a question for all religions, do you believe in capital punishment?

Answer 1

If you want the stated positions of a great number of religions on capital punishment, you should visit
http://www.religioustolerance.org/execute.htm
("All Points of View")
There is a tremendous amount of information, all easy to follow.

Answer 2

Am a Hindu which propogates Ahimsa as one of its tenets.
Still I feel and believe that Capital punishment is a must not only as a deterring factor but also as punishment.

For those who say that if a person is alive there are still chances of saving him or his soul adn make him turnaround, I'd ask one thing.... IS the life of one person who is proven to have killed and is likely to repeat, is more precious than the lies of any other person who is innocent and is under threat from this murderer?

NO it is not.

Capital punishment and punishments on the lines of an eye for an eye should be there. I know many people shall disagree with this and find me an extremist or something, but such kind of punishments should be there mainly as a deterrent.

A person rapes a girl, but is served sentence or eventually let go. he cannot ever experience the trauma he caused the girl. So the only way he can realize it is if he goes thru teh same thing himself. Make sure he goes through it and experience it first hand how it feels to be violated.

That shall be a deterrent.

Answer 3

As far as Christianity is cocerned, there are many Bible passages (especially in the OT) that support capital punishment, often for relatively mild offenses:

- Adultery (Leviticus 20:10)
- Blasphemy (Leviticus 24:16)
- Breaking the Sabbath (Exodus 31:14 & 15)
- Disobedient children (Exodus 21:15 & 17; Leviticus 20:9)
- Homosexuality (Leviticus 20:13)
- Not being a virgin on your wedding night (but only if you're a woman - Deuteronomy 22:13-22)

However, there are many passages (esp. in the New Testament) that are ANTI-death penalty. For example, Matthew 5:38-39 insists that violence shall not beget violence. James 4:12 says that God is the only one who can take a life in the name of justice. Leviticus 19:18 warns against vengeance (which, really, is what the death penalty amounts to). In John 8:7, Jesus himself says, "let he who is without sin cast the first stone."

There are many, many practical problems with capital punishment (that I won't get into here), but purely from a moral standpoint, I can't imagine that Jesus would support it. True Christians shouldn't, either.

Answer 4

The law itself is not good or evil. It's a judicial system stemmed by the necessities for society. As long as the law stands then it should be supported. If society deems that such punishment is no longer required for deterring crime then the social group must petition to have it removed. Before taking action there must be reasons for change. The primary intent for law is to protect the people and second to provide just sentence. If it can be shown that for those sentenced to death are no longer a threat to the people or that the sentence is no longer just, then you have a case. Otherwise the majority will overrule any petitioning to end capital punishment.

We talk as if death is a bad thing. It's not. Think about we all die sooner or later. In actuality it has to be good.

Answer 5

From a practical standpoint, I think it is a waste of government resources--it costs more to execute a person than it does to incarcerate them for life.

From a moral / religious standpoint, I think that we have forgotten the purpose of the death sentence--and you using the phrase "capital punishment" makes my point.

Execution was not meant to be a punishment by any means. It was intended to eliminate the potential threat of a violator ever subjecting society to his transgressions again. To use a Biblical example, an adulterer was stoned not to punish them for committing adultery, but to ensure that they would never be able to commit adultery again.

I have no problem with executing a criminal for the right reason. But we don't do that any more--we always say that "They got what they deserved," or that "Justice was served." It's not about justice, revenge, or punishment--it's about protecting society from their crimes.

Answer 6

Do we believe surgery is necessary when it is the only cure?

To sacrifice one in order to preserve the many is a universal creed. All religions and sane atheist agree to this golden rule.

Capital punishment are fit for those animals that only looks human. Evil comes in many form. Some devil even looks like angels

Answer 7

I used to be a staunch supporter of the death penalty... that was when I was still a staunch Republican. But I relented and realized that two wrongs don't make a right.

Now I neither support it, or the President, or worst of all, the War in Iraq and elsewhere. Send all our troops back home and out of harm's way.

All killing a wrong. Period.

Peace be with you.

Answer 8

I am Hindu and I do not believe in capital punishment.

Answer 9

no. Speaking for myself only.

but, the offenders should have a lengthy time behind the bars. Life in prison is the option I'd advocate for.

However, you must always take into account possibility of one sentenced wrongly. And the double jeopardy as well. Good q.

Answer 10

For adults, yes. I don't believe in beating the crap out of your children, but for unrepentant adults who will just re-offend, strap 'em down.

whyteangel: the average stay on death row is 8 years, with prison ministers going through periodically. If they don't realize it in 8 years, they aren't going to. In the mean time, they enjoy cable tv, and their own private living space, complete with meals.