Jesus and the death penalty
compiled by Dudley Sharp, independent researcher, death penalty expert, former opponent, 832-439-2113, CV at bottom
compiled by Dudley Sharp, independent researcher, death penalty expert, former opponent, 832-439-2113, CV at bottom
As these are the teachings of God/Jesus/The Holy Spirit, it would be impossible for them not to contain dignity and the reverence for life, in every context.
1) The Holy Spirit/Jesus/God, through the power and justice of the Holy Spirit, executed both Ananias and his wife, Saphira. Their crime? Lying to the Holy Spirit – to God – through Peter. Acts 5:1-11.
No trial, no appeals, just death on the spot for these two well known early Christians. Why and what for? Lying.
2) God/Jesus: 'Honor your father and your mother,' and 'Whoever curses father or mother must certainly be put to death.' Matthew 15:4. full context
Jesus used this reference to condemn the Pharisees for their intentional misinterpretation of God's Word, emphasizing that the Truth of God's Word must be enforced, which is precisely what He was doing with this well-known passage, which references several quotes by God from the OT.
"must certainly"
Thorough reviews find about 60 supportive references,
http://www.newadvent.org/bible/mat015.htm
1) The Holy Spirit/Jesus/God, through the power and justice of the Holy Spirit, executed both Ananias and his wife, Saphira. Their crime? Lying to the Holy Spirit – to God – through Peter. Acts 5:1-11.
No trial, no appeals, just death on the spot for these two well known early Christians. Why and what for? Lying.
2) God/Jesus: 'Honor your father and your mother,' and 'Whoever curses father or mother must certainly be put to death.' Matthew 15:4. full context
Jesus used this reference to condemn the Pharisees for their intentional misinterpretation of God's Word, emphasizing that the Truth of God's Word must be enforced, which is precisely what He was doing with this well-known passage, which references several quotes by God from the OT.
"must certainly"
Thorough reviews find about 60 supportive references,
http://www.newadvent.org/bible/mat015.htm
3) Jesus. Capharnaum A whole city was condemned to Hell from Jesus' words, "And thou Capharnaum ... thou shalt go down even unto Hell. ... But I say unto you, that it shall be more tolerable for the land of Sodom in the Day of Judgment, than for thee" (Matthew 11:23).
And Sodom had been subject to capital punishment by Almighty God — through fire and brimstone, which killed everyone (1).
"thou shalt go down even unto Hell".
For murder, there is no mitigation from a death sentence, "he must be put to death" although mitigation is offered for all other death penalty eligible transgressions.
4) God: “You shall not accept indemnity in place of the life of a murderer who
deserves the death penalty; he must be put to death.” Numbers 35:31 -- full
context
http://biblehub.com/numbers/35-31.htm
http://biblehub.com/numbers/35-31.htm
For murder, there is no mitigation from a death sentence, "he must be put to death" although mitigation is offered for all other death penalty eligible transgressions.
5) Jesus: The Parable of the Wicked Vinedressers --There was a man, a householder, who planted a vineyard ... and let it out to husbandmen and went into a strange country. And when the time of the fruits drew nigh, he sent his servants to the husbandmen that they might receive the fruits thereof. And the husbandmen, laying hands on his servants, beat one and killed another and stoned another (Matthew 21:33–35).
Furthermore, the husbandmen did the same with other servants, and then, in the end, killed the very son of the owner.
Jesus asked the disciples, "When therefore the lord of the vineyard shall come, what will he do to those husbandmen?" to which they replied, "He will bring those evil men to an evil end" (Matthew 21:40–41). Note well that Jesus accepted their judgment and did not correct them. He did not dismiss their desire to give an evil end to those evil men as "an attack on human dignity." (1)
The"an attack on human dignity." requires the death penalty.
6) As Cardinal Avery Dulles, SJ states: (10/7/2000)
"At no point, however, does Jesus deny that the State has authority to exact capital punishment. In his debates with the Pharisees, Jesus cites with approval the apparently harsh commandment, He who speaks evil of father or mother, let him surely die (Mt 15:4; Mk 7:10, referring to Ex 21:17; cf. Lev 20:9). When Pilate calls attention to his authority to crucify him, Jesus points out that Pilate's power comes to him from above-that is to say, from God (Jn 19:1 l).Jesus commends the good thief on the cross next to Him, who has admitted that he and his fellow thief are receiving the due reward of their deeds (Lk 23:41). "
Dulles states that Matthew 15:4 was a command, as he must: Jesus: "He who speaks evil of father or mother, let him surely die." "his fellow thief are receiving the due reward of their deeds."
from "The Death Penalty: A Right to Life
Issue?" at http://pewforum.org/deathpenalty/resources/reader/17.php3
NOTE: although Dulles makes secular errors of fact and logic (which I detailed for him and sent, via email, to all theology profs at Fordham U {2}), within the sections "The Purposes of Punishment" and "Harm Attributed to the Death Penalty", it is a solid historical treatment of the Church and the death penalty
7) Jesus: “So Pilate said to (Jesus), “Do you not speak to me? Do you not know that I have power to release you and I have power to crucify you?” Jesus answered (him), “You would have no power over me if it had not been given to you from above.” John 19:10-11
Jesus confirms that power to execute comes directly from God.
