Capital Punishment And Religion Essay Example For Students

Capital Punishment And Religion Essay Capital Punishment Electrocution . . . gas chamber . . . lethal injection . . . field shooting . . . all are forms of the death penalty used across the UnitedStates. Some believe that when one person takes the life of another, thatpersons life should be taken as well. They should pay for what they did. Buthonestly . . . is capital punishment used to make the murderer pay for what hedid? Or is it simply revenge? Capital punishment is wrong. In my opinion, it isbarbaric. It is revenge, and it teaches revenge as well. Do two wrongs make aright? Do two murders instead of one make everything okay? We need todistinguish the difference between our emotions and what is right. I willadmitif someone killed someone I loved, I would probably want that person todie. But I would be irrationally thinking, too blinded by grief and emotion totell the difference between right and wrong. The death penalty gives criminals away out. If the punishment for murder was life imprisonment, I would think thatmost criminals would rather die than face the rest of their lives in jail. Ithink all murderers should sit and rot in jail where they can think about whattheyve done, and know that Hell is in their future. I think God will find hisavenge, and who are we to decide when a person should die whether guilty orinnocent? Thats not our decision. Plus, exactly how long does a prisoner waiton death row? Moning 2 Some people wait more than 20 years! Some experts sayCongress would have eliminated the death penalty long ago, had there been morecases. As it is, they feel that going through the entire law-removalprocess would be a waste of time. Capital punishment conflicts with the 8thamendment: No cruel and unusual punishment. It is cruel to murder! Whetherit is a punishment or not, it is cruel! It also clearly clashes with the 5thcommandment in the bible, Thou shalt not kill. It does not say, Thoushalt not kill unless you are given permission . . . unless youregetting revenge, etc. There is always that nagging little fact that we maynever be sure whether or not a criminal is guilty. In over one hundredcases it was found that the murderer was innocent, after their punishment wastaken out! The death penalty is a very controversial issue, one which nearlyeveryone has an opinion. The one question everyone needs to answer forthemselves is Is it revenge or is it a punishment? There is a thin linebetween ones emotions and whats right. Maybe there is no correct answer towhether the death penalty is justice or murder, but it continues to be an issuethat is widely disputed. Legal Issues