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PUBLIC OPINION > The Death Penalty Is Necessary

SodaHead Infographics 2012/04/30 16:00:00
California is getting ready to vote on whether or not to repeal capital punishment, so we took it to the broader public first, asking one basic question: Is the death penalty necessary? Though capital punishment is not practiced in most countries, it is practiced in the four most populous countries (China, India, Indonesia, and most of the U.S.), making it a complex and controversial topic. But don't worry, we broke it down for you by country, state -- and much more. Want to know how they feel about it in California? You might be surprised. Let's dive!

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Top Opinion

  • Striker 2012/04/30 17:24:35
    Striker
    +14
    Tell ya what. That 35% who think horrid criminals should live and stay in prison can now pay the costs of storing them and providing their care and feeding.

    The rest of us will pay for a bullet.

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  • cupcakes Child o... 2012/05/12 20:21:54
    cupcakes
    yes it is
  • Child o... cupcakes 2012/05/13 02:35:44
    Child of light
    Murder is the unlawful taking of human life. Not justifiable by law.

    If all killing is murder, what if someone kills another person to defend themselves? That certainly isn't murder
  • cupcakes Child o... 2012/05/13 03:00:25
    cupcakes
    YES IT IS
  • Child o... cupcakes 2012/05/17 20:41:29
    Child of light
    This argument is going nowhere. I constantly tell you that not all killing is murder, and you continue to disbelieve.

    If we're just going to keep it going like this, I suggest we just agree to disagree.
  • cupcakes Child o... 2012/05/17 21:35:23
    cupcakes
    i disagree to you disagreeing with me so you could agree to disagree with me
  • JOMO Child o... 2012/05/09 15:49:14
    JOMO
    Extremely...., extremely...! good point ....Child o..., in other words..., murder is murder, and in my humble opinion any form of murder is un - acceptable....JOMO
  • Child o... JOMO 2012/05/10 05:37:22
    Child of light
    If you're implying that the Death Penalty is murder, you're wrong. It is lawful killing of someone who has committed an extremely heinous crime
  • JOMO Child o... 2012/05/10 16:33:19
  • Child o... JOMO 2012/05/10 21:05:42
    Child of light
    Murder is the unlawful killing and ending of another person's life. Killing someone in the case of self-defense is not murder. Killing someone because they unjustly and unlawfully ended the life of another person just because of personal reasons/emotions is not murder
  • JOMO cupcakes 2012/05/09 15:45:55
    JOMO
    You missed the punch line cupcakes..., They are pro their life..., anyone else..., HANG EM....!...LOL....JOMO
  • JOMO Whyputa... 2012/05/09 15:43:36
    JOMO
    Whyputa... Are you kidding me...? "Which one they get off on most...?" I am betting if war and an execution was on TV..., these idiots would have their two 19inch analog TV's sitting on top of a broken 25 inch trying to watch both as a family outing while eating dinner they just finished hunting for. JOMO
  • JOMO cupcakes 2012/05/09 15:35:43
    JOMO
    Yeah..., I am betting between execution, these guys eat raw meat to tide them over until the next one. This is first hand sickness at its best...! JOMO
  • Elementer 2012/05/01 21:07:47
    Elementer
    +4
    Hilarious how people who call themselves Christians can support this.

    Let me ask you, would Jesus crucify a murderer?
  • Pat Elementer 2012/05/01 22:46:23
    Pat
    +2
    Would Jesus suffer a murderer to kill again?

    Perhaps a convict of a lesser crime, in prison?
  • GuruA2J... Elementer 2012/05/01 23:22:58
    GuruA2J~#IOKIYAR~612 BLOCKT
    +5
    Isn't it funny that Jesus revealed himself to a murderer on the road to Damascus (Saul of Tarsus) & not only saved his soul but called him into the ministry? He became the Apostle who was sent to the Gentiles, wrote most of the New Testament & his name was changed to PAUL :)
  • Candace... Elementer 2012/05/01 23:54:41
    Candace Washington
    +3
    One of the first things that anti-capital punishment supporters appeal to is the sixth commandment. The commandment says, "Thou shalt not kill" (Ex. 20:13). What does that mean? To answer that we have to look at the word "kill." The Hebrew word translated "kill" (Strong's #7523) in this verse is used 49 times in the Old Testament and in every relevant used means "to murder" especially with premeditation, according to biblical scholar Charles Ryrie. Further, when the sixth commandment is repeated in the New Testament a word is used that never means anything else than to murder (Strongs #5407).

    The Sixth Commandment clearly is a prohibition against murder; not an injunction against capital punishment, the death penalty.

    What is the Biblical Penalty for Murder?

