Introduction Punishment/Capital Punishment and the Christian attitude towards it has been a topic that has been and still is being debated today. Punishment, but in particular, Capital Punishment, is a complicated topic to discuss, especially when it comes to Christian attitudes and the ethics towards it. The purpose of this report is for people to have a better understanding of what this Christian attitude is or what these Christian attitudes are towards Punishment/Capital Punishment in relation to Christian ethics. In this report, you will learn about the history of capital punishment, the different Christian groups against Capital Punishment and what the Bible says about it as well, all in relation to Christian ethics. Body History Capital Punishment was an important part of the justice system of Old Testament Israel. At this time, the Christian ethic towards Capital Punishment was that it was right. Death was the result of people committing serious civil crimes like murder and rape. This was also in place for crimes against God’s sanctity, like false prophecy and witchcraft. There were procedures that were put in place to stop Capital Punishment and God occasionally spared lives of people whose behaviours would have meant death. However, there were Christians that recognised that Capital Punishment was wrong in very early history: Pre-Reformation Christians in the 1400s stressed Christ’s instruction to ‘turn the other cheek’ and they therefore opposed Capital Punishment. But, for the most part of history, Christians recognised that capital punishment was needed to control society. As an example, Pope Innocent III, put forward the proposal that: "The secular power can, without mortal sin, exercise judgment of blood, provide... ... middle of paper ... ... Most Anglicans and Protestants Most Anglicans and Protestants have opposed Capital Punishment since the 1960s. In relation to Christian ethics, both denominations say that Capital Punishment is wrong. Conclusion Christian attitudes to Punishment/Capital Punishment are still being debated today. As can be read from the report, it is a very complex topic to discuss in relation to Christian attitudes. The purpose of the report was to find out what these Christian attitudes are and from the report, it has shown there are many on Punishment/Capital Punishment. In the report, I discussed the history of Capital Punishment, the different Christian groups against it, how the Bible is split on the attitude towards Capital Punishment with the Old Testament being for it and the New Testament having a mix of both sides and the Christian ethics related to all of the areas.
Capital punishment is an age-old practice. It has been used in civilizations for millennia, and will continue to be used for millennia to come. Whether used for the right or wrong reasons, capital punishment is unmistakable in its various forms. From hangings, to firing squads, to lethal injections, capital punishment and the associated proceeding have evolved over time. There have been many arguments against capital punishment, many of which still hold true. As capital punishment has evolved over time, however, many of the most valid arguments have been proven all but null. Capital punishment still has its ethical and moral concerns, but as it has evolved over time these concerns have not necessarily become less valid, but fewer in number when specifically addressing capital punishment. The proceedings that come hand-in-hand with capital punishment, however, have become increasingly more rigorous and controversial and are the main focus of most capital punishment concerns.
Pakaluk, Michael. "Christians Can Morally Support The Death Penalty." The Death Penalty: Opposing Viewpoints. Greenhaven Press, Inc. 1991. pp. 67-73.
Capital punishment ironically stands at the beginning of Christianity. The Lord Jesus, Founder of Christianity, was Himself a victim of capital punishment, as were most of the Apostles and a great many of the early martyrs.
The death penalty continues to be an issue of controversy and is an issue that will be debated in the United States for many years to come. According to Hugo A. Bedau, the writer of “The Death Penalty in America”, capital punishment is the lawful infliction of the death penalty. The death penalty has been used since ancient times for a variety of offenses. The Bible says that death should be done to anyone who commits murder, larceny, rapes, and burglary. It appears that public debate on the death penalty has changed over the years and is still changing, but there are still some out there who are for the death penalty and will continue to believe that it’s a good punishment. I always hear a lot of people say “an eye for an eye.” Most people feel strongly that if a criminal took the life of another, their’s should be taken away as well, and I don’t see how the death penalty could deter anyone from committing crimes if your going to do the crime then at that moment your not thinking about being on death role. I don’t think they should be put to death they should just sit in a cell for the rest of their life and think about how they destroy other families. A change in views and attitudes about the death penalty are likely attributed to results from social science research. The changes suggest a gradual movement toward the eventual abolition of capital punishment in America (Radelet and Borg, 2000).
At the began as we know the capital punishment is the most popular problem in our world in these days .Meaning of capital punishment is killing someone who killed another one Regardless of whatever reasons, moreover in our life there are several reasons which push killer to do this mistakes .Now in many countries and stasis use this the penalty for justice, on the other hand there are some countries do not use capital punishment for many reasons .For example , they said we have to respect human rights due to put the killer in jail forever ,in additionin some other parts in our world use this Punishment to get a justice as Saudi Arabia ,Iran ,China and USA. Some of the religions tell us to do this Punishment because God's law of the land as Islam, overtime some religion do not use this punishment as Buddhism."The death penalty has been part of human society for millennia, understood to be the ultimate punishment for the most serious crimes". At this point we understand the capital punishment is the biggest mistake and the most serious that cannot be forgiven. The death penalty represents a controversial issue in some cultures.The argument of the supporters of the death penalty in that it deters crime.