Full review http://biblehub.com/john/19-11.htm
8) Jesus: The Parable of the King's Marriage Feast -- "The Kingdom of Heaven is likened to a king, who made a marriage for his son. And he sent his servants, to call them that were invited to the marriage; and they would not come" (Matthew 22:2–3).
We know that the invited guests abused the servants, and even killed some. "But when the king had heard of it, he was angry, and, sending his armies, he destroyed those murderers, and burnt their city" (Matthew 22:7).
Yes, the king had them all killed, and their city was burned to the ground. No one remained to tell the story. It was a complete annihilation (1).
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2018 CCC 2267 amendment: 12 Factual Errors
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9) Jesus: “You have heard the ancients were told, ˜YOU SHALL NOT COMMIT MURDER” and “Whoever commits murder shall be liable to the court”. But I say to you that everyone who is angry with his brother shall be guilty before the court; and whoever shall say to his brother, “Raca”, shall be guilty before the supreme court and whoever shall say, “You fool”, shall be guilty enough to go into fiery hell.” Matthew 5:17-22
Fiery hell is a much more severe sanction than any earthly death.
10) Jesus: Now one of the criminals hanging there reviled Jesus, saying, “Are you not the Messiah? Save yourself and us.” The other, however, rebuking him, said in reply, “Have you no fear of God, for you are subject to the same condemnation? And indeed, we have been condemned justly, for the sentence we received corresponds to our crimes, but this man has done nothing criminal.”
Then he said, “Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom.” (Jesus) replied to him, “Amen, I say to you, today you will be with me in Paradise.” Luke 23: 39-43.
It is not the nature of our deaths, but the state of our salvation at the time of our death which is most important.
It is not the nature of our deaths, but the state of our salvation at the time of our death which is most important.
This, and many others, destroys the 2018 Roman Catholic amendment to CCC 2267.
11) Jesus: Matthew 18:6-9 “Whoever causes one of these little ones* who believe in me to sin, it would be better for him to have a great millstone hung around his neck and to be drowned in the depths of the sea. 7* Woe to the world because of things that cause sin! Such things must come, but woe to the one through whom they come! 8e If your hand or foot causes you to sin,* cut it off and throw it away. It is better for you to enter into life maimed or crippled than with two hands or two feet to be thrown into eternal fire. 9 And if your eye causes you to sin, tear it out and throw it away. It is better for you to enter into life with one eye than with two eyes to be thrown into fiery Gehenna.
11) Jesus: Matthew 18:6-9 “Whoever causes one of these little ones* who believe in me to sin, it would be better for him to have a great millstone hung around his neck and to be drowned in the depths of the sea. 7* Woe to the world because of things that cause sin! Such things must come, but woe to the one through whom they come! 8e If your hand or foot causes you to sin,* cut it off and throw it away. It is better for you to enter into life maimed or crippled than with two hands or two feet to be thrown into eternal fire. 9 And if your eye causes you to sin, tear it out and throw it away. It is better for you to enter into life with one eye than with two eyes to be thrown into fiery Gehenna.
"Capital punishment by drowning in the sea is better for child abusers than offending little ones. What comes to mind is how pedophiles and homosexuals have infiltrated the priesthood and abused altar boys. It would be better for them to have a millstone tied to their necks and be cast into the sea, thus freeing the Church from their atrocious evil." (1).
Temptations to Sin, http://www.usccb.org/bible/matthew/18
Execution is preferable to the consequences of turning a child to sin.
Temptations to Sin, http://www.usccb.org/bible/matthew/18
Execution is preferable to the consequences of turning a child to sin.
12) Jesus: The Parable of the Unforgiving Servant (Matthew 18:23–35), we learn of a man who owed much to his lord, and begged to be given time to pay, which the lord, out of pity, agreed to. But the servant himself sent a fellow servant to prison for failing to pay him a much smaller debt. Here's what happened when the lord found out: "And his lord being angry, delivered him to the torturers until he paid all the debt" (Matthew 18:34).
"Here, Jesus did not say that the unforgiving servant should be immediately killed, but should be tortured until he paid his debt. Torture is conceivably worse than death "(1).
13) "It should not be overlooked, in seeking to discover “the mind of Jesus Christ” on the issue of murder and its punishments, that He goes beyond torah to the statement that even verbal abuse makes one deserving of “the hell of fire”.
