In a recent video message sent to the 6th World Congress Against the Death Penalty, having convened in Oslo, Norway, Jorge Mario Bergoglio, better known as Pope Francis, welcomed their efforts as a way to promote the right to life of all persons. Among the words Pope Francis intoned, not only in his video message, but as presented in other conversations and letters consistent with his ideology: “Nowadays the death penalty is unacceptable, however grave the crime of the convicted person.” “Capital punishment is an offense to the inviolability of life and to the dignity of the human person.” “[Capital Punishment] likewise contradicts God’s plan for individuals and society, and his merciful justice.”
The Pope acknowledged society’s need to protect itself from aggressors, but said, “When the death penalty is applied, people are killed not for current acts of aggression, but for offences committed in the past. Moreover, it is applied to people whose capacity to cause harm is not current, but has already been neutralized, and who are deprived of their freedom.”
Capital Punishment is the punishment handed out for crimes such as murder, espionage, treason, and when warranted, lesser crimes such as rape, adultery, incest, sodomy. For this article, the crime of murder is the focus of discussion.
Consider the logic: Capital punishment should not be executed because the murderer, the killer of another human being “committed [an act] in the past.” That murderer is now a person “whose current ability to cause harm is not current.” It was a mistake, a bad decision. Whether he or she meant it; oh well it happened back then, whenever. He or she is now sort of “neutralized.” Now incarcerated, deprived of liberty (as though that really fixes the problem or is cost effective), we can just forget about it. Forget about the fact the victim no longer has liberty, not even deprived liberty; not even life.
Murder –– the willful and premeditated taking of another person’s life. No matter how that life is taken, murder is brutal, ugly, messy, cruel, vicious, insensitive, cold, evil, heartless and inhumane. Oh, and it is a sin.
No matter how you look at it, murder is death and it is irrevocable. Murder puts a stain on spouses, children, family, friends, loved ones, community and society. It is a slap in the face of the Creator. That is why God gave the sixth commandment. For clarification, the commandment “Thou Shalt Not Kill” should actually read, “Thou shalt do no murder.” The Hebrew word ratsach, which in the King James Version Bible is translated “kill”, actually means “to dash, to murder, man slayer.” Giving the commandment, “Thou shalt do no murder,” God differentiates accidental, unintentional killing or killing when it comes to war from deliberate, premeditated, presumptuous, intentional murder.
The Pope went on to say of capital punishment, “[I]t’s an offense to life, contradicts God’s plan and serves no purpose for punishment.” He also stated, “The commandment, ‘Thou shalt not kill’ has absolute value and applies both to the innocent and to the guilty” and “it must not be forgotten that the inviolable and God-given right to life also belongs to the criminal.”
The Pontiff sounds compassionate and logical, promoting humanism and the sensitivities of the 21st century. His words reflect the soft sounding tone of liberal political correctness prevalent today. Why the Pope even sounds like he might know God. In addition to his comments are all the other civil, social, psychological, political, legal and moral arguments attempting to justify the abolition of the death penalty.
However, is what the Pope pontificates in accord with what God has to say about the matter? After all, it is God’s word on the subject that counts. God’s word has relevance. God’s Word and His Will naturally promote a healthy, wholesome, dignified, decent and safe society, when obeyed. It is what God has already said, as a matter of His divine will, that takes into account both criminal and victim. God’s wisdom, when implemented, achieves justice and mitigates criminal behavior. God’s directive on the matter was issued long ago.
If mankind would hearken to the wisdom of God, to the laws of God and understand the required penalty for murder, then society would be better off, peaceful and most importantly, human life and the “dignity of the human person” would be respected and esteemed. Justice would be righteously served.
God settled the matter long ago with words that are immutable, absolute, and inalterable; for God, who cannot lie, changes not. And His word changes not.
“Whosoever sheds man’s blood, by man shall his blood be shed: for in the image of God, He made man” (Genesis 9:6).
God created male and female in the “image of God,” looking (in their physical features and form) as God looks, in His likeness (Genesis 1:26-27, 5:1-2). In James 3:9, we read once again human beings are made after the similitude or in the likeness of God.
God was direct and to the point, unequivocal in His command pertaining to the “inviolability and God-given right to human life.” Even before His laws were codified with the giving of the Ten Commandments; even before His laws, statutes and judgments were given to the Children of Israel for that nation to promote and preserve a civil, decent, manageable society and government, God had something to say about the death penalty and capital punishment.
