RELIGIOUS VIEWS

Religion and the Death

Penalty

Buddhism

Buddhism and Capital Punishment



Because Buddhism exists in many forms, under many
organisations, there is no unified Buddhist policy on
capital punishment.



In terms of doctrine the death penalty is clearly
inconsistent with Buddhist teaching. Buddhists place
great emphasis on non-violence and compassion for all
life. The First Precept requires individuals to abstain from
injuring or killing any living creature.



The Buddha did not explicitly speak about capital
punishment, but his teachings show no sympathy for
physical punishment, no matter how bad the crime.

Buddhist countries and capital

punishment



These are no states that have Buddhism as

their official religion.



Alarid and Wang (see below) suggest that this

apparent paradox partly stems from the
difference between popular and monastic
Buddhism. The majority of lay Buddhists in
these countries follow Buddhist practices and
are entirely sincere in their commitment, but
"the genuine study of Buddhism, its rituals,
and carryover to daily life is superficial for
most Buddhist followers."

Buddhist countries and capital

punishment



Alarid and Wang suggest that this apparent paradox partly stems
from the difference between popular and monastic Buddhism. The
majority of lay Buddhists in these countries follow Buddhist practices
and are entirely sincere in their commitment, but "the genuine study
of Buddhism, its rituals, and carryover to daily life is superficial for
most Buddhist followers.“

Other reasons Buddhist countries retain the death penalty are:



belief by politicians that capital punishment is necessary for
retribution, cultural customs, or for deterrence value



a long tradition of capital punishment in a particular country



keeping order in society is seen as more important than Buddha's
teaching



reaction to long periods of political unrest or economic instability

Christianity and capital

punishment

Christians argue both for and against the

death penalty using secular arguments (see
Ethics: Capital punishment), but like other
religious people they often make an
additional case based on the tenets of their
faith.

Christianity

views in favour of the Death Penalty

Old Testament



The death penalty is consistent with Old Testament
Biblical teaching, and suggests that God created
the death penalty.

New Testament



The New Testament embodies what must be the
most famous execution in history, that of Jesus on
the cross. But paradoxically, although the tone of
the whole of the New Testament is one of
forgiveness, it seems to take the right of the state
to execute offenders for granted.

Christianity

views against the Death Penalty



Only God should create and destroy life

This argument is used to oppose abortion and euthanasia as well.



The Bible teaching is inconsistent



Christianity is based on forgiveness and
compassion



Capital punishment is biased against the poor



Abolition is in line with support for life

Hinduism

"An eye for an eye ends up making the whole

world blind“
Gandhi



There is no official Hindu line on capital punishment.
However, Hinduism opposes killing, violence and
revenge, in line with the principle of ahimsa (non-
violence).



India still retains the death penalty, and the reasons for
this are likely to be similar to be those suggested in the
Buddhist section.

Islam

Islam and capital punishment

Islam on the whole accepts capital punishment.

...Take not life, which God has made sacred,

except by way of justice and law. Thus does He
command you, so that you may learn wisdom

Qur'an 6:151

But even though the death penalty is allowed,

forgiveness is preferable. Forgiveness, together with
peace, is a predominant Qur'anic theme

.

Judaism

Judaism and capital punishment

Is Judaism in favour of capital punishment?

The classic Old Testament texts quoted to justify capital

punishment are these:

... life for life, eye for eye, tooth for tooth ...
Exodus 21:23-24

A man who spills human blood, his own blood shall be spilled by

man because God made man in His own Image.

Genesis 9:6

Rehabilitation

Of course capital punishment doesn't

rehabilitate the prisoner and return them to
society. But there are many examples of
persons condemned to death taking the
opportunity of the time before execution to
repent, express remorse, and very often
experience profound spiritual rehabilitation.

History of the death penalty

Early Death Penalty Laws



The Code of King Hammaurabi of Babylon



Hittite Code



Draconian Code of Athens



Roman Law of the Twelve Tablets

The Death Penalty in America



Laws regarding the death penalty varied from
colony to colony

The Abolitionist Movement

Abolitionism

was a movement to end the slave trade and

emancipate slaves .in western Europe and the Americas

.

Colonial Times

The first attempted reforms of the death penalty in the U.S.

occurred when Thomas Jefferson introduced a bill to revise
Virginia's death penalty laws. The bill proposed that capital
punishment be used only for the crimes of murder and
treason

Nineteenth Century