[Deathpenalty] death penalty news----USA

[Rick Halperin]

Jan. 12


USA:

Should Christians support the death penalty?

Unquestionably the news of the day is the political primaries. For the
first time in many years there is no clear heir apparent to be the nominee
in either party, and the pundits are absolutely beside themselves because
they don't yet have an easy call to make. It will be the news for some
time to come. But while all of this is going on there is another story  of
greater importance in my opinion  taking place at the Supreme Court.

Last Tuesday the Court began hearing arguments in a pair of Kentucky
lawsuits challenging the lethal 3-drug cocktail used in most U.S.
executions. The argument against the method is that if the drugs are not
administered properly the criminal may be paralyzed but still conscious
when the Potassium Chloride causes cardiac arrest, leading to excruciating
pain. Some say this amounts to a violation of the Eighth Amendment to the
Constitution subjecting the criminal to "cruel and unusual punishment."
But for all of the prima facie rationales offered against the use of this
form of execution the root motivation for this challenge is against the
death penalty altogether. Many believe strongly that capital punishment is
morally barbaric and should be banned by civilized nations.

Many Christians agree with this. There are growing numbers in the body of
Christ that believe only God can make the call as to whether someone
should live or die, and if someone deserves to die God will take care of
that in His own way. For them the Biblical commands to practice the death
penalty are Old Testament laws that have no place in the New Testament
kingdom of Christ.

But such a position cannot pass the scrutiny of Biblical teaching. First
of all punishment by death is sanctioned by God, and God did not place a
statute of limitations on its use. In Genesis 9:6 (before the Mosaic law
was given) God said to Noah: "Whoever sheds the blood of man, by man shall
his blood be shed; for in the image of God has God made man."

In the Bible some sins, especially those which constituted desecration of
the family, were particularly heinous to God. He instructed His people to
after due process  remove such offenders from their community and into the
judgement of God immediately. Their sin could not be restituted adequately
in this world to allow for them to restored to society and they were
executed.

The attempt to relegate capital punishment to only an Old Testament
practice ultimately fails in the face of the teaching of Jesus. Many
Christians are surprised when they hear that Jesus approved of the death
penalty as they have superimposed on Him a humanistic morality. In Mark 7
Jesus rebuked the Pharisees for prizing their traditions over the Word of
God, and His specific example was how they ignored punishing a capital
crime in favor of the rules of men.

God authorized the civil magistrate to carry out such punishment in His
behalf. It is the role of the civil government to judge rightly, and
enforce the law so that peace and justice are upheld  a point clearly
spelled out by the Apostle Paul in Romans 13.

Occasionally there are some who believe that while capital punishment is
permissible it ought to be suspended in certain circumstances, such as
when a death row inmate comes to faith in Christ. This was seen most
vividly when Pat Robertson joined the ultra-liberal World Council of
Churches in appealing to then Texas Governor George W. Bush to commute the
sentence of Karla Faye Tucker (which was a moot issue since under Texas
law governors cannot commute death sentences). Tucker was convicted of
brutal first-degree murder and sentenced to death. Tucker converted in
prison and was immediately the cover story of several Christian magazines.
Robertson (and others) believed that Tucker should be allowed to live and
tell her story in the hopes that she could have a positive influence on
others. But their efforts failed and she was executed in 1998.

While the desire to spare Tucker was understandable it was not Biblical.
Not only would this lead to a flood of spurious and convenient
"conversions," but it puts the church squarely in league with the
Pharisees who believed that they could sidestep Gods Law so long as the
ends were noble. No one questions whether someone like Tucker can repent
of their sin and be saved by God's grace. But the Bible does not say that
conversion absolves anyone of the consequences God has spelled out.

It remains to be seen what the High Court decides. But regardless of that
Christians need to remember that the Supreme Court does not stipulate
morality by arbitrarily interpreting law. Law and morality are not
democratically determined. They ultimately come from God and those laws
need to be followed and upheld  even when they are unpopular.

(source: The Rev. Marty Fields is the pastor of Westminster Presbyterian
Church in Laurel; The Laurel (Miss.) Leader Call)