ARGUMENTS FOR THE DEATH PENALTY

• Some people believe that the death penalty takes away the convicts "freedom of life" which is granted in the Bill of Rights. But, the killer took away his or her right to live the second they took the life of someone else. (jamiat.org)
• Many critics of the death penalty say criminals won't break the law again once they are let out of prison. But the facts are that 52,000 state prison inmates serving time for murder in 1984, 810 of the inmates had previously been convicted of murder. (prodeathpenalty.com)

        - 9-15% had been convicted of murder priior to being on death row
        - 67% had a prior felony conviction
        - 14% had recieved two or more death senntences
        - 42% had active criminal justice statuss when they committed their crime
                                                                  (prodeathpenalty.com)

• There is an argument that innocent people are being executed. The whole argument about innocence rests on the false premise that there is actually some evidence that innocent people are being executed. Yet, there is no such evidence. There is no proof that an innocent person has been exectued since 1900.
• A few people who are against the death penalty believe that it doesn't matter how horrible the crime was, the criminal still doesn't deserve to die because they are a "defenseless convict." The killer could have easily avoided being defenseless by not killing. The victim of the crime was also defenseless so it seems to even out.
• There is also a focus on DNA evidence. If DNA evidence can be used to prove that the wrong person was convicted, then it can be used to remove any remaining doubt about that prisoner's guilt.
• There is no biblical opposition to the government imposition of the death penalty. Acts 25:11 of the Bible says "If you do what is evil be afraid for the government does not bear a sword for nothing, for it is a minister of god, an avenger who brings wrath upon those who practice evil."
• The New Testament also says that obedience will be rewarded with life and disobedience with death.

news.bbc.com

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