Does the Bible Authorize the Death Penalty?

The Death Penalty: Justice or Injustice?

Commentary by Mark Caruso & Michael Morgan

God and the Death Penalty

In this article Pastor Enyart takes on the death penalty from a Biblical standpoint. As a former member of the New Mexico House of Representatives, I struggled with the death penalty debate; as a Christian could I support such a practice? As a lawmaker, was I serving my constituents? Ultimately I voted in favor of the death penalty.

1. God Condoned the Death Penalty in The Old Testament and The New Testament.

Pastor Enyart takes readers through The Old Testament where God wiped out entire civilizations due to their increasing immorality. Enyart then plunges into The New Testament, where Jesus tacitly condones the death penalty by His very execution. Now, Jesus’ punishment was obviously unjust, but His final hours present a poignant scene for death penalty supporters. On each side of Jesus was a criminal—on one side was a thief who wanted Jesus to save them all; on the other side was a thief who acknowledged that the thieves had received just punishments, but that Jesus had done nothing wrong.

2. High Stakes Call For High Precautions

While our justice system has taken many innocent lives since its inception, the modern system presents numerous hurdles to avoid executing innocent men. The first hurdle is the trial. In order to convict a man, the prosecutor must establish his guilt “beyond a reasonable doubt.” With modern technology, “beyond a reasonable doubt” is inching closer to “near certainty.” The modern juror typically needs multiple confirmations, DNA evidence, photographs, etc. to return a guilty verdict in a death penalty case. The second hurdle is the appeals process. With a life on the line, the criminal justice system provides for mandatory appeals. The final hurdle is the pardon. If the evidence seems tenuous, there is still a possibility that the Governor offers a pardon.

These thoughts brought me to the conclusion that strict adherence to well-established procedures will ensure that we only punish the perpetrator.