I have long been an advocate of the death penalty, but recently I have changed my mind. It just doesn’t make sense to me anymore to take a life to get even for taking a life. To me it is nothing more than trying to achieve vengeance and God instructed us to leave that to Him. Timothy McVeigh’s death did nothing to bring back any of the 168 people that he murdered several years ago. I doubt if the surviving family members got much satisfaction or closure from his death. I’m sure they will continue to mourn their losses just as if nothing has happened. I cannot get this thing off my mind. I agonized over it the weekend, and dreaded writing about it today.
The worst thing about it is considering the everlasting fate of someone who publicly disavows God through their twisted, heinous crimes. I strongly feel that we should not judge anyone. The Bible warns again and again –Do not to judge! Leave that to God. I am not trying to judge anyone that has been put to death. I do not know if they became a Christian before they died or not. I pray that somehow all were converted and became reconciled to God prior to their death. One of the primary reasons that I no longer believe in the death penalty is the permanence of it. I have talked with numerous people locked up on death row and the majority had a Bible on their bed and had they had turned their life around and had repented to God and are following Christ now in prison. To a person they regret having done the crime but realize there are consequences to bad behavior and have turned from their former ways and have led others to Christ. What a shame if they get a needle in the arm and die without giving their testimony.
Their sins, no matter how bad can be forgiven and they can be spared an eternity of total separation from God. The death penalty removes that possibility. It is PERMANENT!
I’m certainly no bleeding-heart liberal, but it is a fact that many of these criminals were raised by people who had no business being parents. If it were not for the grace of God we might have been raised like that. Put a dog on a chain and beat him every day from the time he is a pup, and he will be MEAN. Take that same dog into your home and treat him with love and gently train him to act right and he will become a loving family member. People are the same. It is a fact that 82% of inmates were raised in a single parent (or zero parent) environment in terrible circumstances. They have very little chance of succeeding.
What about punishment for their crimes? Of course they should be punished. Personally, I think that people should be sentenced to life without the possibility of parole, BUT I would add that as punishment for their crime they should serve that time working six days per week at hard labor. It is extreme, but there must be consequences. The death penalty is too extreme. Why? Christians should realize that a sentence of death is in actuality not a sentence of death. There is an afterlife, and it is either paradise or Hell. Imposing a death penalty upon a non-Christian in effect sends them directly into Hell. That is a frightening thing to me, and I do not want any part of it. Better for God to judge sitting on the Great white throne at the end of the ages.
Hebrews 10:30
For we know Him who said,
“Vengeance is mine, I will repay”
says the Lord. And again, “The
Lord will judge His people.”
It is a fearful thing to fall into
the hands of the living God.