    That brings me to my next question -- What is the biblical penalty for murder? Let's look at Genesis 9:5-6. God says to Noah and his family,

    "And surely your blood of your lives will I require; at the hand of every beast will I require it, and at the hand of man; and at the hand of every man's brother will I require the life of man. Whoso sheddeth a man's blood, by man shall his blood be shed: for in the image of God made he man."

    These verses are simply saying, murder is forbidden. Man-killing animals are to be killed and any ...







    One of the first things that anti-capital punishment supporters appeal to is the sixth commandment. The commandment says, "Thou shalt not kill" (Ex. 20:13). What does that mean? To answer that we have to look at the word "kill." The Hebrew word translated "kill" (Strong's #7523) in this verse is used 49 times in the Old Testament and in every relevant used means "to murder" especially with premeditation, according to biblical scholar Charles Ryrie. Further, when the sixth commandment is repeated in the New Testament a word is used that never means anything else than to murder (Strongs #5407).

    The Sixth Commandment clearly is a prohibition against murder; not an injunction against capital punishment, the death penalty.

    What is the Biblical Penalty for Murder?

    That brings me to my next question -- What is the biblical penalty for murder? Let's look at Genesis 9:5-6. God says to Noah and his family,

    "And surely your blood of your lives will I require; at the hand of every beast will I require it, and at the hand of man; and at the hand of every man's brother will I require the life of man. Whoso sheddeth a man's blood, by man shall his blood be shed: for in the image of God made he man."

    These verses are simply saying, murder is forbidden. Man-killing animals are to be killed and any person who murders another is to be killed. Killing a man is an offense against almighty God for man is made in God's image.

    The verses makes it clear. Capital punishment, the taking of the perpetrators life, is what God demands for the murder of a human being by man or beast. There are some other specifics that the Lord laid out relating to capital punishment.

    There must be two or more witnesses before one accused of murder can be put to death (Numbers 35:30)
    A person judged guilty of murder must die. Do not allow any kind of bargain or ransom for his life. (Num. 35:30)
    The blood of the victim murdered defiles the land. The only way it is cleansed is by administering capital punishment to the murderer. (Num. 35:33-34).

    Capital punishment is in the Bible. it's hilarious that you think it's hilarious that Christians support this. Read Numbers chapter 35:30-34.
    (more)
  • Elementer Candace... 2012/05/02 01:22:51
    Elementer
    +3
    The Bible also says stone to death disobedient children.

    I wouldn't take the book to seriously...
  • addie Elementer 2012/05/02 03:44:44
    addie
    +1
    I like that, stoning children to death, thing. Does it really say that?
  • Elementer addie 2012/05/02 03:51:43
    Elementer
    +1
    Yeah, it really does.
  • Max Power Elementer 2012/05/02 06:25:01
    Max Power
    +3
    Yes, that is an option for those living in B.C. Israel, but is no longer condoned for followers of Christ.

    (I'll just wait for someone to post Matthew 5:18)
  • Elementer Max Power 2012/05/02 06:42:23 (edited)
    Elementer
    +1
    Funny, how that line about stoning children is in the Old Testament, along with the verse about homosexuality. Yet, people disregard the first verse and hold on to the latter.

    Did you know that Matthew 5:18 doesn't mean the OT is irrelevant?

    Most Christians love cherry-picking laws and rules that support their position, while disregarding the others.
  • ThinkAb... Elementer 2012/05/02 16:45:59
    ThinkAboutIt!
    +1
    Most non-Christians love cherry-picking laws & rules that support their position, while disregarding the others.
  • Max Power ThinkAb... 2012/05/02 19:32:25
    Max Power
    Case in point: Richard Dawkins.

    I ought to write a silly ignorant, biased, logically unsound book attacking all religion. I might just sell over 2 million copies.
  • Elementer Max Power 2012/05/03 03:05:43
    Elementer
    I hate Richard Dawkins...
  • Max Power Elementer 2012/05/02 19:43:04
    Max Power
    Right on cue!

    You should take some time to actually read the Bible on your own time, and form your own educated conclusion on it, so that (and this, of course, is all speculation, since you're not actually interested in being knowledgeable of something that you are so quick to criticize) you won't sound like a complete tool when arguing.

    Yes, you are correct, Matthew 5:18 does not mean the OT is irrelevant. Infact, if one were to read it by itself, you could come to the conclusion (as so many have) that the Old Testament (I think the law is given in Leviticus) is the absolute, 100%, go-to book regarding the law for every Christian.

    However...

    If you read the verse right before Matthew 5:18, a record of Jesus's speech on the hill, and thought for a few minutes about what he was saying, you would realize that's not entirely true.

    “Do not think that I came to destroy the Law or the Prophets. I did not come to destroy but to fulfill." - Matthew 5:17.

