Of Morality and Death Penalty

The death penalty in the Bible

The imposition of death penalty on certain crimes is something that is not really new. In fact, death penalty is one of the original teachings of the Bible; it comes from God.

Let me cite some instances that would prove that death penalty had already been implemented as early as the time of Moses and the Israelites.

During that time, anyone that would despise or would be rebellious against the Law of Moses shall die without mercy under two or three witnesses.

HEBREWS 10:28 says,

He that despised Moses’ law died without mercy under two or three witnesses:

Despising the Law of Moses is one offense that was penalized with death, specifically, by stoning.

However, if the sin that one committed was something very grievous, another form of death penalty was applied to that person. He would be burnt with fire as written in LEVITICUS 20:14, which says:

And if a man take a wife and her mother, it is wickedness: they shall be burnt with fire, both he and they; that there be no wickedness among you.

So, if a man takes for his wife both the daughter and her mother at the same time, all the three of them shall be burned with fire. All of them shall be killed by burning.

Aside from being burnt with fire, there were those who were hanged on a tree.

DEUTERONOMY 21:22-23 says,

22 And if a man have committed a sin worthy of death, and he be to be put to death, and thou hang him on a tree:
23 His body shall not remain all night upon the tree, but thou shalt in any wise bury him that day; (for he that is hanged is accursed of God;) that thy land be not defiled, which the Lord thy God giveth thee for an inheritance.

Based on the verses cited, there were several ways of executing death penalty: by stoning, by burning, and by hanging on a tree.

But it must be understood that, if ever they were enforcing death penalty that time, they were doing it under the guidance of God because Israel was a theocratic nation. In its entirety, it was ruled by God. The government of Israel was led by a king or by the prophets like Moses, or like the judges whom God raised in Israel. That is why Israel was a theocratic nation. And under the theocratic form of government of Israel, wherein the prophets of God were guided by angels to decide, death penalty was imposed.

In our present time, what we have are democratic nations which are being ruled by people. And in a democracy what prevails is the rule of the majority. Hence, from that aspect alone, we can already see that there is a very great difference between democracy and theocracy.

Today, nations are not at all theocratic that is why it is too risky to impose death penalty because it is no longer God, nor the angels, nor the righteous people that are rendering judgment to an accused person but judges who are often influenced by money and power. It is very fearful to even think that a person is to be killed by firing squad, or by a gas chamber, not because he was really guilty of the crime imputed against him but because the judge had been bribed and influenced by the rich and the powerful.

Am I in favor of the imposition of death penalty today? NO, I am not. The judicial system of many countries today is led and influenced by ungodly people, and that being the case, there is a very great possibility that they might arrive at an unjust and erroneous verdict.

41 comments:

  1. Thanks be to God for this wonderful enlightenment..

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  2. Thanks be to God for this article. I was pro to death penalty but this article had made me change my mind.

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  3. Very straightforward and true. Thanks to be to God!

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  4. The judicial system of many countries today is led and influenced by ungodly people, and that being the case, there is a very great possibility that they might arrive at an unjust and erroneous verdict. Amen...

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  5. In the ten commandments that God gave humanity it simply says: "Thou Shall Not Kill", period. Let God be the judge.

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  6. Not even in the cases where it *should* be implemented(i.e. rapes, homicide, terrorism, mass-shootings), &/or when it's requested by the defendant?

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  7. Tnx Mr. Controversy I believe what they said and that is true b'cuz it's happening in my beloved country.

    I am voting to #NoToDeathPenaltyToday

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  8. Thanks be to GOD, to enlightenment to many people around the world, TO GOF BE THE GLORY, AMEN

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  9. 'Only GOD can Judge us for he is the Truth,the Answer and the Only Way.

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  10. Graças a Deus 😍 , diga não a pena de morte .

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  11. I totally agree with the ending sentence, "The judicial system of many countries today is led and influenced by ungodly people, and that being the case, there is a very great possibility that they might arrive at an unjust and erroneous verdict." Grave crimes angered me as well but there were people who were wrongly accused and were imprisoned. We have to believe in God's justice.

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  12. It is very timely to talk about this matter since JUDGEMENT is being the very point of view here. I could say that when it is ruled by God it will become standardized in accordance to the righteous verdict of death penalty. But when not, expect that it will be unjust and biased in favor of the one more powerful.

