Obama weakens and endangers America once again...

Another good point, however, i dont think it applies to this argument. He was answering a trap question from one of the sadduccees (sp) regarding tithing. I guess my rebuttal would be with David and Paul. Each who committed high crimes but where shown salvation and mercy.

 

I don't think one can. There are times when the death penalty can be justified. Even John Paul the Great, who was a harsh critic of capital punishment, acknowleged that there are individuals who are so evil that their very allowed existence does damage to the rest of humanity. He also admitted there are times when the only way to protect society from an individual is through capital punishment.

 

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  How many guys sentenced to life without parole break out. So long as prosecutors are competant a convicted murderer will never hurt society again.
  
  
  
  No it isn't. Murders and rapes still happen, even in places with the death penalty
  
  
  
  
  
  Killers with public defenders. Rich people don't get the death penalty.
  
  
  
  

Until we have a perfect justice system that doesn't convict the wrong man we can't have the death penalty.

 

His answer to the trap question is used in theology and in seminaries all over the world to emphasize to believers that they are to be subject to the laws of whatever government they happen to be in subject to.

David was a man of GOD who in weakness committed adultery, and worse, sent Bathsheba's husband to die on the front lines. You conveniently left out the fact that their offspring died of an illness and David's kingdom was thereafter plunged into turmoil.

David was forgiven in terms of divine justice, but there were still earthly consequences.

 

Not everyone is sentenced to life without parole and killers who get out have killed again

How many killings haven't happened because of a fear of being executed? Like I said, it's impossible to know.

I'll concede there may be some validity to that point, but there are so many safeguards built in to the system (automatic appeals, liberal judges, etc) that an innocent man is not likely to get injected. Hell it's hard enough to kill the ones that need killing.

Until we have a society without human predators, we need the death penalty to exterminate those SOBs.

 

If I read you right the death penalty is necessary because of failings in our justice system. I would rather a good justice system with no death penalty than the justice system we have and capital punishment.

 

Im sorry but Ive never heard it explained in that light. Ive always interpreted it to parallel the parable of serving two masters. What you are saying equates poor justification like history has tried to do with certain Genocides and slavery. I dont buy that argument, that the doctrine emphasizes to believers that they are subject to whatever law of the land. Thats a stretch to me.

History shows every kingdom falls eventually, also with all the famine and disease, Davids offspring dying could have been a result of that. I think those where natural occurrences. However his lineage still lived on through Jesus.

 

Well, the New Covenant doesn't abolish slavery either, in fact, Paul exhorts masters to love their slaves and slaves to serve their masters as if they were serving Christ. The outpouring of that is natural eradication of Slavery like what happened when Rome converted under Constantine.

That's exactly what the Sadducees were trying to get Jesus to say; that Christians shouldn't have to pay taxes.

The prophet Nathan said the following:

David was forgiven of his sin because he repented. However, there were still consequences.

 

Thats an interpretation of the setting of the time. That doesnt justify the institution of it. He is comparing that to the emotional relationship that Jesus wanted us to have with him. Not the promotion of the institution of slavery. Hitler used the Bible to justify the killing of jews, slave apologist used that verse to justify slavery, that doesnt mean it was right in the eyes of the Lord or society. Do you agree?

 

Yes. However, eradicating laws and getting laws changed is not the goal of the New Covenant. Christian teachers should not be advocating this or that political position. They should be preaching Christ, and once the Holy Spirit gets into the people, those people will get changed. Changed people change their system of government.

Having said that, the LORD your GOD felt strongly enough about capital punishment that he felt it necessary to destroy entire towns due to their having offended HIM greatly.

When it comes to crimes of extreme violence, I support the death penalty to the fullest extent of its being carried out.