Jesus said love your enemies and not to seek revenge then how come conservative christians support execution of criminals except for defence? Aren't they following the mosaic law of an eye for an eye?
2007-03-27 04:07:44 · 15 answers · asked by VILAS S 1 in Society & Culture ➔ Religion & Spirituality
Why do you critically assume that all peole who support the death penalty are True Followers and believers in Christ Jesus? Even the Messiah Jesus warned us that there would be "wolves in sheeps clothing" (people calling themselves Christians who are Not!)
Capital Punishment is NOT legal in all 50 states! Each individual state has to vote on whether or not to enforce capital punishment. (the death penalty)
"Due to serious concerns about matters of Capital punishment, 10 states have put executions effectively on hold while their capital punishment laws and practices are under review. Two of these states, Illinois and New Jersey, presently have formal moratoria on all executions, while the other eight states are reconsidering their use of lethal injection. The death penalty is being implemented less frequently even in those states that continue to execute. During 2006, only 14 of the 37 states with capital punishment carried out any executions, and only six states executed more than one person. The number of executions in 2006 was 12 percent less than in 2005 and 46 percent less than in 1999. According to the Death Penalty Information Center, the number of death sentences given annually is at a 30-year low.
Accordingly, Christians who are opposed to capital punishment on moral grounds can pragmatically support their position with studies and data that show the patterns of race-of-victim or race-of-defendant discrimination in capital cases; that most criminologists and police chiefs don't think capital punishment is an effective deterrent to murder; and that the total costs of the death penalty exceed those of life-without-parole sentences. Such information is persuasive to many fellow citizens who may not share theological convictions against capital punishment. The fact that 123 persons since 1973 have been released from death row with evidence of their innocence has apparently given pause to many people, perhaps leading them into deeper moral reflection on the death penalty.
Not all people, however, are so persuaded.
So, while Christians indeed should muster all of the arguments they can bring to bear on the subject of the death penalty, not everyone will be persuaded by, or interpret, evidence the same way.
Finally, contrary to what Justice Scalia has asserted, one does not have to be "ideologically driven" in order to call into question the death penalty. Lest I be accused of being a bleeding heart liberal, I should point out that I have several years of law enforcement experience, the bulk of it as a corrections officer. Assigned to a large maximum security jail, I often found myself witnessing human nature at its worst. Opposition to the death penalty does not come easily for me. Nevertheless, I hope I am indeed theologically driven in my stance against capital punishment. From a Christian moral perspective, even the guilty should not be punished with death. Perhaps instead of having more "dead men walking," we should send the death penalty walking.
(A former law enforcement officer, Tobias Winright)
Again - NOT everyone in America - claiming to be a Christian - is really a True-Believer in Christ Jesus. IN FACT- MOST Americans claiming that they believe in God Never Attend Church or have even opened the Bible to read it. DON'T EVER FORGET THAT!
2007-04-03 07:05:34 · answer #1 · answered by gigiemilu 4 · 0⤊ 1⤋
Christians erroneously feel that their this life is the end of the universe.
They are misquoting the Bible.
A law can take it's course, but we as human beings should be compassionate for every body. Calling others sinners, and thriving in the fullfillment of our materialistic desires, is what we elites are doing, and that is sin.
Some body dieing by the noose or on the chair is not the issue here. The issue is our conscience, against which we give the rulings about life and death.
2007-03-29 02:34:16 · answer #2 · answered by Vijay D 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
The fact of the matter is that most western people do not support capital punishment. The US is the only western country with the death penalty. Whether that is a positive or a negative is up to you.
2007-03-27 11:17:55 · answer #3 · answered by Adoptive Father 6 · 2⤊ 0⤋
Most western people don't. The death penalty is not used in Europe or Canada or Japan. The US is among the last countries in the west where the death penalty is used regularly. It's also the most religious western country. Funny about that, isn't it?
2007-03-27 11:14:33 · answer #4 · answered by Anonymous · 3⤊ 1⤋
It is law of the nation nothing to do with religion Christianity.
2007-03-27 11:26:57 · answer #5 · answered by surender p 2 · 1⤊ 0⤋
I cannot answer that. I live in a country where there is no capital punishment.
2007-04-04 06:20:20 · answer #6 · answered by ozraikat 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Christians believe in capital punishment because they believe Jesus also believed in it - since he had the ability to stop his own but didn't, thus demonstrating his whole hearted support in the most graphic of ways.
2007-03-27 11:12:40 · answer #7 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 3⤋
Let he who lives by the sword die by the sword.
The rationale of many Christians who support the death penalty is that they are doing God's work, and keeping others safer, by upholding this concept.
2007-03-27 11:12:23 · answer #8 · answered by dragoonmac 3 · 3⤊ 1⤋
Capital punishment is scriptural.
Mercy, love, compassion, and empathy are all part of Christian living.
But so also is holding one accountable for horrible, unspeakable crimes).
2007-03-27 11:15:42 · answer #9 · answered by Bobby Jim 7 · 1⤊ 2⤋
The UK is supposed to be a christian country and we don't have tne death penalty.
We bloody well should, though.
2007-03-27 11:15:14 · answer #10 · answered by Wild About Harry 4 · 1⤊ 0⤋