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Previously: Democracy and the Constitution Capital Punishment Conservatives and Christianity CS Hall of Fame |
Capital punishment is one of those issues that I can see both sides of. There's certainly something to be said for the logic of "an eye for an eye", and there's also the issue of obtaining some form of justice for the families of victims. You also hear arguments that it deters crime and leads to lower murder rates -- but alas, there's no evidence supporting that argument. I personally oppose capital punishment simply because i find it morally reprehensible -- it makes us no better than the people we are executing. But moral arguments aside, there's also the problem of applying the death penalty equally and fairly. And here there is overwhelming evidence, and it says that there's a huge racial bias. Finally, there's this minor little problem of executing innocent people. I don't care how good your justice system is, mistakes will be made. And even if it's only one in a thousand, that's still too many innocent people put to death. So even though I oppose it, I have no problems with people who support it, as I can see some logic to their position. However, if you are going to support capital punishment, don't you dare call yourself a Christian! I mean, just what part of "Thou shall not murder" do you not understand? It's right there in the Ten Commandments, with no asterisks, no footnotes, no exceptions. Capital punishment is clearly a violation of that commandment. Period. It's that simple. Do you really think that if Jesus Christ were alive today, he would support capital punishment? So here's the deal. If we as a country are going to have legal capital punishment, that's fine. But let's make it very clear that in doing so we are NOT a Christian country. This argument about having a reference to God in the Pledge of Allegiance? That phrase has to go. As long as we have capital punishment, there's no way this nation is "under God". And let's also make it a law that any representative of this government is banned from making any references to God -- no more public praying by politicians, no more "God Bless America" from elected representatives, no more Congressional prayer meetings. Capital punishment makes a mockery of God. The last thing in the world He is going to do is bless a country that supports it.
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