Why do so many religious people support the death penalty?

Question

I am an atheist who thinks its never moral or necessary to murder an incarcerated human being. Why do so many religious people disagree with me?

Answer 1

All too often people support the death penalty because of a wish for revenge. Many people are just beginning to learn the facts about the death penalty. As an opponent of the death penalty, you should get out the facts to other people.

Here are some of them:

The death penalty is not a deterrent. Homicide rates are higher in states that have the death penalty than in states which do not have it.

The death penalty system costs much more than a system that does not have the death penalty. Much of these extra costs come way before the appeals begin. This money could be spent on crime prevention methods of proven value- including more and better trained police, more sophisticated police methods and on victims' services, which are underfunded.

Over 120 people on death rows have been released with evidence of their innocence. In the majority of these cases, the evidence was not DNA, which is not often available. More often, the problem is one of mistaken eyewitnesses. After an execution, the case is closed. If the wrong person was executed the real killer is still out there.

The death penalty is racially biased, but not in the way you may think. A defendent is twice as likely to face the death penalty if the victim was white than if the victim was non white.

More and more states have life without parole on the books. It means what it says and is no picnic to be locked up for 23 of 24 hours a day, with no hope of anything else.

The death penalty can be very hard on the families of murder victims. As the process goes on and on they are forced to relive their ordeal in the courts and in the media. Life without parole is sure and swift and rarely appealed. You can find out more about this by visiting the websites of some murder victims families' organizations (Murder Victims Families for Reconciliation, Journey of Hope) or by reading the testimony of murder victims family members in front of the New Jersey Legislature (Sept 2006. I think that this is a very important topic for people to explore.

You also have to let people know that just because you oppose the death penalty does not mean that you excuse or condone brutal acts and the individuals who commit them. It is important to think about the death penalty using common sense and the facts.

Answer 2

Because the major religions use books to decide what is moral (the bible, the koran, ect). However, the writing in the book can be interpreted in many different ways. It seems that modern religious people read it and say that the death penalty is good. Athiests usually see things the other way. For example, in France (around 50% of the population is athiest) the death penalty is abolished.

Answer 3

Several reasons.
1. God Himself instituted the death penalty and it was never repealed in the New Testament.
2. To execute an incarcerated person according to the law, is not murder. That is not a question of opinion, it is simply what the law states.
3. The death penalty is the only fitting punishment for murder.

Answer 4

This is not a religious question. Examine various religions and denomination and you will see both sides of this political issue.

Your lack of God has nothing to do with the political issue of the death penalty. It is a societal, cultural decision on how individual are punished. Protesting the death penalty has not alter the fact that our laws allow the death penalty to be applied.

Answer: Try to change the laws where you live to ban the death penalty and quit blaming just the theists.

Answer 5

While I don't think it's right to end a human life, I do believe in Life in Prison. I believe that those prisoners who refuse to work should undergo human testing for vaccines and such. Is that worse than the death penalty? Some say yes, but i say that it would be a great way to make use of unproductive people.

Answer 6

Speaking for Jews and Christians, what God said to Noah in Gen 9:6 usually sums up our answer. If you look in that verse you'll notice that we don't overgeneralize using the term "murder" every time someone takes another one's life. Murder is a non-state-sanctioned taking of another's life, whereas capital punishment is something God's law, as given to Moses, called for in many Old Testament passages.

Answer 7

Because they don't understand religion.

An eye for an eye is part of the Mosiac law based on Hamarabi's law even most Jews reject it as based on Babylonian times not Divine teaching. .

CHdoctor below don't say you speak for Jews and Christians because you don't speak for all.............as a matter of fact the majority of Christians belong to the Catholic Church who has the official stance that the death penalty is wrong and against it's doctrine.

Finally to the asker alot of people who are religous are completely against the death pentalty and work to end it........

watch a death penalty protest you see Nuns and Priests and Rabbis and Ministers everywhere and Amnesty International has a very Large Interfaith campaign against the Death Penalty. Almost all but the Fundementalists abhor the death penalty.

Christians using the eye for an eye argument read this From the Sermon on the Mt:

You have heard that it was said, 'Eye for eye, and tooth for tooth.'But I tell you, Do not resist an evil person. If someone strikes you on the right cheek, turn to him the other also. And if someone wants to sue you and take your tunic, let him have your cloak as well. If someone forces you to go one mile, go with him two miles. (Mat.5:33-41)

Do not repay anyone evil for evil... not "an eye for an eye", but "turn the other cheek", said Jesus. Do not take revenge, my friends, but leave room for God's wrath, for it is written: It is mine to avenge; I will repay, says the Lord. On the contrary: If your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink. In doing this, you will heap burning coals on his head.Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good. (Rom.12:17-21).

KILLS THAT WHOLE CHRISTIANS SUPPORTING THE DEATH PENALTY BASED ON AN EYE FOR AN EYE THING.

Answer 8

Justice for one and as a warning to others who would commit the same crimes. When severe crimes are committed and there is not much of a penalty then there is not much to stop others from doing the same things. So when there is not swift and just punishment many others suffer by those who don't fear the punishment.

Answer 9

why do so many social liberals favor the death penalty for unborn bystanders guilty only of being convenient??

There are some crimes that it seems the death penalty is approriate for and perhaps a deterant form greater evil. It should be administerd fairly and not disproportioately to the poor but in some cases like killing children or a policement or serial killers or terrorists... I thikn its wise to keep it on the books

Answer 10

Being religious and supporting the death penalty is not a hypocracy. I'll explain my own personal logic. I feel it's better for somebody to have a painless death than to rot the rest of their life in prison. I trully believe I'm being sympathetic not amoral.