Should Christians Support The Death Penalty Essay

Should Christians support the death penalty? The answer to this is not as black and white as many people would think. Most people agree that the punishment must equal the crime, but what are we trying to teach with the punishment? The intended purpose of punishing an individual is in hopes that it will show them the error of their ways and aid in rehabilitating them. So when deciding upon what consequence is appropriate one must consider if it allows them the chance for true moral reform. A punishment is only truly justified “if and only if it serves the function of holding persons accountable” (Falls). As Christians, we also have to ask what form of punishment is morally aligned with our beliefs. In Margaret Falls article Against the Death Penalty: Christian Stance in a Secular World she makes the point “that each of us [have] a fundamental moral obligation to respect the inherent worth of persons”. To continue that point the Bible tells us that we were all put here on earth for a reason, a special purpose given to us by God, if we take the life of another, even if we view it as just, we are still ending the chance of that person fulfilling their purpose. We are denying them
He never turns his back on us, all he wants is for us to repent our sins and ask him for forgiveness. We all stray off the path at times, no one is perfect, and so who are we to say who is too far-gone off the path, too corrupt to be saved. Jesus ministered and preached to everyone, specifically the non-believers and miscreants; one of his own handpicked disciples was a hated tax collector! It is our job to minister to them and share with them the word of God. Through his mercy, grace, and never-ending love for us, no one is beyond saving. Sentencing an individual to death never allows them the chance to experience his mercy, better yet a chance for true