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Capitol Punishment

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Capital Punishment The death penalty is viewed one of two ways. Either you oppose it or you agree with it. Over the years there have been studies done to try and justify or discredit the actions surrounding the death penalty. Whether you agree or disprove the punishment doesn’t make it right or wrong. The process of capital punishment has been around a very long time. Through the years societies have put their own twists and added their personal variations to the concept. While the death penalty will never lose its ability to start a great debate, who is right and who is wrong? One thing stand the same, whichever side you’re on, you picked that side for a reason and that’s what you believe in, no matter what anyone else says. Well the church is the same way, they have a viewpoint and have taken a stand as well. During this paper we examine the ideas and thoughts of the church as a whole, and how they feel about the death penalty and how it is used in our society. Throughout history, one of the most influential institutions in society has been the church. No matter the demographic location, the religious influence can been seen in almost every aspect of the culture in that area. One reason why religion is so influential is that religion gives a moral foundation for behaviors. Morals are believed to be from a higher power, mainly from God. So when one debates the issues dealing with behaviors, and the laws that govern those behaviors, religion ends up finding itself in the conversation one way or another. Religious institutes always find themselves in the middle of the conversation dealing with capital punishment. Over the last two centuries, capital punishment has been viewed both positively and negatively by society. We will examine which stand the religious institutes take and how they view capital punishment as a form of deterrence. The bible is believed to be the written law for the church. Whenever the church gives direction, or is seeking direction, the bible is normally the first point of contact. Religion is also very subjective. How the reader understands what is written in the bible depends on how it is applied by the reader. Over time the church has used the bible to justify decisions and viewpoints that the church uses in society. “Thou shalt not kill,” (Bible) is the most relative verse in the bible when it comes to the church and capital punishment. The church interprets this verse as cut and dry, no room for error. Many times in the bible it speaks of killing and death, but as a whole the church understands that it is wrong and unacceptable. There are other ideas that help to show how the church feels about capital punishment. One of those ways is the idea that the person that is being put to death could actually be innocent. (Recinella) In the context of the death penalty, death is an irreversible action. Once the courts have carried out the punishment of death, there is no way to follow up and make right an error that may possibly have occurred during the process of trial and sentencing. This in no way is saying that everyone is innocent; it merely gives the defendant every chance to truly defend their actions, if they were truly wrongly convicted. So many times people jump to conclusions and make hasty decisions on the way that something appears. The outward appearance doesn’t always paint the correct picture in a given situation. There have been numerous individuals through out history that were convicted and sentenced on bad information. The church has always been of the mindset that compassion and love towards people is the way to go. Killing someone for committing a crime is not showing love and compassion in the churches eyes. The church not only stands on the moral aspect of capital punishment, they stand on the effectiveness of the practice. Through research and case studies, it has been proven that capital punishment is not the most effective way to handle crime and the criminals associated with it. Research has shown that the difference in murder rates between those states that use the death penalty and the states that don’t, are marginal. A slight difference in numbers would help to discredit the idea of the death penalty being a detterent of crime. Does someone really stop and think about the consequences of their actions, and say to themselves, “ I might get the death penalty for this?’. It can be safe to say that this is not the case here. Many times when you think about someone going up for a death penalty case, all we see is the hype and publicity that the media presents and lets us see. We don’t always see the whole story behind what happened, why it happened, what led up to the events on trial, and how it could have possibly been avoided if addressed earlier. The church looks at it from a different viewpoint, seeing that there could possibly be a way to help people and let them get back onto the right path, instead of killing them and writing them off from society. Not everyone can be rehabilitated, but the church tries to see the good in the situation, and find a way to help people, not hurt. Just looking at the money side of things for a bit, it costs billions of dollars for taxpayers to house, feed, clothe, and take care of inmates every year. (Vera) Not including the cost of legal fees, and associated costs that can add up to ridiculous amounts. The church looks at it from a point of counseling and therapy to help people before it gets to this point could help us cut down the cost and help society gain back the people that have been lost to drugs, assaults, and even murder. Trying to come up with ways to keep people from making wrong decisions, that lead to crimes, that lead to prison, and ultimately lead to death sentences, would be better in the long run. When it comes down to capital punishment and the ideas that people have about it, there is so much room for debate that no one can be considered right or wrong. In some ways it could be viewed that the bible says “an eye for an aye” and that is correct.(Bible) Then on the other hand it could be argued that the bible says “thou shalt not kill”, and that’s true as well. (bible) The church stands on the idea that killing is wrong, for whatever reason. There is no justification in the bible for killing. Recently there was a movement that the nation grasped and ran with for a little while, it was the WWJD movement. The “What Would Jesus Do”? Movement. That’s basically what the church stands on, what would Jesus do? Would he kill someone? The church says no. Two wrongs would never make a right, so to kill someone for doing wrong would be wrong in itself.

Works Cited

Recinella, Dale S. The Biblical Truth about America's Death Penalty. Boston: Northeastern UP, 2004. Print.

Dulles, Avery Cardinal. "Catholicism & Capital Punishment." First Things: A Monthly Journal of Religion and Public Life 1 Apr. 2001: 1-8. Print.

"Death Penalty / Capital Punishment." Death Penalty / Capital Punishment. N.p., n.d. Web. 09 June 2013.

"The Evolution Of The Christian Position On The Death Penalty." - FIACAT. N.p., n.d. Web. 09 June 2013.

Owens, Erik C., John D. Carlson, and Eric P. Elshtain. Religion and the Death Penalty: A Call for Reckoning. Grand Rapids, MI: W.B. Eerdmans, 2004. Print.

Holy Bible: New Living Translation. Wheaton, IL: Tyndale House, 1996. Print.

"American Baptist Churches Resolution on Capital Punishment - 3/82." American Baptist Churches USA. N.p., n.d. Web. 20 July 2013.

"Vera Institute of Justice: Making Justice Systems Fairer and More Effective through Research and Innovation." The Price of Prisons: What Incarceration Costs Taxpayers. N.p., n.d. Web. 21 July 2013.

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