How Christ-like is the death penalty?
Mar 19th, 2008 by Amanda
It’s been two weeks, so I’ll just jump right in responding to Min’s last post.
If capital punishment is unjust, it should simply be abolished. There is no need to ask the question of whether it’s merciful to spare someone. The very point would be that it’s unjust.
You know, I’ll go along with that. I do think that it is unjust.
Min then quotes this verse, with the explanation that it’s just a statement from God that wasn’t part of Jewish law:
Gen 9:6 - Whoso sheddeth man’s blood, by man shall his blood be shed: for in the image of God made he man.
This may be a stretch here, but that verse doesn’t convince me because it doesn’t say that man gets to decide who should die. If God wants to tell someone (audibly, with witnesses) to kill someone for killing someone else, then an argument could be made for capital punishment. But that doesn’t happen in this day and age.
Are you saying, Amanda, that regardless of how great a scale the murder and how great a detachment from remorse the person has we should spare his life? So, it’s ok to let Sadaam, Hitler, etc. live?
Yes. It’s quite simple, actually. God gives life, and God takes life. Man is neither the author or the finisher of life. This isn’t to say I don’t think they should spend the rest of their human existance behind bars with no hope for appeal or parole. I just don’t think they should be murdered.
To me, if there’s no repentance and no remorse, there’s no reason for me to be merciful. If you look at every instance of God’s justice/mercy balance in the Bible you’ll see that God was merciful on those that asked, those that showed remorse, or repentance. If you didn’t do one of those things you got what you deserved.
Or am I mistaken?
This attitude both saddens and angers me. You only show mercy to those who deserve it? That’s not mercy. And it’s not Christ-like. The people in the New Testament who were shown compassion and/or mercy weren’t repentant or remorseful of their sinful life until they met Jesus Christ.
Today, how do people meet Jesus Christ? Through his people. Through you, Min. And when you say things like “if there’s no repentance and no remorse, there’s no reason for me to be merciful” you are not introducing anyone to Christ.
I do not believe the death penalty to be Christ-like, in any capacity. There is no mercy shown to the men and women who are condemned and then murdered.
“To me, if there’s no repentance and no remorse, there’s no reason for me to be merciful. If you look at every instance of God’s justice/mercy balance in the Bible you’ll see that God was merciful on those that asked, those that showed remorse, or repentance. If you didn’t do one of those things you got what you deserved.
Or am I mistaken?”
Yeah, I think he is…
Good Friday is tomorrow. I’m thinking of Jesus’ supposed last words on the cross. “Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do” (Luke 23:34)” His crucifiers had no remorse, yet Jesus was showing mercy and forgiveness. That seems to help your argument, Amanda.
I’d still love to read this entire debate without the biblical references. I think it would end up being far stronger.
[…] start this round finally making progress in our debate on the Death Penalty. For starters, Amanda admits that she does not believe the Death Penalty to be just. This necessitates that she’s not providing mercy for the convicted convict, but […]
Not gonna happen, MG, because the Bible is the foundation for our beliefs.
It does make it difficult whenever two people have opposing viewpoints with a biblical foundation… but such is life.
Yes, the bible is certainly the foundation of your beliefs, but that’s not the case with a huge percentage of the population. If you’re only attempt is to argue with Min and other like minded individuals, than keep on course. Not the best community building exercise, but I suppose that’s not the point– here.
Perhaps you could redo your argument for Common Ground…
I don’t think MIn was saying only those who “deserve” mercy should be shown it, but only those who “want” mercy. Jesus isn’t going to show mercy to those who refuse it. And God uses humans as His tools quite often. When Jael killed Sisera (Judges 4) I doubt God audibly spoke to her, but it was very obviously the will of God. Jael was not the author and finisher of that man’s life, but God had put her in that place and time for that purpose.
Like Musicguy I was thinking about how Jesus asked for forgiveness for those who killed him, even though they hadn’t expressed interest in any such thing.
I just think as soon as we take a life from a defenceless person (i.e. one who is safely contained in prison) we are descending to their level. Aren’t we supposed to be better than them? And the fact that the penalty for murder in the OT was death is not a good enough reason for us to take a life. The death penalty also applied to working on a sabbath, adultory and disrespecting your parents. It was a brutal and primitive society and the laws and punishments reflected that. We, however, are not.
And besides, what happens when you execute the wrong person? How are you going to give them their life back? At least you can release someone from prison.