Why is that the Church does not allow death penalty?

Why is that the Church does not allow death penalty?

Life has absolute value. Life is so precious in the eyes of God. God’s words are the same, yesterday, today and forever. No man, no government can change it. Life is important in God, only man made it unimportant. This I got from Fr. Mackinano of Alicia, Bohol. I am bringing and keeping these lines not because I heard it from a priest or because I am also a Catholic, but because this is what I simply believe and it speaks through my heart. So, hearing this resonate to what I simply believe!

Killings and the things that are happening nowadays already happened even before Christ, during Christ, after Christ and in this generation. We can read some scriptures that speak about death penalty for various acts: murder (Exodus 21:12), kidnapping (Exodus 21:16), bestiality (Exodus 22:19), adultery (Leviticus 20:10), homosexuality (Leviticus 20:13), being a false prophet (Deuteronomy 13:5), prostitution and rape (Deuteronomy 22:24), and several other crimes… Although death penalty was written in the old testament, it is in the old testament also where God gave the ten commandments to Moses in which the 5th commandment is “though shall not kill”.

For Christians, we believed that Jesus Christ died on the cross to save us. That is the greatest expression that one can give to his friends. He suffered and accepted death, even death on a cross. Who can then do it? He preached us and through His chosen disciples they continue to preach how to be a good servant, how to follow Him and that how to have an eternal life and how to enter the kingdom of heaven.

Even the moment when God prepared the life of His Son, Jesus here on earth, God twisted the scriptures about punishments. God already sent us a perfect model to be a good servant of Him ( a servant of His people) and this was through the person of our most loving and gentlewoman mother, Mary. Through her and in her, Jesus was born! This is not an easy role. From the moment of announcing her that she will bear a Son until death of Jesus, she suffered and sacrificed that only extra ordinary faith and love of God would be able to let her stand until at the foot of the cross where her Son died. I am trying to sight how Jesus and Mary treasure our life, value our life and how precious our lives would be in their eyes!

Of course, nobody wants a menace to society. No good people want drug lords, drug users, rapists, killers, corrupt authorities, robbers, etc… Of course, we hope and we pray that all these will stop. But the question is HOW? By killing all these drug lords and all who commit crimes?

If we take a look closely with a gentle heart to the bible, the Holy Church will still stand for what she believes – death penalty is not a Christian act. What if obviously he/ she committed the greatest crimes and truly a menace to society and that truly he/ she brought destruction to the youth, to the people and to the whole world? This I can say, that is how strong our faith and trust in God will come in and be tested. Then what faith should it be when he/ she already destructed the world? God is a living God, it is all out of faith and trust that He works in ways we cannot see. Try to recall the story of Noah (when God washed the world), Sodom and Gomorrah. God is a living God, all-knowing God. He knows everything, every little thing. HE IS THE ONLY ONE WHO HAS THE RIGHT TO JUDGE AND PUNISH. You believe that faith can move mountains and that God can move mountains? Are you that so clean and perfect and like God that you can condemn and kill? LET THE SINNERS DIE IN A “NATURAL” DEATH. Don’t run before God. If we believe that God is the Alpha and the Omega then surely we can have fear to kill ANY person. Huwag natin Siyang pangunahan. What I mean in a “natural” death is not a mere human being will take the life, but the Holy and Immortal One, its God and God alone!

You have heard that it was said, love your neighbor and hate your enemy, but I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, that you may be children of your Father in Heaven.”- Matt 5:43-46.

Vengeance is not ours, its God! Jesus even said on the cross, "Lord, forgive them for they do not know wht they do. "Then one will say. “ ohhh… it’s been more than two thousand years ago that this story happened. It is not adoptable and it is not applicable in today’s world.” No, as God infinite and unending love for us will never change so as His words will never change. It is the same yesterday, today and tomorrow.

There were also wars and fights happened two thousand years ago, but a death penalty is different from fights, wars or authorities trying to search or find an accused person and kill. Death penalty is we are in a state of judging or condemning a person as a menace to society and it is a law made by man to kill wherein a fight is like the things happened with David and Goliath, Moses killed the ones in defend of the good people like Joshua and so there were killings. They got also law to put into death those who committed against in their laws, but through Jesus and with Jesus all these had been mercifully, compassionately and lovingly changed! For those who accept and love Jesus, His preaching can be clearly seen and understood. A lot of contrast to the old teachings He preached like, “ but I tell you, do not resist an evil person. If anyone slaps you on your right check, turn to them the other cheek also. And if anyone wants to sue you and take your shirt, hand over your coat as well. If anyone forces you to go one mile, go with them two miles. – Matt 5:41”, “making friends with a sinner possessed with 7 demons”, and He even say to those who killed and mocked Him “Lord forgive them for they do not know what they do”…

“Life is what they had taken and that life must also be their punishment.” What’s the difference between this "menace to society" and "imposing death penalty"? Menace to society are people who “lost their minds”, people whose brain are already been poisoned by drugs, people who had been great blinded with wealth, people who are great blinded with anger and hurt. All these, I can consider as sick people. They are actually sick than those who suffered from natural sickness in health. These people need more prayer, understanding and healing!

These menace to society killed people because they were out in their minds, while death penalty the ones who impose, who condemn or judge are people of we say in right and normal thinking that killed a sinner (and who then is not a sinner?). Have we ever think if we will be given a task or it is our job and authority and we are normal, good and gentle person and we will be the one to kill the condemned person? In your hands you commit to kill a condemned person or sinner. How will you answer if God ask you “are you the one who gave life and has the power to take his life?” How do you feel? Do this good, gentle and Christian person in authority of killing would feel happy, satisfied and fulfilled, because he is such a good person doing his job?

I knew some friends that had been acted like bad persons, but many of them had been turned into good. There is still hope, there is still this tomorrow.

I would rather choose for lifetime imprisonment and that a menace to society will die in a natural death. If one day, he/she will be caught doing something bad again, then it’s his/her choice that a man in authority, will then can shoot him in a fight and that’s a great, great challenge of being an army or police. To be an army or police is such a noble and heroism job. (To shoot or to be shot)

I am not saying that those who think and in favor of death penalty are bad. Actually, they are also good people in the sense that they think of how to stop this rampant crimes, how to solve this karumal dumal na mga pangyayari. It is just they have different ideas HOW to solve the problem.