Preview

Religion Death Penalty

Powerful Essays
Open Document
Open Document
772 Words
Grammar
Grammar
Plagiarism
Plagiarism
Writing
Writing
Score
Score
Religion Death Penalty
Buddhism: The death penalty is a clear form of revenge. It is a severe form of punishment because it is so final. The human life is ended and the executed person is robbed of the opportunity to change, or restore the harm done. Before supporting execution we should consider whether criminals are naturally negative and harmful people and whether they will always remain in the same state of mind in which they committed their crime or not. The answer, is definitely not. However horrible the act they have committed, it is believed that everyone has the potential to improve and correct themselves.

They believe that capital punishment not only fails to serve as prevention to violence and murder, but that it encourages the seeds of violence that exist within each of us.

Christianity: In 1959, the 171st General Assembly, noted that 'the use of the death penalty tends to brutalize the society that ignores it... '

In spite of a common saying, 'an eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth, ' does not give explanation for the imposing of the penalty of death...

The Evangelical Lutheran Church, stated the death penalty distracts us from our work toward a just society. It deforms our response to violence at the individual, institutional, and systemic levels. It continues the cycles of violence...

Hinduism: Hinduism is full of compassion and forgiveness. Leave aside human beings, they are supposed to be kind even to insects and animals. They are not supposed to kill a small insect. Therefore, taking the life of a human being is a very big issue. Their Hindu dharma is clear that use of violence against anyone is not allowed. Their scriptures supports the principle of nonviolence."

Mahatma Gandhi, a former Indian religious and political leader, in an Oct. 16, 1916 letter in the Modern Review on the topic of Ahimsa, a Hindu philosophy of non-violence, he wrote:" By birth I am a Vaishnavite and was taught Ahimsa in my childhood ... Ahimsa means not injuring any



Cited: "BBC - Religions - Christianity: Capital Punishment." BBC - Homepage. BBC. Web. 11 Feb. 2012. <http://www.bbc.co.uk/religion/religions/christianity/christianethics/capitalpunishment_1.shtml>. Berns, Walter. "Religion and the Death Penalty." The Weekly Standard | A Weekly Conservative Magazine and Blog of News and Opinion. The Weekly Standard, 8 Feb. 2008. Web. 11 Feb. 2012. <http://www.weeklystandard.com/Content/Public/Articles/000/000/014/656wdzwt.asp>. Cline, Austin. "Religion & the Death Penalty." Agnosticism / Atheism - Skepticism & Atheism for Atheists & Agnostics. About.com, 29 Dec. 2004. Web. 11 Feb. 2012. <http://atheism.about.com/b/2004/12/29/religion-the-death-penalty.htm>. Duke, D.W. "Religions and the Death Penalty." Stopchildexecutions.com. Web. 11 Feb. 2012. <http://www.stopchildexecutions.com/legal&reports/Religions_and_the_Death_Penalty_(1).pdf>. ProCon.org. "Does Buddhism support the death penalty?" DeathPenalty.ProCon.org. ProCon.org, 20 Aug. 2008. Web. 11 Feb. 2012. ProCon.org. "Does Christianity support the death penalty?" DeathPenalty.ProCon.org. ProCon.org, 6 Jan. 2009. Web. 11 Feb. 2012. ProCon.org. "Does Hinduism support the death penalty?" DeathPenalty.ProCon.org. ProCon.org, 26 Aug. 2008. Web. 11 Feb. 2012. ProCon.org. "Does Islam support the death penalty?" DeathPenalty.ProCon.org. ProCon.org, 1 Aug. 2008. Web. 11 Feb. 2012. ProCon.org. "Does Judaism support the death penalty?" DeathPenalty.ProCon.org. ProCon.org, 31 July 2008. Web. 11 Feb. 2012.

You May Also Find These Documents Helpful

  • Better Essays

    Phil 1112 Death Penalty

    • 1930 Words
    • 8 Pages

    Pojman, Louis. "A Defense of the Death Penalty." Issues in Applied Ethics: n. pag. Contemporary Issues in Applied Ethics ebook. Web. 11 Apr. 2011.…

    • 1930 Words
    • 8 Pages
    Better Essays
  • Better Essays

    Green Mile Death Penalty

    • 1369 Words
    • 6 Pages

    "Life in Prison Is Preferred over the Death Penalty." The Death Penalty. Ed. Jenny Cromie and Lynn M. Zott. Detroit: Greenhaven Press, 2010. Opposing Viewpoints.Opposing Viewpoints In Context. Web. 27 Sept. 2013.…

    • 1369 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Better Essays
  • Better Essays

    Bedau, Hugo A., and others. "Reasonable Doubts: The Growing Movement Against the Death Penalty." American Prospect Vol.15 No.7, Jul 2004, pp. A1-A23. SIRS Issues Researcher, http://sks.sirs.com.…

    • 669 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Better Essays
  • Powerful Essays

    4) "Death Sentences and Executions in 2008." Amnesty International. N.p., 2009. Web. 1 Apr. 2011. <http://www.amnestyusa.org/abolish/annual_report/DeathSentencesExecutions2008.pdf>.…

