I've been "cogitatin'" on your suggestions, saint ... I'm not sure I agree. Mostly because those laws were handed to Moses for "The People of God" and, while they are effective, they are designed for people who believed in God (whether or not they followed Him). With our system of godlessness and corruption I just don't think it would work. Just don't think there are enough uncorrupted judges, lawyers and politicians to keep the system honest.
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"I had been eagerly planning to write to you about the salvation we all share. But now I find that I must write about something else, urging you to defend the faith that God has entrusted once for all time to His holy people." Jude 3 Joyce
Interesting topic. I think we should go back to a biblical death penalty. Once convicted, the execution is swift, severe, and public. (I do think there should be a limited number of appeals.) They did not have DNA in biblical times, so I don't think it's imperative. Also, if a person is sentenced to death or put to death as a result of evidence tampering or false witnesses in court, those people should be setenced to death. They in essence caused an innocent death. This is the true meaning of "Thou shalt not bear false witness." The death penalty might be more of a deterrent to crime if it were swift, severe (no more lethal injection, try stoning) and broadcast on CNN. The death penalty should also be handed out to a wider group of criminals, namely violent sexual offenders.
As if you couldn't tell by the opening post I DO support the death penalty ... with THESE changes in the way the law is applied: 1. ONLY those cases where DNA is discovered at the scene should be considered for the death penalty. 2. That DNA must match the accused. 3. There can be no other explanation for the presence of that DNA. (Example: bodily fluids on the victim that could not have gotten where they are through innocent contact) (an opposing example: A hair root with the accused's DNA on the victim's clothing that could have fallen there when the body was discovered.) So there you have it ... where do you stand? Do you have Scripture for your stance?
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"I had been eagerly planning to write to you about the salvation we all share. But now I find that I must write about something else, urging you to defend the faith that God has entrusted once for all time to His holy people." Jude 3 Joyce
Recently I was reading John Grisham's book "The Appeal" when I ran across the following commentary: (please note a panel of polls were interviewing a potential Superior Court Judge in a state that elects their judges) "Abortion? Against. Ever? No. The death penalty? For. No one realizing the contradiction in these viewpoints." I wrote to Grisham and said, "Being against abortion is being against the taking of an INNOCENT life. Being FOR the death penalty is also being against the taking of an innocent life ... one that has already been taken by the person who is GUILTY of murder." By no means is that murderer an "innocent life". I know there have been miscarriages of justice ... I know that the capital laws must be reworked in light of new technologies. And I know Christians of every (and no) denomination hold different views on this issue. What are YOUR views? And if you support the death penalty how would you rework the system to make it more certain? I will post my suggestions in a following "reply" to this to keep this initial question simple.
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"I had been eagerly planning to write to you about the salvation we all share. But now I find that I must write about something else, urging you to defend the faith that God has entrusted once for all time to His holy people." Jude 3 Joyce
