Opposing Views On Capital Punishment

Capital punishment (also known as the death penalty) is punishment by execution. This punishment is retained in 39 countries in law and practice. This mean that 39 countries today believe it is an effective and appropriate solution to a person who had committed a capital crime. The capital crime depends on the State (within USA) or country; however, the most common capital crime is murder. The Catholic Church’s’ views on capital punishment have varied over the years from the Church Fathers such as, Clement of Rome and Justin Martyr believing that “the taking of human life is incompatible with the gospel and exhorted Christians are not to participate in capital punishment”. Whereas, Pope John Paul II said “Assuming that the guilty party's identity

The value of human life and the right to life work hand in hand. This can then mean that the human life of even the most dangerous of murderers has the same value of the Pope’s. The argument of right to life argues that the killing of one that has killed is violating this right where as, life imprisonment does not. However, the wrongness of retribution stands more independently as an argument. The U.S Catholic Conference believes that “we cannot teach that killing is wrong by killing”. This can then be supported by a point made by Arch Bishop Desmond Tutu when he said “To take a life when a life has been lost is revenge, it is not justice”. These points are expressing that retribution is vengeance. Vengeance is a key reason for the social popularity for capital punishment. If vengeance is a major ingredient for the support of retribution, is retribution really an effective method? Retribution is used for the re-establishing of justice not, for the use of vengeance and vindictiveness. This again reiterates the argument “as eye for an eye”. Amnesty international shares their views on deterrence by saying “The key to real and true deterrence is to increase the likelihood of detection, arrest and conviction. The death penalty is a harsh punishment, but it is not harsh on crime”. This expresses that the

The first scripture in relation to the death penalty is Genesis 9:6, it writes “whoever sheds the blood of man, by man his blood shall be shed”. This is more in favour of the death penalty. It is a supporting fact of retribution which was mentioned earlier. Again people can use this scripture to relate it to the Old Testament phrase “an eye for an eye”. However, this can be a clear example of how dangerous misinterpretation of the Old Testament is. It is not saying that if someone kills they must then be killed out of a heart position of spite. It is saying that one must be punished in accordance to the severity to their crime. The New Testament also speaks on punishment by execution. Paul makes a clear reference to the death penalty and to those with authority to bypass such punishment. In Romans 13:4 when talking about authorities he writes “for he is God's servant for your good. But if you do wrong, be afraid, for he does not bear the sword in vain. For he is the servant of God, an avenger who carries out God's wrath on the wrongdoer.” This scripture can be used to support the theory of deterrence. The power of sin and corruption is within us as people as a part of our human nature. This scripture is implying that one must be kept back from such sin and corruption out of a fear of