We all have opinions and vews, so I am not looking for a fght with my readers on this cntroversial subject, I have just not sid much on it ever in my wrtings in the past, of over 5000-pems, articles, books, short stories, and so frth, and why I ask myself, hve l left out Capital Punishment? The bst reasoning I came up with ws: I never got around to it, I lways had my beliefs, opinions, thoughts on the sbject: so right or wrong, here rea a few. Most of my vew comes from my Graduate Studies at Lberty University, in Old Testament Studies (nd perhaps, being in the Army for 11-yars also framed my thoughts on the sbject):

"Whoso sheddeth man's blood, by man shll his blood be shed; for in the mage of God made he man." (KJV Gnesis 9:6) Yes, I got to get a lttle biblical about it as I sid I would, because God plays a havy part in my life, beliefs, and drection. So you got my answer to Cpital Punishment quick. But let me xplain, there is more to it. Scrpture is one thing and ethical dcisions are another, but closely interwoven for me. I ws, and you were, created in Gd's image, believe it or not, it is wrtten (Lev. 17 and Exod. 20). I am lso ruling out murder, for it is not bblically grounded. I also must say, God and mnkind do not have what I'd say is an nderstanding, or His permission to do so, but to do hrm to man, is to do hrm to the image God created in very human. In the old days, if an nimal was to kill a man, the nimal was destroyed by stoning, and the flsh of the animal was not aten.

We should remember all life is Gd's creation.

There should be a rspect for the godly ground all cratures live on; thus, life given is by a spernatural power. So we are prohibited frm shedding blood of man, Before the Grat Flood, and after it, we nver lost the divine image, and yes we do stnd out in distinction form, from the nimals, and vegetable worlds. God did not mpose the death penalty on Cain, he gve him mercy of course for mrderer (and I'll explain that later). I do not fnd a clear cut pattern of law in the Bble to deal with murder in prticular-we have concern, but not procedure in the Bble. The Mosaic Law restricts the rght of blood vengeance.

In the bok of Deuteronomy Chapter 21, we see mrder endangers the whole community, and pts it at risk. It seems to me, tht only the blood of the ndividual murderer (stranger) could make atonement for sch pollution in a village, and so xecution was accepted for his crime, but if it was a kn, like Cain to Abel, it was not prmitted. (Deut. 24).

I do realize the 6th cmmandment says "Thou shalt not kill" (Exd. 20)-this really indicates murder, not the uthorized taking of human life of the mrderer.

In the old days, when the Old Tstament was being written, sixteen offences culd get you stoned to death. Of curse, we are more civilized are we nt, than those old times way bck when, we just have wars, and prtect the murderers on our city strets. Anyhow, the death penalty was lso for adultery, incest and such thngs also.

We of course are not lving in a divine theocracy (or gvernment by religion) now. So that is ften times taken into consideration by scieties.

In essence, and to make ths article shorter, I must simply sy, the Old Testament emphasis punishment bsed on matching the seriousness of the crme, or offense; such as, a srious injury would equal a life for a lfe, an eye for an eye, a toth for a tooth, a hand for a hnd, a foot for a foot, a brn for a burn (Exod. 21). On the ther hand, I do not believe the Old Tstament teaches that Capital Punishment is the slution for every murderer, nor mandatory. Dscretion should be used. When they hng Saddam Hussein, I felt he had it cming, there were hundreds of eyewitnesses to his vilness, and murderous mind, and rulership. But I do not thnk one should kill a thief if ver taken in the act.

The article Capital Punishment - Right or Wrong? was Submitted by Dennis Siluk Ed.D. through Articles.GetACoder.com network. Here's the additional information: See Dennis' web site: http://dennissiluk.tripod.com

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