I want to state right off the bat that this is not an "attack." it is simply a question to help my understanding of your reasoning behind some of your political beliefs. I am not some crazy liberal attacking you. in fact, while i do lean toward the left, i also have some right wing beliefs myself. I have studied the bible and went to a christian school. so here is my question. Why do many christians support the death penalty when john 8:1-11 clearly states against this. It is the passage with the adulterer who is going to be stoned and jesus states :"Let him who is without sin among you be the first to throw a stone at her.” Since none of us are without sin, then how can anyone betray this. to me this passage is clearly stating that we are all sinners and therefore cannot pass a death sentence on another sinner. this is Gods job. Maybe our interpertations of this passage are different.i would like to hear your take on this.It's not fair for me to make a stance without hearing your side
2007-06-11
07:36:27
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15 answers
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asked by
wolfatthedoor
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Society & Culture
➔ Religion & Spirituality
the answers you are giving so far are all from the old testiment. when christ preaches in the new testiment he specifically states that what was once an eye for an eye is now turn the other cheek. jewish people could use that defense. but i want to know from those who follow the new testiment. its not fair to debate a new testiment qoute by contradicting it with an old testiment qoute when you follow the new testiment. despite that all you are doing is showing your source is a contradiction of itself.
as for whoever asked is there a dishonest question. yes there is on yahoo answers. many people on here ask a question not to hear an answer but to validify their own beliefs and attack those against it. I am not one of those people. i am looking for real answers from those who are on the opposite side of my beliefs. i am trying to be fair and understanding.
2007-06-11
07:45:14 ·
update #1
beta-fishy i believe that only the old testiment supports such beliefs. the new testiment clearly states many times that tolerence is the answer. jesus being opposed to the death penalty seem pretty clear. If we kill someone by death penalty we eliminate their chance of a natural death. in a sense taking away their free will. this is against the beliefs of God in the new testiment.
2007-06-11
07:51:14 ·
update #2
again everything is coming from the old testiment, when the new testiment cleary contradicts these teachings many times. moose actually gave a list of qoutes and teachings from the bible which actually help PROVE my point. one of the things he shows states that Jesus talking to Peter states the death penalty is wrong, but killing in war is not.
2007-06-11
07:56:40 ·
update #3
iam a Christan and i don't believe in the death penalty i like your question it does make me think about what people are doing because we all have sinned and they should give people life instead of death because its not our call it's god's call i could never be in that line of work because i know its displeasing to my god that's what believe
2007-06-11 07:41:33
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answer #1
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answered by CHERISH 3
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Many Christians do NOT support the death penalty (myself included). What the Catholic church says is that because the death penalty is mentioned as an option in the Bible, it is permissible when no other way is seen as a solution however both this Pope and John Paul II have commented that they did not see a case where the death penalty would be needed.
Our society feels that not all people have the "right to life". Society contends that a person committing a heinous crime LOSES that right to life and that an unborn child never HAS that right to life.
The Church and the Bible teach in the sanctity of ALL human life, regardless of residence as it is felt each human being is created as an purposeful act of God and an integral part of God's Divine Plan and each human has something to contribute which if they are not allow to contribute it, that "something" will go undone.
2007-06-11 14:46:21
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answer #2
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answered by gswidemark 3
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God also said an eye for an eye,, I do have a problem with the death penalty only because there have been some who were really innocence on D/R but that's by the fault of the people who put them there,, But don't you think someone who murders, kill children,rape women,,beat old people deserve to be punished ??? In John 8:10 He also told her to go and sin no more...If someone continues to kill and hurt people they should be judged by God..I say lock them up and trhow away the key...
2007-06-11 14:51:35
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answer #3
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answered by dolphinchic 3
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In ancient times the death penalty was used to rid society of a dangerous person who posed a serious risk to the saftey of the community. They did not have well controlled prisons as we do today. I can understand the death penalty being used under those circumstances, but today we have modern prisons that can prevent a dangerous person from hurting others, so I see no reason for executing people anymore. I once read the following quote: "How can we teach people that killing is wrong by killing them?"
2007-06-11 14:47:02
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answer #4
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answered by morkie 4
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Well, I consider myself a conservative devout Catholic. I am pro-life and therefore I am against the death penalty.
I do not think we should kill someone, who, if allowed to live may find salvation and forgiveness. Jesus says the good shepherd will go out looking for the one lost sheep...I think that is true of these people. No one is beyond forgiveness and repentance
2007-06-11 14:55:40
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answer #5
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answered by Misty 7
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The passage you reference does not teach against the death penalty. It is teaching forgiveness while at the same time not being contradictory to the law of the land, which supported capital punishment. Notice that Jesus did not say, "Capital punishment is evil and I hereby abolish it!" He simply taught them that they shouldn't be so quick to jump all over somebody else when they themselves were not perfect.
Indeed, if one pursues a comprehensive study of the scriptures, one sees that capital punishment is a part of Christianity. Always has been, always will be.
2007-06-11 14:44:03
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answer #6
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answered by Open Heart Searchery 7
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The topic of the death penalty is very controversial. I think it is taking God's job, and making decisions for Him. But as God, I also feel that He wouldn't let that happen. It may be in His will that they die, and the death penalty is only His means of doing it rather than another way. If you think about it, if God was going to let someone die for one reason or another, it is much more humane to let him or her die of lethal injection than of an illness or gunshot or something else. I don't know though.
2007-06-11 14:41:38
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answer #7
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answered by Anonymous
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Honestly I never took his reaction to be applicable beyond that specific incident. In fact he kept her from receiving any punishment at all, should we then say that criminals can't even be jailed by imperfect people such as us and we should leave it to God to take care of the person? (That's really not meant to be sarcastic so I hope it doesn't come off that way)
2007-06-11 14:46:34
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answer #8
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answered by Rossonero NorCal SFECU 7
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I wasn't sure I wanted to go anywhere near a question that called out "right wing Christians ...". Thanks for clarifying your motivation up front.
I'm conservative, Catholic, and do not support the death penalty (or abortion, or euthanasia). I don't often use the verse you referenced to back up my position, but it certainly can be applied. It's 2 Peter 3:9 that clinches it for me: "The Lord is not slow about His promise, as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing for any to perish but for all to come to repentance."
When we carry out a sentence of death we're taking the person out of the "all" in that verse, usurping God's prerogative, and denying them God's patience for their repentance in our impatience for retribution.
Both sides of this debate can find Bible verses to back them up. It must, then, be a matter of conscience.
Catholic teaching does not exclude recourse to capital punishment "when this is the only practicable way to defend the lives of human beings effectively against the aggressor"; however, it does clearly state (in the Catechism of the Catholic Church, paragraph 2267):
"If, instead, bloodless means are sufficient to defend against the aggressor and to protect the safety of persons, public authority should limit itself to such means, because they better correspond to the concrete conditions of the common good and are more in conformity to the dignity of the human person.
"Today, in fact, given the means at the State's disposal to effectively repress crime by rendering inoffensive the one who has committed it, without depriving him definitively of the possibility of redeeming himself, cases of absolute necessity for suppression of the offender 'today ... are very rare, if not practically non-existent'."
2007-06-11 15:18:10
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answer #9
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answered by Clare † 5
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I am a Christian, and I 100% do NOT support the death penalty. Some Christians do, yes. I personally think they are in the wrong. Are they not Christians because they do? Not necessarily. No one is perfect.
2007-06-11 14:41:06
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answer #10
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answered by Anonymous
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