Question.2511 - Topic: Capital Punishment and the Bible Thread: Capital punishment or "the death penalty" is a frequently debated punishment in the United States. Throughout the history of the United States, support for the death penalty has gone back and forth. Please discuss the following: What is the origin and biblical basis for the death penalty? Is there a difference between the Old and New Testament approaches to the death penalty? Does the death penalty provide a valid punishment option in today's society?
Answer Below:
Origin and biblical basis for the death penalty The death penalty laws are dated back in the eighteenth century B.C. In the kingdom of King Hammurabi the code for death penalty decide for 25 different crimes. Even in seventh century B.C under the kingship of Draconian of Athens, his death penalty was only punishment for all crimes. finally the in 12 th century B.C. the twelve tablets of Raman Laws, the death sentences was carried out which meant drowning, burning alive, impalements, crucifixion, beating to death. By the time of tenth century A.D., hanging became usual method of death sentences. William, the Conqueror did not allow persons to be hanged except in the times of war. This trend did not last for long time. In the period of 16 th century under reign of Henry VIII, 72,000 people were estimated to have been executed. Inthat period execution use to take place in for of burning at stake, drawing and quartering, beheading, boiling, hanging. These executions were give offenses such as treason, marrying a Jew, not confessing to a crime (Death Penalty Information Center, 2021). Difference between the Old and New Testament approaches to the death penalty Many people on the Biblical foundation of Old and New Testament believe that Bible is unclear on the death penalties. TheBible repeatedly provides the substantiation andbasis for the capital punishment. In the old testaments Exodus 21:23-25 says tooth for tooth, eye for eyes, foot for foot, wound for wound but Mathew 5:38, says that one had heard of eye to eye and tooth for tooth, but Mathew asks people to resistevil person and if anyone slaps on one cheeks one should put forward the other side of the cheek (JOHNSON, 2020). The approach of capital punishments was different but it is seen that New Testament is informed by the old one which holds on the concept of Lex Talionis. This concept states that retaliation should be equal to the loss. However, this view got changes after the coming of Jesus Christ. There is black and white difference about the death penalty in old and new testaments. Old testaments focus on mostly God’s holiness and justice the New Testament shifts its focus on love and mercy. The new testament on death penalty is not scrapping the old law in reflecting completely different, it is actually the revolutionizing the law giving away the true law (Koetsier, 2017). Does the death penalty provide a valid punishment option in today's society? 3 In present times, Majority of Americans believes that death penalty isconstitutional despite of its imperfections. The Supreme Court in its 5 th and 14 th amendment expresses the approval of death penalty: where a person may not be deprived of liberty, property, life without due process of law. It is learned that death penalties breaches the human rights, particularly the right to live free from cruel, inhuman torture and right to life or punishment. The international community has adopted several measures to ban on death penalties such as Protocol to American Convention on Human Rights to abolish the death penalty (Stimson, 2021). According to international laws, death penalty is symbol of culture of violence. It says that the use of death penalties must be restricted to the most serious crimes i.e. intentional killing. Many of American support death penalty which to be applied fairly. All should agree that all defendants in capital cases needs to have balances and built in check system in the criminal justice system.Indeed it is just a waste of tax payer funds which no public safety benefits (Amnesty International, 2021). 4 References Amnesty International. (2021). Why Amnesty opposes the death penalty without exception. Amnesty.org. Retrieved 15 July 2021, from https://www.amnesty.org/en/what-we- do/death-penalty/. Death Penalty Information Center. (2021). Early History of the Death Penalty. Death Penalty Information Center. Retrieved 15 July 2021, from https://deathpenaltyinfo.org/facts-and- research/history-of-the-death-penalty/early-history-of-the-death-penalty. JOHNSON, A. (2020). DISCOVERING FORGIVENESS IN EXECUTING JUSTICE THROUGH CAPITAL PUNISHMENT [Ebook]. Retrieved 15 July 2021, from https://etd.ohiolink.edu/apexprod/rws_etd/send_file/send?accession=atssem1598450441 485902&disposition=inline. Koetsier, G. (2017). The relationship between Old Testament law and New Testament law. Medium. Retrieved 15 July 2021, from https://medium.com/@gabriellekoetsier/the- relationship-between-old-testament-law-and-new-testament-law-10a94b65fcc7. Stimson, C. (2021). The Death Penalty Is Appropriate. The Heritage Foundation. Retrieved 15 July 2021, from https://www.heritage.org/crime-and-justice/commentary/the-death- penalty-appropriate.More Articles From CRIMINAL LAW MANAGEMENT
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