Americans who believe in Jesus but support the death penalty, please explain this?

I know it's scary in your country because guns are legal and you need to discourage gun crime but I still don't understand. Jesus wouldn't be happy about the death penalty.

You are not supposed to judge someone till you've walked a mile in their shoes (I might not be quoting it exactly).

When I see New York and LA gangs, yes, it looks pretty scary. And you could move away from the city to be safe (but then your children might grow up insular and simple) or you could try to do better with education and making sure peoples living standards were better (now everyone knows Jesus would approve of this).

You have had the death penalty for years and years, BUT PEOPLE ARE STILL SHOOTING EACH OTHER WHICH SHOWS THE DEATH PENALTY IS NOT A DETERRENT!!

obviously non Christian people can like the death penalty but that means it's only about revenge and not justice.

This page is a permanent link to the reply below and its nested replies. See all post replies »

Thedoorislocked

You asked, here it is in Romans:

1 Every person is to be in subjection to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and those which exist are established by God.
2 Therefore whoever resists authority has opposed the ordinance of God; and they who have opposed will receive condemnation upon themselves.
3 For rulers are not a cause of fear for good behavior, but for evil. Do you want to have no fear of authority? Do what is good and you will have praise from the same;
4 for it is a minister of God to you for good. But if you do what is evil, be afraid; for it does not bear the sword for nothing; for it is a minister of God, an avenger who brings wrath on the one who practices evil.
5 Therefore it is necessary to be in subjection, not only because of wrath, but also for conscience' sake. (Romans 13:1, NASB)

You intentionally take a life as in murder, and it is premeditated murder, you should be subject to the death penalty. So a serial murderer doesn’t deserve the death penalty?

JP1119 · 36-40, M

@Thedoorislocked It’s not only a question of what a serial murderer deserves, but also a question of whether or not the state deserves to administer that punishment. From that passage in Romans, am I to understand that you believe the government is never wrong? You fully support every single law and policy made by the government? Any government in the world is still comprised of imperfect human beings, so certainly the government will still make mistakes. If the government is not perfect, does it have any justification for administering such a final, irreversible punishment as the death penalty?

Thedoorislocked

@JP1119 the passage in Romans supports government carrying out justice. Being consistent with the Bible.

JP1119 · 36-40, M

@Thedoorislocked But doesn’t the government sometimes carry out injustice?

Thedoorislocked

@JP1119 they do yes.