Christians and the Capital Punishment & nbsp; The restoration of the death penalty by the Supreme Court prompted statements of opposition by some Christians around the country. This essay reflects on these statements and draws the conclusion of their suitability and correctness in light of our Christian heritage and other secular, practical reasons. & nbsp ; These statements acknowledge that Christians of equally serious moral concern can and do disagree on the issue of capital punishment. We must honor the personal freedom in Christ for different people to exercise moral discernment and come to different conclusions on this issue.
... and mass murderers in our society. I very much believe in it, but I do not think that we should turn to the Bible to answer all of our questions about life, especially the death penalty. I was surprised, while conducting my research, to find that there actually were references to Capital Punishment in the Bible. This is a very interesting topic, very controversial. The Bible shows some good and bad points pertaining to Capital Punishments, but I think that it is a little confused. In some areas, the Bible tells us that it is not okay to execute someone who has murdered another human being. But then, a few books or even paragraphs later, it says that it is okay to execute someone for murdering someone else. When I first started this paper, I was undecided about how I felt about the death penalty. I realize now that I am in full support of it. I just feel that we need grounds other than religious ones (including the Bible) for supporting or opposing Capital Punishment. Separations of State and Religion, right? We wouldn’t bring the Bible into a dispute about the 2001 Presidential Election, so why bring it into one concerning the life of a human being?
ABSTRACT: In this paper I present a moral argument against capital punishment that does not depend upon the claim that all killing is immoral. The argument is directed primarily against non-philosophers in the Judeo-Christian tradition. Oddly, the moral argument against capital punishment has not been effective in the United States despite the biblical injunction against killing. Religious supporters of the death penalty often invoke a presumed distinction between ‘killing’ and ‘murdering’ and avow that God forbade the latter but not the former. Self-defense and just wars are cited as cases of morally justified killing. Accepting these premises, I point out that when cases of justified killing in self-defense are altered to include an element of delay, disarming and premeditation, they too become murder. Since the death penalty clearly involves the elements of delay, disarming and premeditation, I conclude that the death penalty is murder in the biblical sense and ought to be abolished in any God-fearing (or otherwise moral) society.
Capital punishment is a declining institution as the twentieth century nears its end. At one time capital punishment was a common worldwide practice, but now it is only used for serious violation of laws in 100 of the world's 180 nations (Haines 3 ). It can be traced back to the earliest forms of civilization. The origins of the movement away from capital punishment are difficult to date precisely. The abolition movement can be heard as early as the religious sermons of the Quakers in the 1640's (Masur 4). In the seventeenth century, the Anglo-American world began to rely less on public executions and more in favor of private punishments. The possible decline in popularity of the capital punsihment system is directly related to the many controversial issues it entails such as: the questions of deterrence, morals and ethics, constitutionality, and economics.
Brugger, E. Christian. Capital Punishment and Roman Catholic Moral Tradition. Notre Dame: U of Notre Dame P, 2003. Print.
The death penalty has been present, in one way or another, for virtually as long as human civilization has existed. The reasons why are apparent; it is intrinsically logical to human beings that a person who takes the life of another should also be killed. This philosophy is exemplified in the famous Biblical passage, "An eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth." However, in light of recent research into ethics, criminology and the justice system, the time has come for us to re-examine our ageless paradigm of revenge. Capital punishment is a custom in which prisoners are executed in accordance with judicial practice when they are convicted of committing a “capital crime.”
Robinson, B.A. "Facts about capital punishment."www.religioustolerance.org. Religious Tolerance, 07 012 2009. Web. 8 Apr 2011. .
Capital Punishment, Atonement, and the Christian Right.Full Text Available By: Styers, Randall. Differences: A Journal of Feminist Cultural Studies, Fall2007, Vol. 18 Issue 3, p97-127, 31p
Crime is everywhere. Wherever we look, we find criminals and crime. Criminals have become a part of our daily lives. Does this mean we let them be the darkness of our society? No, definitely not. Eliminating crime and criminals is our duty, and we cannot ignore it. Getting the rightly accused to a just punishment is very important. Some criminals commit a crime because they have no other option to survive, but some do it for fun. I do not advocate death penalty for everybody. A person, who stole bread from a grocery store, definitely does not deserve death penalty. However, a serial killer, who kills people for fun or for his personal gain, definitely deserves death penalty. Death penalty should continue in order to eliminate the garbage of our society. Not everybody deserves to die, but some people definitely do. I support death penalty because of several reasons. Firstly, I believe that death penalty serves as a deterrent and helps in reducing crime. Secondly, it is true that death penalty is irreversible, but it is hard to kill a wrongly convicted person due to the several chances given to the convicted to prove his innocence. Thirdly, death penalty assures safety of the society by eliminating these criminals. Finally, I believe in "lex tallionis" - a life for a life.
Travelling around the world, this paper presents the various religious perspectives evidenced in recent actions taken regarding the death penalty.