Section 4: Capital Punishment

Section 4: Capital Punishment

1. For

   • Death penalty acts as a warning, puts people off committing the crime
   • A life for a life is fair retribution
   • Removes dangerous people from society
   • Cheaper than keeping a criminal in prison

2. Against

   • People who are executed may later be discovered to be innocent
   • Terrorists who are executed can end up as heroes
   • No reason to take away a life
   • How can a state forbid murder when it kills its own citizens?

3. Christians

   • Against
     • Only God has the right to give and take life
     • Jesus taught revenge is wrong 'turn the other cheek'
     • Churches have spoken out against it
     • Christianity is all about love and forgiveness, capital punishment goes against this
   • For
     • St Paul teaches that we should obey our governments, includes accepting the death penalty
     • Jesus never taught the the death penalty was wrong
     • In the middle ages, the Church used the death penalty
     • Some Christians permit the death penalty for very serious crimes

4. Muslims

   • Against
     • Muslim leaders cannot agree on how or when the death penalty should be applied
     • Qur'an says it is an option
     • Qur'an gives strict conditions when the penalty should be given, rarely met
     • Sometimes the Shari'ah law is not applied properly (unfair trial)
   • For
     • Qur'an says death penalty can be given
     • Shari'ah law says death penalty can be given
     • Muhammed made statements that agreed with it
     • Muhammed sentenced people to death when he ruled Medina