The Death Penalty is a very complex issue in today's world. It has been an inalienable part of human society for centuries. The Death Penalty is something that many people don't have a clear decision on. There are very strong opinions on both sides of this argument. Many people support the death penalty, others desire for it to be abolished, and some support it but only in certain cases.
But what is Death Penalty?
"Death penalty is a government-sanctioned practice whereby a person is put to death by the state as a punishment for a crime. The sentence ordering that someone be punished in such a manner is referred to as a death sentence, whereas the act of carrying out such a sentence is known as an execution. A prisoner who has been sentenced to death and is awaiting execution is referred to as condemned, and is said in some countries to be on "death row". Crimes that are punishable by death are known as capital crimes, capital offences or capital felonies, and vary depending on the jurisdiction, but commonly include serious offences such as murder, mass murder, aggravated cases of rape, child rape, child sexual abuse, terrorism, treason, espionage, sedition, offences against the State (such as attempting to overthrow government), piracy, aircraft hijacking, drug tafficking, drug dealing and drug possession, war crimes, crimes against humanity and genocide, and in some cases, the most serious acts of recidivism, aggravated robbery, and kidnapping.
Some people strongly believe that the Death Penalty should be imposed on every murderer and drug addict. Groups that support this issue say that this is to deter future criminals who are thinking of committing murders and other abominable crimes. They believe the only deterrent for a murderer to not commit a crime again would be execution.
Some Christians also believe in imposing Death Penalty because of some Bible verses like:
Leviticus 24:17 (King James Version),
"And he that killeth any man shall surely be put to death",
and Leviticus 24:20 (King James Version),
"Breach for breach, eye for eye, tooth for tooth: as he hath caused a blemish in a man, so shall it be done to him again."
The opposite point of view is that no one should ever be killed by the State or Government. Others believe that every life is sacred and has value and no one has the right to take a life. Believing that killing is wrong yet imposing the Death Penalty on a murder is an example of hypocrisy.
Most Christians strongly believe in this point of view because of the statement of the Bible on one of the Ten Commandments in Exodus 20:13 (King James Version) which states that:
"Though shalt not kill."
Even though these two sides give strong opinions on Death Penalty, there are still those who remain at the middle. They believe that the Death Penalty should only be charged for certain cases where the crime warrants death as punishments. This is to ensure that only the worst gets punished this way.
Death is permanent. Once a State or the Government imposes Death Penalty, it needs on the decisions it makes. It can't afford to make a mistake because life can never be taken back. The scariest thing about Death Penalty is wrongful convictions.
P.S. I wrote this article when I was still in Grade 11. That was like 4 years ago when the issue about Death Penalty is trending in the Philippines. I am publishing it on this site to know about your views on this certain topic. So feel free to share your thoughts about it.
Source for the Definition of Death Penalty:
I believe that God is just and whoever shows no remorse of his sin will pay. But, I can't help myself being empathetic to the victims and the families affected by heinous crimes, crying out for justice. yet, some gets away with it because of money and influence.