If not why do many who claim to follow his teachings support the death penalty?
2007-02-20 20:12:38 · 19 answers · asked by Anonymous in Society & Culture ➔ Religion & Spirituality
NO
AND I DO NOT BELIEVEIN
KILLING FOR NO REASON
DON'T BELIEVE IN GUNS EITHER
2007-02-20 20:17:15 · answer #1 · answered by twocenst 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I don't support the death penalty, although I know some of my fellow Christians do. I don't think Jesus did because He prevented a woman from being stoned to death by telling the people that the one who is without sin should throw the first stone. ( John Chapter 8)
2007-02-20 20:20:07 · answer #2 · answered by out of the grey 4 · 2⤊ 0⤋
Let he without sin cast the first stone. Ever hear that? Jesus spoke those words. At the time, the govts. did support capital punishment. Jesus later said, give unto Caesar what is Caesar's, to God what is God's. So just because the govt. supported it Jesus did not. And Jesus came to be an example to us, to lead by example. Jesus Christ did not support capital punishment, and neither do I. Some folks just do not understand. It doesn't mean they aren't Christian, it simply means they are misguided on this issue. I am on other issues, but not this one. I am a Christian.
P.S. The woman who Jesus saved from stoning with no more than a few words departed from his lips was deserving of stoning according to the Law, of God and govt. at the time. Jesus Christ by no means supported capital punishment. I feel very strongly about this because of his words, his actions, his example, his message. Turn the other cheek, love your enemies, pray for those who persecute you, let him without sin cast the first stone, whoever did unto the least of these my brethren did unto me, if you love only those who love you do not sinners do the same, love your neighbor as yourself. Some neighbors we go to war against because they kill their neighbors by the thousands. Here in the U.S. we put a woman to death suffering from post partem depression for killing her children. Both are horrible, but I believe Jesus' message was clear. Do Not Kill. War is another matter. Genocide must be prevented if possible, or stopped. Otherwise, there would be no one on earth but his opposers.
P.S. I disagree totally with Ian's answer, and would argue it if I had more energy. He's wrong, in my humble opinion. I do love the Lord but am not worthy of him, as none is.
2007-02-20 20:17:39 · answer #3 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
Dear Friend,
Jesus would not support the death penalty.
Jesus taught forgiveness of sins and love for our fellow man, also he taught that we should not judge.
Let us look to Gods word the bible for Authority on this matter.
The Greatest Commandment
Matthew22:34Hearing that Jesus had silenced the Sadducees, the Pharisees got together. 35One of them, an expert in the law, tested him with this question:
36"Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?" 37Jesus replied: " 'Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.'[b] 38This is the first and greatest commandment. 39And the second is like it: 'Love your neighbor as yourself.'[c] 40All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.
Do not judge:
Matthew 7
Judging Others
1"Do not judge, or you too will be judged. 2For in the same way you judge others, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.
3"Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother's eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye? 4How can you say to your brother, 'Let me take the speck out of your eye,' when all the time there is a plank in your own eye? 5You hypocrite, first take the plank out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother's eye.
This clearly oulines the teaching of the lord on this matter
God Bless
2007-02-20 20:30:28 · answer #4 · answered by ianptitchener 3 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Jesus would have been in agreement with (Romans 13:1-2) Let every soul be in subjection to the superior authorities, for there is no authority except by God; the existing authorities stand placed in their relative positions by God. 2 Therefore he who opposes the authority has taken a stand against the arrangement of God; those who have taken a stand against it will receive judgment to themselves.
Because of this, the authorities, governments, if they bring in the death penalty, will have to answer to God himself.
2007-02-20 21:35:01 · answer #5 · answered by pugjw9896 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I doubt it, since He Himself was an innocent victim of it.
I follow Jesus' teachings (I try my best to, anyway), and I don't support the death penalty.
.
2007-02-20 20:24:28 · answer #6 · answered by Anonymous · 2⤊ 0⤋
He doesn't mention it exclusively, but I would group it with a role of secular government. Whenever he was asked a question about the death penalty (i.e. stoning sinners and a few other cases) he neither said "no" or "yes". Clever guy. The most evident answer is that we cannot kill someone in Christ's name. It can only be left to secular government, and we do not taint our hands in it.
2007-02-20 20:47:11 · answer #7 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 1⤋
John 3:16 For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved.
Jesus came to establish God's kingdom on earth which is a spiritual kingdom. His mission based on the above Scripture is not to condemn or punish people but to save them and usher them into His kingdom. Jesus came to save the world incuding murderers who are condemned to die for their crimes but through belief in Jesus as their Lord and Savior they can still enter God's kingdom. From the Christian perspective death is not the end of life and not something to be feared. Jesus has conquered death for us and when we leave this earthly body we are truly free. The Apostle Paul wrote in Phil 1:21 'For to me, to live is Christ, and to die is gain.' So, for someone to be executed is no big loss to him if he is saved. As Christians we render unto Ceasar what is due to Ceasar and to God what is due to God. The Christian's real concern is whether the person executed is saved. If so, all will be well. Followers of Jesus are more tuned in about the kingdom's perspective and take the earthly situation in their stride. Of course we should be merciful as God is merciful.
2007-02-20 21:37:02 · answer #8 · answered by seekfind 6 · 1⤊ 0⤋
He didn't seem to support capital punishment.
As to why some support it, the answer is simple. They have learned to compartmentalize religion and politics. You might get the impression that their political views are the result of their religious views - don't let that fool you. They are simply employing Orwellian double-think, and have no problem holding mutually contradictory beliefs.
2007-02-20 20:17:59 · answer #9 · answered by NONAME 7 · 3⤊ 0⤋
No---Christ specifically stated in the sermon on the Mount that Moses's law of an "eye for an eye"--was against Gods Law (Matthew Ch5 v38.)--So obviously any "Christian" who still supports an "eye for an eye"--is diametrically opposed to Christs teachings--& should stop pretending they are Christian.
2007-02-20 20:48:55 · answer #10 · answered by huffyb 6 · 1⤊ 0⤋
No, and I don't support the death penalty.
2007-02-20 20:24:42 · answer #11 · answered by Dakota Lynn Takes Gun 6 · 3⤊ 0⤋