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The following Christian denominations condemn capital punishment as a sin:
Roman Catholic\ Orthodox\ Lutheran\ Anglican\ Methodist\ Disciples of Christ\ Presbyterian\ etc = 90% of Christianity. Do you see your denomination among the above?
You have no clue what you are talking about. 90%? Give me a break. Did you just make that up?
No church I have ever been to calls it a sin. The Bible dosen't call it a sin either.
I think it is in one of the commandments: Thou shall not kill. There are also other things like the stoning of a prostitute or something and first to throw a stone should be one without sin and stuff like that... It doesn't matter to me, I don't let relgion dictate society and its laws... I let the victim choose the kind of justice for the criminal and if it be death, which it would be for most of the population... then so be IT... Justice must be carried out...
"Thou shalt not kill", one of the Ten Commandments (in case you didn't know) refers to murder, not capital punishment.
It annoys me that these people are saying I'll support the death penalty as I get older and experience more ... is your support for these sick people who tortured and killed your friends more feelings of revenge than actual belief it's right? I'd probably feel the same way for a long time.
Honestly there is no telling what you will believe as your world changes, your views are skewed and different things happen that will shape your world.
Your question is hard to answer. The word revenge is not necessarily accurate when describing why I believe in the death penalty, in some cases. When our friends were killed and the perpetrators were picked up, we were shocked...shocked that these men picked our friends at random and that these men were considered suspects in a murder in Philly (one of their own wives). These men had the revolving door in the prison system and were brutal and vicious.
Our penal system is not in the business to rehabilitate even though more focus should be placed on this facet because 95+% of the incarcerated prisoners will be paroled and living among us again. In this case, these men had been given everything the system had to offer...therapy, rehab, work release, probation, anger management, etc. and they came out of prison each time more evil than they went in.
At some point we need to find something to do with these people. If they cannot be rehabilitated with the resources we have to offer right now, what are our options? Sometimes I believe it is more humane to put someone to death rather than let them live in a 5x8 cell, 23 hours a day, for the rest of their lives... I do not know what the answer is.
Believe me, these men are not fit to be in an open society.
There are definitely more questions than answers for me, but I have to believe that we should not be responsible as a country to care for people who willingly take others lives for sport.
Do I feel they should die for what they did to my friends?? Actually, I would rather know they are suffering as much as my friends did, living in the same fear they did, but that will never happen because we place so much value on the criminals lives and rights. At some point we need to put the victims and their families first.
There are no clear cut answers. Both sides of this argument are flawed. I will say, from a moral and ethical standpoint, I would not want the conscience of the executioner.
The phrase "an eye for an eye" in Exodus simply means that for every wrong done, there should be a compensating measure of justice. I totally agree with that.
I find it ridiculous how whether it's right or wrong in principle in America almost isn't even a debate ... left and right, men and women, black and white, pretty much every side of American culture is mostly for it. The only real debate against it comes from the execution of innocent people ... other than that, even the activists here would be for it.
I think it's because crime is so high here, and so many people are victims of crime (myself included actually - I've been assaulted at age 4, and mugged once)
They get so angry that they want to forget that a criminal may have some good qualities, and would prefer to think of them all as evil, demonic trash.
It does disturb me how so few (probably like 1 in 5) Americans are opposed to it in principle. Do they ever think about what Ghandi would think of the death penalty, or MLK? I can understand why some people like the idea of putting criminals to death, but I DON'T understand why so many people think it's righteous, holy, nice, and good. It sickens me, sometimes you almost think the only types of people in the world are criminals and the people obsessed with killing them.
I couldn't care less if a killer has any good qualities. Why should our tax dollars pay to keep a murderer alive for the rest of his life? What's the point? He's just taking up prison space.
The Catholic church is the largest in the nation\world & is not losing members [but are losing priests because celibacy is unrealistic]. Believe whatever you want but don't speak for Christianity until you know what you are talking about.
Sorry. I do know what I am talking about.
How much Bible study have you had? Do you even go to church?
I have been a Christian since about 1986 and have had quite a lot of Bible study, in addition to listening to some of the best pastor/teachers on radio:
Chuck Swindol (Evangelical Free Church)
Chuck Smith (Calvary Chapel, Costa Mesa)
Dr. David Jeremiah (Shadow Mt. Community Church, El Cajon, CA -visited his church several times and heard him speak as well)
John McArthur
R. C. Sproul
Dr. Vernon McGee
Josh McDowell
Many others as well. Not one of the above teach that Capital Punishment is a sin, or that they are opposed to it, or that it is contrary to the Bible.
So, that leaves the question: Where did you come up with your opinion?
You just made it up, right?
I submit: You don't know what you are talking about. Any Christian knows you are full of beans! You aren't fooling anyone.
Personally I'd rather see the perpetrators of the most messed up crimes put to work maximum security style for life rather than killed... the net cost might be less and there would be construction to partially balance out the destruction they wrought rather than simply more destruction.
Personally I'd rather see the perpetrators of the most messed up crimes put to work maximum security style for life rather than killed... the net cost might be less and there would be construction to partially balance out the destruction they wrought rather than simply more destruction.
What kind of work would you suggest? I can remember seeing the "chain gangs" when I was younger but I would not want any of the folks who are on death row getting anywhere near an open gate and tools!
Personally I'd rather see the perpetrators of the most messed up crimes put to work maximum security style for life rather than killed... the net cost might be less and there would be construction to partially balance out the destruction they wrought rather than simply more destruction.
THAT is a great idea....years ago, near where I live, the chain gangs did a lot of recontruction of bridges, guard walls, etc.
THAT is a great idea....years ago, near where I live, the chain gangs did a lot of recontruction of bridges, guard walls, etc.
I agree. Great idea.
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