Christianity and Capital Punishment

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Capital Punishment

In my essay I am going to explain what differing Christian attitudes might be to Capital Punishment and look at the statement " God gives life only God can take it away."

Question 1 The subject of capital punishment is a complicated one because there are many reasons for and against capital punishment. One reason for capital punishment is that it deters( puts off ) potential murderers. Some people in our society only understand the language of violence. For these people the threat of the death penalty is the only deterrence likely to affect the way they behave. Although this could create martyrs. Amnesty international is a company against the death penalty here is one of there quotes ' Capital Punishment is the ultimate cruel, inhuman and degrading punishment which violates the right to live...' The basic right of any human is the right to live and practising the death penalty is violating that right. A very good reason against capital punishment is that in the past the wrong person has been hanged, Arthur Koestler supports this reason when he said 'Innocent men have been hanged and will be hanged in the future unless the death penalty is abolished...'. Two examples of what Arthur Koestler said are the hangings of Timothy Evans and Derrick Bentley both of these men were wrongfully accused and hanged because of it. Some Christians believe in giving people a second chance so therefore they must abolish any punishment that doesn't involve giving people second chances. In the prayer 'Our Father' It says '...Forgive us our trespasses just as we forgive those who trespass against us...' hear Christians saying this prayer are asking god to forgive the things they have done wrong and telling him that they have forgive others who have done wrong to them, so this statement is again giving people second chances. I personally think that if life is so precious then why are we taking it away. Not all Christians believe in giving people a second chance in Leviticus chapter 24 verses 19-20 it says ' If anyone injures another person, whatever he has done shall be done to him. If he breaks a bone, one of his bones shall be broken; if he blinds him in one eye, one of his eyes shall be blinded; if he knocks out a tooth, one of his teeth shall be knocked out. Whatever injuries he causes to another person shall be done to him in return.' So in this it's showing that not all Christians have the same point of view. Leviticus believes that if another person hurts his fellow man the same will be done to him. In Matthew chapter 5 verses 38-39 Matthew has a different point of view when he says 'You have heard that it is said an eye for an eye a tooth for a tooth but now I tell you: do not take revenge on someone who wrongs you. If anyone slaps you on the right cheek, let them slap your left cheek too.' So hear Matthew is saying if someone hurt you don't hurt them back let them do it again. Matthew also says in Chapter 5 verses 21-26 '...Whoever is angry with his brother will be brought to trial, whoever calls his brother you "good for nothing!" will be brought before the council, and whoever calls his brother a worthless fool will be in danger of going to the fire of hell. So if you are about to offer your gift to God at the alter and there you remember that your brother has something against you, leave your gift there in front of the alter, go at once and make peace with your brother, and then come back and offer your gift to God...' There Matthew is saying before you offer your gift to God resolve any differences between you and your brother. A Humanist viewpoint towards capital punishment is 'The abolition of capital punishment has been a concern of humanists for years. Revenge, whether divine or human, is always destructive; never creative. It has no place in any society claiming to be civilised.' This means that the abolition of capital punishment has been a decision that was very hard to make with many different opinions towards it, it also says that revenge even if it is divine or human will always be wrong leading to bad things and never to good. Ecclessiasticus say 'There is a time to be born and a time to die and only God should decide that' so by practising capital punishment in a society it is not agreeing with this statement although people who are murderers are also disagreeing with this statement. Although the bible contains modern day issues it doesn't contain them all. There will always be people who agree and disagree with capital punishment, and both a religious and a non-religious point of view, I personally think that each case should have different outcomes. The purposes of capital punishment are fairly wide, the most frequent purpose has been to dispose of the countries enemies, and this form of capital punishment is a practise which has gone on for thousands of years. Even though capital punishment has been abolished here in Britain for more than 30 years one crime can still be punished by death - High Treason.
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Today the most common purpose of capital punishment is to punish individuals for serious crimes they have committed against one or more other individuals. A purpose for capital punishment is that it protects civilians and police, Society has a duty to protect those in the front line in the fight against crime, such as police officers, prison officers and so on it must also protect those who are vulnerable and unable able to protect themselves such as children and old people. I have some difficulty knowing what I think about this subject. On the one hand I think ...

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