"Far from releasing believers from prior law, Jesus was a “hard liner” who made things even tougher, stating that He has come not “to abolish the law and the prophets . . . but to fulfill them.”, offering even stronger interpretations than in the original (Matthew 5:17-22)."
"Indeed, Jesus admonishes the Pharisees not to misuse torah for their own ends, but to honor God and torah. And of all the text in the Bible, which one does Jesus select to emphasize that crucial point? 'HE WHO SPEAKS EVIL OF FATHER OR MOTHER, LET HIM BE PUT TO DEATH' (Matthew 15:1-9)."
15) God: Genesis 9:5-6, from the 1764 Quaker Bible, the only Quaker bible.
5 And I will certainly require the Blood of your Lives, and that from the Paw of any Beast: from the Hand likewise of Man, even of any one’s Brother, will I require the Life of a Man.
6 He that sheds Man’s Blood, shall have his own shed by Man; because in the Likeness of God he made Mankind.
13) "It should not be overlooked, in seeking to discover “the mind of Jesus Christ” on the issue of murder and its punishments, that He goes beyond torah to the statement that even verbal abuse makes one deserving of “the hell of fire”.
"Far from releasing believers from prior law, Jesus was a “hard liner” who made things even tougher, stating that He has come not “to abolish the law and the prophets . . . but to fulfill them.”, offering even stronger interpretations than in the original (Matthew 5:17-22)."
"Indeed, Jesus admonishes the Pharisees not to misuse torah for their own ends, but to honor God and torah. And of all the text in the Bible, which one does Jesus select to emphasize that crucial point? 'HE WHO SPEAKS EVIL OF FATHER OR MOTHER, LET HIM BE PUT TO DEATH' (Matthew 15:1-9)."
Partial and approved
synopsis of Professor Lloyd R. Bailey’s book Capital Punishment: What the Bible
Says, Abingdon Press, 1987
14) Jesus: Blasphemy Against the Holy Spirit Is Unforgivable -- "But whoever blasphemes against the Holy Spirit will never be forgiven; he is guilty of an eternal sin" (Mark 3:29).
"To be guilty of this sin incurs the eternal death, Hell, which is immensely worse than losing one's earthly life (1)"
In fact, it is infinitely worse.
5 And I will certainly require the Blood of your Lives, and that from the Paw of any Beast: from the Hand likewise of Man, even of any one’s Brother, will I require the Life of a Man.
6 He that sheds Man’s Blood, shall have his own shed by Man; because in the Likeness of God he made Mankind.
"shall".
Of all the versions/translations, this may be the most unequivocal (3) - Murder requires execution of the murderer. It is a God given command. The Noahic covenant is for all persons and all times.
16) As the latest CCC states:
"CCC 2260 The covenant between God and mankind is interwoven with reminders of God's gift of human life and man's murderous violence:
For your lifeblood I will surely require a reckoning. . . . Whoever sheds the blood of man, by man shall his blood be shed; for God made man in his own image. This teaching remains necessary for all time."
Of all the versions/translations, this may be the most unequivocal (3) - Murder requires execution of the murderer. It is a God given command. The Noahic covenant is for all persons and all times.
16) As the latest CCC states:
"CCC 2260 The covenant between God and mankind is interwoven with reminders of God's gift of human life and man's murderous violence:
For your lifeblood I will surely require a reckoning. . . . Whoever sheds the blood of man, by man shall his blood be shed; for God made man in his own image. This teaching remains necessary for all time."
. . . the source for which is the Noahic Covenant, Genesis 9:6, an eternal command, for all peoples and all times, which establishes the sacredness of life as the foundation for death penalty support.
17) Romano Amerio: “The most irreligious aspect of this argument against capital punishment is that it denies its expiatory value which, from a religious point of view, is of the highest importance because it can include a final consent to give up the greatest of all worldly goods."
"This fits exactly with St. Thomas’s opinion that as well as canceling out any debt that the criminal owes to civil society, capital punishment can cancel all punishment due in the life to come. His thought is . . . Summa, ‘Even death inflicted as a punishment for crimes takes away the whole punishment due for those crimes in the next life, or a least part of that punishment, according to the quantities of guilt, resignation and contrition; but a natural death does not.’ "
"The moral importance of wanting to make expiation also explains the indefatigable efforts of the Confraternity of St. John the Baptist Beheaded, the members of which used to accompany men to their deaths, all the while suggesting, begging and providing help to get them to repent and accept their deaths, so ensuring that they would die in the grace of God, as the saying went.”
much more, here:
The Death Penalty: Mercy, Expiation,
Redemption & Salvation
Religion and The Death Penalty
New Testament Death Penalty Support Overwhelming
http://prodpinnc.blogspot.com/2014/01/new-testament-death-penalty-support.html
http://prodpinnc.blogspot.com/2014/01/new-testament-death-penalty-support.html
"All interpretations, contrary to the biblical support of capital punishment, are false. Interpreters ought to listen to the Bible’s own agenda, rather than to squeeze from it implications for their own agenda. As the ancient rabbis taught, “Do not seek to be more righteous than your Creator.” (Ecclesiastes Rabbah 7.33.). Part of Synopsis of Professor Lloyd R. Bailey’s book Capital Punishment: What the Bible Says, Abingdon Press, 1987.
