why do some christians support the death penalty?

I myself am against the death penalty and I am Christian. I dont know if executing people is wrong or not according to the bible but my own moral instincts tell me that we shouldnt be allowed to kill anyone no matter what they have done. Unless of course it is in self defense. I also think that wars are an exception because there always comes a time when a country must defend itself in war. And people can have their own personal wars too that can only be settled in killing which is unfortunate but its true.

We should forgive our enemies of their transgressions but, did God not destroy Sodom and Gomorrah? Did He not flood the world once? We must find balance between mercy and justice. To kill one would be to save many. And many serial killers have confessed that if they were to be free or alive they would not be able to control such an urge to end or torture people. So by killing them we could even be saving them from themselves. It is that balance that is oh so crucial. I believe in second chance and repentance and forgiveness and that we should focus on that. But, let us not have the world become so evil and corrupt that it affects those of their righteousness. We can not be so naive are not the wages of sin death? Is it not important to keep our fellow brother/sister safe? God understands if we mean moral right or wrong regardless and we should extend love and compassion when we can. Only if an individual has done true evil and shows sociopathic and that of true evil nature like a serial killer or such. They I believe deserve the ramifications of their actions for we are putting them out of their own hell I believe and God will judge them fairly for perhaps they never had the chance and will be forgiven.

God gave Moses a law and the punishment for breaking the law in some ways is punishable by death. There are many instances of Christ forgiving penitent, repentant sinners and there are also many instances of Christ condemning the wicked. He drove the money changers out of the temple with a whip. That doesn't sound very merciful to me.

Christ is the judge, as Christians it is not for us to judge it is for us to obey the law. The death penalty is a part of that law.

Me personally i am for the death penalty in the sense that the person who murdered and raped deserves to be killed because thats justice. See Jesus didnt say that the adulteror was correct in her actions. Jesus said "he that is without sin let him cast the first stone." Jesus said that she deserved to be killed but jesus extended mercy towards her. I would extend mercy towards a rapist because thats what Jesus did. Jesus loves us even when we dont deserve it.

i'm a Catholic and the Catholic Church teaches that the death penalty is a flawed system that only damages a society. the Church does not support it. i suppose some Christians do because they believe life in prison is not punishment enough for people who have committed vicious crimes.

Not all of us do. Jesus said that we are to love our enemies. I don't see how we can kill them at the same time.

I think that Christians are to stay completely out of politics and do our work with people's souls (in non-manipulative sorts of ways). I think that some Christians are confused and get rapped up with politics trying to make countries "Christian." It's impossible and pointless. These Christian look at crime and don't see how they can obey Jesus and advocate for criminal justice. They don't understand that Jesus' instructions weren't for governments, they were for individuals. Rather than take Jesus at face value they reject him and press for "justice."

Any true Christian has to know that human beings are fallible and that systems set up and run by human beings are bound to get it wrong some of the time. Some people, including Christians, aren't aware of how this plays out.

The flaws of the death penalty system:

The worst flaw is that innocent people can be executed. As of today 139 wrongly convicted people sentenced to death have been exonerated. DNA is rarely available and can't prevent executions of innocent people.

It doesn't reduce violent crime. Homicide rates are higher in states with it than in states without it.

It costs a whole lot more than life in prison, mostly because of the legal process which is necessary to prevent executions of innocent people. (It doesn't always work, however.)

It doesn't even apply to the worst crimes, but to defendants with the worst lawyers.

Life without parole is available in 49 states (all except Alaska.) It means exactly what it says. Like the death penalty, it incapacitates criminals. However, it costs far less and if a mistake was made, some redress is possible.

I don't and I don't know why some do... We don't have the right to wipe someone off the earth only God can do that.

God said to fight justice with justice.

I'm atheist and I'm pro death penalty, and conservative on crime, but it doesn't sound very "Christian".