-
Capital Punishment – Absolutely Condemned or Commanded? Francis of Rome vs. Scripture
According to the Vatican Information Service, on October 23, 2014, referring to Francis of Rome: “He reiterated the primacy of the life and dignity of the human person, reaffirming the absolute condemnation of the death penalty, the use of which is rejected by Christians.” By contrast, Biblical Christians affirm the death penalty for a wide…
-
The Period of Grace Makes the Death Penalty Irrelevant?
The Bible indicates that the civil government ought to have and enforce laws providing for capital punishment of male homosexual behavior. It is written: “If a man also lie with mankind, as he lieth with a woman, both of them have committed an abomination: they shall surely be put to death; their blood shall be…
-
Why I’m Against the 150 Mile Fence Suggestion
The Scriptures tell us how various family relations crimes should be punished (all verse references are to Leviticus 20): Cursing Mother or Father – Death (9) For every one that curseth his father or his mother shall be surely put to death: he hath cursed his father or his mother; his blood shall be upon…
-
Response to Todd Bordow on Capital Punishment for Blasphemy
Over at Greenbaggins, Todd Bordow provided an interesting comment. He wrote: I think I was fairly clear earlier: the Biblical answer to the injustices of the world and injustice of governments is the Second Coming, not a return to the punishments of the Mosaic Law (theonomy), or enforcing true religion by the sword (theocracy). And…
-
Death Penalty and Rome
Roman Catholicism today is mostly against the death penalty. For example, the contemporary Catechism of the Catholic Church describes the RCC’s view of capital punishment this way: Capital Punishment 2266 The State’s effort to contain the spread of behaviors injurious to human rights and the fundamental rules of civil coexistence corresponds to the requirement of…
-
Responding to Paul Hoffer on Morality and the Gospel
In response to anonymous comments on a previous post, Paul Hoffer wrote: Dear Anonymous, the reason that Dr. Tiller’s murder was intrinsically wrong is because he was deprived of the chance of repenting of the evil that he had done on this earth and truly coming to know the saving grace of Our Lord, Jesus…
-
Word of Caution for Children of all Ages
Micah 7:6 For the son dishonoureth the father, the daughter riseth up against her mother, the daughter in law against her mother in law; a man’s enemies are the men of his own house. Proverbs 30:11 There is a generation that curseth their father, and doth not bless their mother. Ezekiel 22:7 In thee have…
-
Death Penalty for Idolatry?
Lane Keister, at GreenBaggins has posed a question: I know that I have at least two theonomists who regularly read my blog, and so this is a question addressed to them. The sin of idolatry, in the Old Testament, was punishable by death. Mormons, Jehovah’s Witnesses, Buddhists, Hindus, and many other religions practice idolatry. One…
-
Natural Law, Theonomy, and Homosexual Marriage
R. Scott Clark has an interesting blog post up on the issue of Homosexual Marriage (link). RSC approaches the issue from the standpoint of “two kingdoms theology,” a viewpoint that I’m not sure I can fully embrace. Instead, I tend to self-identify with “theonomy” (a term that’s perhaps even more liable to confusion than “two…
-
Just Criminal Laws
How can we determine whether a penalty is just, excessively lax, or excessively severe? Considered Biblically, such a question falls into the theological category of “theonomy” – a term that sets off all sorts of red flags in folks’ minds these days. As one who adheres to Sola Scriptura as expressed in the Westminster Confession…