Is the death penalty better than "Thou Shalt Not Kill"?

Question

Can a Christian be for the death penalty?

The Bible says, Thou shalt not kill.

Should God have added something to that commandment like, "except for death penalty cases"?

I know that GOD Himself killed millions of people and commanded the Children of Israel to slaughter men women and children throughout Jewish History, and to make tons of animal sacrifices, but do you think that it would have been better if God had said, "Thou shalt not Murder?"

But I know you cannot change the Bible, because the Bible says that anyone who changes the Bible should be killed...

So can we kill insane murderers or not?

How about witches and homosexuals, like the Bible says to do? Are we supposed to read the ten commandments and then later read the things that contradict the earlier things and just go with the "latest" information?

Answer 1

The English translation of the Bible says "though shalt not kill". The meaning is "Thou shalt not MURDER". The death penalty is not murder, but punishment for a crime. If this commandment were meant to mean that killing was always wrong, the Jews would have been pacifists. They weren't.

Answer 2

The literal Hewbrew words of the Bible say "Lo Tirtzach" which literally means "Do not murder". Like English, Hebrew has different words for "kill" and murder". The distinction is the same. "Kill" means ending a life without any connotations as to whether it was ethical or not. "Murder" means specifically a non ethical killing.
That being the case, the Bible is saying do not commit an non ethical killing. Since the Bible proscribes the death penalty for a variety of items (including murder) it is clear that carrying out the death penalty in the Bible's view is ethical.

I find it highly surprising that many people (you are not the first) will take a hyper literal approach to it and say silly things like "well the Bible says do not kill so you can never kill" without putting much thought into it first.

Here's another dillema for you. If your life was threatened and the only way to save your life was to kill, would it be ethical for you to do so?

Answer 3

"Thou shalt not KILL"; Its idea was not to kill freely. Such as for someones wife, or property, or any of the nature. And Old tradition had you did not do it in the "daytime", hense CHILDREN could be present. And if you had to, you better have cause and witnesses. I think that is why crime can relate to the dark. It is mostly done at night. The later hours. And the Death Penalty can even be avoided by lengthy appeals and REALLY good lawyers. Therefore it can take years for the process to take place.

Answer 4

I believe sometimes it is necessary for a person to die for things they have done. Not as a punishment or a deterrent but because they are a danger to other people.
If a person rapes and kills a child I don't care why they did. That sick twist needs to die so he/she is not able to harm another child.
I am a Christian. I do not think the death penalty deprives a person redemption at all. What about the rights of the child who was raped and killed? What can be said to that child? Sorry you were raped and killed stuffed into a bag and buried alive but this monster has more rights than you.

Answer 5

God gave the Ten Commandments to the people. There are other teachings- for instance there is a passage about following man's laws. If the laws of man say murderers get killed, then don't do any killin'.

Answer 6

Sure they can I am. Only non lerned christians aren't. God is for the death penelty. Thou shalt not kill is talking about premeditaded murder. The penelty for that which is requred of God is Death. I wouldn't have any problem throwing the switch.

Answer 7

I am a Christian and I do not believe in the death penalty. I also do not believe in abortion. I do not believe that I have the right to take a human life. Both are thought out and calculated. The death penalty also prevents the offender a chance for redemption. God loves us all. ex. King David: He had Bathsheba's husband knowingly sent to his death because he wanted her for himself. God still loved him. I am not saying I like the people who murder nor am I condoning the acts. I am simply stating that I will not throw the first stone in their punishment because I am not without sin.

Answer 8

I believe that Christianity is completely incompatible with the death penalty. We believe that every human life has worth--period--and yet we justify taking another's life as punishment. Christian doctrine tells us every life has worth no matter what the sins, but the death penalty defies even that.

Additionally, I believe that any justice wrought by humans is inherently flawed, because we are flawed. We can never achieve true justice, because we cannot achieve pure, unbiased fairness. Despite this, I do not advocate complete abolishment of the legal system, since I believe it is worthwhile through all it's flaws, but I do believe that because justice is inherently flawed, to take a life in the name of "justice" is completely abhorrent. We as humans, in my opinion, do not have the right to take another's life--either in cold-blooded murder or in the death penalty.

Plus, for me, the mere possibility of one innocent man or woman being executed is enough for me to decry the death penalty. That any innocent person should be executed is appalling to me and the highest miscarriage of justice.

Answer 9

As Ghandi said "An eye for an eye makes people blind". I don't know how anyone who believes in God can justify agreeing with the death penalty. Two wrongs don't make a right.

Answer 10

"Thou shalt not murder" is NOT the same as "thou shalt not kill".. The first is from the Bible, the last is from people who cannot translate Hebrew...