Are any Christians opposed on religious grounds to all forms of capital punishment?

Question

If so, please indicate what tenet of the faith helps you reach this conclusion.

I asked this question yesterday to Muslims. If you'd like to review the answers, you may do so by clicking at the following link:

http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index;_ylt=Av.y5wA3oDzPr1FvAfhwYcDsy6IX?qid=20061127192553AAP7OH3

.

Answer 1

I don't know if it is solely my Christianity that has my husband and I oppose capital punishment, but we both do.
When do two wrongs make a right? Why does one person have the right to end another life?

my husband lost his wife and 8 year old son to a drunk driver, and his mother was murdered 6 months later by her second husband. Neither man did one day in jail. Was that right? No.

Do we have the rights to say they should have been executed? No. punished? Yes.

Forgiveness is a mighty hard thing sometimes. Only by the grace of God can we forgive in such cases. That is where we are, thanks for the opportunity to share...

Answer 2

The regulation of Equivalence We uphold the regulations of the previous Testment, we call the Torah. If all of us is murdered in accordance to the Quran, the sufferer's family individuals can the two forgo it or order is execution. regardless of the undeniable fact that he could have a honest trial and there would desire to be witnesses. Self-protection isn't blanketed as homicide. Quran financial ruin "The dinner occasion" [cc91b3d43f8cc97b8cfb3a1d4ddf2f3bcc91b3d43f8cc97b8cfb3a1d4ddf2f3bcc91b3d43f8cc97b8cfb3a1d4ddf2f3bcc91b3d43f8cc97b8cfb3a1d4ddf2f3b] And we decreed for them in it thatcc91b3d43f8cc97b8cfb3a1d4ddf2f3b the existence for the existence, the attention for the attention, the nostril for the nostril, the ear for the ear, the tooth for the tooth, and an equivalent harm for any harm. If one forfeits what's by technique of him as a charity, it is going to make amends for his sins. people who do no longer rule in accordance with GOD's revelations are the unjust. So no as A Muslim i'm no longer against Capital Punishment, yet stress a honest and sensible trial. And returned self-protection isn't comparable to homicide. -Muslim

Answer 3

There is no basis for any truly born again Christain to oppose capital punishment. His kingdom is not of this world and run on the basis of grace and truth that come with Jesus Christ. The kingdom of the world is run on the rule of law which rightly provides for capital punishment based on 'an eye for an eye'
The secular state which does not govern by grace surely have to be legalistic which is not strong on mercy. So Christians cannot oppose.

Answer 4

My religion (Catholic) does not believe in capital punishment or abortion. Someone who answered this question cited the Catholic Catechism as the source of their answer.

Many things were made acceptable in the Old Testament e.g. an eye for an eye, etc but the Lord Jesus Christ stated that you must turn the other cheek. The Church believes that war is necessary when peace is threatened but that it must be a "just war." It does not advocate torture. We must treat prisoners and civilians humanely regardless of how we are treated. I doubt very much that God would consider the war in Iraq to be "just."

I suspect that the Christians who believe in capital punishment (e.g. Bush) are very conservative. Either that or its just the Texan mindset.

Answer 5

Some people, like the one above me, disaprove of capital punishment on the basis of "you shall not kill." However, I believe that a consitent hermeneutic shows that capital punishment is acceptable. Not only does God, at times, command people to kill, but the New Testament says that "government weilds the authority of the sword" (close paraphrase). This is not a contradiction, as the Bible clearly distinguishes (in both Hebrew and Greek) between "murder" and "killing."

Answer 6

I am not resolved on the issue. I think a case can be made for capital punishment. However, I am growing more persuaded by the Catholic position that opposes it. Their opposition to both abortion and capital punishment seems rather consistent and theologically sound. I am Presbyterian.

Answer 7

Thou shalt not kill applies to all circumstances equally.
No one has the right to take another life, except in self defense.
Mobs and Governments do not have this right.

Life is God, manifested, it is sacred, to both Christians and Muslims alike. Muslims who kill do not know God!

Stupid people who think "they" know better kill others cause they think god wants them to. Absolute nonsense, God is in every one of us and He's not suicidal.

Please wake up, we are all experiencing the miracle that is life.
Just let it happen, it's neat ... but kill no one ... It is not your right ever!

Thanks for the Question,
Jonnie

PS A murderer starts suffering the minute the act is committed, and never stops suffering from it. Is this so hard to understand? Please wake. Even a soldier is affected by those he had to kill.

Answer 8

I am for capital punishment for premeditated murder, rape, and for child sexual preditors. These are acts that are PLANNED in advance, their victims sought out without mercy. They will have time to repent before their deaths if they so choose, but I am a firm believer that if we carried out the death penalty, it may put the fear of God in a few more sickos and perhaps they might think twice before doing the same despicable things themselves to other unsuspecting innocents.

Answer 9

I am opposed to capital punishment on religious grounds. The doctrinal support for my position comes from the Catechism of the Catholic church, 2266-2267, which basically states that modern incarceration techniques render any need for capital punishment pointless.

Answer 10

Yes. It goes against a number of Christian teachings.