Death penalty
The UK is one of the countries that does not have the the death penaltyA form of punishment which involves a person being put to death for their crime. Also referred to as captial punishment., also known as capital punishment.
Many countries still have capital punishment. Some only have the death penalty for the most serious crimes while others have the death penalty, but have not used it in recent years.
Christian views on the death penalty vary depending on how they interpret some of the teachings in the BibleThe holy book of Christians split into two sections: Old Testament and New Testament..
Christian arguments in favour of the death penalty
Some Christians argue that the death penalty helps to maintain order and protection in society. They would say this because:
- The Bible sets down the death penalty for some crimes, so it must be acceptable to God. This is often seen as retributionA punishment considered to be morally right and to fit the crime. In simple terms, this means revenge..
- The Church of EnglandThe English branch of the Anglican Church. has not repealed the statement in Article 37 of its Thirty-nine ArticlesA set of 39 statements which were written in 1563 and form the main beliefs of the Church of England. which says:
The Laws of the Realm may punish Christian men with death for heinous and grievous offences
. - St Thomas AquinasA Christian monk and theologian (1225 - 1274) who developed the Just War theory. argued that peace in society was more important than reforming the sinner. He reflects the Catholic ChurchThe Catholic Church is a community of baptised believers in Christ that is led by the Pope. The Catholic Church teaches that the Pope has special authority that descends from Jesus himself. Church's teaching that the protection of the whole of society is more important than the individual.
Some literalist Christians agree with the death penalty because:
- the Old Testament teaches "an eye for an eye", which suggests that if someone takes a life then they should have their life taken from them
- there are 36 capital offences mentioned in the Bible
- it shows the seriousness of the commandment "thou shalt not kill" and that murderers who have taken a life themselves should be put to death as punishment
Catholic stance
Traditionally Catholics agreed with the death penalty, although stating that it should only be acceptable if the identity of the criminal could be 100% confirmed in order to protect society. However, views on the death penatly have recently become a subject with divided views in the Church.
Today, the Catholic Church does not agree with the death penalty, as it goes against the commandment not to kill (Exodus 20:13). It teaches that life is a gift from God, therefore God alone has the power to take life.
Today, in fact, as a consequence of the possibilities which the state has for effectively preventing crime, by rendering one who has committed an offence incapable of doing harm - without definitively taking away from him the possibility of redeeming himself - the cases in which the execution of the offender is an absolute necessity are rare, if not practically non-existent.
Christian arguments against the death penalty
Some Christians would argue that the death penalty can never be justified. They would say this because:
- They believe Jesus Christ came to Earth to reform sinners, as he did with the woman caught in adultery in JohnA writer of one of the four gospels in the New Testament. 8:1-11.
- Jesus amended the Old Testament teaching on retribution in MatthewA writer of one of the four gospels in the New Testament. 5:38-39 when he said:
You have heard that it was said, 'Eye for eye, and tooth for tooth.' But I tell you, do not resist an evil person. If anyone slaps you on the right cheek, turn to them the other cheek also.
- Christian teachings support the sanctity of life - which means that life is holy and belongs to God and therefore only God has the power to take life. In RomansRomans or The Epistle to the Romans is a letter by St Paul and is the sixth book in the New Testament. 12:17-19 it states:
Do not repay anyone evil for evil. Be careful to do what is right in the eyes of everybody 鈥 Do not take revenge, my friends, but leave room for God's wrath, for it is written: 'It is mine to revenge; I will repay, says the Lord.
- Christiany teaches that only God should end life.
- One of the Ten Commandments is "thou shalt not kill".
- There are many examples of forgiveness in the Bible and Jesus taught it is important to forgive.
- Many Christians favour reform over execution as it gives the chance to change.
Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do
Quaker stance
Quakers are an example of a Christian denominationA branch of the Christian Church. that totally opposes the death penalty. They have campaigned against it, saying that all life should be respected. The denomination teaches that punishments should be used to reform.
Question
Describe the Christian views on the death penalty.
Many Christians believe that the death penalty is wrong. The main reason for this is because they have a strong belief in the sanctity of life. This is the idea that all human life is made by God and therefore is sacred. Many Christians also believe that God created life, therefore only God should have the ability and power to take it away, and that interfering with this is wrong. One of the Ten Commandments instructs Christians not to kill, so this would be another reason that they see the death penalty as wrong. In addition, some people may use the argument that innocent people have been put to death only for their names to be cleared years later after it's too late. If mistakes have happened before, then they can happen again. Some literal Christians will agree with the death penalty, as there are examples of people being given the death penalty in the Old Testament, which teaches "an eye for an eye".