How can anyone one that believes in God also support the death penalty?

Good point...but like most topics, you can find Biblical support for either side if you look hard enough. As Shakespeare once wrote, “even the devil can cite Scripture for his purpose.”

There are indeed many passages in the Old Testament that support capital punishment, often for relatively mild offenses:

- Adultery (Leviticus 20:10)

- Blasphemy (Leviticus 24:16)

- Working on Sunday (Exodus 31:14 & 15)

- Disobedient children (Exodus 21:15 & 17; Leviticus 20:9)

- Homosexuality (Leviticus 20:13)

- Failing to control your livestock (Exodus 21:29)

- Not being a virgin on your wedding night (but only if you're a woman - Deuteronomy 22:20-21)

The New Testament (starring Jesus) is primarily ANTI-death penalty. For example, in the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus praises mercy (Matthew 5:7) and rejects “an eye for an eye” (Matthew 5:38-39). James 4:12 says that GOD is the only one who can take a life in the name of justice. Romans 12:17-21 warns us against answering evil with evil, and assures us that God will see to justice in the afterlife. In John 8:7, Jesus points out that all humans are imperfect, and therefore unqualified to decide whether someone lives or dies. My personal favorite is James 1:20: “For the wrath of man worketh not the righteousness of God.”

There are many, many practical problems with capital punishment (that I won't get into here), but purely from a moral standpoint, it is pretty clear that Jesus did not support it. True CHRISTians shouldn’t, either.

Very good question. Let's first hit a few high points.

The "eye for an eye" thing is almost ALWAYS totally misapplied. Go look at the Code of Hammurabi, one of the earliest, if not the earliest, code of laws. Many people will compare it to the Torah. The Code of Hammurabi sets out penalties that vary due to the class of people (royalty,etc). The Torah does not have this level of differentiation. In a very real way, was a blow FOR equity, though pretty gruesome.

Most literal interpretations would point to Moses' book of Genesis 9:6, where G-d states that since man bears G-d's image, the murders are to pay with their blood.

Most literalist are not swayed by crime prevention arguments or cost arguments.

You think the bible has some sort of revelance, and yet you have a problem with not being able to justify the death penalty? I think there are plenty of other things you need justified beforehand.

Your god seems to be just fine with the death penalty, since all he seems to do in the bible is kill people.

What's the benefit of the death penalty? Do you want to waste your tax money so that someone who should have never been born in the first place can live out the rest of his evil, miserable life in a jail cell? What's the POINT of keeping these people alive? They are evil, evil people, and it's either they die or they just sit around with nothing to do for the rest of their lives. Why WOULDN'T you just kill them to make a little more space in this overpopulated world?

Faith & Morals are dictated in the Catholic Faith.

Catechism of the Catholic Church

2267 Assuming that the guilty party's identity and responsibility have been fully determined, the traditional teaching of the Church does not exclude recourse to the death penalty, if this is the only possible way of effectively defending human lives against the unjust aggressor.

If, however, non-lethal means are sufficient to defend and protect people's safety from the aggressor, authority will limit itself to such means, as these are more in keeping with the concrete conditions of the common good and are more in conformity to the dignity of the human person.

Today, in fact, as a consequence of the possibilities which the state has for effectively preventing crime, by rendering one who has committed an offense incapable of doing harm - without definitely taking away from him the possibility of redeeming himself - the cases in which the execution of the offender is an absolute necessity "are very rare, if not practically non-existent."

+Jesus, I Trust In You!

Here I am, Lord.

God instituted the dying Penalty interior the Mosaic regulation. God will use Hell and the Lake of hearth as a 2d dying (non secular separation from Him for all Eternity) So, definite, God helps the dying Penalty.

I believe in God and I support the death penalty. There are some that kill that we should make sure that they do not kill again. You are taking the persons life when you lock them up until they die. I agree that it does not deter crime.

I think the bigger question is How can you justify supporting a sick person who kills people for the rest of his or her life?

And as the other person said God kills many people all the time. Were just giving him a helping hand and actually killing those who need it.

According to the Bible, God is very much in favor of the death penalty. Even for children.

I don't support the death penalty-people like that should have to cut up rocks or something stupid like that for the rest of their lives

I dont support the death penalty