- Jun 29, 2019
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Back in 2018 the Pope revised the Catechism to say that the death penalty is “inadmissable because it is an attack on the inviolability and dignity of the person...” In the revision, he makes reference to “a new understanding...of the significance of penal sanctions imposed by the state.” While he doesn’t explain in the catechism what is meant by this, experiences with the death penalty in countries like the U.S. has shown that people had been found by the state to be guilty of murder despite not having committed the murder. Also, people on death row in the U.S. have been found to be wrongfully convicted and have been set free. Thus, at least in regard to those people, the state makes an attempt to restore their “inviolability and dignity.”
While the Bible maintains that killing a person who murdered someone else is a proper and just punishment, it also infers that to murder someone without just cause, that is, someone who in fact hasn’t themselves committed a murder if that is what they’re being executed for, is an act of murder on the part of the executioner and as such, the executioner should be killed. To be sure, God decrees in Genesis 9:6. “Whoever sheds the blood of man, by man shall his blood be shed, for God made man in his own image.” Romans 13:1 says, “Let every person be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and those that exist have been instituted by God.” Thus, Romans 13:1 assigns much of the duties that God Himself would undertake, so as decreed in Genesis 9:6, a government under God has the responsibility to carry out this decree.
Under perfect conditions, this would be well and good. The problem is, as the Bible says that man is not perfect, as we have seen, governments under God have executed the wrong people, and have maintained the wrong people on death row, making those working for such a government to be murderers or potential murderers themselves, respectively.
Which brings us to those who are in government or not, who have murdered. The Bible says that if you ask for forgiveness, you will be forgiven. 1 John 1:9 says, “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” Since God is never unjust, the inference is that He would not be unjust enough to not forgive us of our sins if we ask. The inference also is that He will forgive us each time we sin and ask Him for forgiveness. And the Bible tells us that when God forgives us, we will be washed anew. As such, we would be worthy of entry into God’s Kingdom, as the condemned man on the cross next to Jesus, who acknowledged God’s existence, was allowed entry in Luke 23:42.
Is there a contradiction between God’s decree in Genesis 9:6 that murders should die, and His allowing the same murderer entry into His Kingdom if the murderer asks for forgiveness? I tell you that there is no contradiction, rather, it is a logical consequence of such a person who asks God for forgiveness.
And, in line with what the Pope said, as the state can be imperfect in meting out the death penalty, making itself a government of potential murderers, the state should leave it to God’s grand design of things to exact such extreme justice....if only to avoid being murderers themselves.
While the Bible maintains that killing a person who murdered someone else is a proper and just punishment, it also infers that to murder someone without just cause, that is, someone who in fact hasn’t themselves committed a murder if that is what they’re being executed for, is an act of murder on the part of the executioner and as such, the executioner should be killed. To be sure, God decrees in Genesis 9:6. “Whoever sheds the blood of man, by man shall his blood be shed, for God made man in his own image.” Romans 13:1 says, “Let every person be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and those that exist have been instituted by God.” Thus, Romans 13:1 assigns much of the duties that God Himself would undertake, so as decreed in Genesis 9:6, a government under God has the responsibility to carry out this decree.
Under perfect conditions, this would be well and good. The problem is, as the Bible says that man is not perfect, as we have seen, governments under God have executed the wrong people, and have maintained the wrong people on death row, making those working for such a government to be murderers or potential murderers themselves, respectively.
Which brings us to those who are in government or not, who have murdered. The Bible says that if you ask for forgiveness, you will be forgiven. 1 John 1:9 says, “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” Since God is never unjust, the inference is that He would not be unjust enough to not forgive us of our sins if we ask. The inference also is that He will forgive us each time we sin and ask Him for forgiveness. And the Bible tells us that when God forgives us, we will be washed anew. As such, we would be worthy of entry into God’s Kingdom, as the condemned man on the cross next to Jesus, who acknowledged God’s existence, was allowed entry in Luke 23:42.
Is there a contradiction between God’s decree in Genesis 9:6 that murders should die, and His allowing the same murderer entry into His Kingdom if the murderer asks for forgiveness? I tell you that there is no contradiction, rather, it is a logical consequence of such a person who asks God for forgiveness.
And, in line with what the Pope said, as the state can be imperfect in meting out the death penalty, making itself a government of potential murderers, the state should leave it to God’s grand design of things to exact such extreme justice....if only to avoid being murderers themselves.
