This difference between denominations in the Church, and the diversity between lifestyles of it’s followers, undoubtedly give people different opinions on certain subjects. One such of these subjects is capital punishment.
Regardless of religion, there is much debate on whether capital punishment is right or wrong, but what should a Christian’s stance be on the subject?
A Christian who does not believe in capital punishment, may have a lot of reasons to back up their argument. One of these reasons is that they believe human life is precious. This life was given to us by God, this makes each of us special and unique in our world and in the eyes of God. It is not for other humans to decide when a life is to be taken, because that right is reserved for God. Life is all so fragile, it could be lost at anytime, so it must be protected and saved, not institutionally destroyed. God created life, and all of its surrounding, all of it has been given his blessing in the first book and chapter of the Bible, Genesis, so we as his creations should not take something Holy from God in order to vindicate our own laws. By taking another persons life, we are in fact attempting to play God.
Another argument against capital punishment is that both God and Jesus did not find it necessary to destroy life, in order to punish someone. In Genesis 4:1-16 we see how God, whilst punishing Cain who killed his brother in jealousy, did not see fit to take his life. Instead, he virtually gave him a life sentence of toil and hardship, yet still preserved his life.
Jesus also preserved life in John 8:1-11. He was being questioned over a women who had committed adultery, whose sentence was death under their law, to see what should be done with her in Jesus’ opinion. Jesus then used his wisdom to show them that because someone has committed a crime, they should not be condemn because each one of us has done wrong before, yet we still live. We should notice how we need to forgive someone of their sins, not so they escape punishment, but so that we ourselves could be forgiven for our mistakes.
Jesus also displaces the theory of an “eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth,” in Matthew 5:38-42. This theory would be an important argument for someone who agreed with capital punishment but Jesus says that whatever they do to you, you turn the other cheek or do double what they ask of you. This takes away the element of revenge which people feel when a capital crime is committed against someone close to them. Revenge is a catalyst for capital punishment which can give people a sense of satisfaction. This should not be true because as humans we should not take pleasure in the death of another of God’s people, as this is morally and religiously wrong. Our Christian faith should not be compromised in a way that we do not follow the words and actions of the Lord, because our judgement is being clouded by emotions like jealously and anger.
If we were to execute everyone who had committed a crime such as murder, in revenge or in vindication of the law, than where would the forgiveness and reformation aspect of our beliefs come into the equation? Maybe in hindsight we would know what should be done, but then that would not bring the executed back to life. Once a person is killed, their life is over, and we as Christians must try to realise what that life meant to us, whether it be the victims or the criminals.
Obviously there are going to be Christians who share a different view on the issue, and they also have points to make to back up their views. They could use the argument that God himself suggested the use of death as a punishment. In Exodus 21:12-15, God recites a series circumstances that could lead to a person being put to death. There is no mention of forgiveness, or a way for the person to be reformed of their previous ways, this could lead a Christian to think that capital punishment is a valid form of sentence.
In 2 Samuel, David asks if because someone has taken another persons life maliciously, than is it for him to take that persons life. If we were to follow God’s teaching in Exodus than this person must be killed because they have broken God’s law. So if the law is observed back in King David’s day, than it must still be relevant today.
These are personal views of Christians, but what does the catechism of the Catholic Church say? To quote them exactly it says “ The traditional teaching of the Church has acknowledged as well-founded the right and duty of legitimate public authority to malefactors by means of penalties commensurate with the gravity of the crime, not excluding, in cases of extreme gravity, the death penalty.” This says to us that even the Roman Catholic religion supports the use of capital punishment, at the discretion of the state. So wouldn’t this mean that people who are Roman Catholics should in fact follow the line of their church and support capital punishment?
As Christians we must help and protect those who are less fortunate than ourselves. This includes the innocent and the weak, so to do this we must protect society from those who wish not to abide by the rules of society, so that they can not create more victims and terrorise communities. We as Christians must act to make sure that no harm come to innocent people, so if capital punishment is a means of stopping those people who commit serious crimes, we must support it, and let it be used to help those in danger be saved from trouble.
In reversal of an early argument which contradicted the teaching of “an eye for an eye”, it can be said that whatever crime is committed against someone, the same must be done to those who did the crime. Although Jesus taught us not to follow this teaching in the New Testament, in the Old Testament, it is God who says that it should be an eye for an eye. Yes we are getting mixed messages from the Bible, and it is hard for us to know which is to follow, but can you dismiss one or the other to suit your argument? It does though depend on whether you live your life by the Old or New Testament, then your opinion would be different. Still, never in the New Testament did Jesus ever categorically say that capital punishment is wrong.
When people say we are taking God’s place of judging and executing people it is not true because we acknowledge that God judges people when they die. On earth it is our job to protect those in danger and discipline those who do not obey rules. God will judge people in death so it is us who have to judge people when they are still alive, and capable of committing crimes.
So with these arguments, which is the right view for Christians to have? Should we accept the views of God in the Old Testament were he calls for an eye for an eye, or do you follow Jesus’ view where he explains in Matthew 5:38-42 that we should not take revenge. Is it true that God because gave us life, it is not for us to take it, regardless of situation, or should we be taking the views of the Catholic Church, who seems to condone it? Are we following what God wants, how can we be certain? What I personally feel is that capital punishment should be used in only the most extreme of cases, the same as the Catholic catechism. This is not because I am a Catholic, but it is because I believe that capital punishment is not to be used lightly. By this I mean that the death penalty should be used to punish the criminals who are recidivist murderers, drug dealers or sex offenders. I am not sure that this is what God wants me to think but this is the way that I feel.