ipl-logo

Kingdom Ethics Against Jesus In Contemporary Context By David Gushee And Glen Stassen

1815 Words8 Pages

In this paper, I am going to discuss the issue of the death penalty. Christians have been debating against the death penalty for a long time. In the book, Kingdom Ethics: Following Jesus in Contemporary Context, David Gushee and Glen Stassen have established some interesting arguments and key factors that Christians might would like to use to continue their debate against the death penalty. I am going to lay out Gushee’s and Stassen’s arguments and focus on the reasons they give for being against the death penalty. They focus on Christlikeness, Powers and Authorities, Forgiveness, and Mission of the Church.
Gushee and Stassen propose that Jesus “always omitted any parts of the teaching that advocate violence, nationalist fervor, or triumph …show more content…

It seems that they are trying to hint that if it was meant for us to support the death penalty, why would Jesus die on the cross for our sins so that we can live a good life. They are suggesting that instead of encouraging people to treat someone badly because of their wrongdoings seek for ways to end the cycle of violence. “Nowhere in the Old Testament do we see an actual case where what seem like prescriptions of the death penalty for various offenses get carried out by an Israelite criminal law system.” They are trying to say that if Jesus is willing to give people a second chance we as Christians should be willing to follow in his footsteps. It seems that Gushee and Stassen are hinting that as believers we should avoid the death penalty because people who do evil are not able to work out their wrongdoings if they are forced to die. They want us to come to the realization that nobody is perfect, so, therefore, do not support the death penalty because everybody should get the opportunity to be able to repent of their sins and get forgiveness from …show more content…

They are informing people that the reason why the death penalty should be avoided is because the State Authorities can easily make a mistake by causing innocent people to get killed. Gushee and Stassen states, “one thing churches can do is be involved in prison ministries and overcome the distance polite society has placed between itself and the incarcerated.” This statement illustrates their basic convictions for the Mission of the Church because they are encouraging Christians to visit the prisoners so that they can pray for them and inform them that God still loves them. Also, they would like for Christians to visit the prisoners so that they can notify them that they still have a chance to turn their life around for the better and that they still have time to ask God for

Show More
Related
612 Words | 3 Pages

He also calls attention to “...the fundamental truth of biblical anthropology: the soul that sins must die; sin incurs a debt that must be paid.” Colson has also argued the sacredness of human life. He argues that the sacredness of a human life applies to those who are still rooted in ethics, and that the death sentence is distinguishing between the criminal and the punitive

Read More
804 Words | 4 Pages

“In Our Names”: Rewriting the US Death Penalty by Kimberly K. Gunter theorizes that the idea of who deserves the death penalty is largely dictated by external factors including literacy, socioeconomic status, education, and exposure making certain classes and groups of people more prone to receive the death penalty. I theorize that the death penalty is biased leaving certain people and classes of people more likely to receive a sentence of death and that the sentence of death should be based on a more algorithmic method that factors in the same elements for each person to be placed on death row. “In Our Names”:Rewriting the US Death Penalty by Kimberly K. Gunter contrasts the US death penalty to different levels of creative/freestyle

Read More
744 Words | 3 Pages

This paper will serve to show that capital punishment is not, in fact, ethically permissible. I will argue this by explaining the government’s duty to its people, and how capital punishment is indeed a violation of these prima facie duties. 1. The government has a duty to protect its people from harm (including murder, abuse of power, etc.). 2.

Read More
219 Words | 1 Pages

The essay, “Death and Justice: How Capital Punishment Affirms Life”, written by Edward I. Koch is written to persuade the reader to accept the favor of the death penalty. The writer not only states a variety of facts, but he also tries to generate sorrow or even anger at times. He expresses different topics that lead to these emotions throughout the text by using ethos, pathos, and logos. Koch was successful at making the reader favor the death penalty not only because he used these techniques, but he also kept the reading concise. Another solid reasoning that Edward I. Koch uses that mixes with the internal emotions is pathos.

Read More
1646 Words | 7 Pages

The topic of capital punishment presents a test of values. The arguments in support of and opposition to the death penalty are complex. In the end, this is a question of an individual’s values and morals. The topic requires careful thought to reach a reasoned position. Both sides of the argument are defensible.