    So again, yes, the Old Testament is not irrelevant, and any Christian would do well to read it. But for ritualistic and legalistic things (like animal sacrifices, stoning your children, etc.) are not necessary, since they don't fit into Jesus's whole "Love your neighbor as thyself" philosophy.
  • Elementer Max Power 2012/05/03 03:10:50 (edited)
    Elementer
    Alright, let's say you are correct for argument's sake. Wouldn't homosexuality fit under that legalistic thing? I mean, hatred and condescending attitudes of gays doesn't fit into the "love thy neighbor" thing either. My point is, you can't

    And citing the Bible to defend the Bible is like using yourself as your own character witness.
  • Max Power Elementer 2012/05/04 20:17:18
    Max Power
    Yeah, Jesus didn't teach people to hate gays. and I can't what?

    and that thing about citing the Bible is obnoxious. That's like saying I can't cite Barack Obama to show something he said.
  • Elementer Max Power 2012/05/04 20:50:20
    Elementer
    Not really. The Bible is an anthology written by several authors over thousands of years. It's been doctored over and over, so questioning its content is hardly obnoxious.
  • Max Power Elementer 2012/05/05 06:10:35
    Max Power
    Whether that's true or not is irrelevant. Stop trying to weasel your way out of this; we're not arguing about the validity of the Bible. We're arguing about the content, so it makes perfect sense for the Bible to be used as a resource.

    Oh, and I would just love to hear more about how the Bible has been doctored over and over. Please link me to some credible sources on these "doctorings".
  • Elementer Max Power 2012/05/05 09:56:41
    Elementer
    It is relevant. It's like someone writing down what Obama said then changing it, and then you trying to use that altered quote as a source. Content and validity go hand in hand. That's not hard to understand.

    "Oh, and I would just love to hear more about how the Bible has been doctored over and over. Please link me to some credible sources on these "doctorings""

    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/...

    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/...

    Knock yourself out.
  • Max Power Elementer 2012/05/07 02:59:35
    Max Power
    Still wrong. Whether it has been changed drastically or not, we are still arguing about the current "copy" of it, which has existed for the last 400 years.

    How cute. You linked me an uncited Wikipedia page about discrepancies between the Textus Receptus and Majority Text. I am so convinced.

    Just for kicks though, let's assume the list is accurate and take a look at the very first verse (Matthew 5:44) which, coincidentally, happens to be the most relevant...

    MT: But I say to you, love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you.
    CT: But I say to you, love your enemies, and pray for those who persecute you.

    Is that really such a huge "doctoring" that would affect your perception of the verse? Of course, the giant hole known as your argument gets even deeper when one realizes that the King James Bible, the translation that any educated Christian would use for arguing purposes, is based directly off the Textus
    Receptus. (If you want to know why, just read the other source that you posted.)

    All you're doing at this point is showing off your ignorance. So if you would like me to continue wasting my time, which I'm sure you would not, either stop posting or start posting something worth arguing.
  • Elementer Max Power 2012/05/08 06:52:29 (edited)
    Elementer
    bored gif

    Your horrible logic bores me. I don't feel like tearing down your weak arguments only for your to use fallacies to justify your blind faith in a book that's been altered, censored, and doctored through history. If you don't believe that, then fine, do you. Watch any documentary, crack open any book about the origins of Christianity and you'll know what I'm talking about.

    By the way, Wikipedia did cite sources. It almost always does. That "Wikipedia is unreliable" argument is so outdated and untrue.
  • Max Power Elementer 2012/05/08 19:24:35
    Max Power
    LOLOLOLOLOL you think I'm a Christian?
  • Elementer Max Power 2012/05/08 20:57:47
    Elementer
    I think you're a troll. A troll who obviously has no meaning in life.
  • Max Power Elementer 2012/05/08 22:57:49
    Max Power
    I don't think you know what a troll is.

    and being agnostic, I'm not so sure that any of us have meaning in life, but believe what you will.
  • Elementer Max Power 2012/05/09 02:27:52
    Elementer
    Dude, you're a troll. You're probably a young nerd around my age who has nothing better to do.
  • Max Power Elementer 2012/05/09 02:42:33
    Max Power
    Aren't we all here because we have nothing better to do?

    The nerd part is partially correct.
  • Elementer Max Power 2012/05/09 02:54:15 (edited)
    Elementer
    Touche.

    The nerd part is correct and the Black, female, bisexual, agnostic, 69-year-old libertarian is incorrect, yes?
  • Max Power Elementer 2012/05/09 02:58:19 (edited)
    Max Power
    Well, the libertarian part is correct.

    *and the agnostic
  • Elementer Max Power 2012/05/09 07:26:17
    Elementer
    I should've known, lol.

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