[Vision2020] Government killing, etc.
Joshua Nieuwsma
joshuahendrik@yahoo.com
Wed, 23 Jul 2003 14:43:15 -0700 (PDT)
--0-730431058-1058996595=:91799
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii
Mr. Arnold wrote:
"First, I don't buy the concept that government sanctioned killing is a law
of God. From my understating God was very forgiving, and said let vengeance
be his, not ours. We have every right to protect ourselves from people that
may do us harm. But the death penalty is not protecting us, it is only used
as an act of vengeance."
God is merciful, but requires justice to be done. The death penalty is part of our protection. Every society (ignoring of course those that have corrupt officials since that eliminates the possibility of true justice) that has a consistently applied death penalty always has lower crime and safer streets. No matter how much you liberals want to deny it, fear of a quick, speedy trial for murder, with the unbreakable promise of death at the other end, is a strong deterrent for the criminal who would otherwise kill for some money.
Mr. Arnold goes on:
"Second, it contradicts itself and generates more sin and violations of Gods law. If a jury, a judge, and a prosecutor convict and send a person to death
for a murder they did not commit, are they not sending a person to death
that is innocent? If so, then are they not committing a murder if they
intentionally kill a person that is innocent? Under God's law, thou shall
not kill, they have broken this. In doing such they are now themselves
murderers. One could argue that the jury did not know for sure that the
person did or did not really commit the crime. Which brings me to my point,
only God can actually know this, so therefore, it is he, and he alone, that
should take vengeance..."
Mr. Arnold, you are in effect presuming to tell God what to do. And yet your email is full of this "leave it to God to sort out" stuff. God says in His Word very clearly that the man who spills innocent blood shall have his own blood spilled. And if by rare chance (and it is very very rare) a man is killed who was truly innocent of the crime, then those who sentenced him, if they did it knowingly, will be punished. But if unknowingly, there is probably no guilt for the judge and jury, because they are to listen to the witnesses and make a decision. If their decision was mislead because the witness was a lie, so be it. They did their God-given duty. God has given the state the power of the sword to punish wrongdoers. And God was not speaking merely of the flat of the sword for beating. Rather He requires the state to use the sharp edge against the wicked throat.
It is not a matter of killing, it is a matter of who is killed. A wicked man, who has murdered, has forfeited his God-given right to live, and his life is to be taken from him. The primary reason for that is justice, not deterrent. Even if all the murderers in the world were encouraged when one of their number was killed for murder, that would still not be a reason to refuse to obey God and put that murderer to death. Any man who takes innocent life shall lose his own. Actions have consequences because God says so, not because it makes us feel just and wise (or in mr. arnold's case, sick).
cheers,
Joshua Nieuwsma
---------------------------------
Do you Yahoo!?
Yahoo! SiteBuilder - Free, easy-to-use web site design software
--0-730431058-1058996595=:91799
Content-Type: text/html; charset=us-ascii
<DIV>Mr. Arnold wrote:<BR><BR>"First, I don't buy the concept that government sanctioned killing is a law <BR>of God. From my understating God was very forgiving, and said let vengeance <BR>be his, not ours. We have every right to protect ourselves from people that <BR>may do us harm. But the death penalty is not protecting us, it is only used <BR>as an act of vengeance."</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>God is merciful, but requires justice to be done. The death penalty is part of our protection. Every society (ignoring of course those that have corrupt officials since that eliminates the possibility of true justice) that has a consistently applied death penalty always has lower crime and safer streets. No matter how much you liberals want to deny it, fear of a quick, speedy trial for murder, with the unbreakable promise of death at the other end, is a strong deterrent for the criminal who would otherwise kill for some money. <BR><BR>Mr. Arnold goes on: </DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>"Second, it contradicts itself and generates more sin and violations of Gods law. If a jury, a judge, and a prosecutor convict and send a person to death <BR>for a murder they did not commit, are they not sending a person to death <BR>that is innocent? If so, then are they not committing a murder if they <BR>intentionally kill a person that is innocent? Under God's law, thou shall <BR>not kill, they have broken this. In doing such they are now themselves <BR>murderers. One could argue that the jury did not know for sure that the <BR>person did or did not really commit the crime. Which brings me to my point, <BR>only God can actually know this, so therefore, it is he, and he alone, that <BR>should take vengeance..."</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>Mr. Arnold, you are in effect presuming to tell God what to do. And yet your email is full of this "leave it to God to sort out" stuff. God says in His Word very clearly that the man who spills <EM>innocent</EM> blood shall have his own blood spilled. And if by rare chance (and it is very very rare) a man is killed who was truly innocent of the crime, then those who sentenced him, if they did it knowingly, will be punished. But if unknowingly, there is probably no guilt for the judge and jury, because they are to listen to the witnesses and make a decision. If their decision was mislead because the witness was a lie, so be it. They did their God-given duty. God has given the state the power of the sword to punish wrongdoers. And God was not speaking merely of the flat of the sword for beating. Rather He requires the state to use the sharp edge against the wicked throat.</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>It is not a matter of killing, it is a matter of who is killed. A wicked man, who has murdered, has forfeited his God-given right to live, and his life is to be taken from him. The primary reason for that is justice, not deterrent. Even if all the murderers in the world were encouraged when one of their number was killed for murder, that would still not be a reason to refuse to obey God and put that murderer to death. Any man who takes innocent life shall lose his own. Actions have consequences because God says so, not because it makes us feel just and wise (or in mr. arnold's case, sick).</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>cheers,</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>Joshua Nieuwsma</DIV><p><hr SIZE=1>
Do you Yahoo!?<br>
<a href="http://us.rd.yahoo.com/evt=10469/*http://sitebuilder.yahoo.com">Yahoo! SiteBuilder</a> - Free, easy-to-use web site design software
--0-730431058-1058996595=:91799--