How can Christians believe in capital punishment?

Question

Jesus teaches forgiveness, turning the other cheek, and loving your enemies. So why are Christians so overwhelmingly in favor of the death penalty. Sounds hypocritical. Wait, Jesus couldn't stand hypocrites either. "Christians," have you even bothed to read the Bible. I hate to be picky, but if you don't even TRY to follow His teachings, you're not Christians. So, please stop calling your self that. It gives the rest a bad reputation

KingDavid. That is the very piece of the old testement Jesus was refuting when He said "turn the other cheek"

sunestauromai - He also never said raping pigs was wrong. What's your point?

People, if you insist on quoting the Old Testement why aren't you Jewish. The purpose of being a Christian is believing in what Christ said. That everything He say overrules all. It's the definition of the religion

I'm not stating an opinion on whether the death penalty is right or wrong. I'm just saying it goes against the very fundamentals of Christianity. So how can you be a Christian and still believe in it? I've now written the question twice

sunestauromai - If following and enforcing the law is so central to Chritianity why is half the new testement written from a prison cell. Besides, regardless what anyone else in the Bible says, shouldn't Jesus's teachings be the most important? Did you forget, let he without sin, cast the first stone?

sunestauromai - so you're saying God tells us not to kill, but then puts people in the position where they are forced to kill? Isn't the hang man going to be condemned for breaking on of the 10 commandments and killing a man who did him no harm?

sunestauromai - you know, that sounds really complex and confusing. Why doesn't God inspire someone to write an updated version so that us savages who think killing is wrong can also follow His will?

Answer 1

You're misrepresenting facts. Jesus did not condemn the use of capital punishment, EVER. The INDIVIDUAL is told to love enemies. This does not affect the right or RESPONSIBILITY of those in power to ENFORCE LAWS. 1Peter 2:19 Suppose a person suffers pain unfairly because he wants to obey God. That is worthy of praise. 20 But suppose you receive a beating for doing wrong, and you put up with it. Will anyone honor you for that? Of course not. But suppose you suffer for doing good, and you put up with it. God will praise you for that...

Romans 1:32 They know that God�s commands are right. They know that those who do evil things should die. But they continue to do those very things. They also approve of others who do them.

The New Testament EXPECTS those in power to punish CRIMINALS.

Jesus is called the "Word of God." How many times did the WORD COMMAND capital punishment?

You are forcing scripture into YOUR modern sensibilities. It is NOT a fit. Your perception is incorrect.

Jesus teachings: You MUST recognize that Jesus wasn't teaching "Christians," but Jews living under the law. There were NO CHRISTIANS until AFTER Jesus' resurrection when Peter preached that first sermon on Pentecost (Acts 2) and the apostles baptized several thousand new Christians. EVERYTHING Jesus taught must FIRST be recognized as a teaching for Jews and the law, THEN search for its application to modern Christians. (Consider it IN CONTEXT.)

Answer 2

One reason is that they want to feel safe in their communities and homes. However, without facts about the death penalty they support it and look for justification in their religious training. Here are some facts about the death penalty system, verifiable and sourced. Common sense can do the rest:

Re: Possibility of executing an innocent person
Over 120 people on death rows have been released with evidence of their innocence, many having already served over 2 decades on death row. If we speed up the process we are bound to execute an innocent person. Once someone is executed the case is closed. If we execute an innocent person the real criminal is still out there and will have successfully avoided being charged.

Re: DNA
DNA is available in less than 10% of murder cases. It’s not a miracle cure for sentencing innocent people to death. It’s human nature to make mistakes.

Re: Deterrence
The death penalty isn’t a deterrent. Murder rates are actually higher in states with the death penalty than in states without it. Moreover, people who kill or commit other serious crimes do not think they will be caught (if they think at all.)

Re: cost
The death penalty costs far more than life in prison. The huge extra costs start to mount up even before the trial. There are more cost effective ways to prevent and control crime.

Re: Alternatives
48 states have life without parole on the books. It means what it says, is swift and sure and is rarely appealed. Being locked in a tiny cell for 23 hours a day, forever, is certainly no picnic. Life without parole incapacitates a killer (keeps him from re-offending) and costs considerably less than the death penalty.

Re: Who gets the death penalty
The death penalty isn’t reserved for the “worst of the worst,” but rather for defendants with the worst lawyers. When is the last time a wealthy person was sentenced to death, let alone executed??

Re: Victims families
The death penalty is very hard on victims’ families. They must relive their ordeal in the courts and the media. Life without parole is sure, swift and rarely appealed. Some victims families who support the death penalty in principal prefer life without parole because of how the death penalty affects families like theirs.

Opposing the death penalty doesn’t mean you condone brutal crimes or excuse people who commit them. According to a Gallup Poll, in 2006, 47% of all Americans prefer capital punishment while 48% prefer life without parole. Americans are learning the facts and making up their minds using common sense, not revenge or an eye for an eye mentality.

Answer 3

hon, you need to take the WHOLE Word of God and not just the parts you like. The death penalty is clearly taught throughout Scripture. God is loving and forgiving but He has a justice side too. Government has the authority and the duty to carry out corporal punishment on criminals. It is not an individual taking another individuals life. It is the ruling authority passing the just sentence of Law upon the criminal who chose crime. You don't believe in the death penalty? Fine - get criminals to stop doing crime that deserves the death penalty and it will be a moot issue.

Answer 4

Because the original Christian, Jesus himself, had experienced capital punishment !!

Hinduism also teaches forgiveness (Mahatma Gandhi, a Hindu, used to turn his other cheek)....... But the Hindu scripture Gita, which is the foundation of all religions, also exhorts the devotee to take up arms and fight (and even kill your close relatives even, if they turn evil and do not relent) so as to protect dharma (a word which cannot be translated into English) and uprighteousness in society.....

Islam is the religion of universal brotherhood. And still muslims are fighting among themselves, besides with others...

The problem is :
(i) Jesus is the one and only (first and last) Christian
(ii) Mohmmed is the first and last mohammedan !!

In order to understand Christianity, one has to become Jesus Himself. In order to understand to understand Islam one has to become like Mohammed Himself. Mere studying of words/scriptures will not help.

But today nobody is willing to make the kind of effort/ sacrifice to ascend to the stature of a Christ.

Answer 5

I the idea of capital punishment came from the Bible. In the old Testament if you took a mans life you would pay the debt with your life. Jesus also said an "'eye for an eye' and 'a tooth for a tooth'"

Answer 6

WE ARE ALL UNDER THE DEATH PENALTY FROM BIRTH

Why do people want to, or just do bad stuff to other people, why shorten the life of any person and them face getting life cut short for doing so, life is short enough, even the very best possible, is short.

Answer 7

Would you let Hitler into your Bible Study? Remember Poly Clasp and what the murderer said to her father at the end of the trial. I say Justice, Mercy, Compassion, and Faith. For those two fine gentlemen I've just stated, I say DIE. The Bible Says we will reap what we sew. Let them two start, and there's a lot more of them.

Answer 8

Read the Bible...it's all in there, Honey. If this were the first or even the 50th time this question was asked, I'd go into great detail...but you can look it up yourself.

Answer 9

We true born again Christians don't believe in the death penalty. It is the other so called heathen living Christians that follow a false religion that believe in that.

Answer 10

Christians have never advocated capital punishment.Life is preceous and nobody has authority to destroy what one can not make.