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  13. Based on what I read, this story is about the imposition of the death penalty for those who sin. People thrown rocks until the sinner die, burn up to death or hang on trees until the sinner dies. I do not also agree with the execution of the death penalty because no one has the right to kill fellow men and not have any sin in order to kill the people who had a sin.

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  14. This blog reminded me that I would rather forgive the one who stole my property and honor that sue her in court. It is only money that I lose not my soul...

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  15. Death penalty is being debated upon since my high school days but this blog is a biblical truth so I an against the imposition of death penalty...

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  16. The death penalty violates the most fundamental human right – the right to life. It is the ultimate cruel, inhuman and degrading punishment.
    The death penalty is discriminatory. It is often used against the most vulnerable in society, including the poor, ethnic and religious minorities, and people with mental disabilities. Some governments use it to silence their opponents. Where justice systems are flawed and unfair trials rife, the risk of executing an innocent person is ever present.

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  17. only GOD have the right to take away the life that he have us..

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  18. for me the death penalty is not the good way to the people because it's in the bible that when you kill a person, then you disobey God's order or command.

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  19. God gives us the life and he is the only one can get it from us. He is our Creator. We don't have right to kill anyone even if you are rich and powerful.

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  20. Death penalty in the Philippines is the capital punishment but it is suspended simply to say no one would die under the law of the Philippines instead you would suffer on afflictive penalties or life imprisonment being an ignorant on the law or not it doesn't matter their is no exception but on gods law being an ignorance is an exception

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  21. Women so that they use cosmetics to make themselves self-confident and that they are not ashamed of other people to engage or interact. For the sake of cosmetics, it is not easy to use because they are always used and here they are happy. Even when using cosmetics we can still be forgiven by our god because it is acceptable to purify us even when we have done many sins.

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  22. i never agree in death penalty because god is our creator and god who kill us not a human because human create a law not to kill also a human.

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  23. For me, it’s a No, because killing someone else is never moral, it is always wrong. Only God has the right to take life. No one has the right to kill someone except god and by that we mean naturally.

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  24. Death penalty in the Philippines is the capital punishment but it is suspended simply to say no one would die under the law of the Philippines instead you would suffer on afflictive penalties or life imprisonment being an ignorant on the law or not it doesn't matter their is no exception but on gods law being an ignorance is an exception

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  25. base on what i read death penalty is not only a law in evry country because death penalty is also written on the bible and they called law of Moses this law can penalty you a burn in fire,hang on tree and by stoning.

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  26. "Democratic not Theocratic", the most sensible reason why death penalty shall not be imposed. Thanks be to God for this wonderful article.

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  27. For me I do not agree with the killing of your neighbor because no one kills your own neighbor and has no sin and everyone have a human rights even if young or adult .

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  28. Don't judge everyone! and everyone deserve a second chance to fix his/her life.

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  29. I cannot agree on people who thrown rocks until the sinner die, burn up to death on trees until the sinner dies. What happen if the person accused was wrongfully accused? A human life should be protected at all costs, no matter the mistakes they make or the sin they commit. Killing them does not bring back the murderers victim but instead makes us the murders.

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  30. Don't judge everyone! and everyone deserve a second chance to fix her/his life.

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  31. Now I knew the answer. Thank you!
    " Am I in favor of the imposition of death penalty today? NO, I am not. The judicial system of many countries today is led and influenced by ungodly people "
    AMEN!

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  32. If a man beats his male or female servants with a rod, so that he dies under his hand he shall surely be punished. People kill people is a sin from God because God is the one who can stop and continue our life. He knows what place and time we will die. Im disagree with Death Penalty because if people made a crime or sins they will pay it by in other way not his life because they will have a chance to change 😊❤

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  33. The movement to abolish the death penalty need the religious community because the heart of religion is about compassion. Human rights, and the indivisible dignity of each human person made in the image of god.

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  34. I do not agree to the death penalty because a person make a crimen they deserve to live and pay they mistakes on prison and give them a second chance to prove that they has a change.

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  35. In my own opinion. For me I would disagree about the death penalty because God teaches us to love people not to kill people. And I think it is better that God will judge that person. Because only God can judge us.

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  36. I am agree to implement the death penalty in the Philippines, but im not agree to the our judicial system, they should have to fix it before implement it to our country to lessen the evil

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