    • 2257 Words
    • 10 Pages
    Powerful Essays
  • Good Essays

    Many look upon this topic as a religious moral issue. The National Coalition against Death Penalty states that “the death penalty devalues all human life- eliminating the possibility for transformation of human spirit.” This organization also states that the death penalty “is fallible and irrevocable” , their studies show that over 100 inmates have been released from death row after new technological testing regarding their cases found them to be innocent.(1) On the reverse side of this religious outlook, there are those such as J. Melton that believe, the death penalty was started by God, himself when wrote in the bible, “He that killeth by the sword must be killed by the sword.”(Revelations 13:10). (2) There have been studies by Emory University professors, in 2003, state that each execution deters an average of 18 murders. A similar study in 2004 stated that it is believed that speeding up execution would strengthen deterrent effect. For every 2.75 years cut from time spent on death row it is said that 1 murder would be prevented. Another aspect of the death penalty is that of those who believe that rehabilitation is ineffective and capital punishment is the only punishments that is equivalent to some of the violent offenses committed and think that it is a way for closure for the families of the victims.(3) In my opinion, I believe that it is not just a…

    • 775 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Better Essays

    ProCon.Org. (2009, January 1). Should the death penalty be used for retribution? Retrieved October 24, 2011, from http://deathpenatly.procon.org/view.answers.php?questionID=001004: http://deathpenatly.procon.org/view.answers.php?questionID=001004…

    • 2031 Words
    • 9 Pages
    Better Essays
  • Best Essays

    Owens, Erik C. Religion and the Death Penalty: A Call for Reckoning. Grand Rapids, Mich.: W.B. Eerdmans, 2004.…

    • 3258 Words
    • 8 Pages
    Best Essays
  • Best Essays

    Personhood

    • 2476 Words
    • 10 Pages

    "Death Penalty Information Center." Death Penalty Information Center. N.p., n.d. Web. 20 Apr. 2012. <http://deathpenaltyinfo.org>.…

    • 2476 Words
    • 10 Pages
    Best Essays
  • Good Essays

    Death of a Loved One

    • 1045 Words
    • 5 Pages

    Smith, Wesley. "The Right to Die Movement Supports Death on Demand." Weekly Standard. 27 Apr 2006. Opposing Viewpoints. Web. 30 Oct 2011.…

    • 1045 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Powerful Essays

    The Death Penalty

    • 1586 Words
    • 7 Pages

    Has anyone asked your views on capital punishment? The words lethal injection, electrocution, and gas chamber are synonymous with the death penalty. Even in today’s society of die-hard liberals, right-winged republicans, and middle of the road democrats the capital punishment argument is still a squeamish topic that incites strong emotional debate from abolitionists and supporters.…

    • 1586 Words
    • 7 Pages
    Powerful Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    The Death Penalty

    • 294 Words
    • 2 Pages

    Sue, A. P. (1998, Jan 25). Pro-death penalty but chivalrous texans debate fate of karla faye tucker. The Washington Post. Retrieved from http://search.proquest.com/docview/408352096?accountid=32521…

    • 294 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Better Essays

    Capital Punishment: An Eye for an Eye For many years there has been a constant debate between supporters and non-supporters of the death penalty. Many people argue that the death penalty is as much a murder as the crime committed by the offender. Others may say that it provides closure and justice. I am a strong supporter of the death penalty. There are many others like myself. The world is full of the most dangerous and ruthless criminals that should be put to death. There are many pros that the death penalty has to offer that make the world a better place to live. The death penalty is proven to deter crime. Many individuals think twice before committing a crime because of the death penalty. Spectators that have witnessed an execution say that watching an execution has changed their lives. Spectators can advise others to refrain from doing crimes by telling others of their experience. Prison is one place where many people would not expect crime, but sadly there is as much crime in prison as there is on the outside. The death penalty deters inmates from committing crimes in prison because the death penalty can still be added on to their sentence. Crimes are also deterred in prison because some of the most ruthless criminals are isolated and are on death row. Criminologist state that when execution rates go up, murder rates go down. Criminologists also state that each execution deters eighteen murders. Many experts state that speeding up executions would deter crime at a much faster rate. There has been an overall drop in homicides. Nationally the decline was 2.7 percent. With cities that have populations over one million murder rates have declined 9.8 percent. The death penalty also gives families of murder victims’ closure and justice. Many families say that the death penalty is a deterrent in crime. Many families say that even though they feel relief after the murderers’ death, the pain of a lost loved one will never go away. Families want closure and do not…

    • 1268 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Better Essays
  • Powerful Essays

    "Death Penalty". News Batch, Your Internet Guide to an Understanding of Policy Issues March 2005. 20 May 2005. < http://www.newsbatch.com/deathpenalty.htm>…

    • 706 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Powerful Essays
  • Best Essays

    Herron, Aundré M. "The Death Penalty Does Not Deter Crime." Crime and Criminals. Ed. James D. Torr. San Diego: Greenhaven Press, 2004. Opposing Viewpoints. Rpt. from "The Death Penalty Is Not Civilized." Sacramento Bee 20 Apr. 2008. Gale Opposing Viewpoints In Context. Web. 7 Dec. 2012.…

    • 382 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Best Essays
  • Powerful Essays

    "State by State Database." Death Penalty Information Center. Death Penalty Information Center, 2012. Web. 10 May 2012.…

    • 1784 Words
    • 8 Pages
    Powerful Essays