The ten commandments - Where is the "unless they commited heinous crimes" clause?

Question

How is capital punishment reconciled with Christianity? I am at a loss. A while ago I asked my pet antichrist (my high school math teacher), for some stupid reason - he went on for 15 minutes mumbling incoherently but I repeatedly heard him say "unless they commited heinous crimes". Is there more to the ten commandments' "Thou Shalt not Kill"?

The only explanation I have come up with is such - that man's act of killing degrades him; deprives him of the right to the soul. Therefore, as the biblical characters seem to have no problem killing various animals for various reasons (no i'm not a vegan), I assume that they have no problem slaying the Animal of Man.

Is this the reconciliation?

Joe

Answer 1

Let us discuss your question in the light of John 1:17 For the law was given through Moses, but grace and truth came through Jesus Christ. The principle of "an eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth" is part of the law of the Old Covenant which is applicable to the followers of Moses. Christians are followers of Jesus Christ are under grace and truth. The new commandment for Christians is to love others as God loves us (John 13:34; 15:12).
Christians are called to seek first God's kingdom and His righteousness and are therefore to be concerned with the affairs of the kingdom. Affairs of the kingdom involve matters of the spirit which Christians are involved in by being in Jesus, this means in practice walking in the Spirit and dealing with enemies which are not flesh and blood but the wicked forces in the heavenly places (Ep 6:12). Capital punishment under the Old Covenant is not a spiritual matter that is revelant to Christians. But capital punishment is an earthly issue for Christian who need to respond with Jesus' command "to render to Ceasar what is due to Caesar and to God what is due to God". This means Christians must obey earthly authority. Capital punishment is not a kingdom (ie Christian) but an earthly issue.

Answer 2

The Qur'an

It clarrifies everything said by by all previous Prophets. About the only commandment that will never have a good reason behind it is adultery.

In the insanity-driven world we live in can anyone honestly survive without breaking a single commandment.

Basically it all comes down to reason behidn your actions, if it protects/respects yoru neighbor in the most appropiate ay possible tthen good.

Salaam

Answer 3

Capital punishment reconciles well with both Judaism and Christianity. God commanded us to take the lives of any fool who dares murder another human being.

The down side of being against the death penalty is that you automatically condemn additional innocent people to crimes or murder, and that does NOT reconcile with Christianity.

The problem is liberals. Neither the death penalty nor Christianity reconciles with them.

Answer 4

I know in Exodus and Numbers the Lord instructed the Israelites to kill certain people for reason of disobedience. I think that it is a gray area for christians. I know this is something that I am curious about also because in war people are forced to kill or be killed, does that make them bad?
The animal sacrifices were for cleansing, forgiveness, and in general making themselves right with the Lord. In the new testament you don't see quite so many animal sacrifices because when Jesus died on the cross he became the only sacrafice we needed.

Answer 5

There is no reconciliation of capital punishment. No eye for an eye or tooth for a tooth. In fact, as per Jesus, offer your other eye or tooth so to speak. Love your enemy as yourself. All life is sacred. The only one who may take it back is God. That is what society created jails for.

Answer 6

Christians do not agree on this. They have even changed the word "kill" to mean "murder". God says, Thou Shalt not Kill, without qualification. These so-called Christians imply that God was not intelligent enough to use the proper word, so they kindly changed it for Him, because they know better than He what word is proper.

They also point to the anti-homosexual statements of the old testament when they are condemning gay people, but do not point to the "eye for an eye" statement when they are congratulating themselves on their righteousness.

All in all, they have made the bible convenient to their own vices, manufacturing unlimited mercy for themselves, no matter what they do, and manufacturing unlimited suffering for those they don't agree with. What they have reconciled is the ability to obtain forgiveness for themselves without developing mercy for others.

I am a vegan, and I would like to ask the Christians this: If you are instructed to love thy neighbor as thyself, then consider, who is your neighbor? Are the squirrels, birds, rabbits who live in the trees and grass in your yard your neighbors? Do they have a right to live there peacefully, without interruption? Or do you have the authority to deprive them of their lives, simply because you are too selfish to share "your" yard? Does "dominion" mean "right to kill", or does it mean "protection"? Does a king have the right to kill his citizens, or do all of the citizens in his "domain" have the right to expect his protection?

Answer 7

Well, in Jewish law they just stoned you to death if you commited some henious crime.

I can't understand why Christians can condone the death penalty. It does seem to go against their faith, doesn't it?

You would think that they would instead be trying to save this soul for God - for according to their religion no one is ever truly lost in this life.

Answer 8

the reconciliation is that people say:

An eye for a eye and a tooth for a tooth..

BUT... they never EVER know the very next line after that.

Answer 9

I thought your question was confusing. I'm not sure what you're asking. However, our society is much more tolerant of crime that God is.

Answer 10

I would say it's in direct contridiction. So, I agree with you 100%