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Death Penalty

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HOW DOES THE SERMON ON THE MOUNT
RELATE TO THE ISSUE OF CAPITAL PUNISHMENT AS A CONTEMPORARY ISSUE.

Jeremy Rose
March 20, 2009

All Holy Scripture is taken from the New American Standard Bible '95 unless otherwise noted. Capital punishment is an issue that affects the United States in many ways, and even to a larger extent the world. Many industrialized nations have forgone capital punishment as a tool in their criminal justice system. In the United States, 38 states still have provisions in their penal code that allow capital punishment in various forms, in various circumstances and with various populations. Capital punishment--death penalty--is argued by both sides of the issue for diverse reasons. The death penalty may be opposed by some by stating it is considered cruel and unusual punishment (which is in violation to our Constitution). Others would argue that because our legal system is not perfect we should not risk putting to death someone who may be innocent. On the reverse side, the two most common reasons to support the death penalty would be first, it is a just punishment and acts as a deterrent for further crimes that meet that nature. Still others argue the "eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth" argument; which is biblically based but certainly out of context in this argument. An important question is "where might a Christian come down on this issue?" The answer is not as easy as one might expect. This pastor will attempt to answer that very question using The Sermon on the Mount, and additionally the texts, Ethics, Choosing The Good and evangelical ethics. The expectation is that a conclusion will be raised however as Davis quoted Geoffry Bromiley, "The commands of God have to be worked out in the stuff of daily life....Some guidance must be offered even if in the last resort the

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