Why are people against capital punishment?

Question

I believe in the eye for an eye theory!

Answer 1

I don't think there is anything wrong with capital punishment. If a person chooses to harm another human being in anyway they should not have the privilige of walking this earth. Do away with death row and pull the swith right away. Maybe is someone knew they were going to fry right away the crime rate would go down!!

Answer 2

Did you know that Judaism itself pretty much did away with capital punishment a couple of millenia ago? It was necessary back in the days when we were nomads and incarceration wasn't exactly an option.

Even then, 'an eye for an eye' was actually a limitation. You could kill a man in retribution, but only the man. Not his family or livestock. 'An eye for an eye' and no more.

Judaism has this neat way of hanging on to the whole of its tradition, including when it reverses parts of it. The problem is that Christianity took the early bits that it liked and forgot about the reversals. After the early Hebrews settled into cities, the sentence remained, but was very rarely used; a court that imposed the death penalty was looked down upon as a 'bloody court'.

History aside, capital punishment teaches us over and over again that the 'just' and appropriate way of dealing with someone that you don't like is to kill him or her. Isn't that what it's supposed to be preventing?

Answer 3

The best reason I can think of to be against capital punishment is that a rich person would rarely, if ever, get it. It has to do with money and money buys a good defense, while poor people, with no money have to settle for an over-worked, under-qualified defense attorney. Also, the defense has to pay for "expert" witnesses and poor people cannot afford to pay for the people that will, most likely, get them off. Look at OJ Simpson, he had the best defense possible, but had he been poor....he would have, definitely, gotten convicted! So, how can you be for something so unfair? Besides, it does nothing to deter crime. Most civilized countries do NOT have the death penalty. You cannot take it back. How would you feel about someone being put to death and then, you find out later that he was innocent?

Answer 4

Jesus said turn the other cheek, to personal offence. The New Testament also says the government is to carry the sword. It is not a Christian's place (as a Christian) to take a life. It IS the government place to restrain evil and carry the sword, and that includes those inflicting their evil on others. If the government lets a serial murderer go and he kills someone else the government is also partially guilty for that murder. God has not repealed the command that a man who takes another man's life is to be killed by man. It is NOT considered murder to give just punishment. He gave that command to Noah - which means it was to all the world, not just the Jews.
It isn't so much about getting even. It's about curtailing evil. When evil men get away with it once, they go and do it again, and others seeing them go and do it also, and they do worse things, things they never even thought themselves capable of (and now think it is OK) multiplying the evil and causing God's wrath to burn upon that country. If the government does not restrain evil, then they are being evil to let it continue.

Answer 5

Opponents of capital punishment argue that it does not deter criminals more than life imprisonment, violates human rights, leads to executions of some who are wrongfully convicted, and discriminates against minorities and the poor. It is also argued that capital punishment is a hypocritical punishment, especially in murder cases, as it implies killing a certain individual is wrong before exacting the same action upon them. It also goes against some religious teachings.

Answer 6

People are against capital punishment because they have never been a victim to a harsh crime...not petty crime, not robery, not burglary, but a real life-changing crime. Once someone has gone through such an experience, it is very difficult to NOT to think of Capital Punishment. I do, however, give my kudo's to those that HAVE been though a life-or-death type of crime and do not think of CP.

Answer 7

I think that when we lower ourselves to the eye for an eye theory, we are no better than the criminals. I am against capital punishment because I think killing is wrong - period. I would rather see some kind of penal colony where folks who don't want to abide by the rules of a society can be removed and create their own society away from us. There's an awesome story about it by Robert Heinlein called Coventry and I think it is brilliant.

Peace!

Answer 8

Because our justice system is flawed and antiquated. Because it is a fact that minorities are more likely to be harshly prosecuted and sentenced for crimes than whites. Because technology has exposed the flaws and altered the landscape of DNA and forensic evidence, which has resulted in the overturning of multiple cases of the wrong men being in jail for crimes they did not commit. They can't get that time spent in jail back......capital punishment is permanently irreversible should a mistake in justice be carried out....are you prepared to accept that burden and responsibility of another person's life?

Answer 9

I'm with you!

If fear for your own life won't stop you from committing a crime, what will?

If the death penalty doesn't work, then why is it that no one crosses the mob or testifies against gang members?

These idiots come up with statistics showing that capital punishment doesn't work, but we never use it! These monsters sit on death row for decades, and many of them end up getting their sentence communed to life in prison after the publicity has died down.

.

Answer 10

I felt the way you do for many years

But I heard a speech about how we never are the ones to determine life and death. The continuing life of a person, even a convicted murderer, can have impact on that person and others, and we are not to cut it short until God has done all he wants to do in that situation and that person.
It sounds crazy but our desire to see another killed for the life or lives they have taken is very emotionally charged, of course. They take your loved one... they should die, right?!
But life is in the hands of the Creator and rather than relieve my emotions I would rather leave it in God's hands and see any possible good come out if it - as long as they do not harm others!!
Many times the person spends life in prison and it is difficult and expensive, but many times they can change, perhaps come to their own belief in God and influence others in a powerful way.
It is a diificult argument and one in which there are good reasons on both sides.