Is it a sin to be a death penalty practitioner?

I was born a catholic and adhered to that faith for more than 50 years.When I was a catholic I would answer with a simple YES, even though I do not think the church has ever pontificated on this question.According to them, you go to hell if you miss Mass on a Sunday, that is a BIG MORTALsin.but I am not sure about their view on this question.My view at this time is that it all depends on what you feel in your heart.Personally I am against capital punishment, but if you want a simple answer from me, I would say NO.

Excellent question. From a Christian standpoint, you could easily take either side of the issue and have Biblical support to back you up (this is actually true with most topics - as Shakespeare once wrote, "even the Devil can site 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.

Ask yourself- does any one person, even an authoritiative group like the Government, or a jury, or anyone else, have the capability to decide what is moral or what is not? Therefor deciding when it is okay to kill and when it is not?

Or is that a personal choice?

If they can decide, for you, what is moral, than no, it would not be a "sin". Because they say it's okay.

But if you decide for yourself what is moral, the answer is maybe. Because I can't possibly know what you think is right or wrong, that's your choice. A sin is an act against yourself, perhaps your soul, or at least your own well-being. In some circles it is an act against God. Would carrying that act out be a sin? Only if you determain that it is harmful.

This is a tough area for many people. A sin is a sin, regardless of what we think about it. For example, if I truly believe the earth is flat, it doesn't change the fact that it is round. There IS an absolute truth that does not depend on our interpretation of that truth.

I say that to say this: the people who perform those jobs most like believe that assisting in the death penalty is not a sin. However, their opinion does not change whether or not assisting in the death penalty ACTUALLY IS a sin.

I am a convert to Catholicism. We believe in the sanctity of human life, regardless of its stage. That means from conception to natural death, life should be respected. A person's sin (even murder) has nothing to do with the value of that person's life. Therefore, assisting in the death penalty is a sin.

My religion is not the only reason I am 100% pro-life (to us, a pro-life platform involves a stance against not only abortion, but also euthanasia and the death penalty). Until 2009, I was all for the death penalty. I was one the "get 'em back" people, and I'm not proud of that. My perspective changed when my brother was killed in a robbery. My whole family was pushing for the death penalty for his killers, but I just couldn't. I knew that, if I supported the death penalty when there was ANY chance at all of those people repenting of their sin, their blood would be on my hands. I would have to answer for that. Unfortunately, as in the case of my family, anger overcame compassion. Their anger caused them to push and push for the death penalty because they believed it was "justice." But it wasn't justice. It was just more killing. Thankfully, my brother's killers were not sentenced to death, and I am so glad because this is an opportunity for them to turn to God. It may sound strange, but I really hope I see them in heaven. See, ultimately, it doesn't matter what a person has done. All that matters is sharing the Love of God.

Two stories from the Bible come to mind. The short versions are:

A man owed a lot of money to the king. He was summoned to repay it, but he didn't have the money. The king took pity on him and forgave his debt completely. Then the man went out and found a much poorer man who owed him a very small amount of money and demanded he pay up immediately. The poorer man could not pay it, so the man had him locked in jail. The king found out and punished the man. This man was forgiven a very large amount of money because the king took pity on him, but he refused to take pity on the poorer man who only owed him a small amount of money.

A woman was about to be stoned for committing adultery. Jesus saw this and asked about the situation. The people doing the stoning told him she committed adultery and according to the law she was to be stoned to death. Jesus said okay, but "Let he who is without sin cast the first stone." Of course, they all had sin in their lives, so they didn't throw the stones. They just stood there. Then he turned to the woman and asked if these men condemn her (clearly, they didn't because they weren't throwing stones). She shook her head. Jesus said, "Then neither do I condemn you. Now go and sin no more." Then she was free.