Saint (& Pope) Pius V, "The just use of (executions), far from involving the crime of murder, is an act of paramount obedience to this (Fifth) Commandment which prohibits murder." "The Roman Catechism of the Council of Trent" (1566).
Pope Pius XII: "When it is a question of the execution of a man condemned to death it is then reserved to the public power to deprive the condemned of the benefit of life, in expiation of his fault, when already, by his fault, he has dispossessed himself of the right to live." 9/14/52.
"Moral/ethical Death Penalty Support: Modern Catholic Scholars".
http://prodpinnc.blogspot.com/2009/07/death-penalty-support-modern-catholic.html
Catholic Church: Problems with Her Newest Death Penalty Position:
The Catechism & Section 2267
http://prodpinnc.blogspot.com/2015/03/catechism-death-penalty-problems.html
Christianity and the death penalty.
http://www.prodeathpenalty.com/DP.html#F.Christianity
Catholic and other Christian References: Support for the Death Penalty,
http://homicidesurvivors.com/2006/10/12/catholic-and-other-christian-references-support-for-the-death-penalty.aspx
The Woman Caught in Adultery, the Death Penalty & John 8:2-11
http://prodpinnc.blogspot.com/2013/06/the-woman-caught-in-adultery-death.html
Is There a Biblical Requirrment for Two Eyewitnesses for Criminal Prosecution?
http://prodpinnc.blogspot.com/2013/06/is-there-biblical-requirement-for-two.html
RELATED ISSUES
Pro Life: The Death Penalty
http://prodpinnc.blogspot.com/2013/01/pro-life-death-penalty.html
The Death Penalty: Do Innocents Matter?
Forgiveness and Murder
http://prodpinnc.blogspot.com/2012/10/forgiveness-and-murder-compiled-and.html
"Killing Equals Killing: The Amoral Confusion of Death Penalty Opponents"
http://homicidesurvivors.com/2009/02/01/murder-and-execution--very-distinct-moral-differences--new-mexico.aspx
"The Death Penalty: Neither Hatred nor Revenge"
http://homicidesurvivors.com/2009/07/20/the-death-penalty-neither-hatred-nor-revenge.aspx
"The Death Penalty: Not a Human Rights Violation"
http://homicidesurvivors.com/2006/03/20/the-death-penalty-not-a-human-rights-violation.aspx
Is Execution Closure? Of Course.
http://prodpinnc.blogspot.com/2013/04/is-execution-closure-of-course.html
Sister Helen Prejean: A Critical Review
http://prodpinnc.blogspot.com/2013/04/sister-helen-prejean-critical-review.html
A Refutation of the ELCA Social Statement on the Death Penalty
http://prodpinnc.blogspot.com/2012/10/a-refutation-of-elca-social-statement.html
"The DeLuna Deception: At the Death House Door" Can Rev. Carroll Pickett be trusted?"
http://homicidesurvivors.com/2009/01/30/fact-checking-is-very-welcome.aspx
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Footnote
1) IS CAPITAL PUNISHMENT AGAINST THE GOSPEL? A Catholic primer on the death penalty, Raymond de Souza, KHS, KM, KofC, ChurchMilitant.com • October 28, 2021
2) updated (9/23) secular corrections of Dulles' errors
The Death Penalty: Justice & Saving More Innocents
3) Death Penalty: Reconsidering the Quaker Position https://prodpinnc.blogspot.com/2013/10/quakers-death-penalty.html
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600+ pro death penalty quotes from murder victims' families &
3300+ from some of the greatest thinkers in history
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Victim Services
Victims' Voices
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Research, with sources, fact checking, vetting & critical thinking, as required of anyone within a public policy debate and which rebut all anti-death penalty claims.
Most will realize that the media has been using only anti-death penalty claims and , then, failed to fact check, vet, not use critical thinking, with that research, while avoiding all pro-death penalty research and experts, for decades. How do I know most will realize this? Because they wouldn't have seen any of this, prior:
The Death Penalty: Justice & Saving More Innocents
and
Students, Academics & Journalists: Death Penalty Research
(7 pro-death penalty experts listed)
