by Justice for All

About the author: Justice for All is a criminal justice reform organization dedicated to protecting citizens from violent crime.

Although not relevant to the legal application of the death penalty in the United States, religious issues are a significant thread within the moral debate. Biblical text is most relevant within a theocracy or a secular government which has laws that are consistent with biblical text. The United States does not, of course, fall within either category. This viewpoint is included only to counter the false claim that there is no New Testament support for capital punishment.

The Bible Does Not Prohibit the Death Penalty

•Virtually all religious scholars agree that the correctly translated commandment “Thou shalt not murder” is a prohibition against individual cases of murder. There is no biblical prohibition...