What is the Christian position regarding Capital Punishment?

Answer 1

It varies. There is no one position.

Answer 2

Can't speak for all, but the Catholic Church's position is clear:

"Assuming that the guilty party's identity and responsibility have been fully determined, the traditional teaching of the Church does not exclude recourse to the death penalty, if this is the only possible way of effectively defending human lives against the unjust aggressor.

"If, however, non-lethal means are sufficient to defend and protect people's safety from the aggressor, authority will limit itself to such means, as these are more in keeping with the concrete conditions of the common good and more in conformity with the dignity of the human person.

"Today, in fact, as a consequence of the possibilities which the state has for effectively preventing crime, by rendering one who has committed an offense incapable of doing harm - without definitely taking away from him the possibility of redeeming himself - the cases in which the execution of the offender is an absolute necessity 'are very rare, if not practically non-existent'."

Answer 3

The Catholic opposition to capital punishment is based on the belief that any sinner's soul can be saved. They say it is cruel to execute someone who can always be saved and go to heaven. Some Catholics in upstate New York, however, thought it would be clever to get together and revise this belief to suit their own conservative opinions. They state that murder is an unforgivable sin and that any convicted person on death row should be executed because no matter how hard they pray they will never be absolved from their sins. They think it is okay to kill someone who is going to Hell. I think they're a bunch of pigfaces if you ask me.

Answer 4

The position is clearly against it! At least thats how i feel.

Answer 5

I can tell you the Catholic position: I'm against it. 100% of the time.