The Bible and the Death Penalty

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The Bible and the Death Penalty
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Death Penalty Around the World
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Nations Imposing the Death Penalty
Afghanistan, Antigua and Barbuda, Bahamas,
Bahrain, Bangladesh, Barbados, Belarus, Belize,
Botswana, Burundi, Cameroon, Chad, China,
Comoros, Congo (Democratic Republic), Cuba,
Dominica, Egypt, Equatorial Guinea, Ethiopia,
Guatemala, Guinea, Guyana, India, Indonesia,
Iran, Iraq, Jamaica, Japan, Jordan, Korea
(North), Kuwait, Lebanon, Lesotho, Libya,
Malaysia, Mongolia, Nigeria, Oman, Pakistan,
Palestinian Authority, Qatar, Saint Christopher
Nevis, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent Grenadines,
Saudi Arabia, Sierra Leone, Singapore, Somalia,
Sudan, Syria, Taiwan, Thailand, Trinidad and
Tobago, Uganda, United Arab Emirates, United
States Of America, Viet Nam, Yemen, Zimbabwe
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Polls on the Death Penalty
1994-96 75-80 support 13 oppose 2007-8 65-70 support 27 oppose
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Polls on the Death Penalty

• 15 of Protestants oppose 27 of Catholics
• 55 of African-Americans oppose, 50 of Hispanics

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Churches on the Death Penalty
Support Lutheran ChurchMissouri Synod,
Presbyterian Church of America, Southern
Baptists, National Association of
Evangelicals. Oppose American Baptists,
Disciples of Christ, Church of the Brethren,
Episcopal Church, Evangelical Lutherans, General
Baptists, Mennonites, Moravians, Orthodox Church
in America, Presbyterian Church USA, Reformed
Church, Roman Catholic Church, United Church of
Christ, United Methodist Church, National Council
of Churches
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Broad Arguments in Support

• Numerous OT verses that mandate death penalty for
  a wide variety of offenses

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Offenses Requiring Death Penalty

• Religious offenses
• Following another religion (Exod 2220, Deut
  172-7 cf. Num 251-15)
• Proselytizing for another religion (Deut 131-10)
• Blasphemy (Lev 2410-16)
• Entering the tabernacle/temple (except priests)
  (Num 151, 310, 1713, 187)
• False prophecy (Deut 1820-22)
• Communicating with the dead (Lev 2027)
• Black magic (Exod 2218)
• 8. Human sacrifice (Lev 202-5)
• 9. Working on Saturday (Exod 3114, 352, Num
  1532-36)

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Offenses Requiring Death Penalty

• Sexual offenses
• 10. Adultery (Lev 2010, Deut 2222)
• 11. Incest (Lev 2011, 12, 14)
• 12. Homosexual behavior (Lev 2013)
• 13. Sex with animals (Lev 2015, Exod 2219)
• 14. Sex before marriage (Deut 2213-24)
• 15. Sex with both a woman and her mother (Deut
  2014)
• Rape of an engaged woman (Deut 2225)
• 17. Prostitution by a priests daughter (Lev 219)

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Offenses Requiring Death Penalty

• Other offenses
• 18. Murder (Lev 2417, 2421, Num 3516, Deut
  176)
• 19. Kidnapping (Exod 2116, Deut 247)
• 20. Giving false testimony (Deut 1915-21)
• 21. Negligence with dangerous animals (Exod
  2129)
• 22. Cursing or hitting ones parents (Exod 2115,
  2117, Lev 209)
• Being a stubborn and rebellious son (Deut
  2118-21)
• 24. Ignoring the decision of a priest or judge
  (Deut 1712)

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Broad Arguments in Support

• Numerous OT verses that mandate death penalty for
  a wide variety of offenses
• Equally numerous places where God kills people to
  punish them for sins
• Jesus, Stephen, Paul, and other Christians didnt
  question when it was applied unjustly to them
• Bible sets strict limits on the practice of
  capital punishment to avoid abuses

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Limits on Capital Punishment

• Intentionality no capital punishment for
  accidental killing (Exod 2113, Num 3522-25,
  Deut 191-10)
• 2. Two or more eyewitnesses (Num 3530, Deut
  176-7, 1915)
• 3. Fair trial, without regard for social class
  or wealth (Lev 1915, Deut 117)

