Why is life in prison more "Christian" than the death penalty ?

There is no such thing as a homosexual Christian. Just those who claim to be Christians.

As to adulterers I have no question that God would support the death penalty today for adultery if applied in the same manner as in OT times. If you look at scripture the death penalty for murder was given to the world before the law and has never changed. The death penalty for the adulterer was given to a theocracy not the world. So if we applied the death penalty for adulterer today it should be applied to those in the church and not the world.

The problem is not with the punishment but the problem is that we as Christians have become like the world and separated ourselves so far from what God stands for that are shocked by just how He feels about certain things.

 

I did not say there were homosexual Christians. I said "so called" homosexual Christians.

Just as Matt has taken an extreme left position you have taken an extreme right position. One takes grace way too far while the other ignores grace. Both are wrong and pervert scripture.

 

There's no GOTCHA. You know exactly what response I will give depending on how you answer the question. If you say that we should execute adulterers, I'll commend you for being consistent. If you say we shouldn't, I'll say you are being inconsistent. Why should you have to trust someone else in order to answer a simple question about YOUR beliefs? You are just dodging the question for some reason. Like I said earlier, I thought you were a straight shooter. I guess I thought wrong.

You are adding to the scripture with this statement. We don't know what was going on with the man. Like I've said, neither of us knows and as such neither of us can 100% conclude what was going on. Is it really that hard for you to admit that you can't make a 100% decision either way as to what was happening?

 

The difference with homosexuals is that we have clear teaching in the NT against homosexuality. We also have no record of Jesus interacting with a homosexual or saying that their lifestyle choice was anything but sinful.

 

Please explain what you mean by taking the right too far.

 

It means that the execution of eg: McVeigh should have discouraged others from committing murder. Clearly it doesn't.

 

Actually I don't believe the pharisees were indicating that they were about to stone the woman...

John 8:5 Now Moses in the law commanded us, that such should be stoned: but what sayest thou?​

They were asking His opinion.​

They also had a Roman edict hanging over them that no death penalty could be issued unless it was authorized by the ruling Roman Prefect (whose social promiscuity certainly thought the death penalty for adultery absurd, neither was it part of their formal law).​

I believe the important fact taught in this account is that yes, the rule of God for man was about to take a change (though God Himself does not change) to diminish the harshness of the law (which brought Christ) which clearly portrayed the justice and holiness of God and, contracted by this account and others, the fulness of time having come- to foreshadow and emphasize the agape characteristics of God - grace, mercy, truth compassion and longsuffering which would follow after and characterize the gospel of the blood atonement of Jesus Christ the Savior of the world for those who would come to Him.​

John 1:29 The next day John seeth Jesus coming unto him, and saith, Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world.​

1 John 2:2 And he is the propitiation for our sins: and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world.​

John 6:37 All that the Father giveth me shall come to me; and him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out.​

Matthew 11:28 Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.​

John 5:24 Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that heareth my word, and believeth on him that sent me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation; but is passed from death unto life.​

HankD​

 

Apples and oranges.

 

Matt you are partially right and partially wrong. The death sentence does discourage murder for many just like prison or other punishments for crime discourage some from their crime although not in an absolute way.

I would guess the proof is within yourself as well as most of us. As with many of us there has been times when we would like to have killed someone, but was discouraged because of getting caught and punished. Yes perhaps there are those who are so righteous that the thought never enters their mind but for most we are not. The same with theft and every other crime.

For the child of God holding to the death penalty or any penalty for any crime should never be because it is a deterrent but to exercise justice. We should not only hold to His values but His consequences for crime that He commands. Not to do so would be like someone claiming to be a Christian who accepts the teaching of heaven and rejects the teaching of hell. Those people are rejecting the God of the bible just like anyone who rejects the death penalty for murder.

The death penalty was not given as a deterrent by God other wise God failed in His effort because we still have murderers. The death penalty was given by God because it is the just thing to do to those who do murder and IF we claim to know and follow Him we must trust Him in His command to put them to death. Someone will say what about mercy. We do that also by telling them about how to escape eternal torment before they are executed. That way we have carried out the justice of God and His mercy as well but we never compromise one for the other if we are following the God of the bible.

That alone is why we should have the death penalty today. Not for getting back at someone or trying to give a deterrent, but because God calls for it and as it has never been receded.

 

Just how, may I ask, am I being un-christian?

 

The same can be said of the death penalty for adultery.

I have...and I have reached a different conclusion based on the same Bible and same Holy Spirit.

 

Inexactly incorrect. As I said earlier, apples and oranges: we are not talking about whether murder, adultery or homosexual behaviour are wrong or sinful - clearly we all agree that they are. We are discussing the appropriate punishment for such sins. Now, in the OT the punishment was the same for all these sins: death. However, Jesus made it clear with His treatment of the woman taken in adultery in Jn 8 that the death penalty for adultery was no longer appropriate as far as He was concerned and, unlike Calvin's Geneva, we don't execute adulterers or homosexuals, nor do I hear much clamour from DP-supporting Christians to do so. I therefore conclude, on Biblical grounds that the death penalty is inappropriate for murder likewise.

 

And how do you know that your conclusion isn't based in part at least on your own understanding. Are you perfect? Are you claiming some kind of secret knowledge or inspiration of the Holy Spirit that other Christians don't have?