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Moreover you shall take no ransom for the life of a murderer who is guilty of death, but he shall surely be put to death (Numbers 35:31). Surprisingly, many Christians oppose the death penalty. Almost everyone has an opinion on the death penalty; however, few have done the necessary study to understand the complexity of the issue. ... In the Old Testament, the people put to death included those who made sacrifices to false gods and such, and those who committed similar offenses against the faith and cult of Israel. On the other hand, those who oppose the death penalty note scriptural exceptions. Cain was not put to death for slaying his brother Abel. The penalty of death for the commission of a crime is an issue that tends to defy the purpose of reason.
The most frequently advanced argument supporting the death penalty is the threat of death deters people from committing offenses. ... The year-end prisoner count for those on death row in the United States in 1978 was 445. No death sentence was carried out in that year, and there was only one execution in 1977. Those opposing the death penalty assert that this form of punishment is not a deterrent; it is only a threat that is rarely carried out. ... Supporters of the death penalty claim that it saves lives because murderers sentenced to life imprisonment will kill other prisoners and guards, and that if released by pardon or parole will likely kill again. ... The overwhelming majority of homicides that occur in prisons occur in death penalty states. ... Apparently some Christians do not realize that Jesus and Jehova are one and the same. ... teachings of love and forgiveness require us to abolish the death penalty. ... Forgiveness means to “cease to feel resentment against. ... Instead we are to cease to feel resentment against our offenders (hate the sin, not the sinner), but we are not to pardon, that is, to release them from the legal penalties. God forgives sin, but we still must pay the penalty for it. ...
Death penalty opponents never fail to mention the adulteress whom Jesus forgave. ... First, the death penalty for murder is not even the issue in this particular passage of scripture. The death penalty for adultery was required of the nation of Israel, while the death penalty for murder was required of all people.
Approximate Word count = 1870
Approximate Pages = 7.5
(250 words per page double spaced)
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