16 “But if he struck him down with an iron object, so that he died, he is a murderer. The murderer shall be put to death. 17 And if he struck him down with a stone tool that could cause death, and he died, he is a murderer. The murderer shall be put to death. 18 Or if he struck him down with a wooden tool that could cause death, and he died, he is a murderer. The murderer shall be put to death. 19 The avenger of blood shall himself put the murderer to death; when he meets him, he shall put him to death. 20 And if he pushed him out of hatred or hurled something at him, lying in wait, so that he died, 21 or in enmity struck him down with his hand, so that he died, then he who struck the blow shall be put to death. He is a murderer. The avenger of blood shall put the murderer to death when he meets him.
30 “If anyone kills a person, the murderer shall be put to death on the evidence of witnesses. But no person shall be put to death on the testimony of one witness. 31 Moreover, you shall accept no ransom for the life of a murderer, who is guilty of death, but he shall be put to death. 32 And you shall accept no ransom for him who has fled to his city of refuge, that he may return to dwell in the land before the death of the high priest. 33 You shall not pollute the land in which you live, for blood pollutes the land, and no atonement can be made for the land for the blood that is shed in it, except by the blood of the one who shed it. 34 You shall not defile the land in which you live, in the midst of which I dwell, for I the Lord dwell in the midst of the people of Israel.”
Numbers 35:16-21; 30-34
A number of years ago I was cleaning out a cabinet and came across a small book written by a pastor. It wasn't by a Lutheran so I didn't get it from church. I have no idea where it came from. It could have come in the mail or been picked up at some point. But since I'm an avid reader I can't discard a book without reading, or at least skimming it. There were parts that clearly weren't in keeping with what Lutherans would consider sound doctrine, even spending a chapter or two on the Iluminati (though perhaps called by a different name). Most of it I considered rubbish. Partly because it wasn't Lutheran, but also, some of it, because I was much more liberal then than now.
One chapter, though, I still remember quite well. It was the only chapter that completely changed how I viewed something major. I was, until that time, anti-death penalty. While I still abhor the idea of putting someone to death (and quite frankly, that's the point, isn't it?) after reading this chapter by some unknown pastor, I came to have a better understanding of it. And I can say that for the same reason that I'm pro-life, I'm pro-death penalty. Here's why.
God created us in His image. While we're "a little lower than the angels" they serve us. They protect us. They could squash us like a bug at any time, but they are here to do the opposite. We are cherished by our heavenly Father and so we bear His image. When a man (or woman) murders a child in the womb, or shortly after leaving it, or murders an adult in the prime of life or an adult finishing out last days in a nursing facility, he is murdering someone who bears God's image. He also forfeits his own life. That is why God commanded murderers to be put to death.
It wasn't to be done in a careless fashion though. It could only be done with the testimony of at least two witnesses and if they were found to be lying, they were put to death. And it had to be murder, not manslaughter. The intent had to be there.
The last part of what the pastor in the book wrote got me as well. While he supports the death penalty for the above reasons, he also was clear that our criminal justice system isn't fair. There are those who are more or less likely to be convicted based on ethnicity or socio-economic factors than actual evidence. While I support the death penalty, I don't have to support it in every case. It is better to err on the side of life in prison, where a person can be released if later found to be innocent, or where a person who is truly guilty can lose all freedoms and privileges for life. There is certainly nothing wrong with imprisoning someone for life, which I support more than death. But I can no longer argue against the death penalty. How it's applied? Absolutely. And I can use my vote to try to make improvements there. But I can also say that I can support it and still be pro-life.
30 “If anyone kills a person, the murderer shall be put to death on the evidence of witnesses. But no person shall be put to death on the testimony of one witness. 31 Moreover, you shall accept no ransom for the life of a murderer, who is guilty of death, but he shall be put to death. 32 And you shall accept no ransom for him who has fled to his city of refuge, that he may return to dwell in the land before the death of the high priest. 33 You shall not pollute the land in which you live, for blood pollutes the land, and no atonement can be made for the land for the blood that is shed in it, except by the blood of the one who shed it. 34 You shall not defile the land in which you live, in the midst of which I dwell, for I the Lord dwell in the midst of the people of Israel.”
Numbers 35:16-21; 30-34
A number of years ago I was cleaning out a cabinet and came across a small book written by a pastor. It wasn't by a Lutheran so I didn't get it from church. I have no idea where it came from. It could have come in the mail or been picked up at some point. But since I'm an avid reader I can't discard a book without reading, or at least skimming it. There were parts that clearly weren't in keeping with what Lutherans would consider sound doctrine, even spending a chapter or two on the Iluminati (though perhaps called by a different name). Most of it I considered rubbish. Partly because it wasn't Lutheran, but also, some of it, because I was much more liberal then than now.
One chapter, though, I still remember quite well. It was the only chapter that completely changed how I viewed something major. I was, until that time, anti-death penalty. While I still abhor the idea of putting someone to death (and quite frankly, that's the point, isn't it?) after reading this chapter by some unknown pastor, I came to have a better understanding of it. And I can say that for the same reason that I'm pro-life, I'm pro-death penalty. Here's why.
God created us in His image. While we're "a little lower than the angels" they serve us. They protect us. They could squash us like a bug at any time, but they are here to do the opposite. We are cherished by our heavenly Father and so we bear His image. When a man (or woman) murders a child in the womb, or shortly after leaving it, or murders an adult in the prime of life or an adult finishing out last days in a nursing facility, he is murdering someone who bears God's image. He also forfeits his own life. That is why God commanded murderers to be put to death.
It wasn't to be done in a careless fashion though. It could only be done with the testimony of at least two witnesses and if they were found to be lying, they were put to death. And it had to be murder, not manslaughter. The intent had to be there.
The last part of what the pastor in the book wrote got me as well. While he supports the death penalty for the above reasons, he also was clear that our criminal justice system isn't fair. There are those who are more or less likely to be convicted based on ethnicity or socio-economic factors than actual evidence. While I support the death penalty, I don't have to support it in every case. It is better to err on the side of life in prison, where a person can be released if later found to be innocent, or where a person who is truly guilty can lose all freedoms and privileges for life. There is certainly nothing wrong with imprisoning someone for life, which I support more than death. But I can no longer argue against the death penalty. How it's applied? Absolutely. And I can use my vote to try to make improvements there. But I can also say that I can support it and still be pro-life.
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