Why do so many Christians believe in capital punishment? Is it because of a disregard for human life?
Nope. It is quite to the contrary. It is precisely because we value human life that we hold to the death penalty.
When we as Christians view others, we acknowledge that not everyone is a child of God on their way to Heaven. Yet, at the same time, we look at others and see God's fingerprints all... over them. Thus, we should place immense value upon everyone we meet. They are God's handiwork!
Because we believe that each person has unimaginable value (regardless of gender, skin color, nationality, religious or non-religious preference, sinful propensities, or any other way that we could segment people), we believe murder is so serious an offense that in doing so the murderer forfeits their own life. Their life is taken not by an individual but by a society that places a high value upon each human life.
God: “And I will require the blood of anyone who takes another person’s life. If a wild animal kills a person, it must die. And anyone who murders a fellow human must die. If anyone takes a human life, that person’s life will also be taken by human hands. For God made human beings in his own image." (Genesis 9:5-6)
This is not cruel and unusual punishment. It is an equal punishment for the offense. In so doing, society makes it clear that life is valued and murder will not be tolerated. It will have dire, lasting consequences.
Can it truly be said that a society values life if murderers are given only a few years in jail before they are released often to kill again?
Nope. It is quite to the contrary. It is precisely because we value human life that we hold to the death penalty.
When we as Christians view others, we acknowledge that not everyone is a child of God on their way to Heaven. Yet, at the same time, we look at others and see God's fingerprints all... over them. Thus, we should place immense value upon everyone we meet. They are God's handiwork!
Because we believe that each person has unimaginable value (regardless of gender, skin color, nationality, religious or non-religious preference, sinful propensities, or any other way that we could segment people), we believe murder is so serious an offense that in doing so the murderer forfeits their own life. Their life is taken not by an individual but by a society that places a high value upon each human life.
God: “And I will require the blood of anyone who takes another person’s life. If a wild animal kills a person, it must die. And anyone who murders a fellow human must die. If anyone takes a human life, that person’s life will also be taken by human hands. For God made human beings in his own image." (Genesis 9:5-6)
This is not cruel and unusual punishment. It is an equal punishment for the offense. In so doing, society makes it clear that life is valued and murder will not be tolerated. It will have dire, lasting consequences.
Can it truly be said that a society values life if murderers are given only a few years in jail before they are released often to kill again?
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