Read More
405 Words | 2 Pages

The University of Texas-Pan American Essay #2 Anna Salkinder LSPI July 27, 2015 The death penalty has been a major topic of debate in the United States as well as various parts of the world for numerous years. At this time, there are thirty-one states in which the death penalty is legal. Nineteen states have completely abolished it (“States with and without The Death Penalty”). Since its initial development back in the 1600’s, the death penalty has taken a different course in the way it is utilized. In its early days, the death penalty was greatly used and implemented for several offenses.

Read More
756 Words | 4 Pages

Igor Primoratz sets forth an argument that to ensure justice in the legal system the utilization of capital punishment is necessary. According to Primoratz there is no punishment of any equivalence to that of murder, whereas for less severe crimes fines and prison time is reasonable. Primoratz argument consists of three defences to common feedback to the action of capital punishment. The one that was most appealing to me being whether it violates the right to life. To this he responds that when the took the life of another human they lost this right; as these right are only given to those who respect the rights of others.

Read More
901 Words | 4 Pages

Death Penalty is a very ominous punishment to discuss. It is probably the most controversial and feared form of punishment in the United States. Many are unaware, but 31 of the 52 states have the Death penalty passes as an acceptable punishment. In the following essay, I will agree and support Stephen Nathanson's statement that "Equality retributivism cannot justify the death penalty. " In the reading, "An Eye for an Eye?", Nathanson gives objections to why equality retributivism is morally acceptable for the death penalty to be legal.

Read More
214 Words | 1 Pages

An execution is the carrying out of a sentence of death on a condemned person; the killing of someone as a political act. This paper examines three executions: the execution of Mary Queen of Scotts in 1587, the execution of Joan of Arc in 1431, and the execution of John Wayne Gacy in 1994. In history books, all three executions represent the sentence of death on a condemned person. However, one difference is that the methods of execution and requirements to earn a death sentence have changed dramatically from 1431 to 1994. Mary Queen of Scotts was charged with “treason” and beheaded.

Read More
1145 Words | 5 Pages

Annotated Bibliography Draft Student name : Haider Zafaryab Student number: 2360526 Thesis Statement : Capital Punishment is a very controversial topic around the globe. I believe that it does more harm than good and breeds violence in society. Source 1: Radelet, M. L., & Akers, R. L. (1996).

Read More
900 Words | 4 Pages

The Assault on a Biblical Text” By Wilma A. Bailey it mentions that for many centuries there was an attempt to understand the true meaning of the commandment “do not kill” on the topic of the death penalty. Barry Cytron gives three points that are used in Judaism to support the death penalty. The first example Cytron brings in is that “moral order demands it” (death penalty). The second example Cytron brings in is the “life for a life” statement and the third example Cytron brings in is that it restores balance (“You Shall Not Kill or You Shall Not Murder? The Assault on a Biblical Text”, Wilma A.

Read More
249 Words | 1 Pages

A Christian worldview is maintained by a person who seeks to be Christ-like. A Christian’s belief in capital punishment should be based upon what the Bible teaches not on a pragmatic assessment of whether or not capital punishment deters crime. Anderson (2014) wrote “Capital punishment is never specifically removed or replaced in the Bible. While some would argue that the New Testament ethic replaces the Old Testament ethic, there is no instance in which a replacement ethic is introduced.”

Read More
754 Words | 4 Pages

Death penalty or capital punishment is a legal procedure carried out by the government of a state which sentences a convicted person to death. Capital punishment has been a matter of controversy in various countries for decades now. In this essay, Coretta Scott King talks about why she is against the death penalty. The main purpose of this critique is to focus on King’s arguments and evaluate their authenticity and credibility.

Read More
767 Words | 4 Pages

They do not think that they vote for a fellow human being to be killed. Death penalty and the egoistic mindset humans have is proof that humanity is starting to fade. It needs to be pointed out that the public support of death penalty has a huge effect on either it will stay or not. In conclusion, I would like to add that we are all humans and we should be treated that way.

Read More
1610 Words | 7 Pages

“Punishment itself was an evil, but a necessary evil”- Putting the offender to death to teach other minds a lesson.” -Bentham Everyone is aware of that fundamental feature of human behaviour is love for life. It is the foremost valuable wealth for a human being and not only a human being, but also for an animal, even an animal does not want to lose the life. Everybody desire to get pleasure from it up to the fullest extent mirthfully.

Read More

More about Kingdom Ethics Against Jesus In Contemporary Context By David Gushee And Glen Stassen

Related Topics

Open Document