If evangelical Christians are against abortion why are they for the death penalty?

Question

Don't they look at murder as still murder whether it's an unborn fetus or a person?
You have to read this article to understand where I got my question from.
http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20070813/lf_nm/texas_executions_dc_4
Here is a bit of it. title: Religion and cluture behind Texas execution tally.
BIBLE BELT INFLUENCE
Like his predecessor, Governor Perry is a devout Christian, highlighting one key factor in Texas' enthusiasm for the death penalty that many outsiders find puzzling -- the support it gets from conservative evangelical churches.
This is in line with their emphasis on individuals taking responsibility for their own salvation, and they also find justification in scripture.
"A lot of evangelical Protestants not only believe that capital punishment is permissible but that it is demanded by God. And they see sanction for that in the Old Testament especially," said Matthew Wilson, a political scientist at Southern Methodist University in Dallas.

NEW- I didn't think I would need to add this.Yes, I know the difference between guilty and innocent. I just didn’t want an easy answer like that. Innocents and guilt are judgement calls and I was trying to keep personal judgement out of this.
I realize the bible contradicts itself a lot, but thou shall not kill is one of the basic ten commandments. I would think it’s a minimal requirement for a christian. Regardless of what the rest of the bible says. Even Jesus commandments of love would go against killing. If a person came into my home, slaughtered my family and I survived to kill that person. It’s still murder. Regardless of the reason. Dead is dead. Only God can judge. I know we need to punish criminals and protect society, but I just feel taking a life as a punishment that should be left up to God and I don’t see how someone who claims to be a Christian could have a clear conscience about it. What would Jesus do? Where’s the love of Christ in all of that?

Answer 1

Christian here. I am against the death penalty and against abortion.

A. God will judge the fate of a convicted felon. I certainly can keep him off the streets, though.

B. Too many wrongful convictions, including executions, of innocent people.

C. For those putting forth the "eye for an eye" argument, please read Matthew 5:38-42 for Jesus' words on that expression. He opposes it.

Answer 2

From a Biblical perspective, abortion is the murder of an innocent child, while the death penalty is justice "An eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth, and a life for a life"

I know for certain that if a murderer receives the same as he has given to others, he will definitely NOT commit that crime again, and if judgement were swift, it may even be a detriment to others.

But what has that innocent baby ever done?

To compare the two is hypocritical and only a monster would consider that the murder of an innocent is the same as the death penalty for a murderer!

Is this what the Bible meant when it says that in the last days, people would call "good" "bad", and the "bad" they would call "good"?

Answer 3

Art really nailed this one. The question itself is an example of the hypocrisy of the left. Study the acts of "people" on death row and tell me that these animals shouldn't be voted off the planet. Don't be afraid to judge evil. Now consider a mother murdering her day old child. Is this right or wrong? What if the same child were killed a day before it is born? 2 days before? A week? One month? Were is the line? The problem with liberals is that they cannot make distinctions between good and evil/right and wrong. All actions are justifiable to them if the individual feels it is ok. No outside morality or judgment is allowed to intrude on individual choice, and this is used as justification for murdering innocent babies.

Answer 4

Being a victim of a violent crime at one time I was all for the death penalty. But then I finally found my way in life and became a true Christian. I was not only able to forgive the one who committed the crime (something I swore I would never do) but was also able to see how wrong capital punishment is. I believe that those that are violent offenders will be punished by God in the end. I do not need to be a part of killing them myself, which in a sense would be the breaking of a commandment. It is God's place to judge, not mine.

Answer 5

It is quite simple. A pre-born child is there not of its own. It was the creation of two who had many ways to prevent that child from being conceived, but in their own selfishness chose to not consider that until the child was conceived.

a monster who has committed a crime that's punishable by death, also chooses to do so. All choices have consequences. ALL. Only the pre-born child has no say in its future. Why is that? Why was the pregnancy not prevented, why must it be killed for the benefit of convince. I know that there are certain times that health is an issue, at those times, I step back and pray for the mother and leave that decision to her. But for the 1,399,563 times that a child will be butchered in the womb I ask why? why did you not prevent this? do you love death that much?

Answer 6

Not all Christians feel that way. I am pro-life, across the board. You can find scripture to support putting to death a murderer, but you can also find scripture that says not to. If the state kills someone, who then should kill the state? Killing is allowed for self defense, but locking someone up for life without parole would do the same. I would not want to be on a jury that has to decide if someone should live or die. I don't think anyone should have to make that decision.

God Bless.

Answer 7

The death penalty is giving to those who have usually killed someone and are EVIL. An unborn fetus is the beginning of a new life of and infant human being. It is totally innocent and will grow into a beautiful baby. It is the gift of life given to us from God.

Answer 8

Unborn babies have done nothing to deserve death except be an inconvenience to their mother/father.
However, a criminal that has been found guilty by a proponderance of the evidence, had their day in court with the multitude of appeals etc, have been convicted of a crime that deserves the death penalty: eye for an eye/tooth for a tooth/ life for a life.

The mother AND the doctor/staff who aborts a "living" child, although unborn is a murderer. Scripture supports this with the Mosaic law, someone who caused a pregnant woman to loose her unborn child was guilty of murder.

Answer 9

If you cannot see the moral difference between executing vicious criminals, and killing an innocent baby, your moral compass is broken......

By the way, the Hebrew word tranlated in most Bibles as 'kill' in the Commandment "Thou shalt not kill," is actually 'murder' and refers to UNJUSTLY taking a life. Let those who accuse Christians of 'ignorance' go and learn Hebrew, Greek, Latin, and Ugaritic as I have done. Let them do Doctoral level work in Philosophy, and Theology as I have done. THEN, they will be informed enough to form an INTELLIGENT decision as to the relative ignorance or sagacity of Christians.

Arrogant puppies!

Answer 10

I am not speaking for anyone else, but I am an Evangelical Christian, and I am against both abortion and the death penalty. Who am I to take one life for another? I believe in punishment, but not murder of another as means for such. Let God be the Judge. Believe me or not, but I speak for myself.