartial, then there should be no problem with it, so long as no better option exists.

Answer 7

I'm glad you brought that up and I see your point perfectly and I wonder "why?" too. Ya see I don't think God is real but i also think if he somehow is well then he's a real jerk. Killing babes, sending people he "created" to rot in hell. and obviously showing favoritism( the raped , homeless, living in a war stricken area, alone , unloved and then murdered child vs. the spoiled, loved, "nothing bad ever happens to me people" rich, popular child. So, I really don't understand Why? but oh well

Answer 8

The verses you refer to have more to do with Israel not taking heathens to breed disobedience to God. It was to remove temptation from Israel. Most of what you quote is entirely out of context and lends itself to more confusion than understanding. I believe it was God's intention to save Israel, a rebellious and stubborn people. That would be precisely why God sent Jesus to save us. Because He loves us and will seek communion with us. Read the Bible. God created life, those who were not to be spared by Israel as they conquered God's enemies were perverted and worshiped false Gods, among other atrocities to their own people... much the same way that RADICAL Muslims mistreat their own people today and RADICAL, self-proclaimed Christians have done in the past.

Answer 9

this is becuase they forgot where they can from and how they became. If they still did the things that they did in the past do you think that we would have the crime that we have to day..look at other countries that have no crime and how their laws are from the past, they have not change that much and they still have the christian and catholice believes...but the new times has reach us all and the old way fade away......

Answer 10

all old testament readings.before jesus said" if someone slaps you in the face,offer him the other cheek as well." jesus changed the way god wanted things done in the new testament. you should have caught on to this,unless your just looking for a way to slam christianity.