'CHRISTIANS WOULD NEVER AGREE WITH CAPITAL PUNISHMENT'

sentence. This is a form of punishment most Christians would choose for criminals. In Matthew 7:12 it says ‘So in everything do to others what you would have them do to you’, which I think means that you should treat everyone equally and that if you had committed the same crime would you want to die? Would you feel like you deserved it? Or would you rather stay in prison, hoping that eventually you would get out even though if you did, there might not be anyone that would want to help you make a new living, a fresh start. In Genesis 1:27 ‘God created man in his image,’ means that if God created people, that makes them special like God and only God should decide when they die, humans shouldn’t kill other humans as it’s like they’re playing God. Romans 13:10 says ‘Love does no harm to its neighbour.’ So if love doesn’t hurt anyone around you then you shouldn’t kill anyone around you even if they have committed a crime. Matthew 22:39 and Matthew 5:44, ‘Love your neighbour’ and ‘Love your enemies’ basically mean the same thing, you should forgive everyone even your enemies and not kill them a good example of this would be found in Luke 10:30-37 ‘The Parable of the good Samaritan’ in which a man helps his enemy up from the side of the road where he was beaten and robbed then takes care of him. Also meaning treat other people how you would like to be treated, no matter what. Help your enemies. 1 Corinthians 13v4-8 ‘Love is patient, love is kind’, this could mean if love is being kind, being kind is not killing, if love is being patient then the criminal should also be patient and suffer a life sentence. There is a main reference in the bible that might be agreeing with Capital Punishment and that is ‘Leviticus 24:19-20, if anyone injures his neighbour, whatever he has done must be done to them, fracture to fracture, eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth’ some Christians believe that if a murder murders’ someone and takes a life, that the murderer’s life should be taken as well. Others however say that this is not relevant as it was changed by Jesus in the New Testament to Matthew 5:38, you have heard that it was said an eye for an eye and tooth for a tooth but I tell you, do not resist an evil person. If someone strikes you on the right cheek, turn to him the other also.’ So you don’t have to get revenge on a criminal, just forgive them and give them another punishment. I think that Matthew 7:12 ‘So in everything do to others what you would have them do to you’ sums up my view on Capital Punishment as it depends on the type of person you are, if you think criminals should be killed then if you were a criminal you would decide to die. If you think criminals should be able to reform then as a criminal you would decide to rethink your ways and change for the better. TIFFANY HORAN