The Biblical view of the sanctity of life is going to influence our position on capital punishment. There’s an ongoing debate about the pros and cons of the death penalty. On January 11, 2003, Governor George Ryan of Illinois commuted the sentences of 167 death-row in-mates. One of them had cut open a pregnant woman’s womb and brutally murdered both the baby and the mother.
Governor Ryan’s argument for commuting all their sentences was that the system is so imperfect, capitol punishment is inhumane and there’s no proof that it’s a deterrent to crime, so he changed all death sentences to life imprisonment or less. That was the largest such emptying of death row in history.
But the Bible teaches directly about the responsibility of the government to exercise capital punishment for the purpose of justice. After the flood, God instituted this principle: “Whoever sheds the blood of man, by man shall his blood be shed; for in the image of God has God made man” (Gen 9:6).
Notice capital punishment was instituted by God out of respect for life- that of the victim. Since man was created in the image of God, to take the life of another was considered a violation of God’s image. Exodus 21:12-13 commands, ”Anyone who strikes a man and kills him shall surely be put to death. However, if he does not do it intentionally, but God lets it happen, he is to flee to a place I will designate.”
The Bible teaches that capital punishment is to be administered for deliberate, premeditated, proven murder. Deuteronomy 17:6 reads, “On the testimony of two or three witnesses a man shall be put to death, but no one shall be put to death on the testimony of only one witness.” No one was to be put to death on circumstantial evidence, but only eyewitness evidence.
The Bible teaches that capital punishment is to be administered swiftly. Ecclesiastes 8:11 says, “When the sentence for a crime is not quickly carried out, the hearts of the people are filled with schemes to do wrong.” Many people argue that capital punishment is no deterrent, but how would we know? By the time the punishment is carried out there are often two decades separating the crime and the punishment and there is little connection between the two. Melody Green, wife of deceased songwriter/artist Keith Green and advocate for life, said that statistics show that the safest place in America is on death row while the most dangerous place in America is in the mother’s womb.
The Bible teaches that justice is to be administered without favoritism. “The righteous care about justice for the poor, but the wicked have no such concern” (Prov 29:7). Our system has become increasingly corrupt over the years and the scales have been tilted in favor of the wealthier class. The Mel Ignatow’s and the O.J. Simpson’s who can afford skillful lawyers are more likely to get by with heinous crimes.
Some Christian people insist that since Jesus said turn the other cheek, no one has a right to take another’s life. But if Jesus’ words are to be extended beyond personal insults to civil law, then we shouldn’t punish any crime. Romans 12 talks about how individual Christians should treat others: “Don’t be overcome with evil, but overcome evil with good.” But Romans 13 says the government official “does not bear the sword for nothing. He is God’s servant, an agent of wrath to bring punishment on the wrongdoer.”
Again, God’s instrument panel makes sense. The front page of USA Today, Jan. 7, carried a headline “Death Penalty gains unlikely defenders- Professors speak out in support of executions.” “Robert Blecker sat quietly as other professors ticked off their reasons for opposing the death penalty. But Blecker, a professor at New York Law School, was having none of it.
When it came his turn to speak at the recent death penalty forum at John Jay College, he summed up his support in three words: “Barbara Jo Brown.” He then launched into a graphic description of an 11-year-old Louisiana girl who was abducted, raped, tortured and slain by her attacker. People gasped. “We know evil when we see it, and it’s past time that we start saying so,” Blecker said. When it comes to the death penalty, too many in academia can’t face that.” The article pointed out that 72% of the American people favor the death penalty.
The primary purpose of capital punishment is not to deter crime but to administer justice. The Bible teaches that the government is to make the criminal pay proportionate to the crime committed. For example a person who steals is to make complete restitution plus 1/5th. If a man like Timothy McVeigh senselessly takes scores of lives or a Charles Manson delights in torturing and murdering victims at random, then their lives are to be taken. Anything else does not satisfy justice.
Proverbs 28:5 reads, “Evil men do not understand justice, but those who seek the LORD understand it fully.” A family member of a victim who had been murdered by one of the death row inmates given a reprieve by Governor Ryan was outraged. He said, “Here’s the score. Murderers 167; victims 0!”
The Bible says, “When justice is done, it brings joy to the righteous but terror to evildoers” (Prov 21:15). The reverse is true also. When justice isn’t done, it brings frustration to the righteous and license to evildoers.
In conclusion, I am of the opinion that capital punishment is, on occasion, the Biblical and just response to heinous crimes.
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