The Death Penalty

[Gary]

But by your standards, is Paul just as guilty as if he had committed the murder himself?

Yes

By your standards, should Paul have been put to death for the murder he committed?

 

[Lewis]

http://answers.yahoo.com/question/i...QR2dGlkA1ZJUDM2NV8x?qid=20111105101115AAK7zcm
Acts 8:1-5, "And Saul was consenting unto his death. And at that time there was a great persecution against the church which was at Jerusalem; and they were all scattered abroad throughout the regions of Judaea and Samaria, except the apostles. And devout men carried Stephen to his burial, and made great lamentation over him. As for Saul, he made havock of the church, entering into every house, and haling men and women committed them to prison. Therefore they that were scattered abroad went every where preaching the word. Then Philip went down to the city of Samaria, and preached Christ unto them."

Paul who was Saul was consenting unto the death of Stephen. which means:

4909 suneudokew suneudokeo soon-yoo-dok-eh’-o
1) to be pleased together with, to approve together (with others)

Saul had some authority with others and approved the killing of stoning of Stephen. We can see that the high Priest gave him authority here:

Acts 9:1-2, "And Saul, yet breathing out threatenings and slaughter against the disciples of the Lord, went unto the high priest, And desired of him letters to Damascus to the synagogues, that if he found any of this way, whether they were men or women, he might bring them bound unto Jerusalem."

Bible doesn't tell anything about Saul physically killing anyone
but he did authorize others to do it which would make him guilty of the crime.

 

[Gary]

Bible doesn't tell anything about Saul physically killing anyone
but he did authorize others to do it which would make him guilty of the crime.

So do you believe he should have been put to death for that crime?

 

[Lewis]

As I think about it more' I really don't know. But in today's society he would have.

 

[abide]

Agreed. However, I can't find anywhere in the NT where Anyone came to the Lord and asked Him to forgive them for any particular sin. Not for murder, not for lying, or anything else.
Maybe I'm just not getting it.....where do you see it?

How does being against the death penalty equate to being against any form of punishment? Has anyone here advocated not punishing criminals in any way?

The TOG​

What kind of punishment would you advocate for someone who killed your parents or your wife or children. Some of you are like Amnesty International, you all have a misplaced sense of compassion.

 

[Deborah13]

What kind of punishment would you advocate for someone who killed your parents or your wife or children. Some of you are like Amnesty International, you all have a misplaced sense of compassion.

Abide, I have never said that I was against the death penalty, I'm not.
I was asking you about scripture because I can't find where anyone specifically asked Jesus to forgive any of their sins, murderer or not. I asked the question in response to your statement that no murderer had asked Jesus to forgive their sin, in the NT.
I'm not arguing with you, just asking where you see it.

 

[TOG]

What kind of punishment would you advocate for someone who killed your parents or your wife or children.

Life in prison without parole.

The TOG​

 

[Gary]

As I think about it more' I really don't know. But in today's society he would have.

Good answer.

I used to be pro death penalty, but the more I grew in my understanding of the Word, the less concerned I became with the workings of the world. Even though the death penalty was instituted by God, Jesus changed all that. Paul is a perfect example. Because of his position, I don't believe Paul personally murdered anyone, but his actions made him just as guilty as if he had done it himself. Jesus viewed the persecution of Christians as a personal attack against Himself and yet He still found it in His heart to forgive Paul and ended up making him one of the greatest Apostles of all time.

The death penalty is a worldly institution. We should neither support nor condemn it's function in society. The law and the prophets rests on 2 commandments. Love God and love your neighbor as yourself. Just as Jesus showed mercy, we should also show mercy. When we judge an individual worthy of death, we're not only judging that individual, we're also judging ourselves. When God searches the heart, He sees those judgments and makes note of them. That's what's in all those books at the White Throne Judgment.

Now I'm not here to pass judgment on anyone. People are free to do whatever they wish. My personal conviction is that it's not wise to become entangled in worldly affairs. We're told not to, so I do my best to obey that command.

Anyway, that's just my take on the death penalty. Agree or disagree, I'm fine with either one.

 

[abide]

Good answer.

I used to be pro death penalty, but the more I grew in my understanding of the Word, the less concerned I became with the workings of the world. Even though the death penalty was instituted by God, Jesus changed all that. Paul is a perfect example. Because of his position, I don't believe Paul personally murdered anyone, but his actions made him just as guilty as if he had done it himself. Jesus viewed the persecution of Christians as a personal attack against Himself and yet He still found it in His heart to forgive Paul and ended up making him one of the greatest Apostles of all time.

The death penalty is a worldly institution. We should neither support nor condemn it's function in society. The law and the prophets rests on 2 commandments. Love God and love your neighbor as yourself. Just as Jesus showed mercy, we should also show mercy. When we judge an individual worthy of death, we're not only judging that individual, we're also judging ourselves. When God searches the heart, He sees those judgments and makes note of them. That's what's in all those books at the White Throne Judgment.

Now I'm not here to pass judgment on anyone. People are free to do whatever they wish. My personal conviction is that it's not wise to become entangled in worldly affairs. We're told not to, so I do my best to obey that command.

Anyway, that's just my take on the death penalty. Agree or disagree, I'm fine with either one.

