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Young Catholic said:
The Bible doesn't really address this issue in detail

However, at the end of the day the death penalty does kill a person. Does God sanction killing other lives? Sometimes- there are plenty of examples Biblically, but does that make the death penalty morally right?
1) The Bible certainly does address the death penalty in detail. We first see a definite mandate to put murders to death in the days of Noah. (Gen 9:6) Then we could look at the civil law given to Israel which had several categories of crimes (sins) which were to be punished by death.
  • Murder: Num 35:16-21, 30-33; Deut 17:6
  • Adultery: Lev 20:10; Deut 22:24
  • Incest: Lev 20:11, 12, 14
  • Bestiality: Ex 22:19; Lev 20:15, 16
  • Sodomy: Lev 18:22; 20:13
  • Sexual immorality: Deut 22:21-24
  • Rape of a betrothed (engaged) virgin: Deut 22:25'
  • Perjury: Zech 5:4
  • Kidnapping: Ex 21:16; Deut 24:7
  • Promiscuousness of a priest's daughter: Lev 21:9
  • Witchcraft: Ex 22:18
  • Offering human sacrifice: Lev 20:2-5
  • Striking or cursing one's father or mother: Ex 21:15,17; Lev 20:9
  • Disobedience to parents: Deut 21:18-21
  • Stealing: Zech 5:3-4
  • Blasphemy: Lev 24:11-14,16,23
  • Desecrating the Sabbath day: Ex 35:2; Num 15:32-36
  • Prophesying falsely, or propagating false doctrines: Deut 13:1-10
  • Sacrificing to false gods: Ex 22:20
  • Refusing to abide by the decision of the court: Deut 17:12
  • Treason: 1Kg 2:25; Esther 2:23

In the NT we have the death penalty exacted for: Sedition: Acts 5:36-37

And it is given to the established government to carry out the execution of the death penalty: Rom 13:2-4.

Methinks the references provided qualify as "addressing the issue in detail". <img src="/forum/images/graemlins/scratchchin.gif" alt="" />

2) God certainly condones and even commands the killing of others. All one has to do is give a cursory reading of the OT to see that. However, all the laws prescribing the death penalty under the OT civil law have been abrogated except for murder, which predates the civil law and thus remains perpetually binding.

In His grace,

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simul iustus et peccator

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