God laid it out plainly. A murderer, one who sheds the blood of another human being, must be put to death. A murderer forfeits his or her life. Why? Because the victim is made in God’s image. God holds man and woman as precious in His sight and sets them apart from all His other creations. In God’s sight, wisdom and will, man is created special and is precious, worthy of esteem. Men and women are to be respected, not murdered.
“What is man, that thou art mindful of him? And the son of man, that thou hast visited him? For thou hast made him a little lower than the angels and has crowned him with glory and honor. Thou hast made him to have dominion over the works of thy hands” (Psalm 8:4-6).
So precious to God is the life of a man or woman that for another human being to commit murder requires the forfeiture of the murderer’s life. Done! When committing murder, a human being is showing contempt for another human being and consequently, is showing contempt for God. God then requires a punishment. God therefore, long ago, established the justification for capital punishment.
God has given the responsibility to His creation to make sure the death penalty is executed. In Romans 13:1-4, the Apostle Paul, speaking of the responsibility of government, including the duties of law enforcement and a judicial system states, “[F]or he [a government with law enforcement, a judicial system, and the principles of governing] is the minister of God to thee for good. But if thou do that which is evil, be afraid, for he [that government] does not bear the sword in vain [for nothing], for he is the minister [servant] of God to execute wrath [punishment] upon the one who does evil.”
God stipulated that a murderer is guilty of sin, of a crime, and as such the death penalty is the required and necessary punishment. God put in place the principles and practice of government, including judicial fundamentals. God sanctions law enforcement and judicial systems within governments, giving these agencies the right and responsibility to execute the death penalty, when necessary. To neglect the death penalty, when handed out to unmistakable and obvious murderers, is also a violation of God’s will.
Jesus Christ admonished, “Render unto Caesar the things that are Caesar’s and unto God the things that are God’s” (Matthew 22:21). Clearly, Christ distinguished two levels of personal responsibility for the individual. One, the responsibility the individual must maintain toward physical government and two, the responsibility the individual must maintain with regard to spiritual concerns and obedience toward God.
Jesus Christ also acknowledged that Caesar (government) has his (its) responsibilities. Of course, Jesus Christ knew of the inherent corruptions and failings within any government that functions separately from God and God’s laws (Luke 22:25). Nevertheless, Christ acknowledged that government has requisite responsibilities, one of which is to keep civility and orderliness among its citizenry. Jesus Christ understood as Paul did, that government is a servant of God to administer justice. How effective each government or system of governing is, is another matter. God did establish laws which, if adhered to, weed out corruption and prevents judicial injustice within government. Still, God holds governments responsible to execute His requirement as pertaining to capital punishment.
Another element of justice and judicial prudence pertaining to capital punishment when required is found in Ecclesiastes 8:11. Here God, through King Solomon admonishes, “Because the sentence against an evil deed is not executed quickly, the hearts of the sons of men are fully given to do the evil.” Very easily understood: when you postpone the punishment due, the result is people thinking they can get away with more evil.
Unlike the Pope’s concept of justice, God’s justice is just and equal across the board, to be swift and certain. God holds human life in such high esteem that he requires a life for a life. The lesson is then indelibly set in the minds of the witnessing public. God’s mandate for any well governed, law-abiding, safe, free, and civil society is to put the evil out from among you (cf. Deuteronomy 13:5, 17:7, 19:9; 22:21-24 and 1 Corinthians 5:13). Not in vengeance or retribution but as a way to maintain a dignified and respectful society.
There is one more element of God’s will, God’s purpose and promise, “God’s plan” (as the Pope calls it) which 21st century humankind and a deceived religious community does not understand. God, through Jesus Christ, will resurrect every human being that ever lived, including murderers (John 5:27-29 and Revelation 20:11-15). God established a time in the future when all who have died will be brought back to life and all will have their opportunity to truly know God’s mercy, to seek his forgiveness and to choose whether or not to accept God’s gracious salvation.
Because life is precious and the human being is esteemed, inviolable in the sight of God, created in His image, God requires justice. His justice with regard to murder and capital punishment is simple and easily understood. Whoever sheds man’s blood, whoever commits murder, forfeits his or her life and shall be put to death. Man’s judicial system is the servant of God to execute the punishment. God will then, at a later time, at their resurrection, deal specifically with these individuals.
Murdering a fellow human being, made in the image of God, requires the death penalty. What can be more absolute than that? God does not play games when it comes to the inviolability of life. It is obvious that men and even men who claim to speak for God are woefully ignorant of God’s will, of “God’s plan for individuals,” of God’s righteousness and of God’s “merciful justice.” The Capital Punishment debate is just one more witness of a world ignorant of God’s wisdom and will, and disobedient to God’s laws.
