by Howard Zehr

Excerpts:

Supporters of the death penalty frequently cite the Old Testament to justify their position, so it is logical to look at the Old Testament first.

Vengeance is a theme in the Old Testament, and the Old Testament does allow the death penalty. However, several qualifications must be kept in mind:

1) Retaliation in the Old Testament was not so much a requirement as a limitation on vengeance.

2) The Old Testament death penalty included a number of offenses that our society does not consider capital.

3) The Old Testament and the later rabbinical tradition placed many restrictions on the application of the death penalty.

4) A frequent theme in the Old Testament is mercy for the offender.

5) The concept of taking a life for a life was a sacrificial and ceremonial action more than a legal one.

In its application, therefore, the contemporary death penalty is fundamentally contradictory to the spirit of the Old Testament.

What is the New Testament perspective on capital punishment?

In the New Testament, Jesus' answer to capital punishment was to undermine the penalty by demanding that both judges and executioners be sinless.

Christ did not simply eliminate the rationale for the death penalty. He constantly reiterated our responsibility to see Christ in our needy neighbor, even in our enemies.

The question is clear: Do we believe in the possibility of repentance, conversion and human redemption? Can we ever take away that possibility? And if it has occurred, what a shame to take the life!

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To view the full text of this article, please visit the Mennonite Central Committee Web site at: http://www.mcc.org/misc/death-as-a-penalty.html