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Specific Verses in Support

• Genesis 95-6murderers must be executed for
  killing a human made in Gods image
• 2. Exodus 2122-24, Leviticus 2419-21, Deut
  1921eye for an eye, tooth for a tooth, life for
  a life
• 3. Matthew 517-20Jesus came to fulfill the OT
  law, not to annul it
• 4. Mark 1018-19, Luke 1818-22Jesus tells man
  to keep the commandments (including do not
  murder) in order to gain eternal life
• 5. Mark 79-10Jesus quotes OT verse calling for
  death of people who curse their parents as though
  it were still binding
• 6. Rom 132-4 (cf. 1 Peter 213-14)God has given
  rulers the sword to punish evildoers

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Broad Arguments in Opposition

• Unjust executions of Jesus and Christian martyrs
  show ease of abuse
• Biblical statements on humans being sinful and
  having limited knowledge
• NT message of Jesus coming to die for sinners,
  not condemn them to death
• Testimony of early generations of Christians, who
  opposed death penalty

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Lactantius (260-330 AD) on the Death Penalty
"When God forbids us to kill, he not only
prohibits the violence that is condemned by
public laws, but he also forbids the violence
that is deemed lawful by men. Thus it is not
lawful for a just man to engage in warfare, since
his warfare is justice itself. Nor is it lawful
to accuse anyone of a capital offense. It makes
no difference whether you put a man to death by
word, or by the sword. It is the act of putting
to death itself which is prohibited. Therefore,
regarding this precept of God there should be no
exception at all. Rather it is always unlawful to
put to death a man, whom God willed to be a
sacred creature." (The Divine Institutes 6.20)
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Specific Verses in Opposition

• Genesis 126-27humans are made in Gods image
  and thus have infinite value and worth to God
  (cf. Gen 27, Psalm 8)
• Genesis 410-15Cain banished, not killed, after
  mudering his brother (cf. Exod 211-15 on Moses,
  2 Sam 11-12 on David, Acts 754-58 on Paul cf.
  Matt 118-19 on Mary)
• 3. Lev 1918, Proverbs 2022, 2429, Matthew
  538-48, Rom 1217-21 (cf. Deut 3235-42)no
  hatred, vengeance, or retaliation repay evil
  with good
• 4. Ezekiel 1823, 3311God takes no pleasure in
  the death of the wicked, but wants them to turn
  and live (impossible once executed)
• Matthew 821-22Jesus tells his followers to
  forgive offenses as God does (standard for Gods
  forgiveness of them, Matt 612)
• 6. John 82-11Jesus refuses to condemn to death
  a woman caught in adultery, contravening the OT
  requirement for execution

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Points of Agreement

• Bible must be taken seriously as guideline for
  Christian thinking on moral issues
• Bible does not speak with a single, unified voice
  on capital punishment verses can be cited on
  both sides
• Both OT and NT must be considered when developing
  a truly Christian position

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Points of Disagreement

• Relation between statements in OT and NT
• Relation between specific texts that seem to be
  in tension/conflict with one anothers
• Relation between specific verses and broad
  principles of biblical theology
• Interpretation of specific texts (e.g., Exod
  2122-24, Matt 538-48, John 82-11, Rom 132-4)

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Questions for Supporters

1. Why use OT laws as starting point when Christians
   have consistently claimed that the coming of
   Jesus introduced a new order that operates by
   different standards?
2. If we take OT laws as our guide today , why not
   require capital punishment for all offenses laid
   out in OT?
3. What if application of the death penalty in US
   can be shown to violate conditions laid out in
   Bible for its use?
4. What about texts in both OT and NT that show God
   not imposing the death penalty when required by
   his laws?

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Questions for Opponents

1. Why presume that statements issued by Jesus to
   guide the lives of his followers should be
   applied to whole societies?
2. Didnt Jesus affirm the validity of the OT laws,
   saying that he came not to abolish but to fulfill
   them?
3. Do inequities in the application of the death
   penalty require that it be abolished, or only
   administered more carefully?
4. What about many verses in the Bible (NT as well
   as OT) that show God as a righteous deity who has
   standards of right and wrong and holds people
   accountable for actions?