Many Christians support the death penalty. Why?

Question

I know there plenty that are against. I'm not asking about them. What about those that do support it? How are they not hypocrites?
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For the record. I'm atheist and am not opposed to the death penalty on moral grounds. Child killers (and the like) shouldn't be allowed to live. The problem I have with it is how it's administered in our woefully flawed legal system. But I digress.

-"eye for an eye" is OT. Supposedly when Jesus fulfilled OT prophecy and got nailed up, OT law was nullified (except for homosexuality as a sin and the 10 Coms, somehow those stick). I've heard this from dozens of Christians. So "eye for an eye" does not apply. Next caller...

Some of you are confused. I'm not suggesting the death penalty was instituted by Christians. Why would any Christian support it? It's really a very straight forward question if you don't try to read into it.

Answer 1

I am a Christian and it a struggle for me what to believe. As a Christian I am taught to leave it up to God, allow him to choose the punishment to the wicked, he is the one who truly knows what happened, therefore it should be up to him. But as a human my nature comes through as well, I think revenge, anger, and justice are all major reactions in humans. We try to take things into our own hands and it is understandable to protect and punish your own.
I am of the belief that it is in God's hands. (let he without sin cast the first stone). Who are we, as fallible humans, to make such a drastic decision in the life of another person. God creates life and he should hold the right to take it away, though I feel I may always be torn in cases of homicide, rape, child molestation and the like.

Answer 2

Eye for an eye, my friend. Debates about the death penalty sometimes take a back seat to those over matters such as abortion, but they don't really end and they rarely seem to arrive at any sort of conclusion. This probably shouldn't be a surprise - capital punishment has been in regular use in the West for thousands of years, and no one started to question it in a serious and systematic manner until just a couple of centuries ago.

Do religions support or oppose the death penalty? The truth is that there is no unified position on capital punishment, even within any religions much less among them. Because of this, there is a lot of confusion and diversity on people's views of capital punishment.
The Modesto Bee explains:

A 2001 survey by the Pew Forum and the Pew Research Center showed that 42 percent of those who oppose the death penalty do so because of religious beliefs. Only 15 percent of death penalty supporters said they do so because of religious beliefs.

Catholic teaching is that capital punishment can only be used if it is impossible to contain the perpetrator — unlikely in the modern age in a developed nation, Illo said. Killing another is only condoned in self-defense, he said. ... Lutheran theology does not oppose the death penalty, though it is concerned about unequal application of the penalty, such as among minorities.

According to its Web site, the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints neither promotes nor opposes capital punishment, regarding the issue as "to be decided solely by the prescribed processes of civil law." The National Association of Evangelicals and Southern Baptist Convention have passed resolutions supporting the death penalty. ... In Islam, murder can be punished by death, or — if family members don't insist on death as retaliation — payment of "blood money" to the family.

Much of the conflict stems, I think, from conflicting principles within religions themselves. Ancient religions usually have statements or laws supporting capital punishment because it was so common in the ancient world. Later developments, however, would have emphasized peace and forgiveness — not explicit condemnations of the death penalty, but principles that make its application more difficult. Which will win in the end?

Answer 3

God said to follow the laws of the land. If you have faith in Jesus and are obedient, you are not under the 10 commandments. This does not mean that you can do what ever you wish and get away with it. There are coincidences to your actions on this planet. If you murder some one, you will pay for it by the flesh, if you are in jail and accept Jesus into your life, you will be saved. God's word does not lie.

Answer 4

The Old Testament makes liberal use of the death penalty when people sinned. The New Testament never once protests crucifixions. Therefore, I believe in the death penalty. It should be noted that the Old Testament's death penalties were intended for ancient Israel because they were God's chosen people, so they had to behave better. Only for rape and murder, in my opinion, should the death penalty be used today.

Answer 5

I'm a Christian and i agree with you, death penalty goes against everything Christ taught.

Oh i don't agree with you at all about all the rest you said after

Paz de Cristo

Answer 6

There are Sin's that cut your Life Short on this Earth.

Try Smoking 5 packs of cigarettes a day and see how long you live. (not really, don't do it! just an example)

All Sin is slow suicide.

Answer 7

I dont think theres anything wrong with believers believing in the death penalty...i mean if they believe in eternal life and all..its not really *death*...what I find hypocritical is people who call themselves *pro-life* cuz theyre against a womans right to choose but are pro-death penalty and pro-quagmire

Answer 8

Because God said so. This is part of the everlasting covenant that God made with mankind through Noah at the end of the flood.

Genesis 9:5 -6 And surely your blood of your lives will I require; at the hand of every beast will I require it, and at the hand of man; at the hand of every man’s brother will I require the life of man. Whoso sheddeth man’s blood, by man shall his blood be shed: for in the image of God made he man.

Nothing Jesus taught about turning the other cheek voided this everlasting law given by God. In fact we have failed miserably at dispensing God's justice and our leaders , judges and legislators will have to answer for this failure.

God said it that settles it! Cap'n Arlo

Answer 9

maybe because nowadays everyone's opening up rather than say, fifty years ago when issues like these were considered a taboo? same goes for peoples' sexual orientation. today's younger society don't think the way people did back then.

Answer 10

Actually- no. The death penalty is instituted by the state, not religion.

:D