Capital Punishment has been highly criticized as a deterrent today, politicians against it in California have got the price up to two million dollars to execute someone. Death row in the state had has prisoners up to thirty years awaiting execution.
In Florida and Texas appeals can go on for ten years. This is the best states can seem to do. It’s like if someone is convicted of a serious murder and gets to sit around on death row for 10 years the death penalty doesn’t have much of a deterrent.
It’s argued the death penalty isn’t a deterrent , but in the Old Testament the death penalty was widely used and it was evidently for a reason.
It is no doubt not 100 percent effective, but in the 1800 murderers were hung within weeks or months. Today in the big cities like Chicago the murder rate is out of hand. The appeal process is part of the justest system and is necessary, if it could be used within from 2 to 3 years murderers would think twice before committing the act. Using the Lacking in strength law attorneys are able to keep the appeal process going on for years.
Those convicted of murder that seems horrendous get only twenty or thirty years then are let out early with good behavior. Granted thirty years is a long time, but the the justest system under liberal democrats is out of wack, statistics prove it, major cities have a very high rate of murder each year. The inept republican party doesn’t make any headway in solving the problem.
In the Old Testament there are examples of the death penalty. In Leviticus 20:13 (NASB) we see that homosexuality is a Detestable Act.
- 13 “If there is a man who lies with a male as those who lie with a woman, both of them have committed a detestable act; they shall surely be put to death. Their blood guiltiness is upon them”
In the last 50 years there has been a move to end the death penalty, but now states are moving to bring it back.
Capital Punishment is a means of controlling a population where certain of them will kill another one without considering at the time it is wrong.
The length of time a murder is on death row has gotten out of hand with the amount of times an appeal can be filed.
In Florida and Texas it is ten years, in California the death penalty can cost two million dollars to execute someone and there are those on death row that have been there for years, up to thirty. As you can see in California there are those who have fought against Capital Punishment to do away with it.
Some murders get twenty years where others get the death sentence, premeditation is taken into consideration.
What the New Testament Says on the Instrument of Death
Let us examine Romans 13:1-4 (KJV) and (the NASB)
On capital Punishment two translations are shown for comparison. The NASB is a modern translation and the KJV was published in 1611 and uses the English of that period. But they both say the same thing using in some places a different word. Although the NASB is known for correcting certain verses in the KJV. But the King James verses I use are in accordance with the NASB, New American Standard Bible.
Note the word higher powers in verse 1 of the KJV and the governing authorities in the NASB higher powers means the governing authorities.
Next you’ll note the word sword in verse 4 of both translations. The sword was used in olden times to fight with and conquer. It is an instrument that can cause death. Note in verse four: beareth not the sword in vain KJV does not bear the sword for nothing NASB.
The modern translation NASB substitutes nothing for vain. In other words, an instrument of death is for a purpose.
Romans 13:4 (NASB)
- 4 for it is a minister of God to you for good. But if you do what is evil, be afraid; for it does not bear the sword for nothing; for it is a minister of God, an avenger who brings wrath upon the one who practices evil.
Romans 13:4 (KJV)
- 4 For he is the minister of God to thee for good. But if thou do that which is evil, be afraid; for he beareth not the sword in vain: for he is the minister of God, a revenger to execute wrath upon him that doeth evil.
The end of the verse shows that the governing authority is the minister of God.
“for he is the minister of God, a revenger to execute wrath upon him that doeth evil”.
In these two translations Capital Punishment is an option.
Again in the Old Testament there was a death penalty for a number of offenses note, Leviticus 20:1-16 (KJV). Three of them are adultery, homosexuality and bestiality.