CAPITAL PUNISHMENT
“Whoso sheddeth man’s blood, by man shall his blood be shed: for in the image of God made he man” (Genesis 9:6 and many other verses). Some years back, a poll was taken of those who had committed murder. The question was asked, “If your state had the death penalty, would this have deterred you from killing your victim?” For the most part, the criminals responded, “No, it would have made no differences.” Then those who took the poll said this was proof that the death penalty does not avert murder. But they asked the wrong people. They should have asked the relatives of the victims. At the least, the character level of such criminals would make any response to a poll suspect. And the fact that some said it would deter them was motive enough to have the death penalty, even if it saved the life of only one person. And though the death penalty would not deter all, once the murderer has been executed, he will never do it again.
But for capital punishment to be an effective deterrent, the time from when the crime was committed until the execution of the criminal should not be years. The Bible says, “Because sentence against an evil work is not executed speedily, therefore the heart of the sons of men is fully set in them to do evil” (Ecclesiastes 8:11). I have heard that prison guards who watch murderers in states without the death penalty feel it is the most dangerous job in the world, because if the criminal murders the guard, there is no more that can be done to the murderer because he is already in jail.
Capital punishment does not make a country “less civilized” but more concerned for its people whom the government is to protect. In Romans 13:4 it says, “For he is the minister of God to thee for good. But if thou do that which is evil, be afraid; for he beareth not the sword in vain: for he is the minister of God, a revenger to execute wrath upon him that doeth evil.” Where the verse says “he is the minister of God,” it is not referring to pastors but to those in government (“rulers”), as the context clearly shows in verse 3. This is God’s way to take vengeance on evildoers: “he beareth not the sword in vain.” The “sword” was not used to slap a criminal over the wrist but to take his head off. God gave government to be a “terror” to evil (Romans 13:3; see GOVERNMENT). The Bible also teaches capital punishment for rape: “But if a man find a betrothed damsel in the field, and the man force her, and lie with her: then the man only that lay with her shall die. But unto the damsel thou shalt do nothing; there is in the damsel no sin worthy of death: for as when a man riseth against his neighbour, and slayeth him, even so is this matter: For he found her in the field, and the betrothed damsel cried, and there was none to save her” (Deuteronomy 22:25–27).
“Whoso sheddeth man’s blood, by man shall his blood be shed: for in the image of God made he man” (Genesis 9:6 and many other verses). Some years back, a poll was taken of those who had committed murder. The question was asked, “If your state had the death penalty, would this have deterred you from killing your victim?” For the most part, the criminals responded, “No, it would have made no differences.” Then those who took the poll said this was proof that the death penalty does not avert murder. But they asked the wrong people. They should have asked the relatives of the victims. At the least, the character level of such criminals would make any response to a poll suspect. And the fact that some said it would deter them was motive enough to have the death penalty, even if it saved the life of only one person. And though the death penalty would not deter all, once the murderer has been executed, he will never do it again.
But for capital punishment to be an effective deterrent, the time from when the crime was committed until the execution of the criminal should not be years. The Bible says, “Because sentence against an evil work is not executed speedily, therefore the heart of the sons of men is fully set in them to do evil” (Ecclesiastes 8:11). I have heard that prison guards who watch murderers in states without the death penalty feel it is the most dangerous job in the world, because if the criminal murders the guard, there is no more that can be done to the murderer because he is already in jail.
Capital punishment does not make a country “less civilized” but more concerned for its people whom the government is to protect. In Romans 13:4 it says, “For he is the minister of God to thee for good. But if thou do that which is evil, be afraid; for he beareth not the sword in vain: for he is the minister of God, a revenger to execute wrath upon him that doeth evil.” Where the verse says “he is the minister of God,” it is not referring to pastors but to those in government (“rulers”), as the context clearly shows in verse 3. This is God’s way to take vengeance on evildoers: “he beareth not the sword in vain.” The “sword” was not used to slap a criminal over the wrist but to take his head off. God gave government to be a “terror” to evil (Romans 13:3; see GOVERNMENT). The Bible also teaches capital punishment for rape: “But if a man find a betrothed damsel in the field, and the man force her, and lie with her: then the man only that lay with her shall die. But unto the damsel thou shalt do nothing; there is in the damsel no sin worthy of death: for as when a man riseth against his neighbour, and slayeth him, even so is this matter: For he found her in the field, and the betrothed damsel cried, and there was none to save her” (Deuteronomy 22:25–27).