We should neither support nor condemn it's function in society.:shock This is double talk. You are either for something or you are not. Straddling the fence Since you are so loving may be you could allow the prison authorities to allow you to take the murderer in your home...

 

[Gary]

We should neither support nor condemn it's function in society.:shock This is double talk. You are either for something or you are not. Straddling the fence Since you are so loving may be you could allow the prison authorities to allow you to take the murderer in your home...

Have you ever heard of the concept of minding your own business? That's what I was referring to when I made that statement. The death penalty does not concern me. Not once has it ever had any influence over my actions. It's a means of punishment and control that the government uses regarding criminal behavior. I'm not a criminal, therefore it does not concern me and if it does not concern me, I mind my own business.

 

[Kathi]

Have you ever heard of the concept of minding your own business? That's what I was referring to when I made that statement. The death penalty does not concern me. Not once has it ever had any influence over my actions. It's a means of punishment and control that the government uses regarding criminal behavior. I'm not a criminal, therefore it does not concern me and if it does not concern me, I mind my own business.

Good advise.I think that many more should do so in this world.

 

[abide]

Have you ever heard of the concept of minding your own business? That's what I was referring to when I made that statement. The death penalty does not concern me. Not once has it ever had any influence over my actions. It's a means of punishment and control that the government uses regarding criminal behavior. I'm not a criminal, therefore it does not concern me and if it does not concern me, I mind my own business.

It does not concern you UNTIL someone kills one of your family or someone in your family kills someone. It concerns me, since if a murderer is on the loose I would not feel safe. Anyway I am done with this post.

 

[Kathi]

It does not concern you UNTIL someone kills one of your family or someone in your family kills someone. It concerns me, since if a murderer is on the loose I would not feel safe. Anyway I am done with this post.

I agree with you.Very few people know what you have gone through or can have the compassion until they have gone through it themselves.Let them walk in your shoes for awhile and they will have a very different attitude.I do admire many who have been through terrible tragedies with family members and they have said "I forgive them".

 

[Gary]

It does not concern you UNTIL someone kills one of your family or someone in your family kills someone. It concerns me, since if a murderer is on the loose I would not feel safe. Anyway I am done with this post.

The key word in your post is, "UNTIL". No one has killed a member of my family and no one in my family has killed anyone, so I have no reason to be concerned. So up "until" either of those 2 things happen, I will mind my own business and refrain from making any judgments.

 

[Deborah13]

I agree with you.Very few people know what you have gone through or can have the compassion until they have gone through it themselves.Let them walk in your shoes for awhile and they will have a very different attitude.I do admire many who have been through terrible tragedies with family members and they have said "I forgive them".

I admire those people too. I've heard people say that and I think that I could not be so forgiving, at least not so soon after some terrible thing has happened.

 

[reba]

Absolutely right. Of course I would be much angrier (not really a strong enough word) if my daughter were raped than if my wife were raped. But that brings us straight back to the topic of emotions. But since people (not just you) want to appeal to emotions, I'd like to point out that it works both ways. Take the following example:

Suppose a single man rapes and kills a young girl and covers it up so well that he doesn't get caught until the police find some new evidence 10 years after he committed the crime. By that time, the man is married and has two children, who are 2 and 5 years old. The man has turned his life completely around and no longer uses drugs or alcohol and is good father and husband and a responsible, productive member of society. Should that man be executed, making his wife a widow and his children orphans?

You see, both sides can appeal to emotions. But that's not what we should base our views on, either for or against.

The TOG​

He made his wife a widow and his kids orphans... He is responsible for his actions.. He should have thought about fathering kids with the possibility of leaving them orphaned . He just didn't care.

 

[Kathi]

I admire those people too. I've heard people say that and I think that I could not be so forgiving, at least not so soon after some terrible thing has happened.

That is one reason I admire the Amish they are very forgiving.It takes alot to forgive when a situation has broken your heart.But with God all things are possible.

 

[jasoncran]

How does being against the death penalty equate to being against any form of punishment? Has anyone here advocated not punishing criminals in any way?

The TOG​

I ask this, does the government have the right to summeraly execute? its done daily in any large town in the usa or the world where deadly force is authorized and sometimes the man makes a furtive gesture and doesn't comply and dies, or is high from his lack of medication (diabetics often are whacky and will be killed by a cop) and also not to mention the lady who ran the barriers at the presidents ignauragation. was she tried or the above tried first? no they were shot on the spot.

 

[jasoncran]

Life in prison without parole.

The TOG​

so how would that be any better then a death sentence? in essence his wife would divorce him. they don't have congical visits in prison. they often cant visit any violent felon prisoner as well often they riot. visation isn't a right in the American correctional facility.

nevermind he raped a girl. inmate.com will know and he will wish he was dead and the inmates will take care of him. trust me they will do it. he will be confined to a solitary cell for his safety. why? because to protect him if he is small and girlish. the larger homosexual inmates may use him as a lover. gangs will offer protection. he will have to decide to join a gang. can god protect him there? yes. but well if I had the option? honeslty death would better.

 

[TOG]

nevermind he raped a girl.

Try to keep track. The scenario I was asked to answer was this:

What kind of punishment would you advocate for someone who killed your parents or your wife or children.

No mention of raping a girl.

The TOG​