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Capital punishment is an extremely controversial issue in todays society. Many Americans support it and, in turn, many also appose it tremendously. Those who appose capital punishment, in general, think that the death penalty is an inhuman and unfair punishment. Their argument is supported by the fact that many criminals claim innocence up until the day of their executions. Those who support capital punishment believe that the people who are on death row and incapable of retribution and deserve the ultimate punishment for their wrong doings. The fight between the moralities of capital punishment is also used to support and oppose the view of both sides.
Capital punishment is one public issue that a person is either in favor of or against-no in-between. I read two articles addressing this issue: one that opposed and one that supported. Each article gave sufficient arguments to why they believed in the form of punishment that they did. The first article entitled Tough-on-Crime governors raise capital punishment questions strictly opposed capital punishment. The author, Scott Lindlaw, made this article extremely unique by simply stating several facts that helped to fight his position of opposing the death penalty as an appropriate form of capital punishment. It claimed that capital punishment was under renewed national scrutiny, and the curious thing was that it was not the big Democratic governors in cutting edge states that were out in front of the scrutinizing.
This article listed the ways that recent, mainly Republican, governors had, in some way or another, blocked capital punishment or proclaimed it as unethical. It tried to convince the reader that capital punishment was wrong because more and more influential people were seemingly turning against it. This article stated that capital punishment should not be used except in cases of definite, unquestionable proclaimed criminal activity that could only be made right by the ultimate punishment, the death penalty. Lindlaw argued that too many people were being put to death while still proclaiming innocence and incorrect judgment until the time of their last breath. It seems that more and more states and powerful leaders are taking opinions similar to Lindlaw's. Although he did not come right out and say it, Lindlaw did an extremely efficient job in arguing his outlook on capital punishment as a whole and how it should be ended.
The second article, which supported capital punishment, was entitled A Christian defends Capital Punishment. This was a different view on the death penalty because, in general, it is thought that Christian peoples would normally oppose the death penalty. According to author Steven Butts we must ask if God requires the death penalty before it is possible to condemn or condone it. However, as this article notices, God does require capital punishment in cases of premeditated murder.
God said, Whoever sheds mans blood, by man his blood shall be shed, for in the image of God he made man. (Genesis 9: 6). Butts claims that the death penalty endorses the sanctity of human by opposing deliberate acts of homicide and that makes it acceptable. Those who take the life of another must forfeit their life willingly (p. 2). This is the punishment that fits the crime, so to speak. Butts claims that those who say that retributive justice contradicts forgiveness have misunderstood biblical forgiveness.
This statement is claiming that use of the death penalty is not going against Gods word and taking matters into mans hands. One must understand what God meant by forgiveness before he can make an educated statement concerning the death penalty if their argument is of biblical terms. However, this specific article represents one Christians perspective on the death penalty and must not be mistaken for all Christians opinions. Evidence is used to sway the opinion of the reader. By producing evidence to support ones personal belief their opinion is strengthened and people can really understand where the author is coming from and where his beliefs are stemmed from.
I personally support the death penalty because I believe that if one can take the life of another, then that person doesnt value their own life as much as they should. In my opinion, they dont value the meaning of the precious gift of life that God has bestowed upon all of us. The Bible states, An eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth, a life for a life. Author Steven Butts said God forgave us not because he was big-hearted enough to do so and overlook our great mass of sins but because his own son, Jesus, was willing to give his life for ours. Our lives were overtaken by sin and we were dead in Gods eyes. However, Jesus gave his life as retribution of our own which in a form was like the death penalty because our old lives were done away with, taken, by the taking of Jesus Christs life.
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